by Sage Burnett
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Phaze
www.phaze.com
Copyright ©2007 by Sage Burnett
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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Virgin Thief
a novella of erotic romance by
Sage Burnett
Phaze
6470A Glenway Avenue, #109
Cincinnati, OH 45211-5222
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
eBook ISBN 1-59426-738-3
Virgin Thief (c) 2007 by Sage Burnett
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover art (c) 2007 by Debi Lewis
Edited by Michelle Dowdey
Phaze is an imprint of Mundania Press, LLC.
www.Phaze.com
Also by Sage Burnett
Breaking the Rules
Chapter One
Skimming her clammy palms down her snug black jeans, Chloe Kastle dragged in a deep breath before pushing open the door of Dot's Café. Dot's was the hub of Turner, had always been for as long as she could remember. Although the town had nearly doubled in sized since she'd left, the café never changed.
If her Google search had paid off, hopefully she would spot the no-good thief eating lunch, because everybody ate lunch at Dot's. The café hummed with chatter, an occasional burst of loud laughter, dishes scraping together, pleas for refills of coffee.
Her gaze scanned the room, and she wondered if she would recognize him. Who was she kidding? Maybe it had been years since she'd last seen him, but her feminine instincts assured her she would know him.
Before she could do a thorough search of the large open room, Dot herself raced around the counter, a big smile lighting up her face.
Chloe grinned back and fell into her arms for a warm hug. Dot was still thin as she'd always been.
"Oh, Chloe, it's so good to see you."
"You, too, Dot."
"I'm going to miss your mother, but I know she'll be back to visit often."
Chloe's mother, Pamela, had turned over her business to her only daughter so she could retire to Arizona. “She'll probably be back once a month because she'll be missing all her friends so much."
Dot smiled. “Lunch is on the house today.” She glanced around the crowded room. “That is, if you can find a place to sit."
"I'll just sit at the counter. I'll be sure and stop by when it's not so busy so we can talk."
"We have a lot to catch up on,” Dot said.
Chloe hugged her mother's best friend again before she wove her way through the tables to the counter. The last stool stood empty.
As she walked over to it, she did another quick scan of the room. Frowning when she didn't spot the rat, she plopped her butt on the stool. A young waitress she didn't recognize slid a glass of water and menu in front of her. “Thanks."
"The cheeseburgers are still the best in the state,” a husky male voice said beside her.
The timbre of that voice resonated somewhere deep inside of her. Heart hammering, she turned to look at the man sitting on the stool. Ohmigod...
Her plan had been to catch him off guard, not the other way around. A seductive grin kicked up the corner of his full lips. Laugh lines deepened the corners around his mossy green eyes. The years had given his face a mature ruggedness with an almost dangerous look to it. Oh ... he had been dangerous fifteen years ago, dangerous to her heart. Judging by her reaction to him now, he still could be dangerous.
"Chloe. You don't remember me?"
For fifteen years she'd carried his brand. “Ah...” She snapped her fingers only pretending to place him. Instead, she fought to buy time to gather her garbled thoughts together and calm her racing pulse. “Why, if it isn't Nick Logan."
Thick, mocha colored brows knitted together. While he stared at her, an uncomfortable feeling rushed through her. That he was onto her puny attempt at lying. After all, he was attorney now, so he had heard every con in the book.
"Sorry ... it just took me a moment.” Chloe dropped her elbows on the counter, reminding herself of her mission. Squaring her shoulders, she tilted her head in his direction. “I didn't know you were back in town.” She hating lying, but she figured the rat deserved it. “Just visiting?"
His brows relaxed, while he picked up the heavy white mug off the counter. “No. I practice here now."
His voice had deepened over the years, too, lending a rakish, sexy tone to it. “No kidding?” Google had already supplied her with his change of address, but Google had been blind to his charm. “My mom never mentioned it.” Only because her mother had never known about her and Nick. She'd kept her silly teenage infatuation close to her heart, not even confiding her feelings about Nick to her best friend, Cindy. She'd never told a soul what happened that summer night years ago.
He took a lazy drink of coffee, all the while his gaze remained locked on hers. “Just got back a few weeks ago. Sam Ramsey retired, so I took over his practice."
She nodded and noticed the waitress standing across the counter from her, waiting for her order. Since she hadn't even bothered to pick up the menu, she said. “I'll have a cheeseburger with everything on it and fries."
"Good choice,” Nick said. “I heard your mother retired."
Needing more time to pull herself together, she picked up her water glass and took a small sip. “Mmm ... That's right. I'm taking over her business."
"What happened to Seattle?"
How had he known she'd lived in Seattle since she graduated from college ten years ago? Had he by any chance been keeping tabs on her, like she had done with him? Get real, she told herself. The inhabitants of Turner still thrived on gossip. A person could move half way across the globe, and the town residents would still know his or her whereabouts. “Mom wanted me to take over the shop, so I said I'd give it at try."
