Pros & Cons (10 page)

“Undefined. Is that code for
she still won’t sleep with me
?”

“What are you? Fourteen? Undefined means we’re in this weird limbo, and I don’t have a clue what’s going on. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Wanna talk shop?”

“Yes, please. Anything.”

“Well, about the Greek deal. It sounds like a simple operation. The four of us have been asked to assist with the delivery of a ring that’s on display at one of the museums here in the city. It’s called the Ambrosia diamond. Obviously, it’s worth millions. A shipping magnate from Athens wants it for his wife. It’s not for sale. That’s where the four of us come in.”

“The
four
of us?”

“The contact asked for us specifically—Abby, Jenna, you, and me.”

“Odd. I wonder why he didn’t just use the Wonder Twins?”

The Wonder Twins are actually Marcello and Maria Salvatore—a brother and sister team from Venice, Italy. They’re jewel thieves who are famous overseas but have never really found their niche in North America, thanks to the four of us. We’ve crossed paths with the twins a few times in the past, but there’s really no competition.

“Funny you should mention them. They
are
involved. I don’t have all the details, but it’s a pick-up, drop-off situation that seems way too simple to involve all six of us. But hey, if he wants to pay us an insane amount of money for an easy job, who are we to question it? I told him we’d let him know by the end of the week.”

“
Him
? Who’s in charge of this operation?”

Coop sighs. “This is the part I’ve been dreading. It’s Stavros.”

“Stavros Peri?

“Yeah. And I know how you feel about him.”

“Then why are we even considering this?”

“Because the payout is obscene and none us have jobs lined up for the next few months.”

I consider the luxury of a two month vacation, and while it sounds nice, I know Jenna and I would probably kill each other by the end of it. Maybe it’s best to stay busy.

“What does Abby think?”

“She wants to talk it over with Jenna. She sent her a few texts, but Jenna hasn’t replied. Now I know why. Guess she’s busy.”

 I sigh. “It’s not like that, Coop.”

“So you said.”

“I’ll talk it over with York and get back to you.”

“You aren’t even on first-name basis yet?”

“Shut up.”

He’s still laughing when I end the call.

I’m chopping vegetables in the kitchen when Sleeping Beauty finally wakes up.

“Something smells good,” Jenna says as she makes her way over to the island. “Best sleep ever, by the way.”

I grin and toss the tomatoes into a bowl of lettuce. That’s the extent of my culinary knowledge.

“It’s the fresh country air and complete lack of noise. I always sleep great here, too.”

Jenna glances at the chicken on the stove. “Did you do all this?”

“I had a lot of time on my hands while you were snoring like a lumberjack. So I went out, shot a chicken—”

She peeks in the pan. “Well, that explains the feathers.”

I laugh and hand her the salad bowl. “I’m telling Minnie you said that. She’ll be deeply offended.”

“Minnie?”

“She’s the housekeeper. Wine?”

She nods while I pour.

“Minnie and her husband, Joe, oversee the house for me. When I’m here, she likes to cook for me. She thinks I’m too skinny. Sometimes she even slips in at night, all ninja-like, just to have breakfast ready for me in the morning.”

Jenna laughs, and we finish bringing the food to the table. We’re in the south, and Minnie’s dishes are definitely southern. I had managed to convince her to bake the chicken instead of frying it, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk her into baking the potatoes.

“Oh, my God, are those
real
mashed potatoes?”

I chuckle. “Minnie would never serve us instant. I take it you approve?”

“Mashed potatoes are my absolute favorite. I haven’t had them in . . . forever.”

Home-cooked meals aren’t a luxury we have in our profession. That’s another reason why I’m glad we’re here. For the next hour, we eat like absolute pigs and swap stories about our favorite heists. There’s no witty banter. No ridiculous bickering to disguise the suffocating sexual tension. Just two people enjoying a decent meal in a beautiful house in the mountains. Before I know it, we’ve polished off the wine and our plates are empty.

“Well, that was delicious,” she says. Then she yawns.

“You cannot be tired.”

“I haven’t slept much lately, and it was a big meal. Plus all the wine.” She shrugs and smiles. “Please thank Minnie for me.”

“You can thank her yourself. She’ll be back for breakfast.”

Despite my protests, Jenna helps me load the dishwasher. More than once, we accidentally brush against each other as we work, and the constant touching is driving me crazy. If she was any other woman, I’d already have her upstairs in my bed. But she isn’t just any woman, and I’ve never had any woman in my bed. In this house.

So why am I thinking about it now?

