The Cocky Thief (Stolen Hearts Book 1)

by Mallory Crowe

  “You’d be surprised how many long-term jobs there are all around the world.”

  “Like what?”

  He leaned forward and she could tell that travel really was a topic he was passionate about. “I’ve been all over the world. China, Egypt, Paris, you name it. What do you want to hear about first?”

  Jennifer smiled. This flight might not be that bad after all.

  By the time the pilot announced that the plane was getting ready for the landing, Austin felt as though only minutes had passed. He and Jennifer had been exchanging stories of their travels the entire flight and every time he thought he had her beat, she’d give him another tale of her exploits. He’d been able to slip in a few generic legal terms to make it seem as if his trips were related to his fake job, but kept everything else vague so she wouldn’t catch on.

  As soon as the plane touched down, Jennifer started to collect her things, even though it would probably be at least ten minutes before they were able to get off the plane. She’d been calm and collected during the entire flight, but now she seemed edgy and...nervous.

  It didn’t look as if this were a happy occasion for her then. Apparently, she didn’t approve of the man her mother was marrying. The one she referred to by his last name. Gregory Stranger. One of the few details he’d been able to wrangle out of Hart.

  Austin didn’t like going into situations blind. Hart had told him the bare minimum. He was breaking into a wedding and was going to have to bring some unnamed item back to Hart if he wanted the USB drive that was the true payday.

  Once he got that drive to his benefactor, he’d get a five hundred thousand deposit and his unbroken winning streak of jobs would continue.

  Honestly, the five hundred grand was a large payday, but it wasn’t nearly big enough to turn him into Hart’s obedient puppy dog. But the fact that Hart was a cop who could probably throw him behind bars in a heartbeat while simultaneously ruining his reputation was enough for Austin to grab the leash and start practicing his shake command.

  In his line of work, reputation was everything and it was worth millions to him. Because he never lost and it was damn important that everyone even remotely connected to the black market knew that about him.

  Once they were off the plane, Austin kept close to Jennifer. One, so he could enjoy the view of her ass as she confidently strode through the airport. But also because when trying to win people over, associations were a good thing. A lone man claiming to be a lawyer that no one had ever met was suspicious. Someone who seemed to be chummy with the daughter of the bride, however...that would get him through one extra level of trust.

  “So, did Stranger arrange for a car to pick you up?” she asked as they approached baggage claim.

  “Honestly, I was called in so fast that it was never established. I figure if I don’t see anyone holding a sign with my name on it, I’ll grab a cab.” But he hoped like hell he wouldn’t have to, because she was going to offer him a ride in five, four, three, two...

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure there will be room for you in the car.”

  Austin bit back the smile. And he was in.

  Once they got to the baggage claim, her purple luggage with gold details was out quickly, easier to spot because of the bright stickers that signaled it was from first class. He didn’t have any luggage he’d checked, so he just picked off the first nondescript black bag he saw that didn’t have noticeable luggage tags. He could probably walk right by the poor guy he’d ripped off and they’d never know.

  He didn’t like ripping off people he didn’t know, but airlines were good about reimbursing passengers for lost luggage. The good news was that he was ninety percent sure that the bag he grabbed belonged to a man.

  Women were better about remembering the small details, like the fact that luggage was hard to identify. Jennifer wasn’t kidding about her three fully packed bags, so he immediately reached out for one and helped her to the line outside the airport, where drivers waited with tablets that had the name of their charges.

  The one on the far right had a sign that read “J. Murray.”

  “There’s our ride,” she said. The driver was an older guy with a thick white beard. Probably could’ve played Santa during the holidays.

  He didn’t say anything to them as he led the way out of the airport and across one line of cars to where the line of black limos and town cars were waiting. They stopped in front of a smallish limo and Austin made sure to not seem surprised. This woman probably traveled in limos all the time. So did he, for that matter, but he’d never really gotten used to it.

  It was hard to be used to something when you knew it didn’t really belong to you.

  Once the luggage was in the trunk—by some miracle it all fit—Austin thanked the driver, slipped him a tip and made his way around the car to open the door for Jennifer. “Ladies first,” he said.

  Her eyes narrowed just the tiniest bit, but she didn’t question it as she climbed into the car. She still wasn’t sure what to make of him, so he couldn’t let his guard down quite yet.

  Even though there was a long line of seats that ran along the length of the car, Jennifer sat along the back row. Austin followed her in and decided to take his chances and sat next to her. As the saying went, it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

  “So how far is the drive?” He pulled the door shut behind him.

  Jennifer shifted in her seat to face him better. “I’m not all that sure. I’ve never been here before.”

  “Your mother hasn’t talked about it?” The vineyard was one of the many properties owned by Gregory Stranger, according to the quick Internet search he’d done.

  “Believe it or not, prenup guy, my mother and Stranger haven’t known each other all that long. I’ve never even met him before.”

  He knew from the online articles he’d read announcing the engagement that it was rushed but considering the lawyer he was playing probably didn’t care, he forced himself to look surprised. “Oh, wow. Love at first sight, then?”

