Fancy Pink: Gentlemen Prefer Nerds, #1

By Joan Kilby

Self-professed nerd Maddie Maloney is an expert on jewels. When a mysterious Englishman warns her that a thief known as The Chameleon is after the rare pink diamond on display in her aunt's shop, she tells herself it's just a joke. Even if she can't get Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy out of her mind…

 

Fabian Montgomery is everywhere Maddie goes, convinced the thief will strike. When the diamond does go missing—and Maddie is suspected of stealing it—he whisks her away from the police and together they pursue The Chameleon. Fabian plunges her into a glamorous world far from her humble workshop and transforms geeky Maddie into a sophisticated siren capable of espionage. Her mission: to seduce The Chameleon and steal back the diamond.

 

But Fabian isn't telling her everything—like who he works for, and why he's so interested in The Chameleon…

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joan Kilby
• Release date: Jun 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9780994433015

Joan Kilby

When Joan Kilby isn’t working on her next romance novel she can often be found sipping a latte at a sidewalk café and indulging in her favorite pastime of people watching. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Joan now lives in Australia with her husband and three children. She enjoys cooking as a creative outlet and gets some of her best ideas while watching her Jack Russell terrier chase waves at the beach.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Maddie Maloney pushed her glasses up her nose and peered through the stereo microscope at eighty million dollars worth of fancy pink diamond sparkling in a pool of light.

In a few days the heart-shaped gem known as the Rose would go on display in Aunt Grace’s jewelry shop in downtown Melbourne. Until then, it was Maddie’s to drool over.

She rotated the zoom knob to deepen the focus, moving through layers of facets. At just over seventy-five carats, it was huge for a fancy pink, and flawless, not a feathery fracture or a mineral inclusion anywhere.

The clarity was exquisite but it was the sheer sensuality of the jewel that held Maddie captive. Its deep raspberry color was as seductive as it was rare. The lush glitter of facets so numerous they resembled the petals of a real rose brought forth a sigh of pleasure from her lips.

Did you know that the Contessa Antonia Licciardo, of eighteenth-century Venice, could reach orgasm simply by looking at a beautiful gem? a cultured English male voice enquired from directly behind her.

Maddie spun her chair around. A stranger in a tailored charcoal gray suit loomed over her. Well-groomed, tall, strong physique, chiseled features. His piercing gaze was fixed not on her, but the diamond.

Who are you? she demanded. Where did you come from?

Ignoring her first question, he answered the second with a nod of his head at the door leading onto the alley. Through there.

The electronically locked security door with the brand-new state-of-the art alarm system.

A cold trickle slid down Maddie’s spine. Impossible.

Clearly not. Now he scanned the room, from the floor safe in the corner, to her cluttered workspace, to Kim’s bench with his neat array of jewelry-making tools.

Maddie reached under the desk and hit the panic button. Aunt Grace was at lunch and so was Kim. Tiffany was in the shop but she was busy dealing with customers. A bomb could go off back here and she’d be unaware.

The stranger’s dark eyes swept back to Maddie. Don’t think I didn’t see you press that button.

Security guards will be here any second. She groped the bench behind her for a weapon and seized the first thing her hand closed on. Wedging herself between the intruder and her precious charge, she brandished – a half-inch chasing hammer.

With an amused tilt of his lips, Mr. Savile Row stepped past her, planted a hand on the bench and leaned down to peer through the stereomicroscope. A gold monogrammed cuff link gleamed against snowy cotton. Pretty.

Pretty? Heat surged into Maddie’s cheeks at this outrage. That’s like saying the Hope Diamond is a trinket.

Very pretty, he conceded, straightening away from the microscope to dust his hands. It’s in imminent danger of being stolen.

Stolen by him? Was that a threat? Where the hell were the guards?

Kim will be back any moment, she warned. He knows tai chi.

Tai chi? Again the stranger’s mouth quirked up in that superior manner that was really annoying and at the same time, disturbingly sexy. Perhaps you mean tae kwondo.

Shoot. She knew that. He can break a brick in half with his forehead.

I could use a sparring partner. The man flexed long elegant fingers on powerful, well-shaped hands.

I’m calling the police. Maddie felt behind her on the workbench for her cell phone. It wasn’t in its usual spot. Frantically, she turned around to search, scattering grading reports and gem certifications, a battered Modesty Blaise paperback.

Is this what you’re looking for? He held the cell out to her. Do you see how easy it is to take something literally from under your nose?

Maddie snatched the phone and jabbed in the number for emergency services. Quickly, quickly…

If I may offer some advice— he began.

No! She waved her tiny jewelry-making hammer at him. Get out!