When he leaned closer to her, the scent of his minty aftershave drifted under her nose. Tightening her grip on the water glass, she worked to ignore the heat going straight to her brand new red bikini panties under her snug jeans.
"Nice surprise,” he whispered.
Currents of electricity shot through her like a power surge caused by a careless driver smacking into an electric pole. Oh, somehow she'd been kicked into the deep end of the pool. She was drowning and fast. Nick Logan still held that potent power over her, after all this time. Glaring at her water glass because her self confidence seemed to be unraveling, she set it on the counter.
Refusing to act pleasantly surprised, she turned and studied him for a few moments. “Where's your power suit?"
A deep chuckle rumbled from him. “I left it back in Chicago. You know Montana. It's all about casual."
Then why did casual on him over heat her body like a car engine depleted of anti-freeze? His jeans were so worn; she expected the knees to split any second from the pressure of his muscular legs. The light blue checked flannel shirt over a navy tee shirt strained across his wide shoulders. “Hmmm."
She had a B.A. in Business, with a decent vocabulary, but her language skills had somehow gotten lost in his scent and his large body so close to hers. He not only smelled good, but his presence reminded her of a predator, patiently waiting to take down his prey. Just like he'd done to her all those years ago.
Feeling her spine stiffen, Chloe picked up her glass and drank more water.
When the waitress returned with her lunch, Nick snaked a fry off her plate.
"How about we get together?” He took a bite of it, still watching her with those compelling eyes of his. “Have dinner?"
The simple act of his lips chewing the French fry sent more heat sailing through her. Damn, her plan was backfiring at a steady, rapid pace. “I'm really busy with taking over the business.” Another blatant lie. She and her mother had been corresponding for months. Every I was dotted and every T crossed.
Nick snatched another fry off her plate? “You can't sneak away one night for dinner?"
Make him sweat. Make him beg. Chloe lifted a shoulder. When she reached for a fry, his fingers brushed against hers as he grabbed another off the plate. A few drops of sweat trickled between her breasts at that simple touch.
"Lunch is on me.” Nick picked up his coffee mug.
"Sorry. Dot beat you to it."
He circled his stool around, his knees pressing against her thigh. Now she would have to go straight home and wash her new lingerie.
"I have to get back to work.” He stood up and looked down at her. “I'll drop by the shop so we make dinner arrangements."
No matter how hard she tried those dark green eyes of his wouldn't allow her to glance away. “Now, wait a min—"
Suddenly his lips brushed over her cheek, literally leaving her speechless. The brief touch of those lips of his against her skin weakened her resolve.
"See you, Chloe.” Wheeling around, he sauntered over to the cash register at the opposite end of the counter.
Leaning back on her stool, she smacked her lips at the sight of his delicious buns in his tight jeans. She quickly turned back to her lunch, suddenly losing her appetite for food. Nick Logan had managed to whet her appetite for every naughty thing not included in the four food groups.
Her mission had just been thwarted because she needed to be in charge. Things had to be on her terms, not his. Time for a back-up plan. A plan to get even with Mr. Nicholas Logan.
She'd have him panting and begging in no time at all. That is, as soon as she figured out Plan B.
Chloe nibbled on a fry, struggling to forget his scent, the feel of his lips and his tight buns.
* * * *
Holy shit. Chloe Kastle in the flesh.
He was striding down the main street of Turner, his swollen cock pressed against his jeans. Since he was out in public there wasn't a damn thing he could do about his discomfort. Irritation at being aroused by her after all these years had him crunching his back teeth together. Not to mention the heavy burden of guilt that sat squarely on his shoulders. Jaw tight, he jaywalked across the street to his office. When he dug the keys out of his pocket, he dropped them to the sidewalk. “Dammit."
His irritation increased as he bent to retrieve them. Chloe had always been a looker, even at eighteen with big blue innocent eyes and jet black hair. Now she wore it shorter, in a tangle of midnight curls framing her head. Her nipples, hard and erect against her long sleeved red blouse, had more than contributed to his throbbing dick.
"Shit.” He swung open the door instead of kicking it open like he really wanted to do. Stomping past his receptionist's empty desk, he slammed into his office. Since Tracey wasn't back from lunch yet, that gave him a few minutes to get his act together.
So, he had told her a little white lie that he didn't know she'd be taking over her mother's gift shop. The gossip train still ran at full bore through Turner. He doubted that would ever change.
Sinking down into his plush desk chair, Nick leaned back, steepling his fingers together. Feeling slightly punch drunk from his reaction to her, he scowled at nothing in particular. He'd had women out the ying yang and one short lived marriage. Why the sudden lusty attraction to Chloe?
What he felt for her should have died years ago. Running into her at Dot's brought back memories of that sultry summer night. When he'd first noticed Chloe, she'd been too young for him. She'd been the new girl in school that autumn. He'd been a senior in high school while she'd been a sophomore. Plus he already had a steady girlfriend, Serena. Attending college out of state, he'd looked forward to seeing Chloe on school vacations and summer breaks.
