It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance

by Sloane Steele

  Nikki still held Audrey’s wrist. “But you’re coming back. We can play video games and watch movies.”

  The request seemed out of character for Nikki. As far as Jared knew, she was as much of a loner as Audrey and London. It made him wonder if she had some other plan in play.

  “I’ll drop you off to save time,” he offered. “And if you spend the night here, you can sleep in.”

  Nikki laughed. “You’re always using euphemisms. We know you don’t plan to sleep.”

  Audrey pulled away from both of them. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m going to sleep a lot. I’m exhausted.”

  Audrey threw away the wrappers from her food, and London said her good-byes with a promise to be back early.

  As Nikki began talking to the mice in the cage, Jay followed Audrey out the door. In the hallway, he whispered, “You’ll sleep after you’ve been thoroughly fucked.”

  * * *

  Jared sat through dinner with Carolyn, counting the minutes until he could get back to the apartment and Audrey. While he’d planned to meet with a client, Carolyn had called and asked to catch up. There had been a time when their parents tried to match them, but he and Carolyn were nothing more than friends. So he spent his evening offering an occasional chuckle and swallowing tasteless food.

  Carolyn leaned over and touched his arm. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “You seem to be in another place. Is it work?”

  He gave her a smile. His family and their friends believed he ran a consulting firm, but no one ever asked for specifics. Consulting was a vague enough term to not inspire questions.

  “I’m working on a difficult project right now. The client keeps wanting to take risks I think are unwise.”

  “What do you do in a situation like that? I mean, you can’t stop him from doing what he wants, right?”

  “She thinks things through, but I wish she’d heed my advice more than she does.”

  “She? Jared Towers, are you fooling around with a client?” Her tone was nothing short of scandalous.

  “Of course not. I would never mess with a client. Mixing business and pleasure is rarely a wise move.” He’d learned a long time ago that serving up half-truths worked wonders with making people believe what he said. At the moment, all he could think about was mixing up some pleasure with Audrey. “Tell me what’s going on with your life.”

  “Nothing much with me. Daddy’s planning on selling some of his property. That’s why I wanted to get together with you.”

  While the dinner with Carolyn had been impromptu, it was proving to be useful. Her father, Steven Draper, had been a confidant of his father’s. Steven hadn’t stood behind Jared’s father when everything had come out. He did, however, profit from their fathers’ scheme, so Mia had kept an eye on him. They weren’t even sure how much he’d known while it was going on.

  “Why’s he selling? The market’s been on a downswing.”

  She wiped delicately at the corners of her mouth and smoothed her napkin on her lap. He knew those moves. She regretted bringing it up.

  “What is it, Carolyn? Is he in trouble?”

  She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I’m not sure. Something isn’t right. I overheard him talking at his weekly poker game. The bunch of them.”

  He didn’t need an explanation of who the them were. Cesar’s cronies. Half of whom were on Mia’s list. Steven’s poker night was legendary and Jared had tried to score an invite for years, but Steven always claimed a young man like him didn’t belong at the table with the old codgers. He’d always believed there was more to it.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” She shook her head, her chin-length blond hair swaying.

  He patted her hand. “It’s all right. Tell me.”

  “I’m worried about my dad. I don’t know why he continues to be friends with those men. After everything you’ve told me, I don’t understand. My dad isn’t like them.”

  Jared wasn’t so sure, but since he wasn’t positive, he wanted to give Carolyn and Steven the benefit of the doubt. “What did you overhear?”

  “Max Ingram and Harry Ross were talking about how they’re planning to liquidate some of their assets as soon as possible without raising any red flags. I’m not sure if my dad joined in the discussion because that’s what guys do at the poker table or if something else is up. After everything with your father... I’m worried.”

  “Do you think your dad is doing something illegal?”

  “I don’t think so. At least not directly. But you didn’t know what your father was doing, right?”

  Jared shook his head. Carolyn had been one of the few people who immediately believed him when he said he’d had no idea.

  “He might be helping them, though,” she continued. “Max said something about sending a few paintings and sculptures to auction and how he could do that and hide his profits. Harry said the price of gold was up so the jewelry he kept from his last ex-wife in the divorce would bring him a pretty penny.”

  The wheels in Jared’s head were spinning triple time. This was why Mia was insistent on rushing through the jobs. She knew they were liquidating. Was it possible their fathers knew something about their plan?

  “I don’t trust them,” Carolyn whispered.

  “As you shouldn’t. They all knew what my father was doing. They encouraged it and profited from it. And they got away with it. If they’re making moves, there’s a reason. You need to distance yourself. I would hate to see you get caught up in the middle.”

  “What about my dad?”

  “Will he listen to you?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “Would you talk to him? He might listen to you.”

  “I don’t know. We haven’t spoken in a long time. I doubt he would take advice from me.”

  “Please, just try. I know you’ve been through a lot because of your father, but my dad has always liked you.”

