To Touch a Thief (An Everly Gray Novella) Read Free

showed me enough about her relationship with her parents that I understood where it came from. I hadn’t shared the images with Mitch. Too much like trespassing, especially since Jayne didn’t believe I had ESP fingertips. Sometimes she pretended to believe, but I figured it was only to pacify Mitch.  
    Jayne moved away from their table, a few steps closer to me. She probably planned to sneak out the side door and avoid me, but it backfired. The shift in her location coincided perfectly with a brief lull in the restaurant din, making it possible for her words to carry in the fragrant air. “I’ll leave it to you to persuade Everly to do the right thing.”
    My heart stumbled, skipped a beat. I’d seen her arrest on the news, but knew it was bogus, because, seriously, Jayne? Was she trying to drag Mitch and me into her web of deceit?
    I focused on his mouth. “You owe me big for this one, Jayne.” At least I thought that was what he said. Damn, but this situation tempted me to chase after Jayne and touch her.  
    The bartender nudged the white bakery box in my direction. “Go talk to your man. See what’s up.”
    “Yeah. Heading that way. Thanks for holding the cannoli for me.”  
    I plastered a smile on my face and slalomed my way between tables until I reached Mitch.  
    He scraped his chair back and then pulled me into a hug, being careful not to crush the box. “You got cannoli in there, Sunshine. I can smell it. So, that means we’re having dessert tonight, right?”
    I brushed my lips across his cheek. “It was supposed to be a surprise.” I sat, not trusting my legs to support me. “I didn’t know you were having dinner with Jayne.”  
    “Neither did I. Last minute deal after I bailed her out of jail.” He didn’t look at me, not even a glance.
    My fingers itched to touch him.  
    A server sidled over and handed me a napkin-wrapped roll of silverware and a menu. “Can I bring you something to drink?”  
    I handed back the menu. “A glass of the house pinot noir, please. I’ll share his dinner.”
    The server headed for the bar, and Mitch slid his plate of sausage ragout toward me with a grin. “Pretty sure of yourself.”  
    “Yup. What’d Jayne want?” I unwrapped my silverware and forked a bite of his favorite pasta dish into my mouth. Delectable spices held my complete attention, until he sidestepped the question.  
    “Uh.” He stuffed a bite of sausage in his mouth.
    My stomach clenched. I put my fork down and reached for him, but he caught my wrist before my fingers made contact. “I want to tell you. Talk to you, but not here. Then you can touch me and check out the images. Okay?”
    A shiver rippled around my heart, but his voice was sincere and his gaze didn’t waver. “Yeah. Fine.” I tucked my trepidation aside and dug into the ragout. No point going toe-to-toe   on an empty stomach with whatever trouble Jayne created. Especially since she was using Mitch as her spokesman.  
     
    I curled my bare toes against the cold terra cotta tiles. I really had to buy a throw rug for in front of the kitchen sink or I’d develop a permanent crick in my feet. And I needed to stop ignoring Mitch’s plea that I help Jayne and give him a straight answer—even though he wasn’t going to like it.  
    “I don’t do séances, Mitch. I mean, seriously, I don’t do séances.” I arranged the cannoli on a plate and put it on the kitchen table with a stack of napkins. Staring into his eyes, I tried to determine what he was really thinking, and damn if the usual chocolate brown shade hadn’t turned into the solid, dark variety. Not good.
    “It’s a fundraiser for cats, Sunshine. And your touch thing would give you an advantage.” He rubbed the back of my hand with gentle, soothing strokes.
    “No.” I pulled my hand away. “Yeesh. What could you possibly be thinking? I have enough trouble managing my life with the things my fingertips get into on an ordinary day. Why would I open