DARANA

“Don't forget Rana, your main focus should be on Caliste Titterington and nothing else. We can't afford to mess this up”. Gemma’s firm voice filtered through the invisible Bluetooth device in my ear.

“Got it” I muttered as my eyes scanned the crowd for the woman in particular. She was standing at the center in a green glittering dress that was hard to miss. Caliste Titterington. Queen of the Titterington empire as people liked to call her. Our latest victim.

“Adrika, how far up are you?”Gemma’s voice filtered through the device again.

“I'm on the fifth floor” came Adrika’s muffled response. She had managed to slip in through the back windows. I heaved a breath of relief and once again rested my gaze on Caliste.

“Okay, good,” Gemma replied. “The room you're looking for is on the far end of the hallway. I've disabled the security alarms on the door for about….. one hour. So you have one hour, Adrika. One hour to slip in and take the jewel and get out”.

“Got it," Adrika replied and I heard her muffled footsteps.” “Good luck” I whispered under my breath.

“Rana, you're next” Gemma informed and I nodded even though she couldn't see me and made my way across the room.

I grabbed a drink from a passing waiter and walked towards the elderly woman every one knew to be Caliste. A small crowd of women had gathered around her and were listening to something she was saying with animated expressions on their faces.

“……And that was how dolls were banned from my house till date” she laughed as she waved her hands in the air.

I smiled slowly and walked silently into the line of her vision while I sipped on my drink cooly. It was only a matter of seconds before she noticed me.

“You… ” she called out and all eyes turned to me. I smiled innocently at her. “Yes?”

Her eyes scanned me from hair to heels and she pointed her finger in my direction. “You're wearing the same dress as me” she said almost in disbelief and the women around her gasped, unable to believe my audacity.

I ignored them and glanced from my green glittering dress to hers that was similar and smiled. “Apparently, that's the case”.

Caliste watched me for a few minutes before she burst into laughter making a few heads turn in our direction.

She clapped her hands and wiped the tears in her eyes. “Leave us” she said and the women surrounding her scurried off.

“I know you did this to get my attention,” she said with a smile. “So spill it, what do you want?" she asked and I opened my lips to speak but she held her finger.

“Not yet. First, tell me where you got the dress. There's only one of these outfits” . She asked and I smiled and drowned the last contents of my wine. “I'll never tell”.

My response earned a laugh from her and she patted my shoulder. “What brings you to my party? We don't see the likes of you around here”.

“Likes of me?” I asked, stifling a laugh.

“Yes, all dolled up, funny yet elegant, with a hint of mystery. My grandson is going to love you. I'm sure” she said, still laughing.

“And the mistress of deception has once again fooled another unsuspecting victim” Gemma teased and I heard Adrika’s laugh over the intercom.

“Adrika, any luck yet?. Have you found the jewel?” Gemma’s impatient voice asked and I heard Adrikas groan of frustration.

“Not yet, I can't find anything in this place. Gemma, are you sure this is the room?” Adrika asked and Gemma sighed. “Yes, it's the room. Check around for a safe or something. There is no CCTV camera in the room so I can't check it out. You're all on your own Rika”. Gemma said in a resigned tone and I heard Adrika’s soft curse before silence resumed once more.

I smiled at Caliste who was still talking about a doll her grandson hated when he was little. Even at seventy she still looked younger than ever.

“…. And that was how my poor Nikky never played with dolls anymore” she finished.

“Caliste, are you telling everyone about that doll story again?. It's outdated already”. A bored voice sounded from behind her and my eyes left Caliste’s face to see the source of the sound just as Caliste moved to the side and I was awarded the view of her painstakingly handsome son. Niklaus Titterington.

The six foot two man bent forward and placed a kiss on each of Caliste’s cheeks and she smiled like a teenager.

“You're just in time. Meet the sweet young lady that has kept me company before you arrived”. She informed and Niklau’s eyes finally landed on me for the first time.

His eyes darted between our identical outfits and he raised his brow in amusement.

Caliste jabbed him in the ribs. “It was a fashion coincidence”. She grumbled and he laughed. “I didn't say anything”.

He returned his gaze to me and stretched out his hand. “I'm Niklaus Titterington”. He said softly as he watched me with calculating eyes.

I took my time to take in his features. Gray eyes, straight pointed nose, thin lips and a well defined jaw.

This was the grandson and heir to the Titterington empire. Gemma had speculated that he wasn't going to be attending the party as he was supposed to be on a business trip. So why was he here?

The night was taking a surprising turn of events. I just hoped Adrika was able to lay her hands on the jewel so I could get out of here because staying next to Niklaus whose eyes looked at me with a certain heat wasn't a good idea.

Thankfully it wasn't anything I, Darana, mistress of seduction couldn't handle.

I stretched forward my hand and watched as it got enclosed in his big warm ones.

I offered him the sweet smile I had practiced over the years that always had heads turning.

“I'm Darana”.

