Stealing His Heart

by Diane Alberts

  Tara stared down at the kitten. “Yeah, you did. You left and you never came back.”

  “I know. That’s one of the reasons I left that night. I had to be the one to do it. But I also knew I was too depraved for you. Too dark.” He drew in a ragged breath. “You needed a prince, not a pauper.”

  “I didn’t care about any of that,” she whispered. “And you know it.”

  “I know. I was scared.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  “And after that, when I finally got to be with you again, I had to lie to you and play you. I know you’re mad. I know you hate me right now, but I think we could love each other so damn much if you gave me another chance. No more lies. No more tricks.”

  Her heart twisted. “Jake…”

  “I was wrong when I said I couldn’t be the old Jake around you anymore. The truth was, I thought he was dead. I thought I lost him in Afghanistan. But then you came back into my life, and—” He broke off and was quiet for a moment. “You did it. You saved me. I can be that guy again, with you. I can be happy. I can laugh. I can live.”

  She tried to blink back the tears blurring her vision, but she failed. His words were way too meaningful. “You deserve to be happy.”

  He continued, “I’m on your doorstep, asking you to let me back in so I can fall irrevocably in love with you, because sweetheart? I’m already there. Please. Forgive me. Love me. Let me in.”

  Tara tightened her grip on the phone and bit her lower lip. God, she wanted to let him in. Wanted to trust him and give him a chance. But what if she did, and he broke her heart? Or lied to her again? But…what if he didn’t?

  She shakily rose to her feet and set the cat down. As if stuck in slow motion, she reached out and undid the lock. When she opened the door, Jake stood there with a phone to his ear, holding a bouquet of roses. He quickly dropped the former in his pocket, and his fist tightened on the flowers.

  Positioning herself in the doorway, she kept the cat from escaping, but also blocked him from entry. He swallowed hard and shifted on his feet. “I want to love you, Tara. So fucking bad. And I’m sorry. Sorry I lied. Sorry I—”

  She took a small step toward him, followed by another. He broke off and took a stumbling stride forward. When she launched herself into his arms, he caught her easily, hugging her so close she could barely breathe. The flowers hit the patio, and he buried his face in her neck. She held on to him, tears slipping down her cheeks.

  This was it. This was the real thing.

  She couldn’t let him slip out of her fingers because she was scared.

  He took a breath. “Does this mean you forgive me?”

  Tara cupped his cheeks, like he always did to her. “Yes. And it means…I love you so bad, too.”

  Next thing she knew, his mouth was on hers. He backed them toward the door, kicking it shut behind them. “Wrap your legs around me. Now.”

  Tara did as he demanded, meeting his hungry kiss with an open mouth. She couldn’t get enough of him. His lips on hers. His tongue. His taste. The way his stubble brushed against her as he worked his magic.

  All of it added up into one perfectly wrapped package that was Jake.

  And he was all hers.

  He lowered her onto the couch, his lips never leaving hers and his hands moving over her body. Grabbing his hair, she tugged him back down and kissed him. He groaned and deepened the kiss, his erection pressing against her core.

  “I missed you so fucking much,” he moaned, kissing a path down her neck. He squeezed her breasts. “I promise not to lie to you again. Not to trick you. Not to hurt you. Do you promise not to leave me again? To be mine?”

  Tara blinked back tears and tilted her face to his. “I won’t leave you again. I’m all yours.”

  “But do you want to be mine, in every sense of the word? Can you accept me the way I am—flaws, needs, and all?” He took a shaky breath. “I know you had fun with me before, but can you live like this? Can you really be mine?”

  “Yes. So much yes.” She kissed him, then backed off before it got too hot and heavy. “When we were separated, I missed everything about you. From the way you worried too much, to the way you bossed me around in bed. The idea of not being under your control in bed is…empty. It makes me feel empty. I want to be yours. And I definitely want all of you, too.”

  “Then it’s all yours, and so am I.” He froze with his lips a breath away from hers. “But first? Beg me.”

  “Please kiss me before I die, sir.”

  He let out a harsh sound and captured her mouth again. He pulled the skirt of her dress high, exposing her white satin thong. When he pressed his thumb to her clit and sucked on her nipple through the flimsy dress, she arched her back. Tried to get closer. To get his mouth on her, without the darn clothes in the way.

  He better not be planning on “punishing” her today.

  He sat down and pulled her on his lap, yanking the dress over her head in one smooth movement. After taking her bra off with startling ease, his mouth was on her, sucking hard. She cried out and scraped her nails down his back. He scraped his teeth against her hard nipple, making her shiver. Killing her with every move.

  He knew how to drive her insane with a single touch.

  To make her need with a quick motion or bite.

  And she loved relinquishing control to him.

  He moaned and released her nipple, unzipping his pants as he kissed his way to the other one. Before he took it in his mouth, he murmured, “You’re so ready for me, sweetheart. You want me to come inside of you right now, don’t you? Hard and fast until you scream my name.”

  “God, yes.” She nodded and yanked at his hair, wanting to demand he follow through right now, but knowing it would only backfire in the end. She knew the game they played, and she loved every second of it. “Please.”