  Jennifer let out a scoff that let him know exactly how little faith she had in that idea. “Something like that. So what’s the plan for you then, lawyer? Get the paperwork signed and then scram?” Her dark eyes met his and he knew she was asking a hell of a lot more than she was saying.

  Austin shifted closer. “You know, weddings can be pretty boring but if something catches my interest, who knows what I’ll do?”

  She let out another laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re going to make me work for this.”

  He tilted his head as he tentatively reached out, setting a hand on her warm knee. She didn’t push him away though. She bit her bottom lip and shifted closer to him. He flexed his fingers and moved his hand up ever so slowly until his fingers brushed the edge of her skirt.

  “Come on,” she whispered as she edged closer. “You were so sure of yourself on the plane. That hasn’t changed, has it?”

  “Oh, trust me.” His fingertips crept beneath the skirt. “This isn’t a question of my abilities.”

  She wrapped her fingers around his tie and pulled him in closer. “Then prove it.”

  Austin didn’t need any more convincing. He was smiling as he met her lips with his. It went against everything he’d taught himself about seduction and infiltration. This wasn’t careful or calculated. For the briefest moment, he wasn’t pretending to be a lawyer or pretending to be Hart’s lapdog.

  He tilted his head for better access while his hand crept farther up. She encouraged him by lifting her hips so he could move her skirt up even as she kissed him back. The limo hit a bump and she fell back.

  Austin took advantage and followed her; one of his knees slid between her legs as he kept on kissing her. She kissed him back passionately, almost feverishly, as she tugged at his clothes. He had to reluctantly move his hands from her as his suit jacket fell to the floor of the limo.

  She started to work at loosening his tie and he returned the favor as he ran his hands b
eneath her blouse and up, until she lifted her hands and the blouse joined his jacket.

  Austin leaned back to appreciate the view. Her black bra matched the rest of her clothes and her fair skin made the sight seem all the more dirty in the best way. God, this woman was sexy. Her body was toned in all the right places and her breasts were practically bursting out of the cups of her bra. He was determined to free them completely.

  He bent back down, but this time went for Jennifer’s neck. He tasted and teased, and every time she moaned and sucked in a breath, his cock would twitch with arousal. He wanted to make this good for her, but damn he needed to be inside her.

  He hooked a hand behind her back and in seconds, the bra was free and he was pulling it down her shoulders.

  Before he could do anything, she was back to pulling at his clothes. “We’re doing this equally.” She started to undo the buttons of his shirt, one by one.

  Who was he to argue with the lady? He helped her and then she sat up as she pushed the white shirt over his shoulders, trailing her fingers along his biceps as she angled her face to brush her lips across his. “You’re too pretty to be a lawyer.” She ran her hands back up his arms and down over his chest.

  Keeping fit was vital in his line of work. It seemed like air vents and windows were getting smaller every day. But that was something she didn’t need to know. “You’re too pretty to be real.” He pushed her back once again.

  This time, he tugged her skirt up as they went down. And, because apparently this was the best day ever, her panties were a matching black. He couldn’t take them off just yet though. He wanted to appreciate them longer.

  So he bent down, kissing her deeply once before he went back to her throat and worked his way down. Right as he dipped his tongue into the hollow of her collarbone, he slid her panties aside and found his way through the tight curls at the juncture of her thighs until he hit the spot that had her jumping in his arms.

  “Austin...” she breathed.

  He knew there was a reason he used his real first name. He kissed down the center of her breast bone as he gently cupped her breasts; he slid two fingers into her wet heat. She was so hot and ready. God. He was going to do so many things—

  “We’re going to pick up one more passenger,” said a voice.

  They both froze in place. Jennifer clutched his shoulders, with his head buried between her breasts and his fingers still deep inside her. Finally, she reached behind her and pressed a button, which must have been the intercom. “Wh-what?” she asked.

  “I was told to pick up one more passenger on the way to the vineyard. I wanted to give you a...heads-up.”

  Jennifer sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. “Thanks,” she said weakly and Austin took that as his cue to back up. He withdrew from Jennifer as she reached over for her clothes. There were a few awkward moments of silence as they each got dressed.

  “I swear to God,” she muttered under her breath. “If Stranger cheaped out on my car, there are going to be words. Bad words.”

  He couldn’t deny that he’d wanted their encounter to go a hell of a lot further, but he tried to put on a calm face as he tried to regain control of his breathing. “These things happen.”

  She sighed as she pulled a mirror out of her bag and touched up her lipstick. “They don’t happen to me.”

  “Your trysts usually go off without a hitch?”

  She let out a small laugh. “No. Believe it or not, I don’t have many trysts. Today was an...experiment.”

  Well, that was a blow to his ego. He was an experiment? “What were you trying to get out of it?”

  She tightened her lips and set the mirror down. “I was trying to— I wanted—” The limo came to a stop and Jennifer never finished her sentence.

  It didn’t matter, though. In a second, they were going to be joined by someone else and he was going to have to convince one more person that he was who he said he was. He straightened his tie and made sure his shirt was in place just in time for the door to open.

  Without a second to spare, he took a deep breath and just like that, the act was back in place.

