A chorus of okays came through the earpiece as everyone seemed to be signing off. Shae fished the little piece of plastic out of her ear and started to pull the microphone out, first unclipping the top and letting it fall down her shirt. She could feel Tristan glancing over at her and really hoped he wasn’t remembering how he’d put the device on. “Whose car is this?” she asked, trying to change the subject in any way possible.
“I don’t know. I picked up the keys from the valet table. We’ll have to drop it soon enough, but it should get us far enough away.”
“You stole someone’s car?”
He looked over at her and frowned. “You do know I’m a thief, right?”
“I know. You’re just so casual about it. Don’t you feel bad? This is someone’s car. They need it to get around.”
“Please. You saw the people in there. They probably all have a garage full of spare cars they’re not using. Little toys they keep to look at. They never drive them—they just touch the paint job every once in a while to remember they exist. Besides, I told you I’m ditching it. The cops will come across it, and the owner will get their precious toy back. All it will be missing is some gas and a few miles. It’s almost a victimless crime.”
“That’s a lie.”
He scoffed and shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road now. “You’re not mad at me. You’re mad that you had to see your dad. It was a touching family reunion, by the way.”
That was it. “I’m not mad about that. I’m mad that I was just here to be your little distraction. Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?”
“Oh no. We used you to help us do what we needed to do. If I remember correctly, helping us is what you wanted. And now you’re upset about it?”
“Pull over.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Pull the car over. I’m not sitting in here with you for one more fucking minute.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere. What the fuck are you going to do if I pull over?”
“I don’t know. I’ll improvise. Isn’t that what you do all the time? Fake it till you make it?”
“Yeah, but I’m not stupid about it.”
“The only thing stupid I’ve done recently is spend so much time with you. Now please rectify that and pull. This. Car. Over.”
“No.”
“If you don’t let me out, this is kidnapping.”
“One, that’s not true. Two, you’re not getting out of this goddamn car. Now put your seat back, close your eyes, and get comfortable. You’re here until I say you can leave.”
That son of— Shae hit the unlock button and pushed her door open.
The air rushing through the car seemed to knock some sense into Tristan. He bit out a curse as he started to pull the car over. “Are you crazy?” he snapped. By now, the car was screeching to a halt and gravel was kicking up behind them. Luckily, this deserted back road seemed to be free from cars driving by, so at least she hadn’t caused an accident.
She wished she could say she knew that before she made her reckless action, but that would be a lie. She just wanted to get away. Away from Tristan, away from the mess she found herself in, away from Damask, and away from the fucked-up memories of her family. Memories that had flooded back all too quickly after the close encounter with her father.
The car came to a screeching halt and Tristan was out of the car before even she was. She held her breath as he stormed around and pulled her car door open. “You want to get out? Get out!” he ordered.
She winced at his tone but didn’t argue. She left the earpiece and microphone in his car but didn’t take anything else. She didn’t have anything. Even back at the mansion, she had only her sundress and her phone she didn’t want to use for fear of being tracked. What difference was it being at the house full of people she didn’t know or trust, and being out here in the middle of nowhere alone? She was still surrounded by snakes.
“Go on. See how far you walk. See how long it takes for you to call me, begging for help.”
Shae let out a laugh. “Call you? One, I don’t have a phone I can safely use. Two, you never told me your number. I don’t know anything about you. Even if I wanted to find you again, I would never be able to. So, good job, Tristan. You made yourself so much of a ghost that you’ll never see me again. I think you can mark that down as a success.” She started walking away, but she heard steps pounding behind her on the gravel shoulder.
“Why the hell would that be a success?”
She didn’t have time for this. Well, she supposed with the amount of walking ahead of her she had plenty of time for this, but she was just out of emotional energy at this point. She turned around to face him. “You’re so full of it. You keep me at arm’s length at every turn, lie to me constantly, and have done nothing but try to get me out of your hair since we met. So now that I’m trying to actually walk away, please, tell me what your problem is.”
“My problem is.... Fuck this.” Tristan reached forward, grabbing the front of her suit jacket, and pulled her against him, crushing her mouth with his.
For a moment, she was too shocked to react. How did they go from fighting to this?
Then his mouth moved against hers and she totally understood. “You son of a bitch,” she mumbled against his mouth as she kissed him back. For the first time, she realized that maybe this was as strange for him as it was for her. Maybe he didn’t understand the pull between them either.
But the pull was there. The more time they spent together, the more undeniable it became. From the moment they’d met on the beach to him watching her while she slept, they were connected in some way she didn’t understand.
She didn’t need to understand it to know what her body wanted, though. Tristan lifted her up and tugged her against his body as he turned to walk back to the car with her in his arms.
She’d been so distracted by the feel of his body that she didn’t even know her feet had left the ground until they were moving. She closed her eyes at the dizzying sensation of being carried and leaned her forehead against his. And when she raised her lashes, she was staring deep into his eyes. That crystal blue seemed to be on fire with a heat she’d never seen before. He was just as taken as she was, apparently.