The truth was, he'd always had a thing for her. Over the years, she would inadvertently pop into his thoughts, always causing him to wonder, what if?
Chapter Two
The bright October sun filtered through the windows of the gift shop. Leaning against the shop's counter, Chloe stared out at the brilliant Indian summer day. The Rocky Mountains reaching for the sky, in the background, their uneven high peaks dusted with snow. A gentle reminder that winter was just around the corner.
Her thoughts hummed like a fast fingered banjo player.
Her plan was to surprise him. To catch him off guard, rip his eyes out, claw her fingernails down his finely chiseled cheeks. Maybe she needed a more subtle plan of attack. Perhaps, she needed to reconsider his dinner invitation.
White hot anger should have boiled inside her body when she bumped into him at the café. Instead, her panties had moistened, while carnal lust had pumped through her veins.
Normally she rolled with the punches, but where Nick Logan was concerned, she'd always had a tough time shrugging off her feelings for him. Why was it so important to her to get back at him?
Unable to find a reasonable answer to her question, her thoughts were interrupted when the chimes over the door tinkled. Chloe straightened away from the counter. A middle-aged couple walked into the shop. She forced herself to act cordial. “May I help you?"
"I think we'll just browse for awhile,” the woman said as she glanced around the small room. “Is everything handmade?"
"Yes, just about everything. There's lots of talented local artists in town."
The woman smiled, while the man wandered over to the wall with paintings of the Rocky Mountains, various wildlife and other native scenes.
Picking up a stack of papers on the counter, she sorted through them, trying to act the part of a cool, calm, and collected shop owner. As it turned out, that was nearly impossible because sweet revenge raised its ugly head.
* * * *
Chloe bounced around on the balls of her feet, the phone pressed to her ear. She could barely hear the dial tone over her thundering heart.
"Logan's Law Office,” a woman finally said. “How may I help you?"
What she really wanted to say was please go punch that slime ball of a boss of yours in the nose for me. “Is Mr. Logan available?"
"Who may I ask is calling?"
The grim reaper. “Ah ... Chloe Kastle."
"One moment please."
"Hi there."
Two words from the scoundrel and her pulse already felt over stimulated. “Hi. How are you?"
"No complaints. How's the gift shop business?"
Dwindling. The few straggling tourists weren't enough to keep her busy. Business wouldn't pick up until Christmas, and then it would lag again until early spring. “I've got my hands full."
"Yeah, same here. I've got two fender bender accident cases looming over me."
Nick's tone was dry, meaning he was about as busy as her. She wondered why he'd left Chicago and returned to Turner. Big city life in Seattle had been exciting for her in the beginning, but as time passed the drudgery of too many people, traffic jams, and crime had worn on her.
"Chloe, are you still there?"
"Oh, yeah. I've been rethinking your dinner invitation."
A long pause followed. Had the rat only been polite two days ago at the café?
"Any time,” he said.
Cl
enching the phone tighter, she paced back and forth behind the counter. “How about I cook? Say, Saturday?” She'd considered adding a dose of arsenic to his food, but in the end common sense had won out.
"Hey, sure. Nice idea."
Unexpected annoyance shot through her at Nick's hesitation. “You do remember where my mother's house is."
Another long pause from his end. Now the needle of her revenge factor notched up higher.
"I remember."
Jabbing her hip on the corner of the counter, she gritted her teeth. “Does seven work for you?"
"Works fine for me."
"See you then.” Chloe dropped the phone into its cradle.
Rubbing her hip where she'd clipped the counter, her plan at last would be set into motion. Nick's hesitation nagged at her, though. The other day he'd been eager to take her out to dinner. Why the sudden change of heart on his part?
"Until Saturday, Nicholas Logan."
* * * *
Nick circled his chair around and stared out the window of his office. A few clouds drifted across the vivid blue sky. Chloe had been on his mind constantly since seeing her at Dot's. He'd hadn't dropped by her shop like he'd told her he would because...
Ever since attending law school, he had learned to think with an analytical mind, but when it came to Chloe all bets seemed to be off. His ex-wife, Amanda, had accused him on more than one occasion of just that. He still carried the guilt about Chloe. Which didn't make a hell of a lot sense to him because he'd left other girls high and dry with empty promises way back when.
The two of them alone at her house spelled trouble, because he knew damn well his brain wouldn't be doing the thinking.
He could still feel her soft, supple naked body under his. Nick shook his head, fighting to toss away that long ago image of Chloe so eager and willing. Standing up, he paced behind his desk for a time before he reached for the phone.
When she answered, the sound of her smooth voice kicked up his pulse. “It's Nick. I've been thinking.” Old habits were hard to break. “I invited you out to dinner, so I'd like to stick with that plan.” Safer for all concerned.
