Stealing His Heart

by Diane Alberts

  “Wh-What?” She shot him a wary look, her brow furrowed. Had he scared her with his warning? If so, then his plan had worked. “I don’t wait for orders from anyone. Especially not you.”

  “That’s why I walked away from you that night.” He nipped at the spot where her shoulder and neck met, hard enough to reprimand her for her insolence. He hadn’t meant to get so proprietary so fast, but with her? He didn’t have a choice. “When I fuck a woman, she needs to play by my rules. She needs to obey me. You’re not that woman.”

  She moistened her plump pink lips. “O-Obey you? That’s…that’s…archaic.”

  He adjusted his grip on her wrists so he could hold her with one hand. Then, he grabbed her thigh and wrapped it around his waist. His cock nestled perfectly against her, and he thrust his hips as best as he could with their damn clothes in the way. “Yes, obey me. Don’t worry. You’d love every second of it.”

  Something fell off the table next to them, probably from his movement, and she startled. It was enough to snap him out of the hazy fog of desire that had clouded his judgment. She deserved better than this. Better than him. He sighed and forced his mind back to business, where it should have been all along.

  “Will you behave if I stop holding you still?”

  “What if I don’t? Will you spank me?” she asked, laughter in her tone.

  His dick hardened even more at the taunt, because he’d love nothing more than to bend her over and smack her until she wore his handprint on her ass like some sort of stamp. She obviously thought she laughed off his warning, but when she caught sight of his face, she froze. He didn’t say anything to indicate how much her comment had turned him on. Just stared back at her silently.

  She hesitated, seeming unsure of herself. “Fine. Yes. Just get me out of here.”

  Letting go of her thigh, he stepped back. He forced a calm expression to his face. “You heard the name of the case. Does it ring a bell?”

  The recognition was in her stare, but she apparently decided to play dumb. She should’ve known better, because he knew her too well to fall for it. “I don’t remember it.”

  “Soltese,” he repeated. She averted her face at the name. Bingo. Guilty. “He was robbed last week. A priceless vase.”

  “Oh, trust me. It wasn’t priceless,” she muttered.

  He clamped his jaw. She had always been far too smart-assed for her own good, and it had finally caught up with her. “The culprit was never apprehended.”

  “I’m sure he wasn’t.”

  “She escaped through a high-level security system that should have kept her in.”

  “That baby crap?” Tara snorted, giving up the pretense that she hadn’t been involved in the crime. “Please.”

  He stiffened. “That baby crap was done by me.”

  “Really?” Her gaze flew to his. “Wow. You’ve lost your touch.”

  His fingers flexed. “I haven’t lost a damn thing.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  “Tara.”

  “Okay, okay.” She blew out a breath that ruffled her mahogany bangs. “What about it? Let me guess. You want the vase back?”

  “I’m sure it’s too late for that. Where did it go?”

  She smirked. “Returned to its rightful owner, of course. That is what I was hired to do. It’s my job.”

  “Damn it, Tara,” he said, tugging on his hair. “You have no idea what you’ve started with your actions.”

  She canted her head. “You seem tense.”

  He frowned at her. “That’s because I am tense.”

  Because of her.

  “I can see that.” She reached out to touch his face, but he jerked away. “When’s the last time you—”

  “Stop it. Stop acting like you care about when I last laughed or went to a movie,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’m fine.”

  She shrugged, but otherwise ignored him.

  “Let’s focus on what really matters. Soltese is pissed that you got past my security measures. If we don’t fix it and make his house impenetrable, he’ll leave the company. And take all his high-profile buddies with him,” he said.

  She laughed. “I fail to see how this is my problem.”

  She took a step to the left, and he mirrored her in case she ran for it. He couldn’t run fast ever since the IED explosion that had nearly killed him, but he could damn well keep her where he wanted. “Oh, did I fail to mention he’ll also be pressing charges against you if we don’t fix this?”

  “How would he know who I am?”

  “How do you think?” He caught her arm, his grip firm. “We’ve had every single high-tech person we can possibly think of try to get past the security system I set up. Everyone has failed. Everyone except you.”

  She pursed her lips. They’d never been so damn kissable. “So what? I can’t help it that I’m smarter than the average thief,” she said.

  “You’re going to help me figure out what went wrong. You’re going to tell me what you did to get past my system—then help me prevent it from happening again.” He let go of her. “In doing so, you’ll be freed of all charges, and you won’t go to jail.”

  “Fuck you.”

  He scoffed. “Wow. Big-girl words. The Tara I knew wouldn’t have said that.”

  “The Tara you knew grew up a long time ago.”

  “If you’d grown up, you wouldn’t be in this house right now,” he replied.

  She stomped her foot. “Who do you think you are, anyway?”

  “Tonight? I’m your enemy and your captor.”

  She glanced around him. “The same one who protects assholes who kill, devastate, and control the world simply because they have a lot of zeroes in their bank account.”

  He snorted. “Yeah? How many zeroes did I see in yours? Seven?”

