Thief of Mine (18 page)

“I need to see him.”

Camille sighed and signaled to her men to drag him over.

Stella bit back the gasp that rose to her lips. Kit was
bruised and battered and his clothes were torn. Stella’s heart ached as she
walked as calmly as could toward him. “Tell your ugly boys to back off,
Camille.” Stella was suitably impressed at how tough she sounded. She needed to
maintain that if she was going to save both their asses.

As Kit’s hands were hands bound and Stella and he were
outnumbered, Camille called her henchmen off Kit.

“Are you okay?” Kit was relieved to see Stella in one piece
and looking as beautiful as ever. He was also mighty impressed at her kick-ass
attitude toward Camille and her followers.

Stella snorted in a mixture of bemusement and pride. The man
had the crap beaten out of him and he was only worried about her. That was
sweet and nice and wildly misguided for a man who was used to looking after
himself first and everyone else second.

You’re the one who’s been beaten up. Are you okay?” Stella
had an overriding urge to turn around and slug Camille in the mouth.
Go the
urge.

“Never better, princess.” Just seeing Stella made Kit feel
stronger. The fact that she had come to his aid without hesitation made his
heart swell with love for her.

“I have the password,” Stella told Camille, yet her eyes
remained on Kit. She had to make him aware that he understood not all was as it
seemed.

Kit looked at Stella in alarm.

“Don’t give it to her.”

“I have to, Kit.” Stella looked him steadily in the eyes. A
sudden flash of understanding told her Kit knew she wasn’t simply going to hand
over his files.

Camille grinned happily. People did the dumbest things for
love. Stella Rowallan was no smarter than anyone else.

“What is it?”

“The password is ‘idol’.”

Camille laughed at this.

“You are always so obvious, Kit. Bring the laptop.” Camille
commanded one of her followers.

‘Idol,’ thought Kit. What was Stella playing at? That wasn’t
his password and they both knew it. He watched with interest as Camille logged
into his email and laughed excitedly.

“Perfect, I have all your secrets now, kitty kat.”

Stella was the only one that knew Camille had nothing but
bogus information.

“Let him go.”

Camille looked at her as if she meant nothing more to her.

“Why?”

“Because a deal is a deal and you’re an honorable woman.”

“Says who?” Camille scoffed. “But you’re right, I no longer
need either of you.” She turned to her followers.” “Kill them.”

Her followers advanced toward Kit and Stella.

Only someone as insane as Camille would try and kill them in
a public park. Stella moved in closer to Kit praying that the next part of her
plan would happen soon.

Kit tried to push himself in front of Stella. His hands may
have been bound but he was ready to protect her anyway he could.

“Get ready to run, lover boy,” Stella whispered to him.

Kit looked at her in amazement. What did she have planned?

“What?” Kit hissed back softly.

“Remember what happened the night you saved me?”

Kit remembered. He got it.

“You did an anonymous call to the police.” Kit could see
police cars racing toward them.

Camille’s followers turned around and looked confused.

Stella smiled as she heard Camille swear. No one fucked
around with Stella Rowallan and got away with it.

“Payback, bitch!” Stella snapped at her coolly. Camille had
to know the police wouldn’t be letting her go so easily this time. Stella
turned her attention back to Kit. “You had better scarper to avoid questions.”
Stella produced a pocket knife from her jeans. She slashed though his ropes. “And
don’t worry about your email. There’s nothing but bogus information on there.”

“What about you?” Kit knew he had to go now or risk getting
caught and answer a lot of questions he preferred not to.

“I’ll be fine. I’m not a thief with a past.”

“I love you.” Kit leaned down and kissed her quickly.

“I…have to think about all that love stuff…”

“Don’t think too long, princess.” Kit made his escape.

Stella stood and looked as innocent as any park visitor does
when caught up in something unawares.

“Bitch!” Camille spat at Stella as the police grabbed her.

The police officer looked at Stella.

“I have never seen this woman before in my life, officer,”
Stella lied.

