by Nic Saint
“I guess some women like to associate with a known criminal,” she said airily. “I’ve never understood this fascination with the underworld, but there you have it. To each his own, I guess.”
He turned his head, and she felt his eyes roam her face, causing her to display that infernal flush again. Goddammit, what was it about him that made her turn scarlet each time he looked at her? If anyone had seen her, they would have thought she was the ingénue, not Jennifer Crocket.
“You are, by far, the most infuriating Scotland Yard woman I’ve ever met,” he said softly, then added, “and the most intriguing. Tell me, what made you choose to fight crime? Didn’t you have enough to do running the family estate?”
The inherent implication that she was a rich wastrel looking for something to occupy her time had her straining to keep her volatile temper under control. When she finally managed to speak without grinding her teeth, she said, “I think being a law enforcement officer is the noblest profession possible. It may come as a surprise to you, Mr. Spencer, but not all of us want to undermine society. Some of us actually want to serve and protect, not merely loot and pillage.”
With a lift of her head, she discovered that a small smile had appeared on his lips.
“So what you’re saying is that not only do I ravish women on a daily basis—after stealing their purses, of course—but behave like a scoundrel by pillaging their homes and looting their kitties as well.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth.”
“A fondler of kittens and looter of kitties,” he murmured, then pursed his lips. “Quite an achievement. You, my dear lady, are a keen judge of character.”
In spite of herself, she couldn’t help but smile at this. “Thank you. I aim to please.”
“I think it must be the cop in you, Glynis. These keen observations are part and parcel of your diligent training, I presume?”
“That, they are, Mr. Spencer,” she acknowledged haughtily.
“For God’s sakes, woman,” he suddenly burst out as he turned on her and took her shoulders in a firm grip. “Don’t talk such bloody nonsense!”
She raised her chin while unsuccessfully trying to escape his clutches. “It’s not nonsense when it’s the truth! You, sir, are a cad and a scoundrel!”
“You have no idea,” he muttered darkly, and before she could pull away, he had caught her lips with his, drawing her close to him with arms like hoops of steel, his grip surprisingly strong. Her soft breasts yielded against his hard chest, and as his lips plundered hers, she was helpless, her mind in a tailspin. Her body trembled, and an involuntary moan escaped the back of her throat. In spite of herself, she opened her lips, and when his tongue invaded, she reveled in the warmth of his mouth, surprised by the sweetness of the intimacy with a man she’d always despised.
She gave in to his demands, and instead of pushing him away, her arms circled his neck and her fingers tangled his hair, drawing him closer to her. Their tongues danced an intoxicating dance as she lost all power to fight, and became molded to him, a sudden desire washing over her, and rocking her world. Want expanded into need and turned into a sharp desire that had her clinging to him, giving as much as she took, offering herself in no uncertain terms to this self-professed scoundrel.
Reason failed to return to its throne this time, and when his hands moved down and brushed along her chest, she yearned for him to take their embrace deeper still, all propriety forgotten. And then his hands were full on her breasts, and he was touching her where no man had touched her in years, and heat flashed inside her like a torrent of flame. Her breath quickened, her heart raced, and when his lips descended on her neck, then trailed a path down to her throat, she offered her tender flesh to his hot lips without thought of consequence. He snapped the top button of her blouse, and then the second, revealing the creamy swell of her bosom, heaving under the onslaught, and then he was kissing the soft skin, his hands cupping and caressing.
A glimmer of common sense returned, then, and she fought back the intense desire that arced through her, the yearning that almost made her lose her mind, and uttered a strangled cry. “No,” she cried. “Please, Thomas, don’t.”
He hesitated but for a moment. It was enough for her to regain the control she’d so inexplicably lost. Clutching at her blouse, she jerked back and out of his reach, both regretting the loss of contact and rejoicing the return of sanity. “I-I can’t,” she muttered as she started buttoning up her blouse, well out of reach of his arms.
His eyes were dark, both with lust and anger. “You can’t, or you won’t?” he challenged.
“I’m sorry if I gave you the impression—”
“You damn well know what impression you gave,” he said in a low voice as he drew his hand through his tousled mane.
She fought for a measure of composure. “Well, I can assure you it will never happen again,” she offered in a voice that sounded strange to her own ears.
“Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”
“There will be no next time,” she asserted, now finally finding the frost in her voice that should have been there from the start.
He gave her a long stare that chilled her while simultaneously sending shivers of heat racing up her spine. “There will be a next time, and I won’t let you get away so easily, Glynis.”
Feebly—too feebly—she returned, “Of all the self-delusional…”
“Like you cops say, I always get my man.” He eyed her from beneath dark brows. “Or, in this case, my woman.”
CHAPTER 16
Thomas watched her sashay away from him, and regretted his outburst. What was he thinking, skirting danger like this? Not only was she a cop, she had the goods on him. Had actually caught him stealing a diamond. Well, she hadn’t seen him grab it from the safe the way Jenn had, but she’d relieved him of the stone, then caught him visiting Gordon and had retrieved the bracelet.
