The Dangerous Thief (Stolen Hearts Book 3)

by Mallory Crowe

  “Oh,” said Willa dejectedly.

  Stephanie noticed. “Expecting someone else?”

  Willa shrugged it off. “Nope.”

  “So what’s with the guard duty? Did you piss someone off? Is that why you’ve been MIA? I called you like ten times.”

  “I’ve had the week from hell.” Willa dodged the question. “What’s going on with you? What have I missed? Tell me everything.”

  She knew Stephanie was smart enough to know when her questions were being evaded, but she rolled with it as she led Willa back to the table. “You know how it is. Boring. Bert has been calling me nonstop. I think I need to leave the state to make him realize I’m not interested.”

  Willa scrunched her face. “Bert? Come on. He knows you’re like a million miles out of his league.”

  “Right? I swear, he sleeps with one supermodel and all the sudden he thinks he’s a Casanova. The dude is still married and twenty years older, but he thinks I’m going to fall at his feet because he has money? I bet you my bank account is twice the size as his.”

  Like Willa, Stephanie and AJ were also trust fund babies. Their parents were a tad more functional than Willa’s—they were at least still together. Though they had taken on the royal method of raising children and the twins hadn’t really had parents. More of a series of nannies and boarding schools. They had never wanted for anything, but now that they were older, their parents suddenly wanted to be friends and business partners.

  It was an issue that few people would understand. Another reason Willa just seemed to get along with them.

  “Hey beautiful,” said a deep voice from behind her.

  Willa turned to see AJ behind her. He wore a black v-neck T-shirt and black slacks, each of which were perfectly fitted to his slim frame. They were loose but just tight enough to reveal the muscle underneath. Willa smiled at him and leaned in for a quick, friendly hug.

  “Hey yourself,” she said. “I heard you already have a fan club here.”

  He held a hand over his heart. “Me? You know I’m just saving myself for my true love.”

  Willa cocked her head and pursed her lips. “Umm hmm,” she said skeptically. “You’re a true paragon of virtue.”

  “Well, as you know, my sister is in the most epic of epic dry spells. It’s only fair that I have enough sex for the both of us.”

  “Well, when you say it like that, it’s completely logical.”

  “I’m a very logical person.” AJ winked.

  Stephanie shoved him playfully. “Don’t blame your whorishness on me. That’s on you.”

  “Tough crowd tonight,” said AJ. “I know what will make this better. Drinks!”

  “Steph just got—”

  “That’s a great idea,” said Stephanie. “Go get drinks. Far away.”

  “The lady orders, I follow.” AJ made his way back to the bar.

  Willa frowned. “Is everything okay between you two?”

  Stephanie shook her head but didn’t go into detail. “You want to tell me where you’ve been this week?”

  Okay, so that was just going to be something they don’t talk about.

  “Let’s go dance,” said Stephanie. “I’m stressed. You’re stressed. This is the most overrated DJ in town. We can fake having a good time until it actually happens.”

  It was as if Stephanie were inside her mind. “Let’s fake it ’til we make it,” said Willa as they made their way out to the dance floor. Like always, there were a few guys who tried to edge into the dance, but Stephanie and Willa were quick to box out any unwelcome invaders. Although eventually Stephanie did end up latching on to one of the more attractive men on the floor. It was a cycle. She’d dance with a guy who was absolutely lickable, but once they got off the dance floor and started talking, Stephanie would try to ditch him as soon as possible. She was notoriously picky with men.

  Once Stephanie abandoned her, AJ showed up. Dancing with him was always fun. Because they were on strictly platonic terms, he kept a safe distance and would lean in every few minutes to say a quick joke or offhanded comment. It was so nice to be here. For a few minutes there was no murder. No crazy father. No James waiting for her. She could be carefree for just a little bit and let her worries fall away.

  She put her hands over her head and swayed her hips to the beat, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. When she opened her eyes, she looked for anything out of the ordinary, but nothing stood out. AJ was still there right next to her; Stephanie was a few yards away. The bodyguard had eyes on her, but he’d been monitoring her for a while now. But something was different. She turned in a circle until she saw it. The back wall, the shadows. Someone was there. Someone watching her. Then a form emerged from the shadow. She couldn’t see the face, but she didn’t need to. James. Of course he was there. Had he been there the entire time? Had he followed her there?

  She had a feeling the answer was yes. And if he didn’t want her to know he was there, he never would’ve revealed himself. Her guardian angel. Her personal demon. Who knew at this point?

  A hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped around to see AJ looking at her with a confused expression in place. “You okay?”

  She remembered that the new security detail was there and she couldn’t go running over to James. So she forced herself to nod as she went back to dancing. She tried to forget that James was there, but that was like forgetting that she was at a dance club. The knowledge of his presence was just as loud to her as the music blaring in the room.

  And when she started to dance again, she remembered the first time he’d seen her dance. The first time she’d realized there was something between them. The way his eyes hardened as he’d watched her body move. Was he watching her the same way now? Or was this just another day on the job to him?

