Page 67 of The San Marco Heist

I eased out of the kiss, keeping my eyes on Scarlett and shifting my hand to her waist. “We’re a little busy here, Bruce.”

God, she was gorgeous. Those deep-brown eyes and swollen lips. The way her chest rose with each rapid breath. She’d enjoyed that. It wasn’t an act. Her face rolled away from them, playing coy.

I took over, turning a glower on Bruce and the woman with him. “A little privacy?”

His shoulders dipped down, but he lifted his chin. Disappointed, but too proud to admit it. “My wife also wanted a house tour, if you care to join us?”

“Maybe later.” I shifted my gaze back to Scarlett, who canted her head and looked at me from the corner of her eyes.

“Of course.” Bruce and his wife left, bickering quietly. I only caught snatches of conversation, but from the sounds of it, there was no plan for it to be just me and Bruce. She’d wanted in on the action.

“You made quite the impression on him.” Scarlett smirked, and my brain went into a tailspin. She didn’t push me away or ease out of my grip. My hands were still on her, and she was still pressed up against the wall.

“I hear someone else coming.” I didn’t actually hear anyone. The door was locked, the team was doing their thing upstairs, and all I could think about were those lips.

She looked up toward the railing, no doubt hearing little more than the same distant voices I did. “I don’t…”

My hand glided along her jawline, around the back of her neck, and I locked my thumb under her chin. It was slow and deliberate, matching the pace of my other hand trailing down the curve of her hip and my repeated lie. “I hear someone else.”

Her gaze, under a creased brow, returned to me. She gave no hint that my hands or the kiss meant anything but the job. But then she quirked her eyebrow—the quirk that prompted for the rest of my story—and I was done for.

I dipped my head down and our lips met again, one of her hands sliding up my chest, the other wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer. Either shehadheard someone, or this kiss was real.

A tiny moan escaped her throat, too quiet for anyone above to hear. That was for me. It had to be real.

Fuck me, I was in trouble.

I deepened the kiss, and her thigh rose high enough I could grip it against my hip. Thank god for thigh-high slits.

This was the wrong priority. We were supposed to be searching for a way to get upstairs, but I couldn’t stop myself. Every ounce of self-control fled my brain whenever she was near. Usually, it came out as taunts and teases. This time, it was the honest carnal need deep in my gut.

She ground her hips against me, pulling me tighter, her tongue plunging deeper into my mouth. Her leg shifted, wrapping around me, demanding more.

My cock reacted. Hardened. I pressed into her, fisting my hand in her hair.

“Here now!” came a voice from above.

I flung my hands off her, but when I tried to step back, Scarlett’s leg remained latched around me.

It was one of the security team. “You’re not supposed to be down there!”

“We were…” I looked from him to Scarlett.

“Mr. Albrecht said the party was moving to the wine cellar by the indoor pool.” She wiped one lazy finger across her mouth, not looking the least bit shaken by being caught, and using that vacuous voice she’d used on Thomas Maguire. “The door down here’s normally open.”

The security thug stepped over the rope at the top of the stairs and descended. “You’re friends of Mr. Albrecht?”

She shrugged one shoulder, still leaning against the wall, and let her leg slide down my side. “Friend of his older daughter.”

I straightened my tux, concealing the hard-on, which would have been obvious had I not been wearing a jacket. She must have heard him coming, otherwise she would have reacted differently. The leg was her plan and I fell for it just as much as the guard had.

“It’s supposed to be closed for the party.” He walked past us to the door and swiped a keycard over a panel next to it. When it clicked, he held it open. “Don’t cross anymore ropes tonight, alright?”

“Absolutely.” Scarlett took me by the hand and patted the guard on the chest as we passed him. With a wink, she said, “I’ll let them know what a great job you’re doing.”

Once the door shut behind us, she closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. Was that breath for almost being caught twice or for the kiss? It had to be about the kiss and her leg wrapped around me.

Three couples stood on the indoor pool deck, another woman walking toward them. From our location, I couldn’t see into the lounge, which was around the corner and at least three voices carried from it.

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