Stolen Goods (To Catch a Thief Book 2)

by Kay Marie

  He peppered kisses across her cheek, down the edge of her jaw, to the soft spot of her neck, smiling a rakish grin against her skin as her sighs filled the air around them, soft, simpering sounds getting swallowed by the breeze. She gasped as he flicked his tongue over her goose bumps, and dropped her head. Her short curls cascaded down her back, a path for his hands to follow. He gently eased the straps of her dress over her shoulders, until the fabric came loose and slipped away. His lips followed, finding the thin lace material of her bra and biting down, nudging it to the side. Her fingers sank deep into his shoulders, her muscles tightening and coming undone at the same time.

  Addison pushed with both palms against his chest, and Thad fell back. For a moment, he thought she wanted to stop, but then she looked at him with a wicked gleam in her eyes that made his pulse spike, and closed the distance. Stealing his lips with hers, she took her turn exploring the contours of his body, sliding her hands down the ridges of his abdomen, making him burn with each inch. The metal steps grated his skin, but the pain accentuated the pleasure, a silent promise that this was all real. The scratch brought him back to earth just as her touch sent him higher into the heavens. They hovered in the in-between, surrounded by a sunset sky awash with colors more vibrant than he could’ve imagined, a scene more brilliant than the masters could’ve painted, yet overshadowed by the beauty residing in her eyes, in her touch, in her sigh.

  He knew that tomorrow he’d be leaving. He knew they would never see each other again. He knew they came from different worlds. He knew all the impossibilities—and yet, he felt hope. She’d lit a match in a heart that had been dark and hollow, a place he didn’t think would see the light again, yet there it was. First an ember, then a spark, now a flame. He didn’t want the fire to go out, not now. Not yet.

  He didn’t want to let go.

  He couldn’t.

  Thad slid his palms down her sides, over the curve of her hips, down, down, down, until he reached the hem of her dress and dipped his fingers underneath. Then it was up, up, up, as he followed the silken skin of her thighs, skimming the edge of her panties as he moved his hands to the curves he’d been dreaming of since the moment he saw her. He gripped tight and caught her gasp with his lips. Then he guided her down a road they both knew they shouldn’t travel, to a place where they’d both come undone, all so that in the days and weeks and months to come, when he was alone and she was gone, the two of them would always have this.

  One perfect moment to remember.

  - 20 -

  Addison

  Addy was trying something new—living in the moment. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Which was why, as she carefully made her way down the steep steps of the watchtower, the single thought running through her mind wasn’t, Oh my God, I just had sex with a known fugitive on top of a watchtower for the whole world to see. It was, Holy shit, I just had the most mind-numbingly amazing sex on top of a watchtower with the most handsome, passionate man I’ve ever met. And dammit—I’m going to do it again.

  Not on the watchtower though. Because, well, the metal had done a number on her knees, which she honestly didn’t notice until she’d come back down to earth and tried to stand. Also, it was getting dark. Sunset had a way of making that happen, but if they wanted to set up their tent and make some semblance of a camp before the light completely disappeared, they had to do it now.

  After, though—after was awash in possibilities. A thought Thad must have shared because the second they stepped off the old metal tower and were back on solid ground, he tugged on her hand, spun her around, and pulled her into his chest. Addy immediately raised her hands and gripped the back of his head, running her fingers through his disheveled hair. Thad roved his palms up her spine, down her backside, over and under and around, until her mind was spinning. He touched her as though she were an untapped tundra ripe for exploration, as though he could get lost in her, something Addy had never felt before. Her curves had always been just that—curves, a problem when finding clothes, the result of a little too much sugar and plain old genetics. But with him, they were luscious and sexy, a tool for driving him wild. She never would’ve described herself as a tease, but Thad brought something out in her, something that was bold and daring and desirable, something she liked.

