THE CONTESTANT’S very lucky, indeed,” Alex murmured against Nicole’s ear.
The scent of cinnamon candy, subtle yet distinctive, teased his nose, while certain strategic areas teased other parts of his anatomy.
Damn, but she smelled good. Clean, spicy and overwhelmingly sexy. Alex couldn’t resist resting his chin against the hair curving against the side of Nicole’s neck as he steadied her with his hands on her hips.
“Seems we keep bumping into each other,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The touch of nerves humming just below the surface made it sound like a purr. He idly wondered if she might be part cat. Such feline characteristics would be an advantage in her chosen profession. One had to be light on her feet to be successful in this business. And, of course, it didn’t hurt to have an extra life or two in case you lost one along the way.
He skimmed his fingers down her bare arm, feeling her shiver against him as he eased the small, customized pistol she held from her warm fingers. He looked at it. “Cute.”
He heard her swallow. “Effective.”
He chuckled quietly, keeping in mind that the other thief they were watching thought he was alone on the second floor. “Only if you draw a bead on your opponent before he draws one on you.”
“Mmm. Yes, that does help.”
Was it possible she’d sensed his identity straight off? Or was it the sound of his voice that had given him away? Either way, he was pretty sure she knew who he was.
He also noticed that she was regaining her composure with each second that passed. He slid the palm-size gun into his tux jacket. She wriggled to free herself from the grasp of his other hand.
“Shh.” He tightened his hold on her hip, then pressed his mouth against her ear. “Hold still or we’ll miss the show.”
Alex watched over her shoulder as the thief entered the third guest bedroom and closed the door after himself.
For long moments he stood still, listening to Nicole’s uneven breathing, taking in her unique scent, and wondering where in the hell she’d gotten the blond wig. It had taken him a full minute to realize that it was her after her transformation. She’d disappeared into a restaurant bathroom then emerged a short time later looking like she did now, her usual attire presumably tucked into her black tote. A tote she’d cleverly hidden in the bushes of a neighboring house before joining the Theisman party.
“The show appears to be over,” she murmured.
Alex slowly blinked, realizing he had yet to release her. And that she had yet to make another move to free herself. “Depends on which show you’re referring to.”
He glanced down at the pale expanse of shoulder left bare by her black dress. The moonlight streaming in through the window kissed her skin, making it glow dimly while the rest was cloaked in shadow.
“How long do you give him?” he asked, drawing the back of his index finger up her arm. She didn’t shiver this time, but she did shift, moving until her hot little bottom pressed more insistently against the front of his slacks. He sensed the move was far from accidental.
“If he’s good, five minutes.”
“And if he’s not?”
“Enough time to hang himself.”
Alex grinned. “Of course it helps when the lady of the manor gives you the combination to the safe.”
Nicole stepped away then faced him, staring at him in the dark.
“Ah, didn’t figure that one out, huh?” Alex tried to ignore the way his body missed her heat. “I caught our friend having a little chat with the very young Mrs. Theisman out back.”
“Maybe she was complaining about the paté.”
He dropped his gaze to the vee of her bodice, then down farther to where the hem hugged her legs. With those gorgeous gams he wondered why she always hid them under all that black leather. “If she was, then she was giving him a mouth-to-mouth taste of it.”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
“No. Predictable.”
“I didn’t see it.”
“Now that is interesting,” he commented.
Nicole seemed to consider the shoes she still held in one hand.
“So when were you planning on snatching the loot?”
He caught a glimmer of humor in her eyes. “Snatch the loot?”
“Grab the goods. Steal the stash. Rob the robber?”
She tucked a strand of the platinum-blond wig behind her ear. “New York. Queens. Robbery/homicide.”
He grimaced as she stepped a short way away.
“Excuse me?” he asked.
She held his gaze. “That’s where you’re from, right? Queens?”
Oh, she was good. Almost too good. And downright dangerous. As well as provocatively sexy, which made her even more dangerous. He’d do well to remember that.
She twisted her lips. “What I can’t get is what you’re doing here.”
Alex crossed his arms, as much to keep from touching her as in a defensive maneuver. “Astoria. Insurance investigator.”
“Mmm. Maybe now. But you used to be a cop, right?”
“Detective.”
“That’s what I thought.” She turned back toward the door to look out the crack. “And Astoria is Queens.”
Alex’s gaze dropped to her pert bottom and the way it jutted out just slightly as she inclined to look into the hall. He stifled a groan. A stubbornly clever woman with a killer body. He felt the weight of the pistol in his pocket. She was also a felon that he should be arresting.
“Are you here to guard the Theismans’ insured property?” she asked in that husky whisper that felt like the caress of a woman’s fingers.
“No, I’m watching you.”
She turned from the door again to look at him.
He couldn’t resist a grin. “Surprised you.”
“Yes…you could say that.”
“I just did.”
He caught her smile before she reached down and began putting her shoes back on one by one.
“Where are you going?”
“Leaving.”
“Going to position yourself to ambush the thief?”
She gently shook her head. “No,