Chapter Thirteen

Two days later, Stella was unemployed and thinking about Kit
Kincaid. She hadn’t seen him since the park but he was ever present in her
mind. She had sent back his client list to his email address. But so far there
was no response from him. And she had expected one and that was a problem. She
wasn’t used to having a particular person on her mind. It threw her completely.

Her boss hadn’t taken kindly to her having so many sick days
off and Stella had explained to him that her care factor about her job was low.
She hated her job. As far as she was concerned he could take his job and shove
it in his ear. She had other more important personal issues to deal with than
work. While Stella knew this had been a completely emotional, irrational
response and it wasn’t her boss’s fault that she had man troubles, it had felt
damn good to quit a job she loathed.

So the next problem was what to do about Kit. In essence,
she really didn’t have to do anything as whatever it was between them was over.
Okay, that was a lie. However she knew if she said that enough times she would
one day believe it. She had read about love, she had seen people acting all
silly over love so she knew it existed. So she was fairly sure she was in love
with this thief of hers. The problem was Stella didn’t know what to do about
her feelings for Kit. That they were sexually compatible was undeniable, but
sex was not everything. And, if Stella were being honest, she knew it was not
just sex between them. But honesty was tough to face when you were scared of
taking the fall into love.

But then, realistically, what could she have with Kit? Was
she really in love with him? Did she even know what love was? She had never been
in love before so how would she know that she was not mixing up sex with love?
And was it really possible to fall in love with in such incredibly short,
intense time? All the ice cream in the world could not work out that problem.
She knew she had to ask someone who was in love and who knew both her and Kit.
She called Simone.

“I’m on my honeymoon, Stel,” Simone had told her as she
answered her cell phone.

“Well, you shouldn’t have left your phone turned on. Anyway
you’re married now, so you can have sex any time,” Stella responded. “I have a
question. How did you know you loved Peter and that he was the only one for
you?”

“Where does this come from…oh my God, you have fallen in
love with Kit Kincaid.” Simone was not at all surprised. “I knew it when you
both disappeared and Peter found your skirt in the garden.”

Stella looked down at the phone in surprise.

“Weren’t you at all worried about finding my skirt without
me in it? I could have been attacked.”

“Nah, Peter was outside smoking and he said he saw you and
Kit making love.” And he had watched and told Simone all about it. Not that she
would give that bit of information to Stella. Stella could be a prude about
things like that.

“Peter saw me?” Stella felt her cheeks redden with
embarrassment. How much had he seen? She thought back to the cleaner watching
her and Kit together. She had come a long way, so what was the point of being
embarrassed? “And we weren’t making love.”

“Yeah sure, whatever.” Simone liked this side of Stella. It
was different from the usual control freak who she hung out with. “So you and
Kit, huh? And now you want to ask Auntie Sim all about falling in love.”

Stella sighed slightly. She wanted to know what Simone
thought but she also knew she would never hear the end of it.

“It’s just a hypothetical question.”

“Sure it is.”

“Just shut up and answer.”

“Okay, I knew I was in love because I could not imagine
spending time with anyone else. I liked that I could tell Peter anything and that
he would listen and that he made me laugh. I just knew if I needed anything he
would be there and visa versa. And the sex is not just sex, it is actually
making love.” Simone sighed contentedly. She was happy with her life. “And let’s
just forget about the farewell sex I had with Kit.”

“Yes, let’s do that.” Stella was jealous as hell when she
thought about it.

“There is nothing about Peter that I do not love. I would do
anything for him, Stel.”

“Like break into museums and dealing with mad witches?”

Simone laughed chuckled softly at her words. She knew there
was something strange about Kit’s business but she had never been fussed enough
about it to ask. She took people on face value and she had liked Kit’s face.
The rest was irrelevant.

“Sure, I can’t imagine either of those things happening. But
yeah, I would do whatever I had to for my man.” The silence on the other end of
the phone spoke volumes to Simone. “So what are you going to do about Kit?”