When her back hit the car, she let out a little gasp of shock. Between the cool metal and his hot body, she already felt as if she were on overload, and he’d barely touched her yet.
Her fingers bit into his back. What started as her holding on for dear life turned into her holding him as close as she could against her. Her eyes drifted closed, and his nose just brushed hers before he kissed her again. The kiss was slow, gentle. A direct contrast to how tightly her legs were wrapped around his waist and the frantic movement as she rubbed against him. For a few moments, they stayed like that. He had her pressed against the car as they softly kissed, slowly exploring each other’s mouths. His tongue was gentle and soft against hers. Her hands relaxed at the base of his neck, just playing with the bottom of his hair. But, as she was beginning to learn was usual for them, the heat started to explode.
The kiss grew deeper and harder, and she kept rubbing against him, demanding what her body needed. Tristan let out a groan as he deepened the kiss. But that wasn’t enough for her. She pushed his jacket over his shoulders, not stopping until it had fallen to the ground. He broke away, and her feet inched closer to the ground. She blinked in confusion the second she made contact with the earth, but it started making more sense as he tugged at her clothes. He gave her jacket the same treatment she gave his before he tugged her blouse right over her head. Shae bit her lip but didn’t stop him. “What if someone drives by?”
He hooked his fingers under her chin, as if he wanted her to meet his eyes. “Does it look like I care if someone drives by?”
Nope. It certainly did not. Turnabout was fair play, so she worked at the buttons of his shirt. She was going disgustingly slow, but he saved her by reaching up to undo the rest. And then he was blessedly shi
rtless in front of her. She looked down over his clean-cut abs and couldn’t help herself from reaching out and touching him. Nothing about this man was normal. Not the way he acted or spoke, or the way he looked. She could hardly believe he existed, let alone that he was here touching her, kissing her, and reaching for her pants.
As he undid the top button, his eyes met hers. She knew what she should do. She should tell him to stop, and get in the car like a good little girl. Who knew if Damask was looking for them right now? Who knew if the cops were looking for the stolen car? But all she did was stand on her tiptoes and kiss him once more. He pressed her back against the car and kept kissing her. He reached up to cup her neck at the base of her head, his thumbs gently pressing against her jawline to hold her in place as he tilted his head and devoured her. She happily let him, running her own hands up and down his stomach, his back, and his arms.
She tried to memorize every section of him. She knew this wasn’t normal. She knew this was like holding smoke. It was only a matter of time before he sifted through her fingers and was gone. So she would enjoy it for now. She would let this play out and accept whatever consequences came with it. Because now, in the real world, Damask wanted her dead more than ever, and her father was officially involved in the whole mess. She’d take any and every distraction, especially one as delicious as this.
As soon as he’d pushed the button free, his hand was sliding down and into her wet heat. He looked at her the entire time, as though studying her every reaction. She had a feeling this was how he lived his life. Studying others. Finding out what made them tick. What made them lose control. She was oddly offended at being one more mark, but then his long, nimble fingers brushed against her clit and she found herself holding onto him as her knees grew weaker.
Her head fell onto his shoulder and he rubbed her again as his hand moved deeper, one finger sliding easily inside. She could only imagine how wet she was already for him. The only thing that made her state less embarrassing was his thick erection pressing against her. “This is a mistake,” she breathed.
“Are you telling me to stop?” he whispered against her ear, his lips brushing the sensitive lobe as he spoke.
She gulped, holding back a laugh at the mere notion of stopping. “No. But it’s a one-time thing.”
“Of course.” Tristan slid another finger inside. “One time only.”
She wasn’t sure whether she was kidding herself or not, but she was pretty much past the point of logical thought. She pulled him back down to her and crushed her mouth against his. She didn’t want any more foreplay, damn it. She wanted him, now. “I want you,” she breathed, her voice barely audible between their mouths pressing against each other.
Tristan pulled away and looked down at her. “All right. Turn around.”
“But—”
“Do it,” he ordered.
Part of her wanted to fight and tell him where to shove it. But she found herself doing exactly what he said. She turned and set her hands on the roof of the Mustang. For a second, he didn’t touch her. She was about to ask him what was happening when she heard the telltale sound of his zipper going down. Then his body was pressing against hers. She didn’t know where his hands were, but she could feel his cock pressing insistently against her ass while his chest warmed her back. His breaths fell against her neck and she let her eyes drift shut. Even though her body practically vibrated with the need to have him inside her, she couldn’t help but savor the pure eroticism of the touch that was just about to be.
Then his hands were finally on her as he reached for the waistband of her pants and pushed them just over her hips. The gentle Florida breeze was chilling, and she could feel goose bumps forming across her skin, which only intensified as his hand went back between her legs. Her eyes drifted shut and she rested her forehead against the car as he brushed her clit. She jerked at the sudden sensation, which had her pushing her ass back and against his hot cock. Moaning at the sensation, she begged, “Pleaseeeee....”
