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Oh shit. My gaze zipped back to her face. She looked guilty as hell, like a burglar who’d just been caught in the act of breaking and entering.
“What the hell?” I said.
Chapter 6
Hayden
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“I—You—This...” Gabby fumbled a moment before looking at the sack in her hands and gulping in miserable guilt.
“What’s in there?” I demanded, setting my hands on my hips. “You didn’t steal anything, did you?”
“I…” Her eyes were huge as they veered back to me. Then she bobbed her head up and down in confirmation as if her body was answering me without her permission, even as she whispered, “No.”
“You little thief,” I accused softly, striding toward her. This was why I stayed away from women and relationships. Being attracted to someone didn’t make them decent or honest or worth the price of your thoughts. It just made you lose your stupid head and want things you shouldn’t.
“What the fuck did you steal?”
“Nothing!” she screeched.
She didn’t try to dodge away from me until I’d nearly reached her, which was why she was too late when she finally gasped and veered backward, trying to escape me.
I leapt forward and caught her wrist all too easily.
“What—” she started when I hooked an arm around her waist and tugged her flush against me. “Hey, watch it, buddy.”
“What’s in the bag?”
“Let me go.” Struggling to break free, she growled and twisted, but I wasn’t about to lose this match. Locking my arm tight, I reached past her for the sack to see for myself what was inside. I couldn’t believe I’d been daydreaming about a freaking thief.
The wildcat fought back and tried to hold her sack out away from me, except my arm was longer than hers, and it took nothing for me to also gain possession of it.
“No!” She looked up at me, her eyes big and brown, full of fear but also steely determination. “It’s nothing, I swear.”
Just as stubborn and determined as she, I arched an eyebrow. “Nothing, huh?” I tugged and pulled the bag closer. “Then why can’t you show me what’s in there?”
“It’s nothing important!” she cried desperately. “Nothing worth anything, anyway. Please.” She clamped her other hand over mine, refusing to give up her hold.
Pausing at the word please and the frantic way she held on to me, trying to salvage her possessions instead of breaking free and making a mad dash to save herself, I studied her face, momentarily sucked into her beauty.
Shaking her head, she insisted, “I would never take anything valuable.”
But she’d definitely taken something.
My gaze ran down her body. She was so stunning it hurt my throat to breathe when I looked at her. And, in that gown—
I shook my head and gritted my teeth. “And what exactly do you consider valuable? The dress you’re wearing is easily worth fifteen hundred.”
“Dollars?” she wheezed, her eyes growing large. “Holy shit. Who in their right mind would pay that much for a freaking dress?” Looking down at herself, she started to take a step back as if to distance herself from the dress, except it moved with her. Since she was wearing it.
I used that moment of distraction to claim her sack from her, but she felt my attempts and snapped her gaze up.
“No!” she cried again, resisting and pulling the bag back.
But there was no breaking free of me. No matter how much she tugged, she couldn’t get me to loosen my hold, either.
“Let go,” I commanded.
