The Con Artist: (Formally Published as Playing The Millionaire)

by Lynn, Sandi

  “Not that I know of. By the way, did you find out her name?”

  “Her name is Kate Harper. I guess I better go check on her.”

  Taking my coffee with me, I took the elevator to the fifth floor, and when I lightly pushed the door open, I found her sound asleep in her bed. The corners of my mouth curved upwards into a small smile as I leaned up against the doorway and stared at her. She looked like an angel, but an angel was something she was far from.

  “She’s still sleeping,” I spoke to Grace as I set my coffee cup on the counter. “I have to leave for the office now. If she gives you any trouble, call me immediately.”

  “I will. But I’m sure she won’t be a problem.”

  I chuckled. “You haven’t met her yet.”

  * * *

  Kate

  I let out a long yawn as I stretched my body across the bed. I turned my head towards the window, taking note of the streaks of sunlight that cascaded through the sheer blinds. Climbing out of bed, I hopped into the shower first before heading downstairs for some coffee. As I made my way into the kitchen, I notice a shorter woman, about five foot four with sandy brown hair that sat in a bun on top of her head, standing at the stove.

  “You must be Grace,” I spoke.

  She turned around, stared at me for a brief moment, and then gave a friendly smile.

  “You must be Kate.” She held out her small slender hand.

  Placing my hand in hers, I spoke, “Yes, and I’m sure Gabriel has told you all about me.”

  “Just a bit. Would you like some coffee?”

  “That would be great. Thank you,” I spoke as I took a seat on the stool at the island.

  “He did tell me that you stole something from him, and you’d be staying here until he got it back. May I ask what you took?”

  “His Cartier watch.”

  “Oh.” She bit her lip as she placed a cup of coffee in front of me.

  “Is Gabriel here?” I asked.

  “No. He’s left for the office already. Can I make you some breakfast?”

  “I can make it myself. I’m sure you have other things to do around this monstrous house.”

  “It’s no trouble. Do you like French toast?” She smiled. “I have strawberries and whipped cream to put on top of it.”

  “That sounds really good.” A grin crossed my face.

  Grace seemed cool and so far, I had gotten the impression that she didn’t judge me for what I’d done. She appeared to be in her mid-fifties, wore no makeup, and had beautiful brown eyes.

  “How long have you worked for Gabriel?” I asked as I took a sip of my coffee.

  “A couple of years. I used to work for his father, and after he passed away, Gabriel hired me to work for him.”

  “Oh. So you’ve known him for a long time?”

  “Since he was ten years old.” She smiled.

  “Then you must know him well. Does he normally kidnap women and keep them hostage in his house?”

  She let out a light laugh. “No, sweetie, you’re the first.”

  “Aren’t I the lucky one.” I sipped my coffee.

  “Gabriel tells me you’re a con artist.”

  “I prefer the term ‘entrepreneur.’” I smirked. “You don’t by any chance have about thirty grand you can lend me so I can get out of here, do you?”

  “I wish.” She placed the French toast on a plate, topped it with strawberries and whipped cream, and set it down in front of me. “Gabriel is a good man, Kate, and he didn’t deserve to be ripped off.”

  And here came the judging.

  “If he’s so great, why is he still single?” I arched my brow at her.

  “He’s a very busy man and relationships aren’t his top priority right now. He just ended a six-month relationship.”

  “Why?” I asked as I took a bite of my French toast.

  “Greta wasn’t the right girl for him.”

  “And who is the right girl for him?” I asked.

  “Someone who is kind, truthful, selfless, and understanding of his work.” Her brow raised in an accusatory way at me.

  “Listen, Grace. You don’t know anything about me or what I’ve been through, so stop with the judgey eyes.”

  “Everybody has been through something, Kate. So stop playing the victim because the world dealt you a bad hand. What does your mother think? Or doesn’t she know exactly what you do?”

  Wow. Was this woman serious? Who the hell did she think she was talking to me like that?

  “I don’t and have never had a mother. She passed away the day after giving birth to me.”

  The judgment in her eyes dissipated as she stared at me.

  “I’m sorry. What about your father?”

  “He’s not around.” I looked down as I placed my fork on the plate.

  “So you’re all alone?” she asked as she took my empty plate.

  “Basically.” I got up from my stool. “Thanks for the French toast,” I spoke as I walked away before she had a chance to ask any more questions or felt the need to berate me some more.

  I distinctly remembered Gabriel telling me at the airport that he was single. Did he lie? Did he just say that so I’d let him fuck me? If that was the case, then he deserved to have his watch stolen. I needed to find out when he broke it off with that woman named Greta and why.

  Chapter 15

  Gabriel

  I was sitting behind my desk on a phone call when my brother Caleb popped his head through the door. Waving my hand, I motioned for him to come in.

  “Thanks, Brian. My design team will be in touch.”

  I ended the call and leaned back in my chair.

  “What’s up, Caleb? You never drop by the office.”

  “I know, but I was just down the street having lunch, so I thought I’d drop in and see how things were going. Did you find out her name yet?” He smirked.

  “Her name is Kate Harper and she’s a twenty-four-year-old woman who was raised by her father.”