  He let out a low laugh. “No. Not yet.”

  “Jake.” She pulled harder, frustration coursing through her. “Now.”

  “That wasn’t a pretty request.” He flicked his tongue over her racing pulse. “Now you’ll have to wait longer.”

  Excitement, and desire, crashed through her at his soft warning. “Argh,” she managed to get out through gritted teeth. “I mean, yes. Of course, you’re right. I’ll wait, sir.”

  Laughing under his breath, he threaded his hands through her hair and kissed her. She clung to him, refusing to let him go. When he broke off the kiss, he gripped her spread thighs tight and stared up at her with heated eyes. “Ask me nicely.”

  She looked at him, not daring to look away. “Make love to me, please.”

  Nodding slightly, he freed his erection from his shorts. “Condom?”

  “I’m clean. Are you?”

  He flexed his jaw. “Fuck yeah.”

  “Then please make me scream your name, boyfriend.”

  He kissed her. Soft. Gentle. So sweetly she teared up, and her heart expanded with happiness. “Anything you want,” he whispered against her lips. “Girlfriend.”

  He kissed her again, but this time it was hard and demanding. And when he shoved her panties aside and thrust inside her, she tightened her thighs on him and lost herself in his touch. She rode him hard, faster and faster until she knew she was close.

  So freaking close.

  “Jake. May I?” she asked, her voice breathy from holding back her impending orgasm. “Please?”

  “Come for me,” he commanded in her ear, his touch rough. “Now.”

  And then…

  She did.

  He stiffened beneath her before driving inside her one last time. He collapsed against the back of the couch, drawing in a deep gulp of air. “Holy shit,” he muttered, still holding on to her thighs.

  Tara grinned and traced a tattoo on his chest. “I like these, by the way. Very hot.”

  “Thank you,” he managed to say. “You told Gordon that first, though.”

  She flinched. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he said, meeting her gaze
. “You can make it up to me later, sweetheart.”

  Her cheeks heated at the promise. “Deal.”

  He hugged her close, inhaling deeply. She snuggled in, so at peace she couldn’t believe it was possible. “This feels really good. I could lie here forever, letting you play with my hair.”

  Tara smiled bigger. Seriously. It was getting ridiculous, this happiness she was feeling. “Good.”

  “Forever and—” Her stomach growled, and he raised a brow. “But apparently you need dinner.”

  She flushed. “Apparently.”

  He laughed and lifted her off of him, slowly withdrawing from her body. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “I don’t care,” she said. “As long as I’m with you.”

  “Back atcha, sweetheart.” He tucked himself away, then pulled his zipper up. Bending over, he tossed her dress at her. “Remember how happy I made you when I piss you off next time. It’s gonna be soon.”

  Tara pulled the dress over her head. “Why? What are you planning on doing now?”

  “I have a proposition for you.” He hesitated. “And I’d like you to consider it before you reject me.”

  “What?” she asked after a moment, her heart picking up speed.

  “I want you to work for Cooper.” He held his hand out when she opened her mouth. “You could have a position where you do background checks on all of our employees, making sure there are no more Solteses in the company.”

  “Jake—”

  “Or you could be a recovery specialist, with us instead of on your own. You would help clients find lost objects, but not steal them back. When we find them, we would tell the police, and they would take it from there.” He sat down next to her on the bed. “Think about it. It’s the same job, but more Sherlock, and less Robin Hood.”

  Her lips twitched, and she laughed. “Did you call me Sherlock?”

  “Yeah, maybe,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

  “Does that make you my Watson?”

  He leaned in and kissed her. “You can call me anything you want.”

  “I want to call you mine.”

  “Sounds perfect.” He grabbed hold of her ankles and yanked across the couch until she was flat on her back. “Make sure at the end of the day, you call out my name as I make you come.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I promise. And Jake?”

  He nuzzled her neck. “Yeah?”

  “I’ll think about the job. I knew if I let you in, that I’d have to make changes.” She glanced at him. “It’s why I was so scared to do it. I didn’t know if I was ready for those changes. This has been my life. It’s all I had.”

  He kissed her nose. “You have me now.”

  “I know.”

  “You’ll love it there, by the way.” He smiled, big and bright. “Cooper’s a great boss. He took over the company earlier this year. His father started it.”

  “I said I’d think about it, not take it.”

  “I know. And you’ll love it.”

  She rolled her eyes, not bothering to fight him on this. The cat jumped on the couch and meowed before inserting his face between them. Tara smiled at the small animal. “What should we call him?”

  He reached out to pet the cat, but he hissed at him. Jake glowered at him. “What would you have called that little cat all those years ago, if you’d gotten him?”

  She snorted. “Probably Fluffy.”

  “Well, then.” Jake scooped the tiny kitten under the belly and held him in the air with one hand. The kitten batted at him with a small paw. Jake rotated him, glaring the whole time. “Fluffy it is—even if he’s more of a killer than a fluff ball.”

  She laughed and took him. He cuddled close to her chest and gave a tiny meow. “Looks pretty harmless to me.”

  “Yeah. Sure,” he said, watching him warily. Fluffy stared right back at him without blinking. “I’ll grab the supplies out of my car, then we’ll do dinner.”

