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“Miss Mills?”

Piper hauled in a deep breath and looked at Jaeger His hair was slightly shorter, she noticed, his stubble a little heavier His eyes were still the sa blue, but his shoulders seemed broader, his arms under the sleeves of the black oxford shirt h the loops of black chinos

The corner of his mouth tipped up, the same way it had the first time they’d ht and crashed into one another Heat ran up her neck and into her cheeks and she bit her botto herself she couldn’t, wouldn’t, throw herself into his arms and tell him that her mouth had missed his, that her body still craved his

He held out his hand “I’er Ballantyne”

Yes, I know We did several things to each other that, when I remember Milan, still make me blush

What had she said in Italy? “When we ain, we’ll pretend we never saw each other naked”

Oh, God! Was he really going to take her statement literally?

Jaeger shoved his hand into the pocket of his pants and rocked on his heels, his expression wary “Okay, skipping the pleasantries I understand you have some sapphires you’d like me to see?”

His words instantly reminded her of hera heht with the Playboy of Park Avenue and he’d unknowingly given her the best gift of her life, but that wasn’t why she was here She needed him to look at her stones and, ideally, confirems so she could keep her house

Piper nodded “Right Yes, I have sapphires”

“I only deal in exceptional stones, Ms Mills” Jaeger told her, his expression guarded

Tired of wasting ti like an idiot, Piper reached into the side pocket of her tote bag and hauled out a knuckle-size cut sapphire