Hustlers (3 page)

E
llie hurried across the hotel grounds toward her living quarters. The staff accommodation was in a small block of apartments that were behind the spa. She frowned as she crossed the manicured lawns.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said yes to a date.
Although the rebellion had felt good at the time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d just done something royally stupid.

She rolled the ear bud between her fingers, glancing down at it.
I really should put it back in and talk to Jimmy and my dad.
She continued rolling the device between her fingers. She loved her family, but she wanted to be a bit reckless. She knew she was supposed to be responsible now, but she never went on dates. Hot dates just didn’t happen in her existence.
One night off can’t hurt, right?

She crossed an ornate, Japanese-style bridge, smiling down at the coy pond beneath it. Being free to date without Jimmy or her dad in her ear was a nice break from the crazy.
And Matt seems like fun.

Okay, he wasn’t causing the wild and crazy thrill that scaling buildings and breaking into vaults did, but the room certainly heated up when he was around. It was something that she wanted to experience.

She narrowed her eyes for a moment. As long as it didn’t interfere with the con, why couldn’t she be a girl for once? Making a decision to live a little, she dropped the ear bud into the pocket of her apron. Then she double-checked that the portable hard drive was still in there, breathing a sigh when she found that it was.

She needed the check through the hard drive, but assuming it contained what she’d been looking for, she could enjoy a rock concert tonight and worry about her job in the morning.

Determined to enjoy her newfound freedom, she headed toward her temporary accommodation, smiling at the thought of a date. Sure, it was some girly shit that she was feeling, but Jimmy and her dad would just have to get used to it. She was a girl. It was about time she felt like one. They weren’t girls. They’d never understand.

Ellie jumped when there was a knock at the door. She quickly checked her outfit in the mirror. She shook her head.
Why didn’t I bring more clothes with me?
Her skinny black jeans and leather biker jacket were great for breaking into things, but she wasn’t sure they were ideal for a first date. She chewed her bottom lip as she glanced down at her scuffed biker boots.
Fuck it. He’ll like me as I am, or he can get lost.

She hurried to the door, trying to control her racing pulse.
At least I’m not wearing that bloody maid’s uniform.
She swung open the door, hoping that her nerves would calm down. It was ironic that she could break into a guarded building without breaking a sweat, but a date with a boy caused her body to go into nervous shock.

Matt lounged in the doorway, wearing a loose white shirt and blue jeans. He looked as if he’d stepped out of a magazine. His hair curled around his collar, which was open, revealing a small V of tanned collarbone. She met his seaweed green eyes, and then shyly glanced down as her pulse began to race at the sight of him.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?

“Hey.”

She glanced up at the sound of his voice, blushing when he flashed a wicked smile.

“Hi,” she said. She tried to think of something to say, but clearly his presence had given her an instant lobotomy.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded, grabbing her keys off the nearby dresser while trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make her sound like a total idiot. The problem was that she knew nothing about him.
Shoulda done my research.

“You look amazing.” He smiled, brushing his fingers across the lapel of her jacket.

“Oh, er, thanks. You too.” She closed her eyes for a moment.
Jesus fuck, will you say something interesting before he goes into a coma?
“Um, do you like leather?” She froze after the words came out of her mouth.
Oh god, no.

His eyes widened, and he coughed out a laugh. “That’s the best first date line I’ve ever heard.” He laughed again. He slipped beside her and placed his arm around her waist, leaning close and winking at her. “Do you want me to?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“That’s not what I meant!” Her face burned with embarrassment.

“Hey, I’m open-minded.” He grinned.

“I’m not!” She thought she might be about to have some kind of seizure.
Please god, let me say something that isn’t slapped with the stupid stick first.
“Maybe I should lose my clothes.”

He exploded with laughter.

“I meant change my clothes, wear a different jacket…” She trailed off, trying to find the right words. “Sorry.” She shook her head.
Great. He’s going to think I’m a
dumb cow rather than a sexy minx.

He squeezed her waist, offering her a warm smile. “You’re perfect, just as you are.”

E
llie giggled as she stumbled against Matt, and he caught her in his arms. She’d had the most amazing night. Admittedly, she might have had a bit too much champagne, but who cared. For the first time in her life, she felt young and alive.

As they stumbled across the hotel gardens toward her room, she loudly belted out the lines to one of the songs from the rock concert, stretching her arms up to the sky while twirling around. She breathed in the scent of the rose bushes nearby and smiled up at the stars. She continued twirling straight into Matt’s arms.

“Careful, I don’t think you were born to neck a bottle of Dom like you did.” He smiled down at her, brushing a wisp of hair away from her face.

