by Lacey Alpha
“Me?” she says in surprise, sounding unsure.
“Yes you, sweetheart.”
She goes quiet for a minute then says, “Any of them?”
Her excitement sets my pulse racing. She's finally getting onboard with this.
I touch her back, encouraging her forward. “Yes. Go stand by the one you want.”
She twirls away from me, her hair fanning around her. For a moment she looks like the carefree girl she was the other night in the bar. My chest twists as she goes and I instinctively take a step after her. I silently rebuke myself, shaking my head. This is not the time to get clingy. In fact, there's no right time for that. I don't do clingy.
She acts well enough, walking along the line, not staring at the cars, just giving them the odd glance. A red convertible Ferrari pulls into a space in front of her and she pauses, gazing at it.
I release a low breath as she moves closer to the car, my fingers twitching, ready for the game.
A grey-haired guy exits the car and Darcy moves casually away. I spot the guy watching her appreciatively and an idea fills my mind.
I head toward Darcy, meeting her halfway.
“The red one,” she says, biting her lip.
Without much thought, I reach out and tug her lip free of her teeth, giving her a hard stare. “Fine but you need to do what I say. Exactly as I say it.”
She nods wildly, her eyes flashing with mischief. It makes me ache for her. I need to claim that look for myself.
A couple move to pass us and I grab Darcy's waist, pulling her against me. They mutter their thanks and I give them a nod. Looking down, I find Darcy gazing up at me beneath her lashes. It's the sort of look that no man could resist.
I clear my throat, releasing her, my cock distracting me.
“Right. Come on.” I take her wrist, leading her casually to the car and glancing into the cafe where its owner is sitting on a barstool, his back to the road. Perfect.
“I need you to go in there and distract the guy who owns this car. You need to capture his full, undivided attention. Can you do that?”
She glances into the cafe, looking uncertain.
“You can do this, sweetheart. Just like with Heathcote.”
She nods, a smile lifting her lips. “Okay. What are you gonna do?”
“Leave that to me.” I wink, gesturing for her to go inside. Before she can move, I grab her cardigan and undo it, exposing her cleavage. As I release her, I give her a hungry grin but she simply rolls her eyes, marching away. Guess she's set on not breaking those rules. I, however, have never been a stickler for rules.
I try not to watch her, instead taking out my phone and pretending to be on a call, pacing up and down outside the cafe. My veins trickle with adrenaline, my body primed and ready for this. This is what I'm made for. This is what I'm good at.
I steal a glance at Darcy through the window, finding her throwing her head back in laughter, stroking the guy's arm. Man, she's a natural at this. And for some reason, that gets me seriously fucking hard.
I stroll into the cafe and Darcy glances at me, before immediately returning her attention to the target. I take a seat on his other side, ordering an espresso from the sandy-haired barista.
“So are you on holiday, mon petit?” the guy asks her.
“Uhuh, I'm just here for a few days, maybe you could show me around?” Darcy tilts her hip, placing a hand on it to show off her curves. The guy slinks a hand around her waist and my skin prickles.
I take a deep breath to focus, glancing down at the guy's jacket pocket. I can see the key to the car, glinting at me next to his wallet. This guy is a pickpocket's dream.
“I could show you around, beautiful.”
“Oh, could you really? I want to see everything.” She lowers her voice, laughing seductively and leaning in to him.
The barista places my espresso down and I open my leather jacket, making a fuss of reaching for my wallet. I give the barista an apologetic look and he wanders off. Making sure my jacket is covering the target's pocket, I quickly reach into it and extract the car key with nimble fingers.
The guy motions to turn around and Darcy giggles wildly, pressing her hands to his chest to distract him.
My heartbeat steadies, a thrill rushing through me. As I take out my wallet, I drop the key swiftly in place of it and chuck some euros down on the counter to pay.
Slurping down my espresso, I stand, sweeping past Darcy who's practically in the guy's lap at this point.