  She thought back to the way he’d pinned her against the wall earlier that day. No, there was nothing about this that was platonic to him. From that moment on, with every dip and sway of her hips, she knew without a doubt that James’s gaze was glued to her every move.

  The elevator to her apartment opened and Willa cautiously stepped inside. She didn’t think James would be there. If he was following her, he wouldn’t beat her home without her or the new security detail noticing. She’d left the new bodyguard downstairs in the recreation room. She didn’t need him hanging around while Toni or James made an unexpected appearance.

  Even though she logically knew that James wasn’t around, she still walked cautiously inside. She slipped the boots off her sore feet and listened for any sign of an unexpected guest, but her apartment was dark and empty, the dim glow from the lights of the city the only illumination in the apartment.

  Willa sighed. Had she been hoping that James would be there waiting for her? Maybe. She’d felt his eyes on her all night. So maybe she’d willed the cab she took home to drive faster. Maybe she’d held her breath on the elevator, just waiting to see what would be in store for her once those doors opened.

  But this wasn’t some strange, extended fantasy. This was real life. James was a professional and, like Toni said, he couldn’t afford distractions. Willa padded over to the white sofa and sat down, folding her legs under her. She was tired from all the dancing. Tired from the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days. But she was still wired. Waiting for something she didn’t even know....

  But then it happened. The elevator doors opened and she heard the familiar footsteps of a strong, confident man who took every step with purpose. She didn’t get off the couch to verify it was James. She already knew. She heard the rustle of clothes and knew he was tugging at his jacket and hanging it on the hooks in the entryway. She then heard a few clips snapping and knew he was taking off the shoulder holster. A second later, she heard the clacking of metal and leather on granite and knew he’d set it on the kitchen island behind her. She bit her lip as she heard him approaching her. Instead of walking to the front of the couch, he stopped right behind her.

  She tilted her head ba
ck to look up at him. “You left.”

  “I was close.”

  That didn’t make her feel better. She didn’t want him watching her from the shadows. She wanted him next to her. But she couldn’t really say that. He had better things to do than babysit her. She was supposed to be helping him, not giving him more work. But even though she knew she shouldn’t be clingy, when she looked up at him, she couldn’t help the mixture of betrayal and need that shone in her eyes.

  His expression was blank, as usual, and for a moment she thought she was being stupid. But right before she was about to get off the couch to go sulk alone, he reached out to touch her. Her eyes drifted shut as his fingers traced her jaw from right behind her ear to the tip of her chin; his fingers ran along her neck and sent goose bumps along her skin. She took a nervous gulp and her eyes opened. He was studying her so intently and she wished like hell she could read minds. Some days he was a robot and some days he was a caveman. She never knew what she was going to get.

  But at the moment, she was all for him dragging her back to his cave. His fingers moved back up her throat and ran along her lips and she knew she wasn’t the only one affected. She tilted her head just enough for the tip of his pointer finger to slip between her lips and gave him a little bite before soothing it with her tongue.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” he said in a low, almost inaudible voice.

  “I’m a rebel,” she whispered, meeting his eyes with hers and daring him to do something about it.

  “Get up.”

  She almost gave a witty retort but found her legs unfolding as she stood, immediately obeying his command. And when he reached a hand out to her, she met it and followed him around the couch before he led her to her bedroom. Each step seemed to blur. All she could see was his broad, strong back. She thought he was going to take her right to the bed, but he stopped once she was just a foot inside the room and he kicked the door shut. She wanted to ask what he was doing, but no words came out. And then he was moving her to face the door with both of her palms flat on the polished wood. She couldn’t see what he was doing and felt strangely vulnerable in this position. He hadn’t bound her in any way, but she might as well be tied to the ceiling because she knew there was no way she was moving from this spot.

  When he did touch her, it wasn’t just with a fingertip like on the couch. He moved until his entire body was pressed against her back. He was so much bigger than her it was as though she were covered by a massive, sexy blanket. His erection pushed into her lower back and his chin was toward the top of her head. She almost fought the urge to lean back against him, but considering their present situation, the time for fighting had passed.

  So she let her body mold against his and savored the sensation. He bent his head next to hers and she could feel his warm breath on her neck. His breaths came fast and it turned her on like crazy to know that she could do that to him. James seemed so impossible to penetrate sometimes. The fact that she’d wormed her way under his skin somehow made her feel powerful, even as he was totally dominating her.

  His hands started to do a slow exploration of her body. He started simply as he ran his big palms along her sides from right under her arms, over her hips and to her thighs where her dress stopped. Then he started his way back up; the material caught on his hands but slid free before it could go over her hips. It made her feel too naked and too clothed at the same time. He could have access to her so easily if he really wanted. When his hands came up, he followed the dip of her waist and this time ran his hands over her breasts.

  She gasped at the sensation and pushed herself farther back against him. His head was still next to hers. He turned in to her and pressed a kiss to her neck before he ran his teeth along the sensitive skin. The mix of hard and soft was erotic as she rubbed herself against him, standing on her tiptoes so her hips could meet his cock. The foreplay was great and all, but right now she wouldn’t mind if they just skipped to the grand finale. But James didn’t seem to be in any hurry. One of his hands slid the top of her dress down and slid into her bra to cup her breast as the other skimmed lower and then ran along the top of her thigh as he reached the edge of her panties.

