Page 33 of Stolen Goods
Thad turned to the side, heart pinching at the slight fear in her eyes. Without thinking, he reached out and put his finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look up.
“You’re going to be fine,” he whispered. The words he should have said back in the room instead of running away. But they were better late than never. A warm rush of gratitude filled her bright eyes. “In a few days, this will all be over. I just have to see someone, and as soon as I do, I’ll find a way to reunite you with Jo. I’ll make sure you’re safe. A few days is all I need, and I promise, in the meantime, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Addison swallowed and nodded, but uncertainty still darkened her features.
He dropped his hand away.How can I make this better? How can I steal the fright from those eyes?“Maybe it will help if you pretend this is all a game, or a, I don’t know, role play or something. Like we’re Bonnie and Clyde, gone rogue, on the road, not a care in the world, confident that nothing can touch us?”
“Weren’t they executed by the police?” Addison murmured.
“Shit!” The word popped out as his eyes bulged. The corners of Addison’s lips twitched. “Were they? Then maybe we’re, um… Why can’t I think of any road-trip movies? All I’ve got isDumb and Dumber, and that’s not really the vibe I was going for.”
“Crossroads?” she suggested.
“Never heard of it.”
“Britney Spears goes to LA to pursue a singing career—”
“Britney Spears was in a movie?” Thad frowned, then shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Forget I said anything. You don’t have to pretend to be anyone else. Just be you. All we need to do right now is go into that store, buy some clothes, and come back out. You took out a Russian operative with a rolling pin last night. This is easy.”
That hint of a smile widened to the real thing. “I guess you’re right.”
Addison laughed, not quite as easily or as loudly as she had with Jo on the phone, but it was something. It was a start. And it lifted his mood right up.
“Addison Abbot, I think you’ll come to find, the more time you spend around me, that one way or another, I always am.” She rolled her eyes, but the grin remained, as did a subtle flush across her cheeks. Reluctantly, Thad forced himself to look away—they’d wasted too much time already. He nudged his head in the direction of the entrance. “Go, and I’ll be right behind.”
Addison left.
Thad watched in the rearview mirror, half expecting her to dash across the parking lot, screaming for help and shouting that she’d been kidnapped by a known fugitive. Hell, he wouldn’t have blamed her. He probably deserved it, which was why he let her go first, just in case a quick getaway was in order. To his surprise, she didn’t. She walked calmly, step after step, and waited patiently as the automatic door opened before slipping inside.
Thad gave it three minutes before he followed, keeping his hat pulled low, subtly peeking around the rim to locate the security cameras—one on the outside of the building, one just inside the door, two on the registers, one on the dressing rooms in the corner, two more focused on the wider area of the store. He perked the collar of his jacket, hung a shopping basket over his arm, and idly tossed things inside: snacks, some waters, sunglasses, a first aid kit, toothpaste, toothbrushes, markers, and a small tool kit, just in case. There were no maps, but they’d have to stop for gas soon anyway, so he’d find one later. He grabbed himself another pair of dark jeans and a few plain T-shirts, just to have an excuse to go to the dressing room.
As soon as he got there, he stopped cold.
Addison stood in a tight black dress, looking over her shoulder to admire her backside in the mirror. Almost immediately, those turquoise eyes found his in the reflection and she jerked around.
“Uh, what do you think?”
Are you trying to get us killed?
“Absolutely not,” Thad ordered and then walked right by her and into his own small stall, trying to keep up the front that they weren’t there together and needing space to breathe. It was no use. He’d seen too much. Every curve that had been hidden beneath her full A-line skirt and loose blouse was now burned into his mind. Thad’s normal type was leggy and lithe and always too hot to put up with his bullshit. Addison was…different—short, voluptuous, and seemingly unaware of her own beauty. It was endearing, alluringly endearing.
Forget about it.
He ripped off his pants and pulled on the new pair of jeans.
“But it’s black,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “I never wear black. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“What I want is plain, something that can be easily overlooked,” he explained and opened the door to his dressing room, meeting her confused gaze. Even though he was fully prepared for the sight of her this time, a breath still caught in his throat. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.Damn lust. He blamed her for what came out next. “And you, in that dress…you’re anything but invisible.”
Addison’s cheeks immediately flushed. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened, holding his for a moment, before she swiftly spun and marched back into her dressing room.
Thad released a breath and closed his eyes, shaking his head.That was a mistake.Angry, he yanked his shirt off, not bothering to close the door. He was halfway into pulling on a new one when he heard her door swing open. A shocked little gasp crossed the space between them. With a sigh, he finished putting on his shirt. Defenses ready this time, he tossed a sardonic glance in her direction, fully anticipating the embarrassed approval written across her features. Even so, the sight warmed his heart. Her innocence was adorable, if only because it was so different from everything he was used to.
Addison slowly pulled her gaze from his navel to his nose, meeting his eyes as the blush spattering across her cheeks deepened. The air around them thickened, heating a degree or two.Ignore it. Ignore it.He had to remain focused on the job. He had to keep his head clear. Not to mention Jo would absolutely murder him if he broke her friend’s heart—which was what he would do if they went down that road, because it was what he always did. He was leaving at the end of all this, no matter what.
The best offense is a good defense, Thad thought as he lifted a brow and gestured down toward his abs, goading Addison on. “Like what you saw?”
She flinched. “Huh?”
