I have to admire Valentina’s work ethic. With her looks and charm, the woman could easily be arm candy to any billionaire in the world and have diamonds thrown at her. She could take the road to riches by doing nothing more than batting her eyelashes. But she doesn’t. In fact, she does the polar opposite. But I can also see in her a level of grit that she doesn’t just want money. She wants respect.
“Fine. You want work? I got a job for you,” I blurt out, without thinking through the words as I say them.
Her eyes widen. “Job? You do? What kind of job?”
I can hear my father cursing me out as I open my mouth. “There’s a gala this weekend which will be showcasing some priceless art, not to mention the pieces that hang in the mansion for decor. There’s a lot of work that can be easily snatched. They won’t be expecting an art thief to wipe them out.” I pause and notice how she is leaning in, taking in every single word I say. “They most definitely wouldn’t be expecting two art thieves. You and I can go in, sip some champagne, and be out the door with an armful of art before they even toast the evening. Easy in. Easy out.”
Her eyes narrow as she bites her lips. Her distant expression and eyes tell me she’s thinking. “Why would you share a job with me?”
I shrug as I roll over onto my side, no longer wanting my dick on full display as we talk business. “Why not? Plenty to go around for both of us.”
“I work alone. I don’t do partners,” she counters.
“Liar. I know you’ve been working with Mia.”
“I only work with Mia when I need her.” She licks her lips and stiffens her spine. “I don’t need you.”
“Fine,” I say. “Don’t take the job. I was just being nice.”
“How do you know I won’t do the job without you? How do you know I hadn’t already cased the gala and had a plan in motion…with Mia.”
“I know.”
“Cocky much?” she says.
“Listen, take the job or don’t. But don’t lie to me. It’s not a good look.”
“Fine, but don’t lie to me. Why do you want to work with me? You work alone. You always have. So why change that? And why change that with me?”
“It could be fun,” I say maybe a little too simply.
She brings up a good point. Why would I partner up with her? I have had offers from way more experienced thieves to work together on a heist, and I’ve always turned them down for one reason alone—I don’t work with people. I don’t trust anyone. I don’t trust their skills, their knowledge, or if they have the same balls of steel I do. I don’t want to have to watch their moves in preparation of correcting them. I don’t want to have a battle of wills or egos. And I sure as hell don’t want my life or my freedom resting in the hands of others.
So why would I change my beliefs and how I’ve always conducted business for Valentina?
It’s a question I don’t really have an answer for other than—it could be fun.
She pauses, studies me for several intense moments where I do nothing more but lay in bed and look up at her. Finally, she says, “Okay. I’ll do it. Fifty-fifty. We both do our fair share of the work, and we both reap the rewards.”
I nod. “Fair enough. Just be warned I have high expectations.”
“No higher than me.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“I like to plan ahead. I’ll need all the details,” she adds. I can see the wheels already churning in her head.
“I’ll give them to you as soon as we’re done here,” I say as I lunge forward and take her arm unexpectedly. I yank her back on the bed with me. “All this talk of being bad has turned me on.”
Without pause, I slide my hand into her pants and dip my fingers beneath her panties and caress her clit.
She gasps, but quickly composes herself as she places her hand on mine and pulls it away from her heated pussy. “Don’t be greedy,” she says.
“Oh, I’m gluttonous,” I reply as I flip her over onto her back as she squeals.
I climb on top of her, but just as quickly as I got her onto the bed, she counters by flipping me over onto my back and straddles me. Her brown eyes lock with mine, and I see mischief dancing in the depths. Her palm flattens on my chest as she presses down, silently ordering for me to remain in place.
“You know,” she says as she begins to circle her fingertip around my nipple, “you are awfully daring to be risking working with me. How do you know I can be trusted?”