DARANA

“Darana” he repeated as if testing the sound of my name on his lips. My hand was still trapped in his and I slowly wriggled it out which earned a slight chuckle from him.

I glanced to my side and saw Caliste watching us with genuine interest. I blushed and tucked a loose strand that was framing my face behind my ear.

From the corner of my eye, I watched the crowd. The party was in full swing now and the guests were beginning to fill the dance floor as each couple twirled left and right.

“You should join them," Caliste urged, nudging me softly.” Go dance,” she said. I shook my head. “But I don't have a dance partner” .

“Ohhh, that's easily remedied,” she said with a laugh as she grabbed her grandson's hand and placed it in mine. “Now you have one," she said with a wink and my eyes widened. This old woman had tricked me and I had fallen right into her trap.

She was gone before I could protest and I watched as she disappeared into the crowd leaving me alone with the last person I wanted to be with.

“You don't have to dance if you don't want to”. Niklaus whispered in my ear as he slowly traced the back of my fingers.

He was right. I didn't have to do this if I didn't want to. It wasn't part of the plan. The plan was to distract Caliste and nothing else.

But if I said no, Niklaus was bound to get suspicious and that could ruin the whole plan. I decided to play along. I'd have a dance or two with him and be off to find Caliste. “Yes, that's what…”

“So, what's it going to be…..” Niklaus’s deep voice said, drawing me from my thoughts.

I smiled and looked up at him. “Dancing with you wouldn't be such a bad idea” I whispered in his ear and his smile widened.

“Good choice” he replied and led me to the dance floor. I could finally see why the Titterington empire was called an empire because the dance floor could accommodate two hundred people.

Niklaus led me through the dancing guests to the center of the room and slowly placed his hands on my waist, holding firmly. The dress was cut open at the back and feeling his warm palm on my naked flesh made me hitch a breath and I shivered slightly.

“Are you cold?” Niklaus asked softly but I could see the smirk on his face and I knew he was aware I was affected by his touch. Sly bastard.

I decided to play his game and stood on my toes placing my lips just a few inches away from his. I smiled slowly. “Not at all”.

I reached behind him and cupped his ass tightly and watched as he stiffened immediately. “Maybe you are?” I teased and pulled away.

I had just gotten few feet away from him in search of Caliste when a strong hand gripped me and pulled me back and I was pressed against a hard chest with that familiar warm hand on my back.

“It's not good manners to leave a man hanging”. Niklaus said hoarsely in my ear.

He pulled me away just enough to twirl me around him and pull me back against him. I could feel his hardness at my back and I drew in a shaky breath.

His hands trailed across my neck just as I felt his warm breath against my ear. The room had faded behind us and the air buzzed with a sexual intensity so great, it had my knees weakening.

This wasn't right. I was always in control. I had always had the attention of men in my palm so what made Niklaus so different. I wasn't waiting to find out.

“Want to go somewhere quiet?" he asked as his hands found the curve of my hips and stayed there.

“What was taking Adrika so long?” She should have gotten the jewel by now. I didn't know how much longer I could keep this up.

Niklaus turned me around and slowly closed the distance between us, his lips hovering just a few distance away from mine.

I was so sure he was going to kiss me when I heard a screeching sound through the Bluetooth device.

“I've found it,” Adrika yelled and I winced from the loud sound.

“Okay good,now get out of there” Gemma hissed. “You've wasted more than enough time”.

“I'm out already” she grumbled and I heaved a breath of relief. “Rana, that's your cue. Get out of there. I don't know what's going on there but you can't stay a minute longer”.

I looked up just in time to see Niklaus close his eyes as his lips were about to make contact with mine.

I could kiss him now or bolt for the entrance. I decided to go for the latter once I saw the guards make their way upstairs possibly to the room Adrika just stole from.

My eyes darted between Niklaus and the entrance and I sighed as I gathered my dress in my hands and stylishly disappeared through the crowd of guests.

The van was parked next to a catering service vehicle and Adrika and Gemma were already waiting.

“What the hell was that all about?” I yelled to Gemma as soon as I got close enough.

“No time. Get in the car”. She ordered and I sighed and got in, pulling my heels off once I had sunk into the leather seat.

“So did you manage to distract Caliste?”Gemma asked and I shook my head.

“I was with her grandson” I replied and her eyes widened. “Her grandson? Rana, that wasn't the fucking plan” she yelled.

“Well, if you had informed me that her grandson son would be attending the party then maybe I would have stuck to the fucking plan” I yelled back.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” she cursed as she buried her face in her hands.

“Umm, what should I do?” Reggie, our driver asked from the driver's seat.

“Fucking drive” we chorused

DARANA

“I can't believe there wasn't a single CCTV camera in that whole house”. Gemma said once we had settled in the study. The lights were dim but I could make out the thoughtful expression she had on her face.

“I would have hacked the CCTV and gained access to the whole party and see which direction the guards were coming through. It would have made Adrika’s work a whole lot easier,” she muttered.