As you wish. Leisurely, he crossed the workshop to the alley door.

Sirens wailed, coming closer. Help was nearly at hand.

No, I mean, stay! Maddie shrieked.

Trust no one, he warned, one foot out the open door. You never know when the Chameleon will strike.

Maddie tilted her head. The who?

Emergency Services, said a tinny voice from her cell. Hello?

Just a minute, Maddie said into the phone, harried. Wait! she called to the man. Who’s the Chameleon?

A jewel thief who’s after your pretty pink diamond. The stranger lifted a hand in farewell. With the glint of a gold cuff link on white cotton he was gone, closing the door behind him with a firm click.

Maddie threw down the hammer—she’d have been lucky to blacken his baby fingernail with it—and quickly reported the intruder to Emergency Services. Then she went out to the showroom where a bewildered Tiffany was greeting two private security guards in brown uniforms who’d been summoned by the panic button.

Maddie hustled the guards through the workshop. He escaped into the alley. Tall with dark hair, wearing a gray suit. Hurry!

The men split up and went in either direction down the cobbled lane, rattling locked doors and peering into windows, shining flashlights inside a delivery truck parked at the rear of an antique store.

A police car with flashing lights slid to a halt at the end of the alley, and a pair of uniformed cops got out. Maddie ran down the uneven cobbles to tell them about the intruder. They joined the search and she hurried back inside. Quickly she closed the alley door and rearmed the security alarm. Still breathing hard, she glanced around the workshop.

The Rose was beneath her microscope. On Kim’s bench the pendant setting hung around a mannequin neck. Nothing had been taken. Hopefully the cops and the guards would find the intruder. If he was still around. He’d disappeared like a genie in a puff of smoke. How had he gotten through the locked security door? The only trace left of him was a faint, enticing scent of spice and leather.

Grace burst into the workshop from the showroom, her heels clicking on the marble floor. Blonde and chic, she wore a sleek black dress adorned with a fire opal. She dropped her purse and shopping bags. What’s going on? Tiffany said— Maddie, you’re white as a ghost!

A man broke in through the alley door, Maddie said. I was looking at the Rose under the microscope. Suddenly he was standing right behind me.

Talking about orgasms in that deep sexy voice. Was he a pervert? He hadn’t acted like one. He seemed sophisticated, cultured, and… Maddie shivered. Dangerous.

Grace reached for Maddie’s hands, chafing her cold fingers. Did he hurt you?

No, just scared the wits out of me, Maddie said. The security guards and police are searching for him now. He didn’t steal anything.

Who was he? What did he want? Grace asked.

He warned me about a jewel thief called the Chameleon. Maddie gave a shaky laugh. Who has a silly name like that? It sounds like something from a spy movie.

A jewel thief? Oh, dear, Grace fretted. Can you imagine what William Franklin would say if we lost his diamond?

I’ll put it away. Maddie loosened the stone holder on the microscope and removed the diamond with a pair of padded tweezers. She placed the Rose in its black velvet nest inside a teak box, and carried the box to the floor safe. Punching in the digital code, she put the diamond on the top shelf and relocked the safe.

The security guards returned to report that whoever the intruder was, he’d gotten clean away. They double-checked the alarm, tested it, shook their heads over it, then advised Grace and Maddie to make sure the alarm was set at all times.

It is always set, Maddie insisted. He must have disarmed it somehow.

Not possible unless you know the code, the older guard said. You must have forgotten.

Maddie stifled a frustrated sigh. I didn’t, but never mind. Thank you for coming so quickly.

The security guards had no sooner left than the police officers arrived.

The officer in charge identified herself as Constable Sarah Linley. Whip-thin with a beaky nose and prominent chin, she questioned Maddie and took down details in a dog-eared notebook. So nothing was taken. Was he threatening in any way?

No, but… Maddie repeated what the man had said about a jewel thief named the Chameleon planning to steal the Rose.

Haven’t heard about any thieving reptiles lately. Constable Linley fixed Maddie with a sharp gaze. Did anyone see the intruder besides you?

No. Maddie had to admit the story sounded odder with each retelling but she didn’t like what the cop was implying. I didn’t imagine him.

Linley’s partner, a twenty-something man with close-cropped red hair, was examining the electronic security panel next to the door. Could this have been left unarmed?

No, Grace spoke up before Maddie could explode with frustration. It’s always locked and armed. Only Maddie, Kim and I know the security code.

Kim? Constable Linley said.

He’s our jewelry maker, Maddie explained. He went out that door at lunch but he always rearms it. He’s extremely conscientious.

