Page 109 of Gathered Sparkle

“I’m not,” Nova counters. “Show Annabelle and Nicholas.”

I shake my head with a smile. “Not happening.”

Koen chimes in, his arms crossing over his chest. “I’ve never actually seen a demonstration either.”

“Same.” Levi raises a hand lazily, smirking. “Consider this a request.”

“Guys, I haven’t done shit like that in years. Maybe I was good when we were teens, but—”

Nova cuts me off with a pout, her lips pushing out in that irresistibly cute way that absolutely wrecks me.

Today’s already been a marathon of pushing limits—leaving the house, walking through a crowded plaza. Every second had my brain screaming at me to bolt, to find safety, to shut everything out. But I stayed. I held Nova’s hand, and I stayed.For her.

And now, here with all their eyes on me. The idea of reaching out and deliberately touching someone else to demonstrate a skill I haven’t used in years, feels impossible. But there’s no time to take a breather, no room to ease into things. Not even two weeks. That’s all we’ve got, then everything comes crashing down, and every single piece of this has to be perfect.

If I’m going to do this, there’s only one way.

I press a quick kiss to Nova’s pout, unable to resist, making her eyes go wide, and my heart flutters with contentment before standing with a sigh. “All right,” I start, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me. “Let’s start with the basics. Distraction and shade.” I turn to Nova. “You’re up.”

“Me?” she asks, her tone laced with amusement.

“Yeah, you.” I gesture her forward. “Who better to test my skills on than the queen of steals herself?”

Everyone leans in, the room buzzing with anticipation as she stands in front of me. It’s like they’re expecting a magic show, and hell, maybe they’re not wrong.

“Distraction,” I teasingly say as I take a deliberate step closer to Nova. “It’s all about misdirection. Drawing the mark’s attention away from what you’re doing. Shade is what creates the cover, making the move invisible. It’s about timing, choreography, and confidence.”

I wouldn’t even consider what I’m about to do with anyone else, it wouldn’t work, not like this. Half the skill lies in knowing, or at least sizing up, your mark. And I know my girl better than anyone.

Her lips part, a flicker of curiosity in her gaze, but when I step closer, the space between us shrinks to something electric. I don’t touch her, don’t even lift a hand, but my presence alone seems to pull her focus. Her eyes dart to mine, and I see the faint rise and fall of her chest quicken.

Her throat bobs as she swallows, and I catch the slightest hitch in her breath. I shift closer still, not breaking eye contact, and her pupils dilate.

“Do you know what’s distracting me right now?” I ask.

“What?” she whispers, her voice catching as if she isn’t sure she wants to hear the answer.

“You.” My eyes flick briefly to her lips, just long enough for her to notice before returning to hers. It’s subtle, a calculated move, and I see the way she sways ever so slightly toward me, like gravity itself is shifting.

And that’s when I move.

My hand dips behind her, gliding only close enough to her back pocket without brushing her skin. She’s so focused on me,on my face, my voice, the tension between us that the phone slides free with no resistance.

I step back and hold her phone up between us like a prize. “That’s distraction.”

Sylus lets out a sharp whistle, leaning back in his chair with a laugh. “Ric, you smooth bastard. I don’t know whether to be impressed or terrified.”

Nova crosses her arms, but there’s no hiding the way her lips twitch into a reluctant smile. “You’re a jerk.”

“And you’re so easy to distract,” I counter and toss the phone back to her. She catches it mid-air.

The adrenaline of the steal hums in my chest, but it’s the way she looks at me that has my blood running hot. Damn, I was addicted to this eight years ago, and suddenly I’m right back to craving her.

“All right, what else you got?” Koen smirks, bringing me out of my head.

“Chest pocket steals,” I say, eyes still on Nova’s green ones. “They’re all about hiding the motion. Problem is, you don’t have a chest pocket.”

Nicholas stands abruptly, unbuttoning his shirt. Annabelle lets out a low whistle when he’s left bare-chested.

---