  Addy pushed him away, turned, and dashed toward the trees. Tossing a searing glance over her shoulder, she silently dared Thad to catch her. A wolfish grin was his only reply. Well, that, and to take off running. She tried to be quick, but he caught her easily, snaking his arm around her waist. Addy was airborne. The world spun like a kaleidoscope of color, deep blues and sunset pinks and evergreen, twisting and swirling, transforming into something magical. Thad pressed a kiss to the back of her neck as he tightened his grip and slowed. The world steadied, but the magic remained as her feet touched the ground and she turned to face him, catching his lips in her own. They stumbled back until her shoulders hit a tree trunk. The rough scratch of the bark was forgotten as soon as Thad lifted his hands, holding them to either side of her face, and leaned in, closing the gap. Their kisses were feral, feeding off the wilderness around them, simmering with an energy that was untamed and uncontrolled, a reckless sort of abandon. Even when he broke away, the feel of him lingered, a tingle on her lips, as though the air itself were electrified. Their raw, ragged breaths filled the space between as he softly pressed his forehead to hers, staring deep into her eyes.

  “I really need to put up the tent,” he murmured, voice heady.

  Feeling outside herself, yet somehow more like herself than ever before, Addy glanced down for a moment and then back up, a daring little gleam in her gaze. “I think one is already pitched.”

  He groaned and buried his face in her neck. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Oh,” she whispered, and flicked her tongue along his neck. “I think you’ll come up with something.”

  His mouth was back on hers in a flash, urgent and demanding. Just as quickly, it was gone. He pushed off the tree and paused, holding his hand out as though to say, Stay. Then he stepped back, and back, and back, until finally, there was enough space between them he could turn around completely. Addy sighed as she watched him walk away. Thad turned on the car, flashing the lights through the shadowy trees, and pulled the tent from the trunk.

  She dropped her head against the tree trunk and looked up. The sky was a deep indigo, the ómbre effect of dusk nearly gone. To the east, the stars were beginning to twinkle. She kicked off the tree and stepped into the clearing, keeping her face angled toward her favorite view, one that had always spoken softly to her soul—the tapestry of bright sparks flaming in the darkness. As per usual, it made her want to dream. Given a moment to breathe, to digest, Addy couldn’t help it as her mind began to wander.

  Where would he go? South, no doubt. Across the border into Mexico, then farther still to South America, and maybe a flight to Europe, to a small town in the French countryside. She could see him there, leading a quiet, lonely life, saying hello to the townspeople as he grabbed a morning coffee, and then back to his studio, something with a view. Alone in the world, with no future, no family, no name because he’d probably have to change it, he’d cling to his art. He’d become those ballerinas in that painting, nothing to hold on to but his passion, the only thing left to sustain him.

  An image came to her mind, vivid and fierce, of her walking along the Seine, nibbling on the croissant in her hand. She would breathe deep, closing her eyes, drawing in the energy of the Paris air as though it were a drug that could seep into her blood and stay a while. And when she leveled her head and looked across the river, he’d be there, watching her from the other side of an impassable divide. They’d both stop in their tracks and stare, a million thoughts spilling into the water between them, rushing and crashing and splashing with the rapids. Then a crowd would pass, blocking her view, and by the time it cleared, he’d be gone, like a phantom in the breeze. But she’d know, deep down, that he was okay. He’d know that
she was too. And it would be enough, that unspoken promise, at least that’s what she would tell herself as she turned and kept walking. Except then he’d be there, walking toward her, a dozen steps ahead with a determined look in his eyes as he closed the distance. Addy would be frozen in place, unsure what to do. When he took her in his embrace, she’d melt, like she was now, as two strong arms circled her waist and pulled her back against a solid chest.

  “What are you thinking about?” he whispered, lips grazing the outer edge of her ear, sending a tingle down the side of her neck.

  Addy leaned into the warmth he offered, lacing her fingers through his. “Something impossible.”

  “Impossible?” Thad teased, a smile evident in his tone. “I’m intrigued.”

