Stealing His Heart (Shillings Agency 2)

He moved away from her, his profile barely visible in the dim shadows of the safe. “‘Took me away?’ I’m not one of your items that can be stolen away in the night.”

“But still.”

Pressing his mouth into a tight line, he shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. I was fine, and I didn’t need to be rescued. It was one year of hell, after seventeen years of happiness. That’s it. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“But it was a whole year.” She bit her lower lip. “I saw the bruises and the broken bones. I saw what he did to you. And I also saw how much you hated living there. Hated life, even. When my parents died, my grandmother took me in. I had a loving home, plenty of support. You got him. How can that not piss you off? How can that not make you hate the world a little bit?”

“That I got an abusive asshole while you were coddled and loved?” He stood and linked his hands behind his head. “We might be part of the dead parents club, but that doesn’t mean we both had to have tragic pasts. Your parents died and left you loads of cash. Mine died, and I lost everything. It doesn’t mean I feel cheated or unloved. It’s the way life works. We don’t all get a fucking happy ending.”

She swallowed hard. “But you could still have one. I wish—” She locked gazes with him. “I wish you would have come and lived with me. I wish I had thought of it back then.”

“Me, living with your grandmother?” Jake laughed and leaned against the wall. “It wouldn’t have happened.”

“It should have.” She blinked back tears. “I should have saved you.”

He shook his head. “No one could have saved me because I didn’t need saving in the first place.”

“What about now?” she whispered.

“Now I’m beyond hope. Nothing can save me.” He gave her his back. “Not even you.”

Not even you.

Why did he say it like that? Maybe he was worried she could save him. Maybe he was worried she still might. Reaching out, she grabbed his arms and held on tight. “I would try, if you wanted me to. I would save you.”

A small tremor went through his muscles. So little that anyone else might not have noticed. But she wasn’t anybody else. “I’m not the one that needs saving, Tara. Get us the fuck out of here so I can save you.”

An hour later, Jake braced himself against the safe wall and watched Tara, forcing a calming breath…but it wasn’t easy. Hell no, it wasn’t easy.

Neither was being locked in with her.

She wanted to save him. Fucking save him. He wasn’t the one who was about to go to jail, damn it. She needed to worry about herself. He was fine. Good, even.

And he didn’t need saving.

Over the past hour, after her heartfelt speech about why she did what she did, he’d come to the realization that she didn’t have anyone in her life. Her grandmother was dead. So were her parents. She didn’t have siblings. Aunts or uncles either. She was alone.

More alone than he was.

She needed to see that she didn’t have to be a thief to make a difference in the world. She could go legit. Stop breaking into houses. He could help her.

Walking past him, she headed for a bottle of water in the corner. He followed her, watching that ass he loved so much swing back and forth with each step. He’d had her only a few hours ago, but the need to have her again was strong. He wanted to conquer her. Make her scream his name out until it echoed off the walls.

Wanted to claim her as his.

Tilting her chin up, he stared at her mouth hungrily. “Do you have any fucking idea how badly I want to kiss you right now? It’s all I can think about.”

“That’s because you’re as bored as I am,” she said breathlessly. “Or you’re running out of oxygen and getting delirious. Either one.”

“We’re supposed to be working,” he said, rubbing his thumb over her lower lip. “But I want to fuck you against this wall. You’re like a drug I’m hooked on, and I don’t want to break free. Get us out of here before it’s too late.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. Soltese will have to drag our dead, rotting corpses out of here when he’s back from his vacation.”

“About Soltese…” He cleared his throat. “I investigated him some more last night after you went to sleep. I sent Cooper an email with the evidence, but you were right about him. He’s a con.”

She seized his biceps. “I told you that already. Does this mean I could be off the hook with the code?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I have no idea. All I know is that Soltese isn’t the type of man we generally protect. He has close ties to the Mafia, and a history of violence.”