Cat Burglar

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

An Excerpt From: CAT BURGLAR

Copyright © SHELLEY MUNRO, 2008

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

“Do I get a phone call?” Best let Saber know what was happening. Besides, he didn’t want to spend any longer than necessary playing prisoner. The thieves remained on the loose, and the narrow bed looked about as comfortable as a blanket harboring fleas. Not what this kitty had in mind. “I want to arrange my getaway.” One eye closed in a wink, and he took pleasure in her gasp of outrage.

“We caught you trespassing,” she snapped. “What were you doing there? What did you take?” Her gaze slid down his body toward his crotch.

Jonno laughed, not even trying to control his unruly body. The steal of color across her cheeks charmed him. A blusher. He wondered how far down her body flushed. “I’m not hiding any jewels down there, aside from the obvious, although you’re very welcome to investigate.” A sly grin slid across his lips. He hadn’t had so much fun with a woman in ages.

“You’re just trying to embarrass me.”

“Is it working?”

“Yes,” she hissed. “Are you satisfied? You’re making me behave in an unprofessional manner.”

“I’m not making you do anything, sweet cheeks.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Then tell me your name and I’ll call you by that. Go on, sweet cheeks. You know you want to.”

“Laura,” she snapped, goaded by his teasing. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, making his cock jerk against the fly of his jeans. He attempted to ignore the rush of pleasure surging through his veins, the subtle purr of his feline as it pushed against his control. Jonno wondered how this starchy human would deal with his feline nature before deciding it didn’t matter. Together they’d work through any problems they encountered. Laura was the one.

“Laura,” he said, rolling her name around his lips like a ripe and juicy peach. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

“Knock it off. I’m a cop and you’re a prisoner.”

Jonno nodded thoughtfully. “Sure. We can do some role-plays. I’d have thought you’d like to try something a bit more adventurous. Maybe a slave and owner. I’ll be the slave if you like. I’m an equal-opportunity kind of guy.” His mouth curled into a smirk and it widened when he heard her indignant sniff. He focused on his words, creating mind pictures of them naked. Together. He’d strip naked for her any time. “My phone call?”

“Who do you want to call?”

Jonno wanted to chuckle. He wanted to do a lot of things to the starchy cop, curious about the passion slumbering deep inside the woman. “Saber Mitchell. I’m sure the number is in the book.”

Laura whirled around and stomped away from the door of the holding cell. Jonno watched her until she disappeared from sight. With his exceptional hearing, he heard her terse curse, the slam of a phone book on a desk and the stabbing of the buttons on the keypad of the phone. Jonno heard the murmur of Laura’s voice and her approaching footsteps. She passed a portable phone to him before stomping away. Again, Jonno watched the sway of her ass until he could no longer see her.

“Hi, Saber,” Jonno said. “I’m in jail. Can you get me out?”

“It’s Emily. Saber isn’t here. Why are you in jail?” Interest rather than distress colored her voice. “And what’s more, why should I get you out?”

“Emily,” Jonno said, genuinely shocked. “I can’t stay in jail. I’ll go insane. Damn, I’ll ring the twins. Joe and Sly will help me.”

“No, silly.” Emily’s laugh stilled his sudden panic. “Of course I’ll get you out. Of course I might ring Joe and Sly myself so they can give you a hard time. Why are you in jail?”

“The cops are saying I’m the Middlemarch jewel thief.”

“A cat burglar,” Emily said in clear delight. “And are you?”

“Of course I’m not.”

“Ah, so this relates to the secret squirrel stuff you were discussing with Saber two nights ago.”

“No wonder Saber mated with you. Smart and beautiful.” According to his friends Joe and Sly, Saber had wanted to marry his younger brothers off and had instead stepped into his own trap. He’d taken one look at Emily, or the “scarlet woman” as they’d dubbed her, and wanted her as his mate.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Emily said. “I have to meet the new police constable after all. Maybe I’ll invite her to dinner the next time the twins come home.”

“No way! You keep those chick magnets away from Laura. She’s mine,” Jonno growled, hanging up to Emily’s laughter. “Laura, I’ve finished my phone call.” Jonno raised his voice and waited for her to come running. While talking with Emily he’d come up with a plan to involve Laura. And it had better work because he needed to touch her. Badly. “Laura, are you there?”

“What do you want?”

“Someone ransacked the Miller house before me. I didn’t take the diamond necklace.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “Prove it. How do you know it was a diamond necklace? I don’t even know what’s missing.”

Jonno whipped his T-shirt over his head and took great pleasure in the way her mouth dropped open for an instant before pressing to a firm line of disapproval. Very expressive face. He couldn’t wait to see the emotions rushing across her features when he made love to her. After unlacing and toeing off his black boots and socks, he peeled his jeans down his legs. Her mouth widened to a round O. A gasp escaped, punctuated by a hoarse croak. Not a recognizable sound, so he continued, stepping out of his jeans and taking pleasure from her bemused gaze strumming across his naked body. His cock hardened and lengthened as he posed.

“See, I’m not hiding anything that shouldn’t be there.”

“Put your clothes back on,” Laura said at a screech. “Commando. I should have guessed,” she added in a fierce mutter.

“Don’t you want to do a hands-on search?” God, please say yes. He couldn’t wait to have her hands running over his body.

“No.”

“You don’t sound very certain.” Despite the urge to continue and push her with his teasing, Jonno reached for his jeans and donned them again. He’d heard a vehicle pull up outside, and Saber would likely have something to say if Emily saw him naked. He happened to like his face in its present arrangement.

“Tell me why you were at the Miller house,” Laura said, her attention drifting across his bare chest before darting to her clasped fingers.

“An interested party has asked me to investigate the robberies. I figured the Miller house would be on the list since most everyone around here has heard about the heirloom necklace with the diamond so big they call it the Miller diamond.” Jonno decided to stop teasing and return to business. He couldn’t investigate here. Maybe he could do a deal with Laura, if she wasn’t too by the book. And it would give him an opportunity to pursue his mate.