Nikki continued her charade. “How am I to marry the girl off now that you’ve scandalized her?”
Audrey laughed at Nikki’s antics. When this job was over, she was going to miss her. She’d forgotten how much fun it was to have a girlfriend. “Don’t worry, Jay. I’m okay with living my life as sullied spinster.”
A slight shade of pink rose high on his cheeks. “You two are acting stranger than usual.”
Nikki waved a hand. “What’s usual? You’ve known us a week.”
“And in that week, I’ve spent more time with you than I have with most people in my life.” His gaze bounced between them. “Strange.”
He had a point. Nikki was on a roll this morning.
“I’ll be ready to go in a minute.” She ran back to her room, leaving them alone again.
Audrey wondered if it was intentional.
“Interesting look.” His gaze roamed over her.
Instead of the skin-crawling feeling she got when other guys made the same assessment, her skin warmed pleasantly. She tugged the neckline higher. “Nikki has a plan for being in the Scotts’ neighborhood without being suspicious.”
“How is that—” he gestured toward her boobs “—not suspicious?”
She grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over the tank. “I’m Barbie, who’s visiting her grandma. If someone questions me, I’m supposed to distract them with my boobs.”
“That would work.” He chuckled, low and a little dirty.
“Why are you here?” she asked to try to change the subject.
“To make sure you two don’t get in trouble.”
“I don’t get in trouble.”
Nikki reappeared. “No one is getting in trouble. Data is going to get the info she needs and I’m going for a run. We chat in front of Scott’s house and no one thinks anything of it.”
Audrey gathered her stuff and wondered how Nikki managed to never slip up and use her real name in front of Jay. She was grateful for it, but if roles were reversed, Audrey wasn’t sure she wouldn’t screw up. “Do we have a car?”
“I can get one again,” Nikki answered.
“How do you plan to get one?” he asked.
“Better if you don’t know,” Nikki said with a wink.
“Christ. I’ll get you a car.” His voice was full of exasperation.
Audrey stifled a laugh.
“As much as I’m sure we’d love being chauffeured around by your personal driver, it might be better not letting more people know about our plans.”
Jay turned to Nikki. “I’ll rent a car. No one will know what you’re up to and nothing will look suspicious. Plus, I’ll be able to keep an eye on both of you.”
Chapter Nine
If nothing else, Jay thought, working with these women was never boring. He rented a car and returned to pick up Data and Nikki. They were both slightly perturbed by the delay, but he needed to keep as much of this job under his control as possible. He’d known going in that Nikki was a wild card, but Data had struck him as more reserved and thoughtful.
The more time they spent together, the more he saw her other sides. She was drawn to adventure, even if she didn’t fully participate. Made sense given her work. People hired her to cause trouble, but she didn’t get personally involved.
They drove to Scott’s neighborhood and Nikki jumped out a few blocks away with the intention of literally running into Data.
Once she left, Jared glanced at Data in the passenger seat. “You okay?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’re quiet.”
Her mouth lifted in a barely-there smile. “I’m always quiet.”
A block from Scott’s house, he turned the corner to drop her off. “I’ll pick you up around the corner on the next block when you get the information you need.” He took out his phone and dialed her number. “Keep the line open so I can hear what’s going on.”
“Jeez, the thieves on TV get special comms that they stick in their ears and all I get is a phone call. Disappointing.” She’d debated bringing comms with her, but since she’d thought only she and Nikki were going on this excursion, comms wouldn’t have been needed.
“Yeah, well, we weren’t planning on building a team for this job.” He made a mental note to look into a better comms system if they were going to keep working together. As she reached for the door handle, he asked, “Aren’t you going to take the T-shirt off?”
She huffed and put her phone and earbuds on the dashboard. She peeled off the shirt and tossed it on the console between them. Then she proceeded to tuck her scanner into her waistband. With one earbud in she said, “Testing...can you hear me?”
The rise and fall of her chest mesmerized him and he didn’t realize she was waiting for a response.
“Hello?” She tapped his forehead.
His gaze shot up to hers. “Sorry. Yes, I hear you. But it might be more effective to run that test once you’re out of the car.”
“Whatever.” She climbed out and started walking toward Scott’s house.
He waited until she turned the corner and then he circled around to find Nikki. She was jogging at a quick clip but as long as Data walked slowly, they’d reach each other at the right place. Nikki definitely had a feel for this. “Nikki is about a block down, keep a lookout to adjust your pace,” he said into his phone.
“Roger.” Then she giggled. “This kind of spy shit feels weird, doesn’t it?”
“Only when you talk like that.”
“How should I talk?”
“I think being yourself is always the way to go.”
She responded with another laugh.
“What’s funny about that?”
“You’re never yourself. At least not around us. I know nothing about you.”
“I could say the same.”
“True. It’s probably best that way.”
“Maybe. What would you want to know? If you could ask me anything, what would you ask?” He wouldn’t answer most questions. Self-preservation was too important, but he wanted to know.
