To Catch a Thief by Sherryl Woods Page A

unbearably empty.
    She gave Nell’s hand a squeeze, then went after Caitlyn and Rafe. She found them both watching an intricate labyrinth of miniature train tracks as half a dozen tiny engines sped around them on what appeared certain to be a collision course. But of course it wasn’t. At the last second Rafe touched the controls and switched the tracks, sending the various trains safely past each other.
    “Do you collect trains?” Gina asked him.
    He shook his head and shut down those on the display. “Never had one.”
    “Why not? It’s obvious you want one.”
    “As a kid, there were better uses for our money. Now I don’t have the time to fiddle with a hobby.”
    “You know what they say about all work and no play, don’t you?”
    He regarded her seriously. “That it gets the job done?”
    She groaned. “No, that it makes for a very dull guy.”
    A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. “You think I’m boring?”
    She knew exactly how he intended to prove otherwise, and a part of her wanted him to demonstrate, but there was Caitlyn to consider, and Nell. “Not boring, just limited. Under other circumstances, I might be tempted to try to change that.”
    “Oh? How?”
    “Let me think about it,” she said. “Maybe one of these days I’ll give you a list of my recommendations. Will you pay any attention to them?”
    “I might,” he said solemnly. “What would my reward be?”
    “More fun,” she said at once.
    He grinned. “You’ll have to provide more incentive than that.”
    “Such as?”
    “Will I get the girl?”
    Gina shuddered at the penetrating look in his eyes. “I suppose that depends.”
    “On?”
    “How badly you want her.”
    “I’m beginning to wonder about that myself.”
    He said it in a way that made Gina’s breath hitch in her throat. She was thankful Caitlyn chose that moment to reach for her hand and give it a tug.
    “Aunt Gina, since you’re buying me a toy, why don’t you buy one for Mr. O’Donnell, too?”
    “His toys are too expensive,” Gina said.
    “That’s right,” Rafe agreed, his gaze locked with hers. “In fact, something tells me they’re priceless.”

Chapter Six
    T here had been times in her life—even after enduring Carlo’s possessiveness—when Gina had deeply regretted the lack of a man who’d be there when she woke up and when she went to bed at night, a man who cared more about spending time with her than about his career. Now it seemed she had one.
    It wasn’t nearly as much fun as she’d anticipated.
    Rafe O’Donnell was everywhere she turned, his expression remote, his gaze cool. The nonstop surveillance wasn’t exactly what she’d dreamed of. In fact, it was all too reminiscent of Carlo. The fact that Rafe was so blatant about it grated on her nerves. She hated that everyone in town knew he was there to keep an eye on her for some reason that neither of them had revealed.
    Other than her one conversation with Tony, Gina had refused to discuss Rafe’s presence with her friends or her family. Only Lauren knew part of it—that she had to givea deposition when she got back to New York and that she wasn’t looking forward to it. Cassie, Karen and Emma were studying her almost as intently as Rafe was, but their motive was concern, his was distrust.
    He’d been at it for nearly two weeks now, though he’d stayed true to his word and remained mostly in the background ever since that chance meeting at Henderson’s Toy Store over a week earlier. For some perverse reason Gina found that even more annoying and nerve-racking than having to deal with him. She was constantly on edge, continually reminded of the times they’d kissed and just how much she wanted him to kiss her again. For a few minutes in his arms she’d been able to forget why he was here. In fact, she’d forgotten almost everything, including her name.
    His unexpected admission that he, too, had been affected by those kisses, had thrown her. Not that it made any real