  “So does that mean Daddy also conned people?”

  “I don’t know. She won’t talk about him. But she did say they moved around a lot, so I’m assuming he did.”

  “What are you going to do with her? You can’t keep her locked up in your house.”

  I sighed. “I know. I was thinking about giving her a job here.”

  A light chuckle escaped him. “Seriously? Doing what? Listen, big brother, I know there’s something inside you that feels like you need to save her. I just think it would be in your best interest to cut her loose. Forget about the watch and just move on. You don’t need that kind of bullshit in your life. She’s a con artist, bro. Once a con always a con, and there will be nothing you can do or say that will ever change that.”

  Bringing my index fingers together, I brought them up to my lips. “I’m fully aware of that. But—”

  “Oh come on.” He laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re in love with her?”

  “I’m not in love with her. There’s just something about her.”

  “I know that, Gabriel. I’m not stupid and I told you that it was about more than just the watch before. She’s toxic and you don’t need that in your life. Isn’t that why you got rid of Greta?”

  “Greta was a child.”

  He pointed his finger at me. “I know what this is.” He shook it. “This is about you being a rebel and doing something no one would ever expect from Gabriel Quinn. You spent your whole life doing what Dad wanted you to do. You never got in trouble and you stayed on the path of his life. Now this woman that is every kind of wrong enters your world, and it excites you.”

  “Maybe.” I shrugged.

  “Or it could be because she’s not falling at your feet like ninety-nine percent of the women do. You see her as a challenge.”

  “Maybe.” I smirked.

  He sat across from me with a smile on his face, shaking his head.

  “I have to go.” He got up from his chair. “We’re playing at the Crowfoot tonight i
f you want to come. And if you do, bring Kate along.”

  “Maybe.” I gave him a small smile.

  I spent the entire day thinking about Kate. It was crazy how much this woman was on my mind. Caleb was right; I did have some sort of feelings for her. I knew deep down and underneath the façade of her cons, there was a little girl lost.

  When five o’clock approached and I’d finished signing the last of the contracts, I packed up my briefcase and headed home. When I walked through the door, Grace was putting on her coat.

  “How did it go today?” I asked.

  “Well, I made her French toast for breakfast, we spoke, and then she went back up to her room. That was the last I saw of her.”

  “She hasn’t been down all day?” I asked.

  “No, and to be honest, I preferred it. She has a little sassy mouth.”

  I chuckled. “I know she does. Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I kissed her cheek.

  Setting my briefcase down, I took the elevator up to the fifth floor and lightly knocked on the door to her room.

  “Come in.”

  “How was your day?” I asked as I stood in the doorway.

  “How do you think my day was, Gabriel?”

  “If you chose to stay in your room all day, that was your problem. You had free roam of the entire house.”

  “What am I? A dog?” Her brow arched at me.

  I couldn’t help but smile at her sarcastic tone.

  “Get changed. We’re going out to dinner.”

  “You want to be seen in public with me?” she asked. “Aren’t you taking a huge risk?”

  “Just get changed and put on something nice. We’re going to Daniel.”

  “What’s wrong with this?” She pointed to her gray yoga pants and pink tank top.

  “Kate, please just do as I ask.” I sighed.

  “I’m not going if you handcuff me.”

  “I promise I won’t handcuff you. But if you decide later you would like to be handcuffed, perhaps to my bed, I would take great pleasure in fulfilling your wishes.” I smirked.

  “You’re sick. Get out of here so I can change. I’ll meet you downstairs.” She threw a pillow at me.

  I let out a light laugh as I shut the door, headed to my bedroom, and changed my clothes for dinner. As I waited for her to come down, I poured myself a bourbon and took a seat on the couch. A few moments later, I looked up to see her walking down the stairs in a short black strapless dress and stiletto heels. Her hair was pinned up with strands of curls framing her face. She was simply stunning, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  “What do you think?” She smiled as she did a twirl.

  “You look beautiful.” I grinned.

  “More beautiful than Hannah?” Her cheeks blushed.

  I walked over to her and placed my finger underneath her chin.

  “Yes. You’re more beautiful as Kate.”

  * * *

  Kate

  I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks when he said that and a wetness flow down below. There was something about him that made me tremble every time he looked at me. Maybe it was because he saw me as Kate, the real me. He held out his arm.

  “Are you going to attempt to run?” he asked.

  “No. That would be foolish of me since I’m starving.” I smirked as I hooked my arm around his.

  “Then let’s go eat.”

  Gabriel ordered us a bottle of their finest champagne and we started off with a Maine lobster salad.

  “Tell me about yourself, Gabriel,” I spoke as I picked up my glass.

  “What exactly do you want to know?”

  “Anything. Tell me about your family.”

  “Well,” he picked up his glass of champagne, “I was born and raised here in New York City. My father and mother never divorced but stayed unhappily married. You already know I have a brother, who is my only sibling, and I took over the family business when my father died two years ago.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. If you don’t mind me asking, how did he pass away?”

  “Pancreatic cancer.” He set down his drink. “It was very sudden and a complete shock to all of us. When he was diagnosed, he was already in stage 4 and passed away a couple of months later.”