  Jennifer didn’t regret all that many things in her life. She had done things that had turned out horribly, of course, but regret wasn’t something she held onto. However, when her sister climbed into the limo and she was forced to act as if she hadn’t been seconds away from doing unspeakable things to the veritable stranger next to her, she was suddenly filled with regrets.

  Not only because she had to act as though there wasn’t condensation on the windows still from the heavy make-out session she’d just had. But because she had no idea what Melody was doing there. The last time she’d seen her middle sister in person had been six years ago. She didn’t seem like the type to drop everything to come to a society marriage.

  “Hey,” she said, trying to keep the surprise from her voice. “I didn’t realize you were going to make it.”

  Mel awkwardly made her way to the long seat next to Jennifer. She was normally graceful, but it was a reminder of the different life she’d led from Jennifer and Isobel. Melody had chosen a normal life. She’d grown up with their aunt, their father’s sister, and had the quintessential normal late teenage years. She did the cheerleading thing, married the quarterback and seemed to have her entire life together. At least until the divorce, home foreclosure, and the other avalanche of bad luck that had followed Melody around the past few years.

  Maybe it was good that she was here. Jennifer could finally talk her sister into coming back to the dark side. Jennifer glanced out the window and noticed that they were at a hotel. Not the nicest hotel, by the looks of it. “You got here early?”

  “I flew standby and the flight I ended up on brought me in early last night.”

  “Why didn’t you go to the vineyard?”

  “I don’t really know anyone besides you and Mom. Figured I’d be safer in numbers.”

  Jennifer sighed. She really didn’t want her sister to have to feel this way. She’d showed so much promise all those years ago. Even though she’d respected Mel’s wish to lead a different life, even if that meant cutting off her family, she’d never agreed with it. She wanted Melody to be able to walk into any room she wanted to and not feel even the slightest hint of self-doubt. She wanted Mel to be able to make out with a stranger in the back of a limo.

  Maybe this week they could make up for lost time. Maybe she could get her sister back. Obviously if Mel was willing to come to this sham of a wedding, she was extending an olive branch. An olive branch that would be much easier to take advantage of if there weren’t a strange man next to her. No matter how handsome he was.

  Jennifer glanced at Austin out of the side of her eye. Once again, she was struck at how damn pretty he was. Sure, it wasn’t a term normally applied to men, but from his unique green eyes, thick black hair that belied Italian heritage, and a jawline with just the barest hint of stubble, pretty was the perfect word for Austin.

  “Mel, this is Austin Raye. He’s going up to the vineyard to help with some last-minute paperwork for the wedding. Austin, this is my sister, Melody Garrett.”

  “Melody Murray,” she corrected.

  Jennifer looked to Mel, but her sister averted her gaze to look into her lap. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

  “It’s fine. I like the M-M thing. I think it suits me better anyway.” She smiled.

  Jennifer stared at her sister, trying to get a feel for how much was an act and how much was genuine.

  “So how did you and my sister meet?” asked Mel, effectively changing the subject.

  Austin raised a brow as he looked to Jennifer. “We were sitting next to each other on the plane. Stranger must’ve bought the tickets together. Besides that, we don’t really know each other all that well.”

  Jennifer let out a cough into her hand and tried like hell to keep her face from showing her surprise. “I was just trying to be polite and offered him a ride. So, have you talked to Mom latel
y?”

  “No. I got the invitation in the mail last month and sent my RSVP. I tried to call her, but it looks like her number has changed.”

  Well, Austin was getting a first-row seat into the dysfunction of their family. “You could’ve called me. I would’ve given you her number.”

  Mel once again smiled, but this time Jennifer knew it wasn’t sincere. “I’ll get her current one this weekend. Besides, this is a happy occasion. We can let all the past roll away and just enjoy ourselves, right?”

  Jennifer nodded, but she couldn’t help but feel that was the exact opposite of what this week was going to be. Because if Jennifer was right, Isobel wasn’t planning to have a happy wedding.

  Isobel was planning her biggest heist yet.

  Austin stepped out of the limo and made sure he was the first person to help unload the luggage. Mainly so he could make sure that he was the only one who was in contact with the bag he’d nabbed from the airport.

  “Jennifer!” shouted a voice from the house. A woman emerged, and he guessed this was the famous Isobel. Even though all three women were related, they were each different. Jennifer was sleek and sexy, but he was admittedly biased about that fact. Melody wore hardly any makeup and a simple jeans and t-shirt, but she was stunning in her own way. She was too curvy and short to ever be considered a supermodel, but her face was the kind that they put on the cover of catalogs and makeup ads.

  And Isobel was...rich bohemian was the best word he could think of. Her outfit was all white, fitting for a future bride. The white was a sharp contrast to her unnaturally red hair. The oversized see-through white shirt had long sleeves that could probably fit her torso if she wanted and she had flowy pants that looked like a skirt when she stood still.

  She was the reason he was here and there was something related to her wedding that Hart wanted him to steal. He glanced around at the grounds.

  The vineyard mansion didn’t disappoint on curb appeal. From where he stood, it was hard to tell where the place ended. It would be an easy place to get lost, which would be good cover if anyone caught him snooping. Also, because the place was so big, there might be some good write-ups about it online, which would give him a better idea of the layout.