  She shoved his shoulder. He didn’t move. “That’s not fair and you know it. I didn’t want any of it. Not at that cost.” She broke off and turned her head, swallowing hard. “I assure you, I wanted more out of life than money.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…well, you know.” He dragged his hands down his face and cursed inwardly. “Look, it’s easy. Once you’re done helping me fix the code, you’ll be free to continue robbing people and playing Robin Hood. Though we’d rather you stay away from Shillings clients from now on.”

  “No second chances, huh? No get out of jail free card?”

  “Second chances are a waste of time.” He stepped back, taking care to make sure he didn’t put too much pressure on his left leg. It still hurt if he stood too long, and he’d been standing for hours now. “And you’re getting out of jail free after you help us.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Second chances are a waste of time,” she mimicked, deepening her voice. “You sound so serious. God. What happened to you?”

  Ignoring her question, he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Ladies first.”

  “Do I get to go home now?”

  He rubbed his jaw. “Hell no. You’ll stay with me in my heavily secured house until we figure out a solution.” He frowned at her. “You’ll be under my custody twenty-four-seven.”

  “You want me to sleep at your place? With you?” She stumbled away from him, her eyes wide. “Uh-uh. Not happening.”

  He curled his fingers into fists, and then slowly unfurled them. “You’re mine until I say you’re free to go. Argue all you want, but it won’t change anything. It’s as simple as that.”

  She glowered at him, but headed for the door. As he watched her go, her lush ass swinging with each step, he ached to find out if she felt as amazing against his body naked as she had clothed. But he had a primary mission to focus on, and he couldn’t lose sight of that goal.

  Get the code. Get rid of the girl. Simple.

  With a grimace, he followed her. His limp was more pronounced than usual, but he tried to hide it. Not because he cared what she thought. He didn’t. But if she knew his weakness?

  She would be
gone in a heartbeat.

  Chapter Three

  This was un-freaking-believable. She was actually being forced to live with her captor. And worse? She wanted to screw the jerk. How could she desire the man who held the keys to her freedom over her head? A man who didn’t think there was anything wrong with blackmailing her? It wasn’t fair.

  None of this was fair.

  After she’d given him her address, he’d taken her to her home and stood in her living room without moving, arms crossed and foot tapping. It had been unnerving at best. He’d remained dead silent the whole time. Hadn’t spoken since they left the house that he’d tricked her in.

  Not. One. Word.

  And he hadn’t smiled at all yet. Maybe he didn’t remember how. She had a feeling that he didn’t do anything dangerous anymore, either. Didn’t take risks, or do something simply because it would be fun. He’d resigned himself to a life of boredom and security, and it was drowning him. Even if he didn’t realize it…

  It was.

  She stole another glance at him before staring out the car window, hugging her bag to her chest. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. That powerful energy he’d always had hadn’t faded.

  But he wasn’t the same man he’d been, and it kind of broke her heart.

  Back when they’d been young, he never stopped making her laugh. He’d been goofy, free, and crazy. Now, he was all frowns and demands. He was wound tight.

  So serious.

  They turned down a road that led to a section of town that held small single-family houses. As opposed to the borough she lived in, where all the structures were more like mausoleums. She hated living on that street…but it had been her parents’ before they’d lost everything in a Ponzi scheme. It had been the first thing she bought after she got the life insurance money.

  When they died, her parents had left her with a monstrous inheritance. One way too big for any one person to spend. She regularly donated to charity, but her father’s lawyer only allowed her to do so much a year. The rest of the time, she hired herself out as a recovery specialist.

  Or as Jake had called it, a hired thief.

  He pulled up and exited the car. Then he came around and opened her door for her. So, that hadn’t changed, huh? He still acted the gentleman, even when blackmailing her. The irony of that wasn’t lost on her. When he offered her his hand, she hesitated for a split second. Whenever he touched her, she went a little bit crazy in the head. Forgot about everything except how much she wanted him.

  And she really, really wanted him.

  Almost as much as she wanted to get out of this mess without jail time. She didn’t really think he would turn her in. He had to be bluffing. The Jake she’d known would never actually send her to jail. No one could change that much. At least, she didn’t think so. And even if he had…well, she wasn’t going to help him.

  She had standards, and helping a man like Soltese wasn’t in her moral code. She’d rather go to jail. And she wouldn’t run, either. Guilty people ran. Bad people escaped justice. She wasn’t any of those things. End of story.

  She’d play along. Act as if she wanted to cooperate, but failed. At least then, if she went to jail, she’d maybe get off a little easier. Good behavior and all that. If he actually sent her. She glanced at him, and he watched her with hard eyes. He looked so…cold.

  Oh, God, she was going to go to jail.

  She held on to him, letting him help her stand. When he dropped his hold on her, his fingers slid down the side of her ass in what could have easily been an innocent accident. But it didn’t seem innocent at all. “You still smell good. Like flowers.”

  Her stomach clenched. One simple sentence, and she was ready to jump him. She pressed against the car door, trying to get some distance, but she had nowhere to go. “Uh, thanks? I shower to achieve that.”

  His lips twitched at her attempted retreat, and her heart leaped. She’d almost gotten a smile out of him. A real, genuine smile. “What a novel concept.”