  “That’s awful. Were the two of you close?” I asked.

  “We were. But not so much him and Caleb. My father wanted both his sons to run the company, but Caleb didn’t like the silver spoon he was born with.”

  “How so?” I cocked my head.

  “He hates anything wealth, if that makes sense. He got kicked out of more prep schools than I could count and hung around with his own crowd. A crowd that my parents didn’t approve of.”

  “Why? Because they weren’t rich enough?” I smirked.

  “Pretty much. The only thing Caleb wanted to do was play music. As soon as he graduated high school, he spent the summer in Los Angeles and when he came back, he told my father he wasn’t going to college and he wanted nothing to do with Quinn Hotels.”

  “I’m sure your father loved that.”

  He sighed. “He kicked him out, took away his trust fund, and didn’t speak to him for five years.”

  “And your mother?”

  “She would try to get in contact with him, but he held her just as much responsible because she didn’t try to make my father understand. Since the funeral, they’ve started to reconnect, but they have a long way to go.”

  “I can tell that the two of you are very close.”

  “We are. We always have been. Music is in his soul and it’s his passion. I never have nor would I ever let anything come between us. My brother is my best friend and, honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  A small smile crossed my lips.

  Chapter 16

  Kate

  Listening to Gabriel talk about his brother made me envious. I had always wanted a sibling or a dog because then maybe my life wouldn’t have been so lonely.

  “Tell me more about you,” he spoke.

  “There’s nothing more to tell.”

  “I don’t believe you.” His brow raised. “What about your business? Handbags, jewelry, shoes. All the things that make a girl feel pretty.”

  I bit down on my bottom lip as I stared at him.

  “I don’t want to discuss that,” I spoke.

  “Why? Because there is no business with handbags, jewelry, shoes, and all the things that make a girl feel pretty?”

  “You know what my business is, Gabriel.”

  “Ah.” He tilted his head back. “The men you con buy you handbags, jewelry, shoes, and all the things that make a girl feel pretty.”

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  He leaned across the table. “Tell me how you do it. How do you find these men?”

  Before I could answer him, a shocked expression overtook his face as he stared over my shoulder.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Shit. Samuel Coldwater is walking this way. What if he recognizes you?”

  “He won’t.”

  “Fuck. We can’t take that chance. We have to—”

  “Gabriel, it’s good to see you.” Samuel smiled as he held out his hand.

  “Samuel. Good to see you as well.”

  Samuel’s eyes diverted to me. “And may I ask whom this beautiful woman having dinner with you is?”

  “This is Kate Harper. Kate, I would like you to meet Samuel Coldwater.”

  “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” I smiled as I spoke with a light southern accent.

  “The pleasure is all mine, dear.”

  “Are you here alone?” Gabriel asked him.

  “I’m meeting a colleague for dinner. In fact, I see him right over there. It was good to see you Gabriel and a pleasure meeting you, Kate.”

  I gave him a smile. He placed his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder before walking away, and Gabriel let out a sigh of relief.

  “I told you he wouldn’t recog
nize me.”

  “Let’s get out of here,” he spoke as he threw some cash for the bill on the table and we left the restaurant.

  As soon as we climbed into the limo, I turned to him and spoke, “He didn’t look too broken up over Amy leaving him.”

  “He was there on business, so I’m sure he’s camouflaging the pain he’s feeling inside.”

  I rolled my eyes and looked out the window.

  “You never answered my question,” Gabriel spoke.

  “What question was that?”

  “How do you find the men you do to rip off?”

  “Research. The internet is a powerful tool.” I smirked.

  “You’re an incredibly intelligent woman, Kate. Why waste your intelligence by doing what you do?”

  I turned away. I didn’t like what I did. In fact, I hated it, but I had no choice.

  “I’m not wasting my intelligence regardless of what you believe, Gabriel.”

  The limo pulled up to the curb of his townhome. When we entered the house, I froze when Gabriel asked me about my father.

  “Where is your father?”

  I started walking up the stairs, ignoring his question because I didn’t want to talk about him. The less he knew, the better for both of us.

  “Answer me!” he spoke in a harsh tone as he lightly grabbed hold of my arm.

  “Let go of me!” I yelled.

  “Not until you tell me about your father. Was he a con artist also? Is that why you moved around so much as a child? Did he teach you how to con people?”

  I stared into his angry eyes. Why the fuck did he care so much? An uncontrollable movement happened as I smashed my mouth against his. His hand let go of my arm and wrapped his around my waist, holding me steady and in place while our steamy kiss continued. In one swoop, he picked me up and carried me in his arms up five flights of stairs, our lips never leaving each other’s.

  He lay me down on my bed, hovering over me as he placed his hand up my dress, pushed my panties to the side, and plunged his finger inside me. I gasped as I tilted my head back and his tongue swept over my neck. His lips, his hands, and his hard cock made me feel so good every time. Sex with him made me forget all the bad things that I’d done and all the people I’d used. With him, I was in the moment. With the others, I went to a faraway place. I was just me, Kate Harper, a girl who was born in Boise, Idaho. The girl I was before all the others.