  Her head fell forward against the cold wood as he kissed at her neck and edged his fingers into her panties and along her wet folds. Good grief, this was a triple assault. Figures he wouldn’t play fair. “James,” she breathed as he slid two fingers deep inside.

  She was already on her toes but she pushed up as high as she could at the invasion and bit her lip to keep herself from making any more noise than she already was.

  “You are so fucking wet for me,” he said into her ear, speaking so close she could feel his lips brushing against the sensitive lobe. “Were you this wet earlier? Dancing for me.”

  Her eyes popped open at the question. “I....” There was really no right answer.

  “I know you saw me. And you had the nerve to dance with another man in front of me.”

  AJ? AJ barely counted. But then his thumb was brushing against her clit and she wasn’t really capable of defending herself. “For you,” she managed out. “All for you.”

  “Damn right.” His fingers worked her over. On her breast and between her legs before he leaned her head back to cover her mouth with his.

  Willa closed her eyes and let him take over her body. On one hand, she never wanted these sensations to end, but on the other he kept stroking the flames higher and higher, making her feel as if she needed something... anything... just the tiniest push to get her over....

  He pushed another finger inside and that was all she needed before she fell apart. Her hands balled into fists against the door and she would’ve fallen over after her legs gave out if he hadn’t caught her.

  She caught her breath for a few moments before she couldn’t take it any longer. She didn’t care whether he’d just given her the orgasm of a lifetime. She wanted more, damn it. She pushed his hands away from her as she twisted around, and fisting her fingers into his shirt, she pulled him in for a kiss.

  Granted, she knew he didn’t have to do a damn thing, but he kissed her back. This time when he pushed her against the door, she wasn’t just going to wait for him to use her. She reached down and, hooking a finger in the waistband of her panties, she pushed them over her hips and let them fall to the ground. Even though James had been kissing her deeply and thoroughly the entire time, he growled at the motion, somehow aware of everything she was doing. He settled two hands on her ass as he lifted her against the door until she could wrap her legs around his waist. Even though she was ready and waiting, he still happened to be wearing way too many clothes. But at the moment, she was kissing him too much to help with the undressing. Kissing and touching. Touching any part she could. She ran her hands over his broad shoulders and the bulging muscles of his arms. Every inch of him felt fantastic, and she needed to take every chance she could to revel in the fact that she had all this strength to herself. A moment of clarity cut through the haze. She pulled her mouth away from his and met his eyes. Thanks to him holding her up, they were almost eye level, which was a strange change. “I’m on birth control,” she managed out.

  “I know.”

  She blinked a few times. “That’s a strange thing to say.”

  “I’m clean.” He kissed her briefly. “You’re clean.” He kissed her again.

  “You’ve been planning this?”

  “I’ve been fighting this,” he clarified.

  Well, that made two of them.

  He kissed her once more, this time pulling her away from the door, and with her arms and legs still wrapped around him, he carried her to the bed. Once he was in front of the king-size mattress, he let her go and she slid down his body. Every inch of him was hard and, damn it, she wanted him naked. She reached for his buttons, but he caught her hand in his to stop her. “You first. Take off your dress.”

  He said it in that low, growly tone that was impossible to ignore. So she didn’t. She reached down for t
he hem of her dress, and in one quick motion, she had it over her head and onto the floor. Then she reached behind her; the motion pushed her breasts up and out as she unhooked her bra. And then she stood there, naked as the day she was born, turned on as hell, in front of the fully dressed, sexiest man she’d ever met.

  He started with the buttons on his sleeves and then moved to his collar and worked his way down. The entire time, his eyes were glued to her, taking in every inch of her exposed skin. As he pulled off the shirt, her mouth went dry. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but some invisible force kept her in place. Waiting for his permission to move. Waiting to see what he was going to do next.

  When the shirt fell to the ground, he came over to her, and with one hand at the base of her neck, he pulled her in for a kiss. Willa went wild as they both explored all the newly exposed skin. But even as she ran her fingers along the ridges and planes of his stomach, she went right for his belt buckle. She wished she could undress him smoothly, but she wasn’t really an expert in undressing guys. After a few fumbles, the belt was loose and from there the rest came undone easily. And then she pushed his pants over his hips and they fell to the ground. When he kissed her now, it was absolutely carnal. He fisted his hand in her hair to hold her in place, and his tongue ran along her in a primal rhythm that mimicked what she hoped he'd do with other parts of his body. Now that his cock was free, it felt huge against her stomach. At this point, she was so ready for him, the size didn’t even worry her. The only thing that scared her was not getting him inside her now.

  James pushed her back against the bed and she managed to crawl a few inches toward the middle before he followed her down. Although he’d been going slowly and methodically with every touch before, as soon as he hit the bed, things seemed to change. He hooked a hand under her knee as he spread her wide for him, and in half a second, he was positioning himself at her entrance.