sneak someone inside.
“Haven, you need a fabulous dress for this,” Gia said. “Let’s get searching.”
Haven tried on another dress that Gia had picked. She was standing in a large, plush change room in Nordstrom.
The long, black, slinky dress was nice, but not the one.
“Here.” Gia stuck her head through the curtain, holding another dress.
“Hey, I’m naked here.” Haven was only in her panties.
“I’ve seen it all before. And I have boobs, too.”
With a snort of amusement, Haven took the dress and Gia disappeared again. This one was a gorgeous, deep-green silk. She pulled it on.
Ooh.
It was a long, liquid column, with tiny spaghetti straps that crisscrossed into a complicated design at the back. The color was beautiful. Gia had a good eye.
Her friend’s head reappeared and her eyes widened. “Stunning. I knew that color would look good on you.”
Haven had never done this before. Her mom had died when Haven was young, and she’d never had someone to giggle with over clothes. “Thanks, G.”
Gia blew her a kiss.
A second later, Rhys slid through the curtain into the change room.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be in here.” She met his gaze in the mirror.
His big body moved in behind her. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, and those tattooed, muscled forearms made her want to weep with need.
His hot gaze ran over her slowly, setting off tingles through every part of her.
“Rhys,” she breathed.
He pushed right up behind her and dropped a kiss to her shoulder. She watched them in the mirror.
His hand touched her thigh, and slid her dress slowly upward. His lips moved to her neck, his tongue touching the mark he’d left there.
Oh, God.
Haven was on fire in an instant. His hand slid up under the dress, and a second later into her panties.
“I don’t want anyone to see you in this dress.” He found her clit and rolled it.
Haven writhed and bit her lip.
“They will,” he continued. “But no one will see you like this. No one will touch you like me.”
Her belly filled with liquid heat, her legs felt like jelly. Then he pulled his hand away and she made a small cry.
“Uh-uh. You’re teasing me in all these sexy dresses, so no orgasm for you.”
She ground her ass against the hardening bulge in his trousers. “Rhys.”
He dropped the dress and it fell to her feet again. He gripped her hips. “Be good, naughty girl. You can be naughty later. Saxon’s here to discuss things about a different case. I’ll be outside.”
He slid out of the change room and Haven let out a shuddering breath. God.
Gia reappeared. “You need the right underwear to wear under that fabulous dress, and to drive a certain Norcross brother wild.” She hung a multitude of scraps of silk and lace on the hooks on the wall.
“Thanks.” Haven studied the lingerie and smiled. She’d get her own revenge on Rhys.
The curtain twitched again. “Oh no, Rhys, you’re not—”
Leo stepped inside.
Haven gasped. “You can’t be here.”
His nose was swollen and he had bruises under one eye. “Haven, please—”
“Just leave me alone, Leo.”
He drew in a shuddering breath. “I know you don’t want to see me, but I do love you.”
“If Rhys sees you, he’ll take you down. He’s not a big fan of yours.”
Leo’s face twisted. “That dress for him?”
“No, it’s for me. So I can sneak into a fancy party and find the painting that you had stolen from my museum.”
Leo’s face darkened. “Haven, look—”
The curtain wrenched open. All Haven saw was Rhys’ hard face, Saxon standing behind him.
Oh, shit. “Rhys—”
Her cry was cut off as Rhys grabbed Leo and yanked him out of the cubicle.
Leo yelled, and Rhys shoved him to the ground.
“Don’t hit me,” Leo cried.
“Rhys,” Saxon warned.
Haven raced out and saw startled, half-dressed women all looking out from the change rooms.
“Rhys.” She hurried forward. “He’s not worth it. Please.”
Rhys shifted back, and wrapped an arm around her. Saxon stepped forward and pressed a knee to Leo’s back. “Don’t move.”
“I’m sorry for everything,” Leo spluttered. “I wanted to try to make it better. I wanted to tell you that I have a lead on the painting. They found a guy to authenticate it. I know who he is.”
“God, I can’t believe this!” Anger spurted inside Haven.
Rhys tugged her back. “Stand down.” He looked at Leo. “Name.”
“Arthur Irvine.”
Haven gasped. “But Mr. Irvine’s a lovely old man. He’s retired.”
“He does off-the-books jobs,” Leo said.
“I think Becker needs a visit to our holding rooms.” Saxon yanked him up.
Gia appeared. “What is—?”