“I am so completely screwed,” I mutter.

Jenna stops scraping a plate. “What was that?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Twenty minutes later, the kitchen’s clean. Minnie will die of shock when she comes by in the morning, since I’m normally such a bachelor when she’s in town.

“The . . . uh . . . guest room is up the stairs. Second door on the right. There’s a shower in there and everything. I told Minnie you were coming, so you should find whatever you need.”

“Oh,” she says, drying her hands. “Where’s your room?”

“First door on the right.” I grin. Yeah I didn’t plan it that way at all. “So if you need anything—”

“I’ll just knock on the wall.”

I nod. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

We share a smile before she heads upstairs.

The clock says it’s two in the morning. I’m wide awake. I could blame it on the deafening silence or the big dinner, but that’d be a lie. My mind is filled with the scent of her hair and the taste of her lips, and the knowledge that she’s right next door only makes it worse.

Suddenly, I hear a soft rapping against the wall. It’s subtle, so quiet I’m almost sure I imagined it. But then I hear it again, and this time it’s a little more forceful. I lift my fist and knock in return. Another knock is her reply.

It’s all the invitation I need.

I bolt out of bed and run next door. I don’t even bother knocking before rushing into her bedroom. She’s kneeling on the mattress, wide-eyed and beautiful in some flimsy piece of lace that would be so easy to rip from her body.

“Hi,” she whispers.

Taking a deep breath, I walk as close to the bed as I dare. Her hair’s hanging down in wild curls that I itch to touch, but I somehow manage to stay rooted to the floor.

“Hey. What’s wrong? Do you need something?”

Jenna nods slowly and crawls closer to the edge of the bed.

“What do you need, Jenna?”

Her eyes remain on mine as she reaches up, fists the bottom of my T-shirt, and tugs me down onto the bed.

“I need you.”

I thought the parking lot kiss had been the most amazing kiss of my life.

I was wrong.

This kiss—with us barely dressed and on an actual bed—was by far the most passionate kiss ever.

“Why can’t I stop thinking about you?” Ethan whispers roughly when we come up for air. His mouth makes a trail down the column of my throat, causing me to arch against him. We both moan when his hips shift against mine.

I try to answer, but the truth is I don’t have one. The reason he can’t stop thinking about me is probably the same reason I can’t stop thinking about him. We get each other. We understand each other better than anyone else ever could. I try to formulate the words, but instead, I just kiss him harder. His hands slide down, and I nearly combust when his fingers trace the lace of my panties.

“Protection?”

It’s a question. A plea.

He presses his forehead to mine. “No. I mean, there’s nothing here. You’re the only girl I’ve ever brought to my house.”

Knowing I’m the only woman he’s allowed inside this part of his world warms my heart. The fact that we’re stuck in his little love shack out in the middle of nowhere—and without protection—is practically nauseating.

“Don’t overthink this, baby,” Ethan says, peppering my face with kisses.

Baby
. It’s the one word that can sufficiently douse the raging fire.

“Ethan, we can’t . . .”

He sighs heavily. “Why can’t we? I haven’t been with anyone in over a year. I’ve been tested. Totally clean.”

“Good to know,” I mumble breathlessly as he kisses his way down my throat. “Are you sterile, as well?”

“Wouldn’t know.”

“Exactly. Which is why we can’t do this.”

He groans and buries his face in my hair.

“Are you seriously ready for little con artist babies to be running around?”

Ethan lifts his head and gazes at me. I can see the battle raging in his big blue eyes. He’s honestly considering saying yes.

Men.

I smile softly and gently run my fingers through his hair. Sometimes, it really sucks being the voice of reason.

“You’re not, and neither am I.”

He nuzzles my nose. “Maybe I could find a twenty-four hour pharmacy—”

“Not tonight.”

With a dejected sigh, he rolls off me and tries to catch his breath. I do the same, hoping to slow my racing heart. We stare at the ceiling, and after a lengthy silence, I finally whisper into the darkness.

“I’m sorry.”

Ethan turns his head toward me. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I initiated it.”

“Never apologize for that. It was hot.”

I grin. “It was.”

With a sigh, he lifts his hand and tenderly strokes my cheek. “I guess that kiss backfired on us. We were so sure it would satisfy our curiosity.”

“Yeah. How’s that working out for you?”

“Peachy.” He smirks, but then he grows serious. “All it did was make me want you more.”

I nod. I feel the same way.

“So when it finally happens,” I say, because we both know it’s inevitable, “do you think our curiosity will finally be satisfied once and for all?”