  As he headed for the door, Tara sat and wrapped her arms around her knees. The kitten jumped off the couch, the bell on his collar jingling with each step, and followed Jake. It was funny that he remembered that night in the pet shop so well, because she did, too.

  That was the night she realized she loved him, and that’s why she’d given herself to him. When she had walked away from that cat, part of her had felt like it was Jake she left behind. It might have taken a few years and a lot of separation, but she’d gotten everything she wanted. All her dreams had come true…

  And then some.

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  Tara slipped behind the wall, her breath held and her body completely still. She wasn’t supposed to be doing stuff like this anymore, but she had to get inside unnoticed. She couldn’t get caught sneaking in, or there would be hell to pay.

  After studying the hallway for any sign of movement, she crept down the shadowy stretch of tight walls and glided into the empty office. She had approximately one hour before anyone came back and realized where she was.

  And she couldn’t waste a single second.

  Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her phone and turned on the flashlight app. When he’d left the key behind, she couldn’t resist the urge to break into the agency and find out what he had hidden in his locked drawer. If she could locate it, test out the key, and open it, she would discover—

  “Hello, sweetheart,” Jake said from somewhere in the shadows. “Looking for something?”

  Tara jumped guiltily. “Uh…nope. Not at all.”

  “Really?” he asked, his voice gritty.

  She cocked her head. “Was this all a ploy to have a reason to punish me later?”

  “Oh, you definitely earned one, but it’ll wait.”

  Her heartbeat escalated. She loved his “punishments,” and he knew it. “But I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  He switched on the light and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and his brows up. “So you sneaked into my office when you knew I wasn’t here because—?”

  “I knew you were here.”

  He snorted. “You’re a horrible liar.”

  “You tricked me again.”

  He grinned. “Someone has to do it. You’ve been getting too cocky about your skill lately, with all these men fawning all over you.”

  She propped her hip on the door. “Jealous of our coworkers?”

  “You know I am.” He shoved off the wall and went behind his desk. “When it comes to you, I’m not the slightest bit reasonable. I’m the only one who gets to bring you home and make you come all night long. Only I know how those sweet lips feel wrapped around my— ”

  “Shhh.” She flushed and peeked over her shoulder, but there was no denying the arousal his words brought to life inside her. Hearing him describe the way he felt when she went down on him made her want to drop to her knees in front of him. “Someone might hear you.”

  He laughed. “We’re alone. I wouldn’t talk about you like that if we weren’t. You’re mine.”

  “I noticed,” she said drily.

  He shrugged. “So I’m possessive. It’s part of my package deal.”

  “And I love every second of it.” She crossed the room. “Why did you trick me into coming here? Spill it.”

  “What makes you think I wanted you in here?”

  “You’ve been leaving me little hints all over the place for the last two weeks that something is in your desk. Something valuable and huge.” She sat down in the chair and crossed her legs. “Then, tonight, you supposedly go out on an assignment after ten at night, and leave the key on the nightstand table? You wanted me in here. Why?”

  He motioned toward the desk. “Open it and find out.”

  “Is this a trick?”

  “Nope.”

  She stood and came around to the other side. Watching him the whole time, she slid the key into the latch and pulled the drawer open. She bent down and squinted inside. Shaking her head, she turned back to
him as she said, “Not a trick, huh? There’s nothing—” She broke off and covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”

  He was in the same spot as before, only he had dropped to his knees. He held a brilliant marquise-cut diamond ring, and he had that endearing vulnerability of uncertainty in his gaze again. The one she’d seen only once before, when he told her he wanted to love her.

  “Tara, you’ve completed me. I never thought I could be so happy until you came along and showed me how. I know we’ve been living together for six months now, and people said we moved too fast”—he took a deep breath—“but I don’t think we moved fast enough. I’ve known you for years, but now I want to know you’re mine. I want to make it official, and I hope to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you’ve made me.”

  “You already have,” she managed to say, though she could barely speak through her swollen throat. “So much.”

  “But I’ve barely begun.” He held the ring higher. “Tara Harris, ex-thief, owner of my heart, and genius—will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  She nodded, tears blurring her vision. “Yes. Oh my God, yes.”

  He grinned and stood up, hauling her close and kissing her. She clung to his shoulders, her heart hammering in her ears, and he ravished her mouth. By the time he pulled back and broke off the kiss, she’d almost forgotten where they were.

  And what he’d been doing.

  Jake slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit, but of course it would be. He wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love you.”

  Tara grinned at him and sniffed. “I love you, too.”

  He hugged her close. “But I was wrong. You’re not an ex-thief.”

  “What?” She pulled back and stared at him. “Sure I am. You saw to it that the last thing I stole was the vase a week before you crashed back into my life. I’ve been on the straight and narrow ever since.”

  “Nope. Wrong.” He lifted her chin. “You stole one more thing.”

  She racked her memory, trying to recall what she could have taken. Then she remembered the first day at his house, how she had found that picture of him on his dresser and stuffed it in her bag. It was on her desk now, framed beside the picture of her, him, and Fluffy—who still didn’t trust Jake. “The picture?”