I crack my knuckles as I wait for her to join me outside, my mind reeling with images of that guy's hands all over her. Why does that bother me so much? She's a free agent. As am I.
She joins me a minute later, taking my arm and tugging me toward the car. “Quick, let's go.”
“Bags, sweetheart.”
“Oh yeah.” She gives me a wild grin and my cock twitches happily.
Man, I want her. I love this side to Darcy Jenkins. The little criminal.
I grab our bags from behind the wall and hurry to drop them in the back of the convertible, the roof already down.
“Hurry,” I order and she swings her legs over the side of the car, giving me a brief view up her skirt. A low noise rolls up my throat as I drop into the car, trying to concentrate. I can still see the guy sat in the cafe, making no move to leave. Jamming the key in the ignition, I turn it, placing my arm on the back of the seat and looking over my shoulders as I reverse hurriedly out of the spot. Avoiding the CCTV, I swing through empty lots in the centre of the car park and vault a curb to hit the road at speed.
Darcy laughs, lifting her arms in the air, her skirt blowing up a few inches in the wind.
I grin at her, relaxing back into my seat as we sail away down the road. I place a hand on her knee, tugging her skirt down to save myself of the distraction. She halts me, taking my hand and tucking it underneath her skirt.
Blood floods to my cock. I glance at her in surprise and she gives me a devilish grin, making my throat dry out.
She parts her legs and I, needing no more encouragement, slide my hand between them, relishing her smooth inner thighs. Reaching higher, I rub the outside of her knickers, giving her what she wants. She tilts her head back, shutting her eyes and moaning. My boxers grow tight and I nearly run a traffic light.
“Fuck, Darcy...”
“That was exciting,” she pants.
I extract my hand from her skirt, making a decision and turning off the main road. Heading into a quiet, tree-lined lane, I pull over, dragging up the handbrake.
“What are you doing?” A flitter of doubt goes through Darcy's expression.
“Here. Now,” I demand, grabbing her and pulling her into my lap.
She settles her knees either side of me, her pupils dilating.
“Yes,” she breathes, cupping my neck, leaning down and curtaining the world from view with her gleaming hair. She kisses me, her tongue hot and impatient on mine. No hesitation. No mention of the rules. Well she started this shit, now I'm going to finish it.
I push her skirt up, reaching between her legs and tugging her little thong aside. “Darcy, I'm desperate for you.”
Sliding down my zip, I prepare myself for her, lifting my hips and positioning myself against her.
She shuts her eyes, waiting for me. “Now, Logan.”
Her command is my undoing, making my end throb with pleasure. I push inside her, causing her to gasp as I pull her down fully onto my length. Her thighs grip me and she begins to rock her hips.
“That was exciting,” she moans and I cup her ass, squeezing hard.
“You're a criminal now, how does that feel?” I growl, thrusting into her.
She cries out, resting her hands on my shoulders for support. “So good,” she pants.
I eye her soft expression, her open mouth and I lunge forward, sinking my tongue between those perfect pink lips.
She clings to me, riding me until I'm so close to climax, I forget everything. Fuck the rules. It f
eels good to break them. I drive her forcefully down onto me, panting, verging on ecstasy.
“Yes,” she gasps, her body squeezing me sweetly.
I groan, resting my head back on the seat, watching her, appreciating her expression of pure pleasure.
This is all me, baby.
As I press her down onto me once more, she wails loudly, buckling forward as she comes, moaning my name into my ear. It sends me over the edge and I pulse heavily as I come, pleasure rolling up my cock and spreading through me. I sigh my relief, pressing my mouth to hers, tugging her bottom lip between my teeth.
Eventually we catch our breaths and Darcy leans back, giving me a shy smile before lifting herself off of me and dropping back into her seat.
“We broke one of your rules,” I tease, squeezing her knee.
She places her hand on mine briefly then pushes it away. “Let's not break any more of them then.”
Bit late now.
Heading back onto the road, Darcy switches the radio on, picking out a channel playing rock music. Cranking up the volume, she grins at me and it's so infectious that I return it.
