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Her shoulders slumped and she bit the inside of her lip So a million was short of what she needed

“Three?” Piper asked

So three hat she needed For what?

“Maybe two,” Jaeger said, pretending to think about her offer

Again, there was a flash of disappointreen eyes God, such beautiful eyes Eyes that tempted him to cut her a check for the full threeoff her clothes

“Can I think about that?” Piper asked, placing her thumbnail between her teeth

Jaeger slowly rolled up the velvet, capturing the ge the offer today, Ms Mills Or tomorrow”

Because, despite the party in his pants, he wasn’t a novice dealer who could be swayed by a pretty face, a rocking body and sad, possibly desperate, eyes

Piper’s luscious mouth fell open, and he wondered what she tasted like, whether her lips were as soft and plump, as sweet, as they looked He knew her smile would be dynamite He wanted to see it, feel it on his skin God, Ballantyne, get a frickin’ grip

“Butbutyou said—”

Jaeger stood up and placed his hands on his desk, leaning down so their eyes were level “I’e about I do that in the field when I have nothing to rely on but ut But I’m not prepared to do that nohen I don’t need to take the risk” Jaeger stood up and pushed his hand through his hair “I’ll make you a solid offer after I’ve done some research—”

“What type of research?” Piper asked, obviously frustrated

“We use various databases, including those set up by Interpol and the FBI, to check whether any sis to look at the stones”

“How long will it take?”

Jaeger shrugged “As long as it takes”

“I can always take them to Moreau’s”