Footsteps scuffled on the stones outside in the alley. Maddie froze. All eyes went to the door. Constable Linley held up a hand for silence, positioned herself on one side of the door and motioned her partner to the other. Maddie reached for the chasing hammer. Grace grabbed a pair of pliers.

The code lights on the alarm pad flashed red, then green.

The cops drew their guns.

The door opened.

Kim, a slight figure in a tan jacket and gray slacks, instinctively raised his arms in a tae kwondo block.

Kim, it’s okay! Grace said. To the police officers she added, For heavens sake, don’t shoot. This is Kim.

Relaxing their stance, the cops holstered their weapons.

Kim brushed a hand across black hair cut so short it stuck straight out. Tiny beads of perspiration glistened among the strands. What’s going on?

Maddie gave him a brief account of events. Is it possible you accidentally left the security system off when you went out for lunch?

I always rearm, Kim assured her. Every time. I never forget.

You see? Maddie said to Constable Linley.

All right. The officer tucked her notebook in her back pocket. When you can, come down to the station and make a statement. Meanwhile, if anything goes missing, or if the intruder returns, give us a call.

The police officers showed themselves out. Maddie told Kim the full story as he pulled up a stool at his workbench, once again a mild-mannered artisan. Reaching for a soft cloth, he began polishing the Rose’s gleaming gold setting.

The intruder must have gotten the code, but how? Grace studied the electronic alarm panel and tested the door. It was firmly locked. Unless there’s an intermittent fault and he was lucky enough to get in when it failed.

Seems unlikely, Maddie said, still agitated. What if he’s an electronics whizz and knew how to disarm it?

Grace laughed nervously, her fingers twisting her opal brooch. He’d have to be some kind of James Bond.

Probably he was just a nut who tried to scare you. Kim rubbed more polish onto the gold.

He succeeded. Maddie rubbed her bare arms, still prickly with goose bumps. But that doesn’t explain how he got in.

I’m going to call the security firm and ask them to send out a technician to double check the alarm, Grace said. In the meantime, we’ll all be extra cautious.

I will, don’t worry. Maddie started to straighten up the scattered grading reports.

Tiffany poked her head in from the showroom, her platinum blonde hair falling into heavily made-up green eyes. Maddie? A couple is here to choose the diamond for her engagement ring. Grace, can you help a lady who’s looking at necklaces? I’m busy with another customer.

Grace gathered up her shopping bags, and headed for her office off the workshop. I’ll put these away and be right there.

Maddie went to the floor safe and took out small boxes containing diamonds ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 carats, then followed her aunt out to the showroom.

A well-dressed woman was bent over the pearl necklaces in the glass cabinet. At the other end of the counter a businessman was comparing watches under Tiffany’s bored gaze. In the far corner of the store, a young couple was seated at the consulting desk, holding hands. It was an everyday scene in retail jewelry, reassuringly normal.

As Maddie started toward the couple, Grace put a hand on her arm. Before I forget, I had lunch with my friend Pia, she said in an undertone. Her nephew just moved down from Sydney. He’s single and good-looking, and a big deal in futures trading. Maybe you could have dinner with him?

Thanks, Grace, but he doesn’t sound like my type. Her aunt meant well but the men she tried to set her up with were always Suits, more interested in their share portfolio than in mineralogy. They totally didn’t get her. If she couldn’t talk to a guy about crystal formation in the lithospheric mantle without his eyes glazing over, what hope was there for a relationship?

Oh, sweetheart. Grace tucked a lock of brown hair that was falling in Maddie’s eyes back behind her ear and ran her gaze over her niece’s thrift-store skirt and lumpy, hand-knit sweater. You could make so much more of yourself if you only tried. You could have men beating a path to your door.

Grace, you’re a darling, but no guy who you consider eligible is ever going to see me as attractive. And that’s okay by me. Honestly.

I think you’re afraid to be beautiful.

Why would I be afraid of something like that? Maddie asked.

Because then you’d have to deal with the attention and you’re uncomfortable under the spotlight, Grace replied promptly.

I… Maddie racked her brain for a quick rebuttal but came up with nothing. There was a grain of truth in what Grace said. Well, so what? I’m happy as I am.

Giving her a sad, knowing smile, Grace patted her cheek and walked away to serve her customer.

Maddie sighed. She was happy with herself, dammit. The mysterious dark-haired intruder was also a Suit. Of course it wasn’t the article of clothing she disdained. She could appreciate fine Italian cloth and superb English tailoring. No, it was the attitude that went with the expensive clothes that she disliked. Nothing irked her more than that born-to-rule mentality.