Instead of getting closer to her, he should be getting further away from her. Give her the cold shoulder. Keep this entire proposition on a perfectly professional level. She’d given him an out, and he should be grateful and take it, without aggravating her even more. Or, and this was the crux, getting emotionally involved with the woman.
It was never a good idea for a thief to get involved with a cop.
His instincts of self-preservation, which had aided him so well over the course of a long career, had suddenly abandoned him, so it seemed. First he’d allowed himself to get caught. Twice by Glynis, once by Jenn. Then he’d developed this intense attraction to the one woman in the world he should steer clear of.
He leaned his head back and stared up at the foliage fanning out across the blue sky, filtering the sunlight in flashes of brightness, and thought long and hard about his position in the scheme he’d involuntarily gotten entangled in.
He’d help Glynis get her mother’s pearls back, and then he’d simply disappear for a while. Lay low until Glynis and Jenn had lost interest.
His lips curled up into a smile as he thought of the coincidence that two beautiful women had so suddenly entered his hitherto peaceful existence. Oh, he’d had his share of conquests in the past, to be sure, but at this juncture he’d never expected to be the object of so much attention. He’d quickly discarded Jenn as a butterfly who would do better to find a proper companion. Someone who could give her what she wanted. Perhaps a member of some boy band would better suit her needs. With the connections her father had, that shouldn’t prove too hard. The old man could arrange a private One Direction show at her birthday bash.
No, he thought with a sigh, there was only one woman for him now. Glynis Fox. Too bad all his instincts told him to stay away from her. And too bad the rest of him told him he had to have her before this mission was over.
“Thinking hard?”
He looked up, and was pleasantly surprised to find Sir Hugh looking at him with an amiable expression on his mild-mannered face.
“Just allowing my mind to wander,” he re
turned pleasantly, indicating the bench.
“Don’t mind if I do,” groaned the man as he took a seat. “Just had the morning walk my doctors keep advising me to take, and frankly I’m knackered.” He slapped his knees. “The old bones aren’t what they used to be, my lad.” He gave Thomas a look of admiration. “You, on the other hand, are in the shape of your life, I reckon.”
“Oh, well,” said Thomas easily. “One tries.”
“In your profession it probably pays to be limber, eh?” inquired the old man with a good-natured grin.
“It certainly does,” agreed Thomas. He liked Sir Hugh, and as this was the first occasion he’d had to talk to the man alone, he thought to ask him the question foremost in his mind. “If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly is your daughter’s problem with me? I mean, apart from the fact that I stole her mother’s pearls, of course.”
The man lifted an eyebrow. “Isn’t that enough? I should probably hate you myself, but oddly enough I find myself thinking you’re not such a bad sort after all. God knows why.”
Thomas accepted the odd compliment. “What I meant to say was that even though I’ve accepted to retrieve the pearls, she still hates my guts with an intensity I frankly find baffling.”
“She takes her work very personal, my daughter does. And this whole pearls thing is as personal as it gets, of course. She seems to feel the need to take the law into her own hands in your case.” He shrugged. “I told her it was a bad idea to get so involved, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“I see,” Thomas murmured. “Yes, she is extremely tenacious.”
“Quite. And extremely good at what she does.” He eyed Thomas askance. “You don’t plan on bailing on us, are you, Thomas? It wouldn’t do to run, you know. Glynis won’t let you.”
“I wouldn’t dare, sir. Your daughter has convinced me this is the right thing to do.”
Hugh arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And how did she do that?”
“She made me see the error of my ways, I guess.” He sighed. “Far from a mere business transaction, my actions have caused a great deal of harm. I see that now, and I would like to assure you that I will do everything in my power to undo the damage I have done.”
“Breaking into Rostislav Mamykin’s place is a walk in the park, Glynis told me. Do you really believe that?”
The abrupt change of topic startled Thomas, but he quickly recovered. “I believe so, Sir Hugh.”
“At first you said it was an impossibility. Something that couldn’t be done?”
“I’ve since revised my thoughts on the matter. And I must confess I initially wasn’t too keen on collaborating with your daughter.”
“And now you are, eh?”
“I am, sir. Very keen indeed.”
The old man eyed him curiously. The conversation had arrived at a point where Thomas hadn’t steered it, but now that it had, he awaited the verdict anxiously, like a boy who shows up on a father’s doorstep on the night of the prom, eager to get his blessing to take his daughter out.
Hugh studied him carefully. “I believe there is some good in you after all, Thomas. Your profession hasn’t hardened your heart or blackened your soul.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The older man nodded, his examination complete. “Yes. In spite of your being a thief you might make a good husband, I believe. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. Glynis is not an easy woman.”
“Nor am I an easy man, sir, which is exactly why I think this might work.”
“I hope so.” Glynis’ father lifted his bony shoulders. “But what do I know? I’m just an old man. My dating years are long behind me. The day I married Lydia I never looked at another woman ever again, nor have I ever felt the need to. She’s the love of my life, and you only get lucky like that once.”
Thomas knew this was why Glynis was so mad at him. He’d broken the bond between her parents by condemning her mother to her sickbed. More than ever, he was convinced of the terrible thing he’d done, and adamant to right the wrong he’d caused.