  “I’ll try.” It was the best he could offer. But the information she’d given him was food for thought. If Mia already knew about this, why hadn’t she said something?

  They finished their dinner without mentioning fathers again. Jared’s mind wandered to Audrey. After paying the bill, he said good-bye to Carolyn and called Mia as soon as he got into his car.

  “Please do not tell me there was a problem,” she said without a greeting.

  It took a minute for his brain to process what she was referring to. “They abandoned the mission tonight. They came up with an alternate plan for tomorrow. I’m calling because I had dinner with Carolyn Draper.”

  “And?”

  “She told me that at her father’s last poker night, she heard the guys talking about liquidating their assets. Know anything about that?”

  She sighed heavily in his ear.

  “I knew it. What’s going on?”

  “I think they’re being pressured to sell to help our fathers. We don’t know how much they had stashed overseas. I’m beginning to think it’s not as much as we originally imagined.”

  Jared absorbed the information. Their fathers were in trouble. It was hard to lie low when you didn’t have money to hide with. “Is this why you’re rushing to get these jobs done?”

  “Yes. I heard Jerome Bauer was getting appraisals on a few pieces from his collection. It piqued my interest, especially since one of the pieces going up for sale is one I earmarked for us. Once I started to dig, the network of lies unraveled.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “In addition to the money our fathers hid in offshore accounts, their backup plan was in physical items left with their friends. Expensive items, like art and jewelry that could be sold when needed.”

  “Fucking brilliant,” Jared muttered with awe and disgust. “Do you know what each man is holding?”

&n
bsp; “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I have it narrowed. I want to get this done now more than ever. This isn’t about just making amends. We have the chance to strike them from thousands of miles away. If Carolyn heard them talking, they might be moving faster than I anticipated.”

  “Which means our fathers might have a move planned.” Right now, they knew where their fathers were—Montenegro, chosen because of the lack of extradition. He’d always thought it an odd choice for his father. Maybe they had simply used it as a first stop. “What do you want to do?”

  “Let’s get through this first job Saturday. If it all goes well, we’ll reassess and see how fast we can get to the rest. I want them to feel it, Jared.”

  “I know. Me, too.” They disconnected as he arrived back at the apartment. He let himself in. The living room was dark except for the glow of the TV. Nikki was sprawled on the couch, mouth hanging open, sound asleep. As he walked toward the spare bedroom, he loosened his tie, hoping Audrey was waiting for him.

  He eased the door open and saw the moonlight cascade over her curled up form on the edge of the bed. She hadn’t even gotten under the blanket. It was as if she didn’t want to leave a mark. He took off his clothes, hung them on the chair at the desk, and climbed onto the mattress behind her.

  Kissing her neck and her ear, he caressed her hip, her ass, and smoothed a hand along her thigh, quietly waking her. Although she wasn’t fully awake, she wiggled her hips against him and released a quiet moan.

  “Audrey, wake up.”

  “Hmm...”

  He moved his hand to her breasts and stroked her. “I want to keep going, but I won’t unless you’re awake.”

  She sighed, turned over in his arms, and put a leg over his hip. “I am officially awake. I believe you made promises of thoroughly fucking me.”

  “I did,” he said against her lips. “But I have a strict requirement of enthusiastic consent and participation from my partners. And now that you’re awake, I’m more than ready to continue.”

  She smiled and licked her lips. “Show me what you got.”

  He rose up on his knees and peeled away her clothes.

  “Did you enjoy your dinner?”

  He paused, trying to determine if he heard a hint of jealousy in her voice, and decided it was his imagination. “It was fruitful.”

  She snickered. “Who talks like that? Dinner is not fruitful—unless you’re chowing on a fruit salad.”

  “Is productive a better word?” He caressed her legs, his thumbs running up the inside of her thighs, causing her breath to hitch.

  “I guess productive makes sense since you indicated it was a business dinner.” She let her legs fall open in invitation.

  “But I was thinking about dessert with you the entire time.” He lowered and kissed her breasts, her stomach, her hip.

  She sighed and pressed his shoulders lower. He smelled her arousal. It was like a siren’s song for him. He swiped his tongue over her. Her fingertips dug into him.

  “Faster, Jay.”

  “I want to take my time,” he murmured against her.

  “But I want to get there. It feels good.”

  “I’ll make it feel better.” He moved up her body to kiss her mouth. “Sometimes it’s about more than the end. The journey is half the fun.”

  “The end result is what matters, though, right? If we fuck around and get hot and bothered, but never come, we both walk away frustrated.”

  Had no one ever shown this woman the pleasures to be had from deferred gratification? “Trust me, you’ll come. I’ll get you there as many times as you can handle.”

  She shivered.

  “Trust me?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Did she? She knew he was asking about the level of trust she had in his ability to make her orgasm multiple times, but it felt like more. His body rubbed deliciously against hers, making it hard to focus on the question at hand.

