Stealing His Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

he stood too long, and he’d been standing for hours now. “And you’re getting out of jail free after you help us.”
    She rolled her eyes. “ Second chances are a waste of time ,” she mimicked, deepening her voice. “You sound so serious. God. What happened to you?”
    Ignoring her question, he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Ladies first.”
    “Do I get to go home now?”
    He rubbed his jaw. “Hell no. You’ll stay with me in my heavily secured house until we figure out a solution.” He frowned at her. “You’ll be under my custody twenty-four-seven.”
    “You want me to sleep at your place? With you?” She stumbled away from him, her eyes wide. “Uh-uh. Not happening.”
    He curled his fingers into fists, and then slowly unfurled them. “You’re mine until I say you’re free to go. Argue all you want, but it won’t change anything. It’s as simple as that.”
    She glowered at him, but headed for the door. As he watched her go, her lush ass swinging with each step, he ached to find out if she felt as amazing against his body naked as she had clothed. But he had a primary mission to focus on, and he couldn’t lose sight of that goal.
    Get the code. Get rid of the girl. Simple.
    With a grimace, he followed her. His limp was more pronounced than usual, but he tried to hide it. Not because he cared what she thought. He didn’t. But if she knew his weakness?
    She would be gone in a heartbeat.

Chapter Three
    This was un-freaking-believable. She was actually being forced to live with her captor. And worse? She wanted to screw the jerk. How could she desire the man who held the keys to her freedom over her head? A man who didn’t think there was anything wrong with blackmailing her? It wasn’t fair.
    None of this was fair.
    After she’d given him her address, he’d taken her to her home and stood in her living room without moving, arms crossed and foot tapping. It had been unnerving at best. He’d remained dead silent the whole time. Hadn’t spoken since they left the house that he’d tricked her in.
    Not. One. Word.
    And he hadn’t smiled at all yet. Maybe he didn’t remember how. She had a feeling that he didn’t do anything dangerous anymore, either. Didn’t take risks, or do something simply because it would be fun. He’d resigned himself to a life of boredom and security, and it was drowning him. Even if he didn’t realize it…
    It was .
    She stole another glance at him before staring out the car window, hugging her bag to her chest. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. That powerful energy he’d always had hadn’t faded.
    But he wasn’t the same man he’d been, and it kind of broke her heart.
    Back when they’d been young, he never stopped making her laugh. He’d been goofy, free, and crazy. Now, he was all frowns and demands. He was wound tight.
    So serious.
    They turned down a road that led to a section of town that held small single-family houses. As opposed to the borough she lived in, where all the structures were more like mausoleums. She hated living on that street…but it had been her parents’ before they’d lost everything in a Ponzi scheme. It had been the first thing she bought after she got the life insurance money.
    When they died, her parents had left her with a monstrous inheritance. One way too big for any one person to spend. She regularly donated to charity, but her father’s lawyer only allowed her to do so much a year. The rest of the time, she hired herself out as a recovery specialist.
    Or as Jake had called it, a hired thief .
    He pulled up and exited the car. Then he came around and opened her door for her. So, that hadn’t changed, huh? He still acted the gentleman, even when blackmailing her. The irony of that wasn’t lost on her. When he offered her his hand, she hesitated for a split second. Whenever he touched her, she went a little bit crazy in the head. Forgot about everything except how much she wanted him.
    And she really,