So what if he radiated a sharp intelligence? Who cared if he had an athlete’s body and handsome, patrician features, not to mention beautiful hands? He was supercilious, condescending, rude, not to mention he’d forced an illegal entry to the shop. He’d frightened her and made her feel like a fool. She wouldn’t waste another second thinking about him.

Putting him firmly out of her mind, Maddie walked over to the seated couple. Phillip, Elaine. I’ve got some gorgeous diamonds to show you.

Chapter 2

Maddie let herself into her apartment that evening to discover that her father had broken in and was helping himself to a tumbler of her best red wine.

Is it too much to ask that you keep a better quality of wine in stock? Al complained mildly, holding the ruby red Shiraz up to the light. Short and rotund, he looked like a dandified leprechaun in his green overcoat, bright red vest and white silk scarf. On his feet were black sneakers—all the better to break and enter, apparently—although that was the kind of tidbit Maddie shunned as too much information.

Maddie dropped her oversize handbag on the kitchen counter with a thump. She was still feeling unsettled, and the last thing she needed was to bandy words with her irrepressible father. Can’t you call before you come over, like anyone else? Knock, and wait to be let in, instead of picking my lock?

But I’m not anyone else, am I, darlin’? I’m your dear old dad. Al grinned like a cheeky boy despite the silver threaded through his curly black hair.

Maddie shook her head with a mixture of exasperation and love and kissed him on the cheek. It’s funny how a case of fine wine never falls off the truck.

Oh, it does, Maddie, me girl, but it never makes it farther than my house. He spoke in the faint Irish brogue he affected when he wanted to charm. It never troubled Al that his family had been in Australia for four generations. As far as he was concerned, tinker’s blood ran deep and true no matter where the Maloneys might roam. I brought you a present.

I wish you hadn’t. I told you, I don’t want any ‘presents.’ Jinx was winding around her legs, mewing for dinner. Maddie picked up the cat and stroked her black fur, eliciting a rumbling purr. She was sometimes tempted by what Al brought her—he stole only quality artwork and antiques—but as a child she’d promised her mother never to follow her father in his life of crime. Unlike her brothers, she’d easily resisted, never so much as filching a grape from the fruit display at the grocer. I don’t want to be part of anything illegal.

Save your stuffy ways for Miss La-di-dah Grace Abercrombie. Come and have a peek. Al topped up his glass and beckoned Maddie into her living room.

The wintry afternoon light filtering through the blinds shone on potted palms and bookshelves bulging with mineralogical reference books and spy novels. A faded Persian rug served as the centerpiece for an overstuffed loveseat and mismatched armchairs. A glass-fronted cabinet intended to display china instead showcased Maddie’s collection of semi-precious stones and unusual minerals.

A rolled-up canvas sat atop the wood coffee table.

"It’s the original Jim Holdaway artwork for a first edition of Cobra Trap. Al unfurled the canvas. Nothing’s too good for my Maddie."

Oh my. Original cover art. Maddie loved the kick-butt heroine, Modesty Blaise. In fact, her secret fantasy was to be Modesty Blaise. Sadly, she was no femme fatale spy. She was a science nerd who wouldn’t know a karate chop from a pork chop.

She circled her father for a better look at the painting, fighting the desire to accept her father’s offering, just this once. But alongside her promise to her mother and a strong belief in the rule of law, she harbored a niggling fear that a few drops of her father’s blood flowed in her veins. She never wanted to test that theory. Take it away, please. Now.

Note the brushstrokes, Al said persuasively. It’s in remarkable condition despite being over fifty years old.

Where did you get it? No, don’t tell me. The less I know the better. Her fingers tightened in Jinx’s plush coat, prompting an indignant trill.

Al held the canvas up against the wall between the rock cabinet and a bookshelf. It would look good here, don’t you think?

No, I don’t. Put it in your bag and take it back where it came from.

Now how can I return it when the owner don’t even know I’ve got it? Al argued reasonably. He probably doesn’t even know it’s missing. I found it in a basement store room, rolled up in a corner.

What a waste, Maddie murmured.

Exactly, Al agreed. It’s in your possession now, darlin’. Nine-tenths and all that. You might as well enjoy it.

I can’t enjoy stolen goods. Maddie’s clenching fingers had Jinx leaping out of her arms onto an arm chair.

You need to relax, that’s your whole problem. Al spread out the canvas on the coffee table, weighting it down at the corners with a couple of pieces of basalt. Dark green matting and a narrow brass frame. What do you think?

I’m sorry, Dad, but I’m very tired. Maddie pressed her fingers to her temples. It’s been a big week.