  “Don’t smile. You might appear to be human,” she said, adding the proper amount of horror to her voice. “And what if something cracked?”

  The almost-smile faded. He frowned at her and moved away. As he went around the back of the car, he popped the trunk open with his key fob. He walked as if he didn’t have a care in the world—while she wanted to explode with want every time he touched her. Not. Fair.

  She headed toward the door, studying it instead of him. His home was a two-story brick colonial. Blue shutters framed all of the windows, with a matching blue front door. A wooden swing hung on the front porch, next to a rosebush. It was so…homey. Very…innocuous.

  And way too nicely done for a bachelor.

  She froze halfway up the stone path. “Did you decorate this yourself?”

  He crashed into her, his hard body sending her reeling. Without much effort, he caught her while still managing to hold on to her bags. Even through the bulky sweatshirt, his touch burned. “Yeah. Why?”

  “Because this”—she gestured to the house—“looks way too pretty for a man to have done all by himself.”

  His lips tilted up a tiny bit more, almost becoming a real smile, and he stepped closer, into her personal space. He smelled like cologne and the outdoors. And man. Pure, sexy man. “I assure you, I did it all on my own without any feminine help. The only woman I need in my life is Christine.”

  “Oh.” An idea formed in her mind, a way to see if he really was as uptight as he seemed to be, and she pounced on it. She gave him a once-over and ducked her head to hide the grin trying to escape. His gaze remained latched on her mouth. It was about time she affected him, because God knew he was driving her insane. “I get it.”

  He lowered his head, but froze at her words, nostrils flared. “Get what?”

  “You’re gay.” She smiled at him and patted his cheek. His stubble scratched her palm, and she ached to rub against him again. To get to know the feel of his whiskers on her bare skin. “It all makes total sense now.”

  She knew he wasn’t gay, of course, but she couldn’t resist teasing him.

  “What the—?” He stepped closer, letting his erection brush against her ass. “Do I feel like I’m gay to you?”

  Her stomach clenched, and she curled her fingers into fists. “You ran away from me before we had sex, and you still haven’t kissed me, so…?”

  “So that’s why you said that. It was a ploy to get your way. Those games won’t work on me.” He moved away from her. “When I kiss you, it’ll be on my terms. Not yours. And not because you goad me into it by poking at me like a child with a stick. I don’t reward that behavior.”

  She stiffened. “Reward?”

  Why didn’t she remember him being so damned bossy when they were kids? Now he was annoying as hell, but she couldn’t help but wonder: if he was this domineering out of bed…how strong would he be in it?

  Would he hold her down and screw her until she couldn’t move, let alone think?

  Just the thought of him doing dirty things while holding her down beneath him dampened her panties. She wanted to find out what he meant firsthand, damn it. But she’d make him bend to her will first. He thought he could control her. He was wrong.

  She shook off the desire and straightened her spine.

  As he started up the walkway without answering her, she took in every detail. This was the type of place she would want to live in, if her life were different. The type of house that screamed of love and family game nights. She’d bet he had a fireplace inside, the perfect companion for snuggling under a blanket on cold winter nights.

  “In all seriousness, though, this is a really nice place.”

  He stopped beside her and rubbed the back of his neck, his forehead wrinkled as he stared at his home. “Thanks.”

  “I’m surprised you’re not in a fashionable condo or something, though.” She gestured to the house. “A bachelor pad with strobe lights and a hot tub. Red velvet comforters. Champagne fountains
.”

  His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “When I was with my foster father, this is the type of house I envisioned having. One like Christine and I grew up in before…”

  “I remember,” she said softly.

  “Anyway, once I had enough saved, I went about buying a fixer-upper and turning it into mine.” He glanced at his home. “This is it.”

  In a vivid rush of memories, she remembered a night long ago, when he’d come over with a black eye. His foster father had gotten drunk and decided he needed a punching bag. Jake had done nicely. And Jake had accepted his fate without a fight because if he was hitting Jake, he wasn’t hitting any of the younger kids his foster father had taken on for the cash.

  Back then, they had sat on her balcony, him with a bag of peas on his injury. She’d begged him to tell Christine the truth. He’d refused. That night, he had slept over at her house. She’d sneaked him in after her grandmother fell asleep.

  After midnight, he’d told her about his dream house.

  She stared up at it with new eyes. “It’s exactly how you described it, down to the blue shutters. You got what you wanted. Didn’t give up on your dream. You even have the swing you wanted, and the red roses. It’s beautiful,” she said softly, resting a palm on his arm. “I don’t know what that feels like. To plan something out, and actually achieve it like that.”

  All her life, she had kind of gone from one thing to another, no real goals set. Living life each day, trying not to die of boredom and loneliness. Sure, she had gone through her share of relationships, but none of them had stuck. She’d never been in love. Never really cared about anyone the way she’d cared about her parents.

  Although…if anyone qualified as someone she cared about, it would be Jake. After eight years, he was the only one who stood out to her as a man she could have loved with all her heart. How sad was that?

  His gaze met hers, and for the first time they weren’t hard and unflinching. For the first time…he looked like the Jake she remembered. The same one she’d once been half in love with.