  But she didn’t answer. Because it was impossible. By sunset tomorrow, he’d be gone, one way or another, and no amount of dreams would change that. When he disappeared, it would be to a place where no one would ever find him, including her. Why waste these last few hours wanting what could never be? This thing between them, it was crazy. It didn’t make sense. But this was the most alive Addy had ever felt, so she was determined not to worry about tomorrow. Instead, she embraced the time they had and let herself be carried away, aloft in the whirlwind, lost in his touch.

  As though sharing her thoughts, Thad unwrapped their arms. He kept hold of one of her palms and spun her around, as if they were in the middle of a dance, nothing but nature’s music to guide them. He settled his hands at the small of her back, pulling her closer and studying the expression across her face. His dark chocolate hair fell in a wave across his forehead, covering his eyes in shadow. Addy ran her fingers up his hard chest and around to the back of his neck. The moonlight was bright against her upturned face, leaving her no place to hide.

  “I’m happy I met you,” she confessed. It wasn’t supposed to come out sounding like a goodbye, but for some reason it did.

  He squeezed her tighter, pressing her closer. “Would it be odd to say I’m happy I kidnapped you?”

  Addy couldn’t stop the grin that spread her lips. “You didn’t kidnap me.”

  “I sort of did,” he tossed back, words playful and fun, though an honest note pulsed through them. “Unless all that screaming and crying was just a show of your appreciation. In which case, noted.”

  “Okay, at the time, I may have thought you were kidnapping me,” Addy relented. With the moonlight shimmering upon his cheek, the sudden appearance of a deep spot of shadow was hard to miss, one of his dimples digging deep. “But that’s not what you were doing. You were trying to keep me safe, in the misguided way you knew how. And I’m happy you did.”

  “Why?” he asked, voice low and vulnerable, laced with a deeper meaning she didn’t quite understand.

  “I guess…” Addy paused, playing with the hairs at the base of his neck. “I guess, I feel like I’ve been coasting through life, waiting for something, anything to happen, waiting for some sign. Then you walked into the cake shop, and all of a sudden, I felt seen. I felt present. Like you woke me up from a dream, and now I’m really alive.”

  He opened his mouth, and for a moment, she thought maybe he was going to tell her the same thing—that these past few days had meant something to him, had changed him the same way they’d changed her. But then he licked his lips, and closed them, and swallowed whatever he’d been planning to say back in, leaving her to wonder if it was all in her head. Until he leaned down and kissed her, slowly, deliberately, as though the movement of his lips could whisper all the things he couldn’t bring himself to say.

  All their kisses up until now had been hungry and starving, leaving no room to breathe, no time to think, a tsunami that crashed upon a shore and relentlessly drove forward. This was different. Not a wave of passion that swept them away, but a choice. Not lust, but something greater. As he tilted her head to the side, deepening the kiss, Addy felt a pang in her chest, a pulsing pressure in her heart that was both painful and perfect, an exquisite sort of ache. Time could move fast, but sometimes it moved gratifyingly slow. She felt every second of this kiss as she slid her hands up his neck, loving the way his stubble scratched softly at her palms, before she dug her fingers into his hair, needing something to grip onto. Maybe, if she could hold tight enough, the moment would never fade. Maybe she’d never have to let go.

  Thad slid his hands down her curves and grabbed her by the thighs. He slowly lifted her, guiding her legs around his waist. His lips continued their steady assault as he stepped forward, not looking where he was going, not stopping, as though even a second apart would be wasted time. Addy hooked her ankles behind his back, wrapped her arms tight, and let him carry her away. He dropped to his knees outside the tent, and his fingers searched along her skin for the hem of her dress. Addy kept kissing him as her hand drifted down, finding the edge of his shirt. They pulled at the same time, breaking apart to tug the clothes over their heads, then fusing back together again. Ever so slowly, he eased her down against the ground, balancing with one hand, body trembling from the cold air at his back, from the weight of the body in his arms, maybe from the sheer heat steaming between them. He didn’t falter. He didn’t waver. Vertebrae by vertebrae, she slid down, until the weight of him pressed against her thighs in the most delicious way. Thad rested his forearm to the side of her head, pulling up for a moment to stare at her in the moonlight. He traced the contours of her face with his eyes while her hands explored the contours of him. An Adonis. That’s what she’d thought the first moment she’d laid eyes on him, and now, with his skin shimmering an otherworldly silver in the evening light and his muscles writhing beneath her touch, her opinion was the same.