“Are you single?”
He had no problem answering that question. He didn’t want her thinking he’d been involved with someone while flirting with her. “Yes. You?”
“Of course.”
“What do you mean, ‘of course’?”
“People like me don’t date. Could you imagine me bringing some guy into my life and when we talk about work, he’d be like, ‘You’re a hacker? Cool.’ Somehow, I doubt that’s the way it would go.”
“Probably not if you were dating a lawyer or police officer. But surely you know other hackers.”
“Been there. Done that. Different goals. If I let a man in my life, he won’t be in my line of work.”
Jared wondered what the story was there but didn’t ask. Data didn’t bother to ask why he was single, which was good because he didn’t have an answer. He figured he’d know when he met the right woman.
While she was open to questions, he couldn’t help himself. “What’s the one thing a man could do that one hundred percent would turn you on?”
She coughed on the line. “Getting kind of personal there.”
“You had your shot. You could’ve gone there. Are you going to answer? Or are you afraid?”
“Psh. Afraid? Of what? You’ll use the information against me?”
I absolutely will.
“I would probably drop my pants for a man who paid my bills. Being debt-free is quite the turn-on.”
“That’s a cop-out. What gets you off? Hands? Tongue? Toys? Bondage?”
“Uh...”
She was flustered, but he waited, sure she’d answer. In his ear, he heard an ungodly squeal.
“Barbie? Is that you? Oh my God. It’s been forever.”
Nikki had h
orrible timing, and she was in rare form.
“Susie. It’s so good to see you.” Data’s tone was dry and bland, in total contrast to Nikki’s bubbly character.
“Are you in the right spot?” he asked.
“Of course. We know what we’re doing,” she answered quietly while Nikki continued to babble about crazy weekend plans he hoped weren’t real.
He drove through the neighborhood, blocks away to avoid drawing suspicion. The day was hot, so no one was milling around. No nannies pushing strollers, no housewives walking dogs. “Anyone near you?”
“We’re fine, Jay. Just two chicks standing on the street catching up. If you stop interrupting, I’ll have what I need in two minutes.”
The entire time she mumbled at him, Nikki’s narrative continued in the background. “Have you seen that video? Oh, I laughed for at least ten minutes. Every time I’m feeling down and the Xanax isn’t quite enough, I watch it again. I’ll send you the link.”
“Speaking of videos, you’ll love this one.” Data’s voice became singsongy.
He imagined her holding up her scanner as if it were a phone. He chuckled.
“You naughty girl,” Nikki said.
Jared’s ears perked up.
“Is that...oooh.” Nikki’s husky comments made him question how much of their conversation was a ruse.
With Nikki, he never knew. And then Data chimed in.
“Oh, yes, it is. It’s from my private collection. Guaranteed for a good time—solo or with company.”
He cleared his throat as the women burst out laughing.
“It’s not nice to fuck with the man who supplies your paycheck.”
“It wouldn’t be so easy if you weren’t creepily listening in on us,” Data said.
“I’m here to make sure everything runs smoothly.”
“We didn’t need you. I’m done.”
“It was great seeing you again, Barbie. We absolutely must get together soon,” Nikki crooned.
“I’ll pick you up on the next block,” he said to Data. Nikki would run back to where he dropped her off.
Jared idled at the curb waiting for Data. She glanced around and then climbed into the car.
“Did you get what you needed?”
“I told you I did.” She pulled her scanner out. “Did you want to see the video from my private collection?”
Was she seriously pushing his buttons right now? Two could play that game. He leaned across the console, where her T-shirt still lay, and whispered, “I prefer the real thing to a video. I’d be more than happy to act it out with you.”
Her face flushed. She parted her lips but said nothing.
* * *
This was a test. He was teasing her, but she didn’t care. Backing down wasn’t an option. So she closed the short distance between them. She’d wanted to kiss him for days. Every time he stepped into her space or leaned close, she’d considered what it would be like.
Now her lips met his, soft and coaxing. She angled her head and slipped her tongue inside his mouth. He reached up and held her head, taking control of the kiss. His tongue stroking hers was like a drug pulling her under. She shifted to get closer. If the console hadn’t been between them, she would’ve climbed onto his lap.
Her head buzzed with anticipation.
No, that was actual buzzing. Jay must’ve noticed at the same time because he pulled away.
“Your phone,” he whispered gruffly.
She eased back into her seat and picked up her phone. “Hello.”
“Everything okay? You’re supposed to be here.”
Audrey swiped at her lips. “Uh, yeah. You must’ve run too fast. We’re on our way.”
Jay already had the car in gear and sped down the street. No tires squealed, but fast enough to make up for their make-out time. He stared straight ahead without acknowledging the kiss or her.
Audrey flipped down the visor and looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin was still flushed and maybe her lips were a little kiss-swollen, but no other evidence of what they’d done. At the next corner, Nikki stood playing on her phone.
When they pulled up, she climbed into the back seat. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Audrey and Jay answered together.
