Stealing His Thunder (Masters of Adrenaline 1)

The salesman turned to her. “I understand. I’m a conscientious spender myself.”

She smiled winningly. “Peter is used to having money. Me, not so much. Once poor, always poor.”

Fox wondered if Tom hated people like them. Well, who they were pretending to be. It must be insufferable spending all day with people who made so much more than he did and didn’t mind bragging about it. He pulled back into the lot and parked by the side door, where Tom indicated.

Now the real show began.

Addison opened the door and started to climb out. She paused halfway and yelled, “Dang it!”

“What’s wrong, honey?” Fox asked, trying not to sound rehearsed. Right on cue, his phone rang. “It’s work. I’ll just be one sec. Hello, Peter here,” he said into the receiver to Luke.

“I dropped my keys under the car!” Addison stood and wobbled on her heels.

Tom was already beside her, falling for the damsel-in-distress routine.

“Would you help me get them?” she asked him sweetly.

“Sure thing,” Tom replied.

Once he was kneeling on the concrete, with his head halfway under the car, Fox grabbed what he needed from Addison’s purse, which she’d purposely left on the center console.

He plugged the hacking device in under the dash, keeping it low in his crotch, covered by her purse while he uploaded the car’s computer imprint. Later he’d use it to make a keyless entry device and simply come back at night and drive it off the lot. All the while, Luke droned on about a documentary he’d seen about arctic seals as Fox gave nondescript responses every few moments.

“I don’t see them,” Tom said from under the car. “You sure you dropped them here?”

“Yes, I’m sure. They might be behind the tire.”

Fox looked down at the device. Fifty percent complete.

Tom shifted on the ground. “I’m sorry. I just can’t find them.”

Of course not. They weren’t really there.

Fox watched in the rearview mirror. Tom was dangerously close to looking inside the vehicle. He hoped Addison had another trick up her sleeve.

“Oh!” She turned toward the bumper, giving Fox and Tom her back. “I think I see them!”

She bent over just as a gush of wind swept through the lot. Her skirt went up, flashing a red thong. Tom froze, staring at her perfect heart-shaped bottom. For a very unprofessional second, Fox had trouble tearing his gaze away too. Damn, she had a fine ass.

Giving him ample opportunity to unplug the device and shove it back in her purse, she stayed bent over while Tom fought to close his drooling mouth. Fox jumped out of the car, carrying her bag.

When she heard the door shut, s

he snapped upright. “Found them!” She dangled the keys from her fingers.

Fox slid to her side. “You almost forgot your purse, dear,” he admonished, then kissed her temple. He liked doing that more than he should have.

She dropped her keys in the bag then slipped the straps onto her shoulder. “Thanks for the help, Tom.” Smiling, she turned to Fox. “So what do you think? I really love it!”

He rubbed his chin. “It’s your call, beautiful.”

She turned to Tom. “Do you have it in red? I just love red.”

Fox could almost see Tom thinking about the thong. His mouth finally snapped shut, but before he could respond, Fox jumped in.

“I’m not sure about red. We’ll have to talk about that. And we still have that Bentley you liked across town, remember?”

She crinkled her nose. “So many choices.”