  “Thad?” she whispered, looking up to find his eyes. “Can you promise me something?”

  He held her gaze and gently brushed his fingertips along the edge of her cheekbone. “What?”

  “When you get wherever it is you’re going,” she murmured, and then licked her lips as an embarrassed flush rose across her cheeks. Addy tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let her. He didn’t want her to hide, and she didn’t want to either. “Will you send me a painting? Of yours? Something…” She wanted to say, Something to remember you by, but it sounded too cliché or too dramatic, too much like a girl with a schoolyard crush when this was something else entirely, something unquantifiable. Instead, she said, “Something original.”

  “I will.” His eyes softened, losing the wary edge, because that was a promise he could keep, which was why she’d chosen it from the many others circling in the back of her thoughts, too dangerous to say aloud. “But only if you promise me something.”

  “What?”

  He pressed a light kiss to her lips, then another to her cheek, then another and another, drawing a burning path across her face until his mouth hovered above her ear, breath a warm tickle against her skin. “Promise me you’ll go to Paris.”

  Just like that, her impossible vision rushed forward, not quite as impossible as before.

  “I will.” She breathed the word, struggling for air as his lips slid down and the heat rushed back. Funny how in all her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined a man quite like him would be the one to come along and sweep her off her feet. A man who set his own rules and didn’t abide by anyone else’s. A man with thick walls that were only beginning to crack. A man with an artist’s soul but devil’s hands.

  She’d always envisioned a Prince Charming. Proper and nice. The sort of man who didn’t think love could be made anywhere outside of the bedroom. But as she watched Thad’s head sink farther and farther down her stomach, then looked out the open tent to the untamed wilderness beyond, Addy couldn’t help but think, a gasp on her lips as stars exploded behind her eyes, Oh, thank God he’s a scoundrel.

  - 21 -

  Thad

  Never get in too deep.

  It was a lesson his father had drilled into his core, repeating over and over and over. What made a thief great was his ability to walk away, to recog
nize when a limit was reached and let go. The thieves who got caught, they were the ones who’d left no way out, who knew they were going down but kept right on going. Robert and his father had been infamous, because they’d known when to stop and when to push, how to spot a trap and swerve, how to quit while they were ahead. Then his mother left, and his father forgot his own lesson. He got in too deep, and he’d dragged his son and his partner into the depths with him. And yet—Thad had always seen an endgame. He’d kept his head above water. He separated the job from his emotions, and got it done. He never doubted he’d eventually find a way out. Even when he thought Jo might go to the Feds, even when he suspected the Russians would try to kill him, even with his head flashing on every news channel in the country, there was an escape route in the back of his mind that kept him going.

  Lying in that tent, watching little puffs of air blow in and out of Addison’s slightly swollen lips as she slept soundly on his chest, was the first time Thad ever felt as though he were drowning. He knew what he should do, what he needed to do, what he wanted to do—and all three paths led in very different directions.

  So, he started by standing up, which was a lot more difficult than it sounded. Addison’s arm draped across his chest, and her entire body curved against his side with one leg looped around his. As soon as he moved, she released a grumbling protest in her sleep, fingers tightening around his waist. The extrication was torture, pure torture. There was nothing he wanted more than to wake her by peppering kisses to every inch of her that he may have missed the night before, but dawn was the most unforgiving sort of light, a constant reminder that their time had run out.