Page 10 of Sticky Fingers

Chapter Four

Sonia

With adrenalinestill coursing through my veins, I start moving around the apartment like I’m on speed mode.

I head straight to the secret compartment I set up on my bedroom wall. Behind the wall is a steel-enforced safe with a lock that requires a ten-digit code to unlock. The safe is water-proof, fire-proof, smoke-proof, and any other proof it needs to be.

After all, that’s where I hide everything I steal.

The keypad beeps with each number pressed and gives a whoosh of soft air with a barely audible click as the door opens.

I slide the Picasso painting in, and it fits perfectly in the safe with room to spare. Once I’m sure the painting is safe from harm, I gently close the door and put the wall panel back in place to hide the safe once more.

Mission accomplished.

Stretching my back, I get ready to take off my clothes.

Even though it isn’t something you’d wear on a night out, I love this outfit…not just because it helps me blend in with the shadows but also because of the way it hugs me in all the right places. It accentuates all my assets and curves, making me feel damn sexy and confident.

Because Iamsexy and confident.

I toss the mask onto the bed, lift the shirt up and toss that too, and then sit on the mattress to get my boots off. They’re knee high, practical, and have a zipper. The zippers growl as I pull them down my legs.

I take off my boots and stand up once more to peel off the tight leather pants.

Standing in the middle of my room, now in nothing but a black lacy bra and matching thong, I glance at my reflection in the full-length mirror with a smirk, and I do a little shimmy.

Yeah, I’m hot without the clothes, too.

After gathering each piece of the outfit, I stuff them into a box I keep at the back of my closet, and then I slide it into a secret partition.

As I make my way out to the kitchen, still dressed in nothing but my underwear, the sexy mysterious man from before pops up in my mind.

I can’t seem to forget about him, and that’s a first for me. I don’t even think twice about the men I date, let alone some random stranger. I mean, this guy chased after me and he failed.

End of story, right? At least it should be.

I sigh as I pull a bottle of wine from the fridge, followed by a wine glass out of a cupboard. The white wine pours smoothly into the glass, and when I take a sip it slides down my throat like cool silk.

I have to admit…whoever that guy was, he was pretty badass. No man has ever been a match for me, and he came so close. Besides, being chased like that was kind of…exhilarating.

In fact, it was fucking amazing…even if it threw a slight kink in my plans.

Always be prepared, though—that’s my motto and likely the only reason I outran him. After all, I had an escape route that would get me out of there no matter what. Although I’m that damn good, I’ll give the man a little credit.

The bastard really came close.

Walking back to my room, I take another sip of wine. My body is still thrumming with adrenaline from the heist, but there’s…something more. Something wicked.

Thinking about Mr. Hot Stuff now turns me on quicker than anything else. He was sexy, powerful, and skilled.

And the way he looked at me, as if he wanted to take over my mind, body, and soul…well, what can I say? Somehow, I don’t think I’ve ever met a man like him.

I unlock the safe and take out the painting. I sit on the bed to admire it.

It really is a beautiful painting. But as beautiful as it is, that’s not the reason it has captivated my attention.

No.