  She believed he could make her scream, but did she trust him?

  With a slow nod, she answered. He smiled wickedly in return and slid his way back down her body. He splayed her legs and stared at her like he was about to feast.

  And feast he did. He licked and sucked and nibbled until she was writhing and begging him to use his hands with his mouth to send her over. Her entire body was trembling and on fire. When he finally let her come, her mind went blindingly blank. He pinned her down with gentle touches and strokes.

  Then he gave her barely a moment to recover before he was sliding into her. He only pumped twice before pulling out.

  “Flip over.”

  With a grunt, she followed his direction, unsure if her legs could hold her up, because they were still spasming from her orgasm. On her knees, ass in the air, muscles trembling, she gripped the sheet in her fist.

  Jay slid back into her with quick thrusts. He pounded into her, flesh slapping.

  “Fuck, yeah,” she said. “More.”

  She pressed back into him and he growled. The sound from him urged her on and she met him over and over.

  Pounding on the wall caused a hitch in their rhythm.

  “Hey, some of us are trying to sleep here,” Nikki yelled from the other room.

  Then they both collapsed in a fit of laughter. Jay lay on top of her and she struggled to pull air into her lungs.

  “Fuck, don’t laugh.”

  “Can’t. Help. It.”

  He barely moved but managed to yank her hips a few inches off the mattress. Fitting his hand under her, he said, “You’ll pay for that.”

  “Oooo... I’m so scared.” At this point, she knew she was playing with fire, but she was having fun.

  “Not here to scare you, but I’ll make you scream.”

  He began moving again, slow long strokes, but the hand he put beneath her reached her clit and he pressed it like a button.

  The constant pressure had her wiggling to get away at the same time she wanted more. But he wouldn’t let up until he did, in fact, have her screaming into the pillow.

  Once again, they collapsed in a sweaty heap, tangled in each other and the sheet that had come loose from the bed.

  “Did I come through on my promise?” he asked.

  “Hmm...let me think. What kind of rating scale are we using?”

  He pinched her hip.

  With a laugh, she said, “Just kidding. That was...pretty damn amazing.”

  He rolled over, pulled her close, and nuzzled her neck. She immediately stiffened.

  “I’m not asking for lifetime commitment here. Relax.”

  “You want to cuddle?”

  “I’m not fond of that word. How about I want to hold you and talk for a while.”

  His touches were mesmerizing and she relaxed against him. She was exhausted and lying there for a moment would allow her to recharge.

  “What was the best hack you’ve ever done?”

  Her foggy brain struggled to focus. “I don’t tend to do things that make a big splash. I like small, quiet jobs.”

  “But you’re good enough to cause real damage.”

  “I like to fly under the radar. Keeps it simple.”

  “If you can do more, why not? Bigger jobs have to be more profitable. And if you’re all about the money...”

  “Who said I’m all about the money?”

  He kissed her temple. “Babe, every business conversation we’ve ever had told me how important money is to you.”

  “The only people who say money isn’t important are those that have enough.”

  “Touché.”

  “You’re one to talk about bigger jobs. You went to law school, but you’re not a lawyer.”

  “Lawyers are snakes.”

  “No argument there. But why bother?”

  “I wanted to know the ins and outs of the la
w. It’s the best way to serve my clientele.” More rhythmic touches along her arm, over her stomach.

  The conversation had become a little too real for her liking. This went beyond having a good time and relaxing. Sitting up, she tried to lighten things by saying, “This heart to heart has been great, but I need a shower.”

  “Can I join you?”

  She considered a moment. She wouldn’t mind another round in the shower. She would definitely sleep well then. Plus, sex put them on a level playing field. It wasn’t about who had more or who needed what or how they got where they were.

  Pulling on a long T-shirt she’d brought to sleep in, she left the room. Jay followed. The rest of the apartment was silent, so she assumed Nikki was sleeping, regardless of the amount of noise they’d made. In the bathroom, Audrey started the water for the shower and peeled off the nightshirt. Jay closed and locked the door.

  She swung the shower door open and stood under the spray. She didn’t wait for him because she needed time to gather her senses.

  He climbed in behind her and let his hands roam her body as she tried to wash.

  “You’re impeding progress here,” she muttered.

  “I want to help.”

  “I don’t need help.”

  “I do.” He rocked against her ass, prodding her with his hard-on.

  She turned in his arms. “That looks like a you problem.”

  “I think it’s a we problem.” He stroked her again, making her needy.

  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations.

  Before she registered what was happening, he was seated on the bench and she straddled him. Jerking back, she said, “Condom.”

  “I’m covered. Literally.”

  The man seemed to plan for everything. By the time they finished showering—and orgasming one more time—Audrey was exhausted. She climbed into bed. As she passed out, she had a moment of panic about spending the entire night with Jay, sleeping in the same bed. They were both exhausted. It only made sense to stay together. At least that was what she told herself as sleep took her.