“I was born to handle anything.” She grinned as she staggered sideways. “As long as the world stops spinning, I’ll be back on top of it real soon!” She closed her eyes for a second, and the world twirled around her.

He tightened his grip on her to stop her from falling. “You really don’t get out much, do you?” His voice seemed far away.

“Sweetheart, I get into all kinds of places.” She laughed and opened her eyes, but her laugh trailed off when found herself staring at his lips. Her pulse raced as she realized how close he was. She could feel his hard, muscled body pressed against hers. His hot breath warmed her neck. She bit her bottom lip, staring up at him.

“What kind of places?” he mumbled, leaning closer until his lips were just inches away from hers.

“Oh, you know, dark ones,” she muttered as if in a trance. She leaned closer to him, hesitant and unsure of what to do. The adventure-filled mood of the evening had changed so rapidly.

“Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t be in dark places,” he murmured as he brushed a soft kiss across her lips.

She shivered, kissing him back and parting her lips.

He hauled her against him with a growl, cupping the back of her head as his lips mashed against hers.

She melted against him, tightly gripping his shoulders for balance as she stumbled back when his hard body ground against her.

Without warning, he lifted her off the ground and pinned her up against the door of her apartment, crushing her body beneath his. His relentless kisses stole her breath away as his hands roamed over her body.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. Then he left a trail of hot kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.

She leaned back against the door, resting her head on it while his kisses caused goosebumps to pop up on her skin.
Oh god, what am I doing?
She tried to gather her senses, but her head felt cloudy with alcohol, and her body was busy responding to his touch.

What is he doing?
She glanced down in surprise when she felt her blouse become loose. She frowned down. As if by some kind of magic, he’d unbuttoned her blouse with one sweep of his hand.
What is he, Houdini with buttons?
She tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, er, Matt…” She was unsure of what to say.

He smiled up at her with that wicked grin of his as he trailed his fingers down her flat belly from her exposed bra to her waistband. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her breasts, his hands hovering around the waistband of her jeans.

She widened her eyes when she felt the top button unfasten, and her jeans begin to slide over her hips. “Hey, hold on there!” She grabbed the side of her jeans and tried to pull them back up.

He glanced up, frowning at her. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s a bit too fast for me,” she muttered, feeling her face heat up with a blush.”

“Okay, we’ll go slower,” he murmured with a smile. His warms hands cupped her breasts as he leaned over and kissed her lips again, grinding his hips against hers. She almost melted into his hot kisses—almost.

She pulled back, peering into his smoky green eyes. “I um, think I want to go slower than this too.”

He paused, a small frown crinkling his brow. “How slow are we talking here?”

She shrugged. “Have you ever watched a snail make its way across a garden?”

He flashed a smile. “I can’t say that I have, but it sounds very slow and dull.” There was a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

“There’s something quite special about watching them carry their little houses on their backs across a vast landscape,” she said with a grin.

He leaned over her and planted soft kisses on the side of her neck. “There’s something quite special about an exhilarating fast ride.” His voice sent tremors shivering down her spine as his hot breath warmed her ear. “Your pulse races, and your skin heats up…”

Her skin was already heating up just from being near him. She inhaled sharply when she felt his hand stroke the inside of her thigh. “Your heart pounds in your chest—”

As his hand traveled up her thigh, she gripped his wrist, pulling his hand away from her leg. “And then you crash into a wall, and the car explodes,” she said with a wry smile.

He stepped back, frowning at her. “Seriously?”

“It’s how most car wrecks happen.” She nodded as she fastened her jeans and then buttoned up her blouse.

She warily glanced up at him. She really liked him. He was fun and sweet, and sexy as hell, but as the alcohol wore off, she realized there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she was here to do a job. Tonight had been a nice break from reality, but she couldn’t have sex with the mark’s son.
It’s better if he thinks I’m a tease or something.

“Okay, fine.” He nodded.

She expelled a shaky sigh.
Here it comes, the fuck you very much for wasting my time speech.

“We’ll start slow,” he said.

She glanced up with wide eyes. She hadn’t expected that. “Really?”

“Yeah.” A lazy smile appeared on his lips. “Maybe you can show me what’s so great about slow.”

She couldn’t help but smile back. “Maybe I can show you something you haven’t seen before.”

He leaned over and softly brushed a kiss across her lips. “I bet you can,” he said as he let her go, turning on his heel and walking away.

“Aren’t you going to see me safely into my room?” she called after him.

“Nah,” he called back over his shoulder. “Not when you use aikido to move my hand off your thigh.” He winked.

Shit, did I use a martial arts move on him?