He finally listened to her and guided himself to her entrance. Before gliding in, he leaned one big hand on the Mustang. Shae stared at it for a moment, once again taken aback by how big it was. How strong and masculine just that one part of him was. Good grief, she was even entranced by his hand. How bad off would she be once they—
He slid in easily. She could feel herself stretching to accommodate his size, his big hands obviously being indicative of other things, but she was so damn hot for him already.
Tristan let out a growl in her ear and suddenly she wished she could face him. The shiny black reflection of him in front of her was just a fuzzy image, missing all the detail.
“Damn you feel good,” he breathed against her.
She wanted to tell him he felt good too, but all she could manage was a little murmur. He must’ve known what that meant, because then he started to move. He withdrew almost completely, until just the very tip of him was still inside, and then he thrust forward with so much force that Shae had to adjust her stance against the car. But she wasn’t complaining. Every little bit of friction was exactly what she needed.
He pulled out again and then thrust back, this time even harder than before. She curled her fingertips, and if they were in a bed, she would’ve been tightly gripping the sheets. For a brief second, she remembered they were outside, and could be seen at any moment. And then he was thrusting back inside, and she was right back in her erotic haze. He pounded harder and faster, but her body soaked up every single little piece of movement, each pushing her higher and higher. And right when she was so close to going over the edge of that cliff, he reached in front of her and cupped her mound. That little touch was all it took to send her flying over the edge. Her entire body tensed, and she bit her lip to keep from screaming out as the orgasm ripped through her. It was everything she knew it would be and a thousand times more. More than she’d ever experienced before, and yet nothing like what she’d expected.
Half a second later, Tristan was tensing too. He held her tightly against him, letting go of the Mustang as he gripped her hips hard. The grip was painful, and yet she was proud of herself for causing him to lose control. Proud that it wasn’t just her under this strange spell. At least if they were going to fall apart, they fell apart together.
As he came down from the rush, he leaned forward until she was pressed up against the car and she was supporting his weight. He must’ve been holding himself back a little bit because it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just awkward.
For a few seconds, they just stayed there. She hadn’t been lying when she said this would be a mistake. She also didn’t regret it. The whole thing seemed... inevitable. A natural progression. Their being together was like a storm in the distance. She might not be ready for it, she might not want it to hit, but it was gonna come one way or another. It was going to roll in even if she tried to run.
Then, in probably the most unexpected thing about the entire exchange, Tristan leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her head. “We should get going, babe.”
Babe? Was that her pet name now? She would complain, but after the orgasm she just had, she supposed Tristan could call her anything he wanted to call her.
Tristan was officially in over his head. He didn’t make mistakes. Not big ones at least. And in the past hour, he’d made every mistake in the book. He hadn’t gotten clear of a potentially hostile situation. He’d been distracted. He’d stayed out in the open for way too long, with a stolen car. He’d dragged a civilian into a compromising position. He couldn’t even be discreet about it. Considering Toni knew exactly how far away he was, she was going to be asking why they were delayed. He wasn’t concerned about himself. He could lie, no problem. But he knew the second Toni asked about it, Shae’s face would glow as bright as a Christmas tree. No, the tryst was going to be discovered. Considering Toni already saw them walking down the aisle together, that could only lead to more complications in his life.
Shae was distant the rest of the
drive. Tristan didn’t know whether he should be happy about that or not. Who wanted a whole long talking session after sex? He sure as hell didn’t. He was usually the one grabbing his clothes and heading out the door. It wasn’t exactly an option in this case.
He glanced away from the road and at her, but she was firmly looking in the opposite direction. He reached over and set a hand on her knee. She jerked in surprise at the touch and finally looked at him. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward.” It was the truth. He wouldn’t apologize for what happened, but it was not exactly ideal either. She was just so damn pretty, and seeing her walk away from him had hit him so much harder than he ever thought it would. Kissing her seemed like the only option at the time. Considering what followed, he sure as hell wouldn’t have taken it back even if given the chance. But now that they had to sit together in silence for an hour, the consequences were closing in on him.
“It’s fine. I mean, yeah, it’s awkward. I’ve never... I’ve never done a one-night stand thing before.”
He raised an eyebrow, wishing he wasn’t driving so he could stare at her face more intently. “One-night stand?”
“Well, you know what I mean. It might not be night, and I’m not exactly leaving you forever right now, but you and I both know this isn’t a long-term thing. It just happened. Which is good. It was fun and everything. But....”
He couldn’t argue with that. Dating was for normal people. People with nine-to-five jobs and 401(k)s. Not people with hidden accounts overseas. Once again, he was annoyed when he really should be relieved at her words.
“I’m thinking about my father right now,” she said.
Well, that was a Freudian twist. “It didn’t look like you two were that chummy back there,” he said carefully. He wanted to know more information about them, especially considering it was obviously pertaining to their current job, but he’d rather she tell him at her own pace.
“That’s an understatement.”
“What exactly happened between the two?”
The Cunning Thief Page 11