“I don’t know.” Stella was more confused than ever. All the
things Simone mentioned were the things that Stella felt about Kit. She wanted
to be with him. He made her feel safe and cherished. He made her smile. So what
the hell was wrong with her?

“You know I knew it would be Kit for you when you walked in
on us you were so pissed. I could tell instantly that you were jealous.”

“Possibly.” Stella had been as jealous as hell. Had it just
been the fact that a gorgeous man was banging her best friend, or had been an
instinctual feeling of knowing who your mate for life was and not wanting them
to be with someone else?

“And Kit was definitely interested in you.”

“How do you know?”

“He told me before he joined you at the table for dinner.”

“What did he say?” It was almost like being back at high
school.

“Kit asked about me you and he said you were hot and he
wanted to get to know you.” Simone remembered the conversation vividly as it
was quite sweet and romantic and so unlike the Kit she knew. “He also said to
me ‘have you ever met someone and instantly you know you want to spend the rest
of your life with them?’ Kit was talking about you. You made an impact on the
man in just one brief moment.”

Stella tried to remember if Kit was drunk when he came to
the table. Or was that just the sweetest thing anyone had ever said about her.

“So you fell in love at first sight. It happens, Stel.”

Stella sighed softly.

“Kit’s a thief, Sim.”

“No one’s perfect.”

“You can justify everything can’t you?” Stella thought about
what her friend had said. “He lied to me.”

“Yeah, maybe he did,” Simone responded. “And maybe you were
looking for any reason to end it with Kit because you were scared of falling in
love.”

Maybe…

“I’m not scared. I’m…” Stella blew out a loud sigh. What was
she?

“You’re terrified, Stel. You’ve never had anyone to love or
love you and you feel totally out of control.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you back, but we’re friends and that’s a
different commitment.”

“I barely know him.”

“Listen Stel, life is short and time is irrelevant when it
comes to stuff like this. Things just happen. Do not pass up the man of your
heart on a technicality. You love him, don’t you?” Simone did not need to see
Stella’s face to know that. Stella did not give her heart easily.

“I can’t believe it, but yes I do.”

“Believe it and do something about it.”

“How do I do that without making a complete fool of myself?”

“You’ll think of something. Everyone makes a fool of themself
over love and no one cares in the end.” Simone chuckled over the line. “You
know, I was just thinking I should charge for this advice. I can be pretty
damned sensitive when I have to be.”

Stella laughed at her friend’s words. Simone would make a
great analyst. She loved listening to people spill their secrets. Problem was,
she liked to gossip. so one talent cancelled the other out.

“By the way, Sim, I will have to kill you if you ever touch
Kit again.”

“‘I completely understand.” She would scratch any woman’s
eyes out for looking twice at her husband. “Go get your man.”

“Thanks Sim…go and have sex now.”

“I will and I expect the same of you. Take the leap Stella
Rowallan, the fall is worth it.”

Stella hung up the phone and thought about what to do. How
did she get the thief’s attention? It had to be something different and unusual
and allowing him an out if he chose it. Stella looked at her computer. An idea
came to her. Could she? Should she?

“Oh what the hell…” she muttered to herself as she sat down
and switched it on. After fifteen minutes she had written her email to him.

Stolen, one seldom used heart. Owner cranky, sorry,
lovelorn and lonely. She made a mistake. She is ready to pay any cost or take
any risk to be with the thief of her heart. Please take a chance on her. She is
a slow leaner but she understands the lesson now. She loves her thief and wants
a second chance.

Love, Princess

Her finger hovered over the send icon. What did she have to
lose? The worst Kit could do would be either to read it and delete it, throw up
at the cornball approach or laugh his head off. The ball was in his court.
Stella hit send and watched it disappear from the screen. An immediate feeling
of regret and fear raced through her veins. What if he didn’t respond? Oh God,
had she done the right thing?

“Get a grip woman. It’s only an email that could change the
course of your entire life…” Stella muttered softly, cynically to herself.