The Heart Heist Read Online Free

powerful build. In the man's fingers was a cigarette. He shifted the thing restlessly, dexterously, as though it were a magic trick. But his eyes remained steady; brown, dark, and very intelligent.
    "So pleased to meet you," Marty Simmons gushed, pumping Kerrin's hand. "I suppose they told you. I'm Gary's parole officer."
    "No. No one told me." No one had told her a lot of things, Kerrin thought. God. If the convict had been monstrous, twisted, drooling mad saliva -- she would have been prepared. But he wasn't. On the contrary, the man was... attractive . His face, like his brown hair, was bronzed by the sun, his features clear and regular, except for his nose. That was gently blunted at the end, as though someone had lightly pressed a finger there while the clay was still wet.
    And he was a man. No doubt about that. Just sitting there, perfectly still but for those restless fingers, he radiated a visceral, sexual quality that stunned Kerrin.
    "True, this isn't exactly a parole matter," Marty continued. His enthusiastic smile started to fade. "But, uh, I suppose they couldn't think of anyone more appropriate to call."
    After her first glance at the prisoner, Kerrin desperately switched her gaze to the parole officer. The prisoner, on the other hand, didn't appear to have any problem staring at her. She could sense his gaze travelling, very slowly, down the length of her.
    "It is a rather unusual situation, isn't it?" Kerrin addressed Marty Simmons. Squirming, she could only guess what the prisoner saw. Her figure wasn't very feminine to begin with and she'd dressed in a primly cut pantsuit with a high-necked blouse.
    Unusual , he seemed to agree as he lifted both hands to take a long, thoughtful drag on his cigarette. He had to raise both hands because they were joined at the wrist with a metal handcuff.
    Handcuffs!
    Shocked, her gaze crashed into his. His eyes were cold and hard, though something flickered briefly behind them.
    "That isn't nice." The voice was Marty's. He'd turned and apparently caught the prisoner's perusal. The parole officer's smile was now replaced by a far more genuine scowl. "What did I tell you, Gary?"
    Gary's reply was to lift a shoulder. An awkward beat of silence followed.
    "Well," Kerrin said, in what she meant to be a hearty tone. She was shaking, she realized in disgust, physically trembling. It was the handcuffs. Somehow the idea of locking a man's limbs in cold metal disturbed her. Which was stupid. The man was in maximum security. Of course he wore handcuffs. Trying to look confident, she made herself turn to him. "So, you're Gary Sullivan."
    "And you're the lady mayor." His voice was low, slightly rasping. For some reason it carried a hint of amusement, as though the fact he'd just stated were funny.
    "I am the mayor of Freedom," Kerrin agreed, and didn't find this fact the least bit humorous. "I suppose you know what I'm doing here?"
    He glanced down at his cigarette and raised his eyebrows. "I was told you had some problems with my future line of employment."
    "I-- Well, yes I do." There was no shame in admitting it. But he made her feel ashamed, somehow. How ridiculous. He was the criminal. "Though the blame really lies with the Department of Water and Power," Kerrin generously allowed. "I don't see why they couldn't have found someone, well, legitimate to do this work for them."
    His dark eyes shot up to her. "Legitimate?"
    "Someone..." not like you . "Someone with credentials."
    A corner of his mouth kicked up. "Honey, I've got the best credentials there are."
    Marty seemed to want to interject here, but Gary silenced him with a brusque wave of his fingers. "You want to hear about them?" he asked Kerrin.
    He was up to something . What, Kerrin couldn't say. She hadn't counted on intelligence from the prisoner's quarter, but it was clear he had plenty of it. Crossing her arms over her chest, she did her best to look tough. "I'm listening."
    "Gary." Frowning, Marty took a seat beside the