I press my foot to the accelerator, getting a feel for how fast this beauty can go. Darcy laughs as the wind pulls at her hair, tugging it backwards in a flutter of strands.
I can't stop glancing at her, a swelling feeling growing in my chest. “I think theft suits you.”
She turns to me, light dancing in her eyes. “I think you might be right,” she laughs and I chew the inside of my cheek, trying to focus on the drive.
A light turns red ahead of us and I slow to a halt, pulling up alongside a car full of teenagers on Darcy's side.
They start whistling at her and the driver revs his engine at me, egging me on for a race. I grip the wheel tighter, trying not to be tempted in. They're in an old 2012 Jaguar, I've got the edge on them by a mile.
Darcy puts her middle finger up at them, evidently understanding some of their cat-calls in French.
“They're disgusting.” She wrinkles her nose.
And that's all it takes. I press my foot to the accelerator, revving the engine loudly.
The boys whoop excitedly, settling into their seats as their driver revs his engine in response.
“What are you doing?” Darcy says in alarm.
“We're going to race them.”
“Do you know what you're doing?” She holds onto her seatbelt as I place my hand on the gear stick.
I give her a cocky look. “What do you think?”
She breaks a grin, that wild glint flaring in her eyes again. “Do it.”
The light turns green and I slam the car into gear, racing forward so we're pressed back into our seats.
Darcy whoops excitedly as we inch a bumper ahead of the Jaguar. “We're winning!”
“Course we're winning.” I press my foot down and we speed away, leaving them far, far behind.
My stomach lifts with the thrill of the race and I keep up the pace, taking the outside lane, rocketing along at top speed.
“Logan!” Darcy laughs, making my grin grow, driving me on.
I don't stop until I reach the exit toward Cannes, pulling off of the autoroute and sailing toward the coast.
¸.•*´♥`*•.¸
We arrive in Cannes in the late afternoon, the sun hanging low in the sky, dappled light spreading over the sea. As we drive past the harbour, the boats sway and rock, causing ripples to dance across the smooth surface of the water, reflecting the orange and pink sky.
Wanting to show Darcy the lifestyle here, I pick out a sleek hotel overlooking the harbour and pull up alongside it. A valet approaches, opening Darcy's door for her. I jump out, grabbing our bags and handing the red-haired boy the key to the Ferrari.
“Nice car,” he says, smiling keenly at it.
“Thanks,” I mutter, sharing a grin with Darcy.
We head inside and I slide my hand around Darcy's waist. She stiffens and I tug her closer. “All for show, sweetheart.” Though I can't deny I like having her against me.
The lobby is wide and bright with a modern bar overlooking the sea. The walls are filled with large paintings of yachts and potted palm trees stand in every corner.
I check us in, booking us a suite and we head upstairs after the bellboy. As we step into our hotel room, complete with balcony and sea view, I tug Darcy toward me before she can slip away, stealing a kiss.
After a second, she wriggles free, giving me a brief smile. “I should text Ralph, let him know I'm here.”
“Right,” I say, my jaw tight. “You do that.”
I head across the room, dropping our bags onto the large bed dressed in white and blue sheets. I eye the chocolates on the pillows with disdain, feeling irrationally irritated about the romantic tone of this room. There's roses in a vase on a little coffee table, reflected in the mirrored surface. Jesus.
I head outside, breathing in the salty sea air, resting my elbows on the railing. Gulls cry overhead, swooping low and soaring over the priceless yachts in the water.
I don't know why, but I'm suddenly anxious to get this job over and done with. The last couple of days with Darcy have been intense and I'm scared to admit the fact that I'm enjoying her company. I've never spent more than one night with a girl. I'm in foreign territory. And it makes me uncomfortable.
Darcy joins me on the balcony, her cardigan discarded so she's just in her little blue dress, the wind tugging at its hem. Her hair dances around her in the breeze, her eyes alight with the sunset.