“That just proves that the Titteringtons are into some shady kind of business," Adrika said with a shake of her head as she paced back and forth the room.

“Well, that is no longer our business because we have the jewel now” Gemma said and all six eyes landed on the jewel laying on the desk at the center of the room. It glittered softly in the dimly lit room and our eyes gleamed with greed.

“How much did you say that was worth again?” I asked, needing to confirm the value one more time.

“One million, five hundred thousand dollars” Gemma said aloud and Adrika laughed as she punched her fists in the air. “Yes!”.

“Well, it's certainly worth all the trouble we had to go through,” I whispered and Gemma nodded. “Yes, it is. We'll sell it on the black market when things cool down a bit”.

“Hmm” I nodded. “Do you think the Titteringtons would realize it's missing?” I asked and she laughed. “Of course, seeing how Caliste had showed it off during one of her live interviews, she would definitely be aware”.

Something came to my mind and I smiled before turning to face Gemma. “How did you manage to get the exact same replica of Caliste’s dress on such short notice. I wouldn't have gotten her attention any other way”.

Gemma smiled slyly and thrummed her fingers against the desk. “I got the help of a friend”.

I sensed she wasn't willing to disclose more than that so I kept my mouth shut.

“So how's the grandson like?. Is he as handsome as portrayed in the pictures?”.

“More” I found myself saying out loud before I could process it. Gemma laughed and Adrika groaned at the back of the room.

My mind strayed to the man who had occupied a portion of my thoughts since I left the party and I sighed. “Maybe I need to get laid” I muttered as I reached for the glass of champagne in front of me and downed the contents in one gulp.

“Is it that bad?” Adrika asked from the far corner of the room and I nodded. “He almost kissed me. More like he would have, if I hadn't bolted the moment he closed his eyes” I said as I imagined the look on his face once he realized I had disappeared. I closed the thought off immediately.

“Damn,” Gemma whispered. “Too bad you'll never see him again”.

“Yeah” I replied back. “Too bad”.

But even as I closed my eyes on my bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about those gray eyes and how good it might have felt if I had stayed back to kiss Niklaus Titterington.

I guess I'd never know.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning Reggie” I chirped happily as I walked into the kitchen.

I plopped down on the barstool and grabbed a sandwich from the counter.

“Hey, that's mine” Reggie grumbled and I stuck my tongue out at him. “Go make another one. I'm starving”.

He shook his head and opened the cabinet, taking a bottle of ketchup and walking back to me.

“Don't you have something to do today? Maybe another jewel to steal?” He asked and I snickered.

“If I did, you wouldn't be here. You're our driver, remember?”

He muttered something under his breath and started making another sandwich. I smiled and ate the last remains of my sandwich.

“Are you and Reggie yapping again this early morning?” Gemma asked in a bored tone as she took a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Why aren't you wearing your glasses?” I asked, ignoring her question. She looked different without those professor glasses she was always putting on.

“That's because she's wearing contacts you dummy” Reggie snapped without taking his eyes off the sandwich he was making.

“Gemma, when do we get to fire Reggie?”I asked with an agitated pout on my lips and she sighed as she took a seat next to me.

“As soon as we find a mad ass driver that's faster than him” she explained and I rolled my eyes as Reggie laughed out loud.

“Trust me, you guys are never going to find a driver like me”. He boasted.

“You'll never find a driver like me” I mimicked, making a ugly face and Gemma laughed while Reggie’s expression turned sour.

“Guess what? You'll never get to eat this sandwich” I yelled as I grabbed the sandwich he had just finished making with a speed similar to a flash of lightning and bolted out of the kitchen.

I smiled to myself as I heard his strings of curses and Gemma’s booming laugh resonating through the kitchen walls.

With my sandwich in hand I hummed a happy tune as I walked through the hall in search of Adrika.

I frowned when I stepped into her room and found out she wasn't there. Where could she have gone?.

We had made it very mandatory to stay low for a few days after the heist, meaning we couldn't go out even if we wanted to, so why was Adrika breaking that rule?

Shrugging my shoulders, I hopped to my own room but stormed out few minutes later. I couldn't take it anymore. I was so bored. Maybe I could go check out the library downtown. It was quiet and low key. I wasn't going to arouse any suspicion there.

I changed into loose fitting pants and put on a beige baggy top—packing my hair in a loose bun and tying a scarf around it.

Wearing my most comfortable sneakers, I snuck out of the house and was out in the street in no time.

I smiled to myself as I walked down the few blocks that led to the library. I had just rounded a corner when a black sedan jeep pulled up in front of me causing me to halt in my tracks.

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself. I was just about to maneuver my way around it when the doors burst open revealing the last person I wanted to see.

My eyes darted back and forth seeking an escape route when his voice echoed through the driveway, chilling my spine.

“I'd suggest you get in, Miss Darana Ashcroft”.

My eyes widened at the full mention of my name.

How did he know my name?