“Uh-oh. Are Mom and Dad fighting?”
Audrey twisted in her seat to look at Nikki. “Don’t call us that.” It was too close to how they’d both referred to Jay and Ms. Green. Ms. Green. Why didn’t they know her name? And where was she? They hadn’t seen her for days. Not that Audrey was complaining. She didn’t much like the woman.
Nikki rolled her eyes. “We have everything we need now?”
“I believe so. When we get back to the apartment, I’ll poke around and see what I can find.”
After a few minutes of driving in silence, Nikki climbed halfway into the front and turned on the radio. Audrey tuned out the music and considered what had happened. I kissed Jay. That didn’t seem like a smart move. As he’d pointed out, he was her paycheck. Getting involved with him could make things messy.
She glanced at him. Still no sign of what he thought about their kiss. Except for the muscle twitching in his jaw. That was usually an indication of irritation. Or frustration.
Neither one a good sign for her.
Damn. Hadn’t she already decided she was going to make herself indispensable to him? She hadn’t been thinking about time in the bedroom either. Well, she had been thinking about it, but not in relation to being indispensable. And now, this kiss made her think even more about getting naked with him.
With the exception of the blaring music and the occasional grunt or cheer while Nikki played a game on her phone, the ride back to the apartment was silent. When Jay parked, Audrey hurried out to follow Nikki. Part of her hoped Jay left to go brood somewhere else. He’d cool off and they’d be fine.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving,” Nikki said, taking off her shirt as she walked through the living room.
The woman had no boundaries.
Audrey turned to close the door, but Jay was coming in.
“Someone better make or order food. I’m going to shower.” Nikki disappeared into the bathroom.
Audrey moved toward the computer. Jay stood near the desk, staring at her. She had work to do, but attempting to accomplish anything while he glowered a foot away was futile.
The water turned on in the bathroom and Nikki began singing, off tune.
Audrey knew she should say something. Maybe apologize. She licked her lips and was immediately reminded of his taste.
“About the car—”
That was as far she got because he was suddenly there, backing her against the wall, pressing his body to hers. “Yeah?”
Her chest rose and brushed his. What had she planned to say? That it was a mistake? “Maybe we shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?”
“It might complicate things. Between us. With this job.” She was a little breathless.
His mouth was right there. Close enough to taste again.
“I don’t agree.” He brushed his lips on hers. “I think we both enjoyed the kiss more than we thought. Pleasure doesn’t have to be complicated.”
He gripped her hips and kissed her fully. She wrapped her arms around his neck and toyed with the short, dark hair on the back of his head. He skated his hands up her sides until he cupped her breasts.
His growl deep in his throat made her pulse spike. She thrust her hips into his. The stress and tension she’d been living with seeped out as she sought release.
Nikki’s singing stopped, pulling Audrey’s attention. She slapped a hand on Jay’s chest. “Nikki’s going to come out in a minute.”
He kissed along her jaw and nibbled on her neck. She wanted nothing more than to see how far he’d go, up
against the wall in this apartment where anyone could walk in. But she had work to do and Nikki would never let this go.
“We have to stop.”
He dragged himself away from her. From under hooded eyes filled with lust, he asked, “Why?”
“Nikki is on the other side of that door. And while you probably don’t care what she thinks, consider that she’ll tell Ms. Green about it. I doubt that would bode well for either of us.”
Acknowledgment crossed his face. “Fine. But we’re far from done here.”
He pushed away from her and cool air pricked against her skin. Smoothing down her shirt, she shook off images of his words.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened and Nikki bopped out, oblivious to what was going on in the living room.
“I’m going to pick up some lunch. Dinner. Whatever,” Jay said, still staring at her with heated eyes.
“I’ll let Nikki know.” Audrey avoided looking at him. She booted up the computer to figure out how to get malware into Scott’s house.
“Let Nikki know what?” Nikki asked as she came in the room.
Jay was already gone. Audrey waved in the direction of the door. “Jay went to get food.”
“Better be something good. I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving.” Audrey opened a window on the computer and began poking around.
“What’s that?” Nikki asked, plopping in the chair Jay normally sat in.
“A list of what the Scotts have on their DVR. Looks to me like Mrs. Scott lied when she said she barely watches TV. I doubt Randall is the one watching The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, and General Hospital.” The last made her think of Gram. She should go visit.
“What do you care what the woman watches?”
“I don’t. The DVR is connected to their Wi-Fi. Now I can hack into everything.”
Chapter Ten
Jared drove for blocks without a plan. Kissing Data—twice—had firmly scrambled his brain. He’d been attracted to her personality long before they met in person. Something about her snark was fun. Then, having the chance to actually work with her, see her in action, did something to him. How could he not be attracted to such a competent woman? He’d wanted to take her to bed, but part of him was glad she’d stopped him. If Mia found out he’d even kissed Data, she’d throw a hissy fit. No way could she have planned for him to get a hard-on for their hacker.
It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance Page 9