Ah yes, the glorious Rose diamond. I’ll be at the jewelry shop for the grand unveiling on Friday. Al straightened away from the painting and gave Maddie a sly glance. Unless you’d like to give me a special tour, seeing as how I’m your father.

You’ll see it when it’s safely locked in the display case and not a moment before, she said. I’m surprised you even want to come, you’re so antagonistic toward Grace.

It’s her what’s got a problem, not me, her father replied huffily. If she hadn’t been after Faith to hang around with their old crowd, your mother might be with us today.

Grace has been good to me. It wasn’t her fault Mum died. Maddie fell silent. It was useless telling that to Al. Grace had introduced her mother to Thomas, the man whose yacht Faith had fallen off.

We won’t be going into that again. Al picked up his wineglass and swirled it, contemplating the ruby liquor. Does she ever talk about me?

Grace? Never in complimentary terms.

With an indignant grunt Al finished his wine in one long gulp. I’d better get going— He broke off, feeling in his back pocket. I almost forgot. I found this slipped beneath your door when I got here. He handed her an envelope.

There was no stamp or address on the plain white envelope. It was lightly sealed, with her name written in bold italics in an elegant masculine hand she didn’t recognize. A prickling sensation ran across her skin. Maddie ripped open the envelope and unfolded a single sheet of notepaper to read the brief message.

0491 570 158. Fabian.

Who is he—a boyfriend? Al asked, reading over her shoulder.

I don’t know anyone called Fabian. Suddenly she was aware of her heart beating. Instinct told her it was the mysterious man from this afternoon. How did he know where she lived? She supposed she ought to be grateful he’d slipped it under the door instead of breaking in and leaving it on her pillow. With a shudder, she crumpled the paper then marched to the kitchen and threw it into the rubbish bin.

Fabian’s an unusual name around these parts. Following her, Al fished the note from the garbage and smoothed it out.

He’s English, Maddie said before she caught herself.

Oh, so you do know him. Al studied the missive as if looking for clues. It’s a cell phone number.

Maddie gave in to the inevitable. A stranger came into the shop today and warned me about a jewel thief. Have you ever heard of anyone called the Chameleon?

Can’t say as I have, Al said. Are you going to call this fella and find out what he wants?

No way, Maddie said. He’s dangerous.

Then stay away from him, darlin’. Al hugged her, resting his scratchy jowl against her cheek. I’m glad and relieved you lead a nice, safe, normal life. I don’t like to worry about you.

Thanks. I don’t like to worry about me, either. Maddie blinked. A nice, safe life. How pathetic. No, how wonderful. What sane person courted danger? Not her, that was for sure. Al had raised her not to draw attention to herself. His choice of occupation meant she’d learned at an early age to fly under the radar so trouble wouldn’t find her.

Trouble in the form of cops, that is.

Now if you were to join a nunnery I’d never lose a moment’s sleep— Al broke off, turning pale, and staggered a little.

What is it? Frowning, Maddie stepped closer. Are you sick?

Just a little dizzy. I get that sometimes. He walked unsteadily over to a chair and sat down heavily. My chest…tight.

Dad! Maddie’s stomach hollowed as she felt his forehead. It was cold and clammy. Are you having a heart attack? I’ll call an ambulance.

No, don’t do that. Al leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, breathing deeply. Give me a minute. It’s just a flutter. I’ll be fine.

She kneeled at his side, loosening his collar. Has this happened before?

Once or twice. He mopped his forehead with his sleeve and took a few more deep breaths. His color had returned to normal and he’d recovered his natural insouciance enough to tweak her under the chin. Don’t you worry about me. I’m fit as a fiddle.

How can I not worry? You’re not as young as you used to be, and your blood pressure is too high. Maddie put her hand to his forehead again and found it was now warm and the perspiration had dried. Thank goodness. At least make an appointment to see a doctor.

Al batted her hand away. I’m not going to waste time with a quack. I’m fine.

What if you had a heart attack while you’re on a job? she cried. It would be a disaster. You should find legitimate work.

May the saints preserve us! Al said fervently, crossing himself. I’ll be going now.

Or you could retire, Maddie persisted, following him to the door.

Frame the artwork, darlin’. It’ll bring a little excitement to your life. He patted her on the shoulder and, with his customary nimbleness, slipped out of the apartment. So long. Keep out of trouble.

Wait! You’ve got to take that painting— She broke off as a door opened at the end of the corridor. A mop of white fur attached to a leash lunged out, yapping at Al’s sneakers, followed by a burly figure in a red velour tracksuit.

Shirley Tamworth was taking her horrible dog Pixie for a walk. Shirley was in her sixties with dyed black hair that made her skin look like parchment. She reminded Maddie of Ursula the