Page 74 of Thief

He looked obscenely handsome with a deep golden tan. His hair was longer than when she’d last seen him and slightly mussed over the top. He wore brown leather slip-ons and a pair of cream chino shorts teamed with his usual, plain black T-shirt.

She was about to ask what he was doing in St Tropez when his gaze travelled slowly over her body, naked except for tiny bikini bottoms. An approving smile played on his lips which he then licked.

With a flush of female power, she stretched out her legs and wriggled her French manicured toenails. She was glad she wore her favourite bright yellow bikini bottoms. They looked fabulous against her deep tan.

The waiter knocked and Kat shouted her usual permission for entry. He appeared on the balcony with a double whisky on a small silver tray. John took the drink with a gruff, “Merci,” and knocked back a mouthful.

He brought his attention back to Kat and flexed and un-flexed his knee with his palm pressed on the angry scars.

Kat finally found her tongue. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be off spending your millions.”

He grinned. “Well, it’s only one million if I’m honest.”

“Honesty, huh? Now there is a refreshing change.” She lolled her head back onto the lounger and shut her eyes as if the whole conversation bored her; as though the fact he was there held no interest.

* * * *

John knocked back the rest of his drink. He might be trying to appear chilled, but he wasn’t in the mood for games. He knew what he wanted, and he’d come to get it.

He’d decided as he’d stepped into the lobby of her apartment building with a pocket full of diamonds what he wanted, and by the time, he’d said a final goodbye to the old security guard he knew exactly how he was going to get it.

The whole plan had just taken a couple of weeks longer to come together than he’d anticipated. But he was in St Tropez now, his newly re-sprayed Porsche sat in the hotel lot after having driven across France via Amsterdam and Switzerland, and his London apartment was sold with the equity, along with the money he’d got for the diamonds, sitting in a high earning Alpine account.

Now, finally, the time had come to get the one last thing he wanted—no, make that needed. So, as far as games went… No, John wasn’t in the mood, not one little bit.

“Tell me something,” he said. “Did you mean what you put in your letter?”

“You got that?” She turned and beneath her glasses he saw her eyes open. “I presumed that had drifted into infinity, it’s been so long since I sent it. It was all airy, fairy crap anyway.”

“Crap eh? What was crap was that you didn’t put a damn address on the top. It would have been a hell of a lot easier to find you.”

Kat shrugged. “Didn’t want to leave a paper trail.”

“Maybe subconsciously you didn’twantme to find you.” He tugged at his bottom lip as he studied her full, glossed mouth covered in startling red lipstick. “You know what I think.”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me, John.”

“I think you’re too scared to care and let someone else care, despite your words?”

“Actually, I was thinking about you just now, so that must count for something.”

“Good thoughts, I hope.”

She removed her glasses, and her features melted in a way he was unfamiliar with.

“Well…I think so.” She hesitated over the words, and it tweaked his curiosity all the more so he waited for her to elaborate.

She didn’t. Instead, she looked down and flicked an imagined bug from her stomach.

He took hold of her wafting hand and sighed. “I couldn’t have given you what you thought was your share and had any left for myself if that’s what you were thinking about.”

“You could have just told me that to begin with.”

“Yeah, and you could have told me the first night we met at The Fox and Goose you were going to steal my car.”

She shrugged, her slender tanned shoulders moved up and down against the white of her towel causing her breasts to jiggle.

“Kat,” he said, forcing his gaze to stay on her face. “You’re a pain in the arse to shop with, and you really are a terrible cook, but I’ve missed being around you.” He wondered if she would add the same sentiment to the conversation.

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