“We will get those pearls back, sir,” he stated with conviction. “You have my word.”
The man gave him a curt nod of acknowledgment. “Thank you, Thomas. I sincerely hope you are right. I might not agree with Glynis on a great deal of things, but when it comes to the fate of my wife I think she’s spot on. If we don’t get those pearls back, Lydia might not make it, and neither will I, I’m afraid.”
The matter-of-fact way he spoke these words cut Thomas to the bone, and he keenly felt the heartache behind the weary eyes. He placed a hand on Hugh’s arm. “I won’t let you down, sir. Or your daughter.”
Hugh smiled. “Imagine that. A thief becoming our family’s greatest hope. How’s that for irony, eh?”
Thomas didn’t laugh. “Quite, sir. Very ironic indeed.”
“Now what do you want me to do? And please don’t tell me to scale a building, son. Even if I wanted to, I’m afraid those days are long gone.”
“All I need you to do, sir, is place a single phone call.”
“Now that I can manage.”
Thomas nodded. His plan was slowly taking shape, and this time he would make sure it was perfect. As he proceeded to apprise his host of some of the details, he thought this might be his greatest achievement ever, and from the flicker in Hugh’s eye, the other seemed to agree.
CHAPTER 17
Glynis rested in her room, thinking about the events of the morning. She was falling for the rake. She simply knew it and there was nothing she could do about it. The man had kissed her, and she’d succumbed to his touch like some silly teenager engaged in her very first crush.
She hadn’t wanted to fall for him, and yet she had. It appeared as if there was some defect in her psychological makeup that attracted her to him, some fault in her system that had her falling for the wrong man. She hated to admit it, but he was more charming than she’d expected, and perhaps therein lay his fatal fascination.
He was the wrong man for her, for all the right reasons: he was a thief, a scoundrel, a possessor of items that didn’t belong to him, and a wrecker of homes, and yet she found herself incapable of putting him out of her mind, forgetting the warmth of his touch, the brush of his lips against hers.
She had to get over this infatuation, this dangerous affliction, before it got out of hand. The man obviously didn’t care a hoot about her or her family. The only reason he had agreed to cooperate was because she’d made it clear what the consequences would be if he didn’t.
He was simply toying with her. Having a laugh at her expense. Getting some of his own back after she’d humiliated him. First by stealing his precious diamond, and then by abducting him in broad daylight.
She despised the man, hated him so intensely she was having second thoughts about her promise to herself she wouldn’t kill him at the end of their joint mission, but merely turn him over to the authorities. Then she thought back to his hot hands roaming all over her, and she sighed wistfully.
A knock on the door startled her from this pointless reverie, and she yelled, “Come in!” She was surprised at the sight of her nemesis. “What do you want?” she called out, none too friendly.
“Just checking up on you,” he offered, then stepped into the room as if he owned it.
As he walked past the remnants of her childhood, the room having been left exactly as it had been years before, when she’d moved out, he clicked his tongue at a poster of Westlife, the individual band members’ names written in scrawny longhand, hearts and flowers added from a sticker book.
“Some of your Scotland Yard colleagues, I assume?” he inquired airily.
“Shut up and get the hell out,” she returned nastily.
“A tempting offer, but I’m inclined to decline,” he murmured as he moved to a picture of Matthew McConaughey in a promo still from How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. “And this must be your superior officer,” he said approvingly. “Quite a handsome fellow.”
“What do you want?” she snarled, tempted to throw him out on his ear.
He turned to her with an inquisitive eye. “As I said, just checking up on you. You left so suddenly I was worried, especially since your father just told me how volatile your temper can be at times.”
Her head jerked up. “He told you that?” She made a mental note to tell her father never to talk to Thomas Spencer ever again.
“He told me about your mood swings. Very trying on a man of his gentle disposition.”
No, he did not, she thought as a blush crept up her cheeks. Had her father really been gossiping about her to the thief? To the man who was responsible for their downfall?
“I think you should refrain from getting too cozy with Dad,” she told him icily. “Seeing as you will only be with us for a very short time, it wouldn’t do to get all friendly with the man whose heart you broke.”
“His heart seems fine,” muttered Thomas as he picked up a small potted plant and eyed it curiously. Whatever life had been there, had long ago shriveled up and died.
“A heavy hand but no green thumb,” he remarked.
She reared up from the bed and stalked over, grabbing the remnants of the potted plant away from him and setting it on the desk with a slam. “Will you please leave!” she cried. “I don’t want you here, can’t you tell?”
“I’m starting to catch that vibe,” he admitted. “But then it often happens that I’m not welcome, and yet I always manage to stick around. Occupational hazard, I guess.” Suddenly, his face grew serious. “Might I ask you something, Glynis?”
She hesitated, his earnest expression giving her pause. She could deal with him when he was being an ass. She found it a lot harder when he was serious. “What?”
He reached out and trailed his hand along her arm. The electricity that shot across her limb was as unwelcome as his presence here, and she jerked her arm out of reach.
“Might one inquire as to the reason of your affection for the law?”