Chapter 42.

NORA CARUSO "Hi." I stood there for a heartbeat, my back to the stranger, staring at the blurred colors of the abstract painting on the wall. I turned slowly. The man standing before bright… that was the only word for him. He had dark brown hair swept back with careless elegance and eyes the color of hazel that crinkled at the corners. He was handsome in a way that was almost jarring compared to the dark, sharp edges of the man I had arrived with. He held a glass of whiskey loosely in one hand, his tuxedo jacket unbuttoned, looking as relaxed as if he were in his own living room rather than a pit of vipers. He was looking at me with a bold, flirty appreciation that made me blink. "You look like you're plotting a murder," he said, a small, amused grin playing on his lips. "I like that in a woman, shows initiative." I took a step back, my grip on the glass tightening. "I'm not plotting a murder, I'm admiring the art." "Liar," he teased gently. "You were staring at that painting like you