Touched by a Thief by Jana Mercy Page A

hesitated just long enough for Monty to know Ian hadn’t told her everything.
    “He hired you to set me up? For you to insure I went to jail?” She rolled her eyes when he didn’t answer. “You may as well admit it. We both know it’s the truth.”
    His gaze pierced her, telling her more than his words. “I don’t think we should be having this conversation right now.”
    “Because you’re not going to tell me anything more than what I already know even if we do?”
    His lips compressed into a fine line. “Now isn’t the time.”
    “Gerard didn’t ask you to bring me to England, did he?”
    He didn’t answer.
    Monty closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I really do hate you, Ian.”
    He still didn’t say anything and Monty could stand the silence no more. Opening her eyes, she glanced toward him, took in his hardened expression.
    He had no idea what he’d done. She’d be on the run for the rest of her life, unable to return to the states without a major altercation to her appearance.
    The car pulled up to a traffic stop. Monty reached for the handle, planning to escape with only her bag of jewels that she’d refused to have put in the trunk.
    The handle wouldn’t budge. Ian’s hand covered hers, pried her fingers loose. “Don’t make this difficult on yourself, Monty.”
    She shifted her gaze back to him, grim realization dawning. “You’re kidnapping me? Holding me fucking prisoner?”
    He shrugged. “Kidnapping is hardly the right term when you came with me willingly.”
    “You told me Gerard…” her voice trailed off, realizing how naïve she’d been. The man waltzed into her bedroom and she’d taken him at face value without questioning the fact that he might be lying to her. Hell, she’d known he was a liar.
    Yet, she’d taken his word that Gerard had left her.
    “What did you do to Gerard?”
    “To your loverboy?” He shrugged. “Let’s just say, I pointed his focus in a different direction while I took off with his crown jewel.”
    “I’m not his crown jewel.”
    “Ah, but you are, Monty.” Ian reached out and stroked his fingers along the edge of her hair. She jerked away. “A little late for acting as if my touch disgusts you. We both know that I could have you begging for my cock in minutes.”
    She couldn’t deny the power he held over her. A power she sincerely hated, but that she recognized as tugging the strings of her very fiber.
    “Gerard will come after me,” she warned, knowing it was true, if for no other reason than that his ego would demand he find her. “You know he will.”
    Ian’s eyes lit with amusement. “After he watches his surveillance video and sees you fucking me?”
    Oh God. Her eyes closed and she inhaled a deep breath of air, counted to ten. What had she done?
    “You said there were no cameras in his bedroom.”
    “Did I?”
    She thought back over what he’d said exactly. “You said Gerard didn’t have surveillance in his bedroom. But you did, didn’t you? What did you do? Leave something where he’d find it? Take something where he’d think I--” she stopped, stared at him with wide eyes. Excitement surged within her. “You found it, didn’t you?”
    He blinked innocently. Too innocently. “Found what?”
    She punched his shoulder. “The Degassi.”
    He grinned. “And if I did? What’s it to you, jewel thief?”
    Monty’s mouth watered at the thought that somewhere in Ian’s possession was the Degassi diamond.
    No, not in his possession. She’d touched every part of him. There was no diamond on Ian. Not unless he’d… “What did you do? Swallow the thing?”
    He laughed. “That would certainly cut down on the odds of you stealing it from me, wouldn’t it?”
    “Don’t think I wouldn’t slit your belly wide open if necessary.” She ran her finger down his chest, over his chiseled belly, then leaned back against the plush seat before she got so turned on that she had to have him inside her again. “I need that