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graciously shook. Even her husband appeared to have lost his misgivings and was staring at Lucas, enraptured. Jennifer was close behind them as were the other three people in the room. Only Cass hung back, finding the whole situation amusing. She’d never understood people hero-worshipping other people, no matter how talented they were.
    Questions were fired at the poor man with frightening rapidity, especially by Emily, who was onto her next question before he’d finished answering the previous one.
    As Emily wittered on Lucas’s eyes swept up to Cass. He stared at her before making his way towards her, stepping out of the admiring circle around him. He stopped before Cass, leaning on his cane, although there didn’t appear to be anything wrong with him physically, and said, “and your name is?”
    “Cass,” she replied sweetly.
    “Is there a surname or is it just Cass?”
    “Carmichael,” she said, one of her aliases. The best lies were those closest to the truth.
    “Interesting name.”
    “Thank you,” she replied, not giving away any more information. She didn’t want his questions getting too personal, it was important the marks knew as little about her as possible.
    “Hmm, mysterious,” he said, frowning down at her.
    “I’m here to learn about you.”
    “But we’re here to be introduced. I love that fascinating hair. I’d like to paint it.”
    From the corner of her eye Cass caught Emily’s thunderous expression, making it clear she’d love nothing more than for Lucas to paint her own short blond tufty hair.
    “Just the hair?” replied Cass.
    He leaned closer. “No.”
    Emily could contain herself no longer. She took Lucas’s arm and said, “so where did you get your inspiration for the faces?”
    Lucas’s eyes stayed on Cass for a few seconds longer before he turned his attention back to the blond.
    “He likes you,” Jennifer whispered in Cass’s ear, thrilled.
    “So it would seem,” she replied, smiling into her drink when Lucas turned to look at her over his shoulder. She wondered what Brodie was saying about all this.
     
    Brodie was sitting on the couch in Cass’s living room, sighing and raking his hands through his hair. “Smug prick,” he muttered. Cass was flirting with Thorne and enjoying herself. He was also certain she was drinking more than she should. Obviously she considered this assignment to be a waste of time and he was getting pissed off at her. He knew part of it was jealousy but she was behaving unprofessionally so he felt he had a right to be annoyed. It was a relief when Lucas’s voice disappeared. The prick.

CHAPTER 4
     
    Cass was getting bored. She hadn’t had the opportunity to speak to Lucas again, although it appeared he had been on the verge of approaching her more than once but he’d been too penned in by admirers to manage it. Finding the way the others fawned over him embarrassing, she’d drifted back out to study the exhibition, getting told off by the funny little bearded man when she’d tried to take a photo of the face that looked like Fred on her phone. So she’d decided to step out onto the darkened balcony for some fresh air, needing to escape the heat and noise, snatching up a third glass of champagne on her way.
    No one could sneak up on Cass, she was far too attuned to danger so she knew someone was approaching. She was just surprised to find it was Lucas Thorne, she had thought he’d still be surrounded by his adoring fans but somehow he’d managed to ditch them. There was something different about him. The confident swagger had gone. He looked at her coyly from under his eyelashes and uncertainty was in his unusual eyes. It was like looking at a different man. In one hand he held a champagne bottle and two glasses and with the other he rested his cane against the wall, confirming her theory that it was just an affectation.             
    “I thought I’d find you out here,” he said shyly. “You looked like you