“It's beautiful here,” she remarks and I nod stiffly, heading inside without a word, my gut tightening into a knot.
DARCY
Something's up with Logan but I have no idea what. He won't open up to me, and I'm not even sure it's a good idea that he does, considering our arrangement. But my heart tugs as I glance into the hotel room from the balcony, watching him on the cream sofa, seeming spaced out.
I'd ask how he is, only I'd be walking dangerously close to 'feelings' territory. And I need this to remain as it is. The rules protect me. And we already broke one of them today...
My phone pings and I find a message from Ralph, distracting me.
I'd love to meet with you tonight for dinner. Send me the address of your hotel. I'll pick you up at 7.
RH
He's very forward and I'm not sure how I feel about that. But considering he's the guy Logan and I plan on robbing...I'm not sure it matters.
Heading inside, I hold out the phone to Logan. “Ralph wants to meet for dinner.”
Logan slowly turns to me, looking half in a daydream. I'm tempted to ask if he's alright but bite my tongue.
No feelings.
“Oh right. Tell him yes.” He stands, glancing briefly over me before moving to my bag. “Do you have something slutty to wear?”
“Slutty?” I huff.
“Don't get offended, you just need to show some cleavage to keep this guy interested. Heathcote could buy women like you if he wanted. The fact that he's taking you out at all is-”
“Alright, I get the picture. I'm expendable.” But it's not really Ralph I'm offended about being expendable to.
“That's not what I meant.” His brow furrows and I feel compelled to ask at last.
“Is something up with you?” I take a step closer and he firmly shakes his head.
“No. Just focus on yourself, would you? Go get changed.” He shoves the bag toward me and moves to the minibar, taking out a beer.
“I'll have one of those.” I snatch a can from him as I walk by, heading into the bathroom with my bag over my shoulder. I'll show him expendable...
Entering the space, I crack open the can and take a long swig of beer. I release a sigh at the warmth spreading from my stomach up my spine, relaxing me immediately. Nothing like the first sip.
I tap out a message to Ralph, organising to meet him outside my hotel.
Thumbing through the dresses I brought with me, I pause on one I wore for Valentine's day wi
th Daniel. He'd turned up an hour late to the restaurant then insisted we leave early so he could work on his music. I wonder now if he'd really turned up late because of Lidia...
The thought hangs a weight in my chest and I quickly take another gulp of beer. Changing into a push-up bra and little thong, I pull on the black dress. It's low cut and swings around my knees, the material a silky soft chiffon. Taking out the Manolos Logan bought me, I step into them and assess myself in the mirror.
The dress is perfect but swiftly brings back memories of the last time I wore it. Daniel passed out before midnight, just after I gave him a blowjob. And that was it for me, despite the beautiful dress and new underwear I'd bought, the time I'd spent doing my hair, shaving my legs and making an effort, he'd not so much as kissed my neck that evening.
My hand tightens on the beer can, making it crumple. I hate how much of a doormat I was back then. The memory slices into my heart.
Never again.
I distract myself by doing my make-up and straightening my hair, adding a little grey shadow over my eyes before calling it quits.
I look good. Good enough to keep Ralph's attention? I don't know. But hopefully good enough to grab Logan's...
I slip out the door, finding him dozing on the sofa, his head resting on the back of it. His brow is furrowed, his expression taut. My heart tugs and I long to push him for answers once more, but know that I shouldn't.
I clear my throat and he snaps awake, wetting his mouth as he takes me in. I feel suddenly nervous, knotting my hands into the skirt of my dress.
“What do you think?” I ask, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Logan stands, moving toward me at a slow pace, making my spine straighten. He circles, pausing behind me and taking hold of my waist. Tilting my head to the side, he lays a light kiss on my neck, working up to my ear. I shiver, clutching his hands over my waist.
“Stay in with me, forget Heathcote,” he pleads, teething my earlobe.
I gasp, my tummy muscles tightening under his hands. “Logan,” I rebuke but only softly, tempted by his words. “What about the job?”