Kat Burglar

By Merri Hiatt

Katrina Johnson was in love, with diamonds. Specifically, diamonds that sang to her. Once she heard their enchanting song, she simply had to have them, even if they didn't belong to her.

Mason Bridges knew Kat's actions well. He ought to, he'd spent the better part of two years trying to catch her in the act of stealing diamonds and arrest her.

Neither were looking for love, least of all with each other.

Will Mason be able to set Katrina up and send her to jail or will Kat have a change of heart and realize love is the greatest jewel she could ever own?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Merri Hiatt
• Release date: Aug 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466198920

Merri Hiatt

Merri Hiatt grew up in a small town near Shasta Valley in Northern California. Upon moving to the Pacific Northwest in Washington state, Merri fell in love with the mountains, ocean, rain and lush greenery. Merri credits her high school creative writing teacher with giving her the nudge to pursue writing. BOOKS WRITTEN BY MERRI HIATT: PROPOSAL SERIES: Sweet Proposal, Jaded Proposal (coming soon!), Midnight Proposal (coming soon!); LOVE IN THE AIR TRILOGY: Runway Romance, Love on the Fly (Passion at 30,000 Feet coming soon); SEASONS OF LOVE SERIES: Summer Love, Autumn Love, Winter Love, Spring Love; CELEBRATING LOVE TRILOGY: 14 Love Letter Lane, 21 Romance Way, 28 Passion Boulevard; EMBRACING LOVE TRILOGY: When Love's at Work, When Love's at Home, When Love's at Play, When Love's on Vacation (Sequel one), When Love's Gone Country (Sequel two); MANGADARTH TRILOGY: Marayah's Return, City Reborn, My Mother's Eyes; Kat Burglar, a romance novella; Mama Lives in My Hair, a short story about life and death; Sarah and the Magic Beans, a short story about magic and hope; The Magical Christmas Cookies, a short story about hope; Santa Hates Seattle, a short story about hope and second chances; Puddle of Poetry (sixty-two poems from sassy to sensitive to serious); Food So Good, You'll Never Know It's Good For You, 11 Recipes and Tips; and Potato Chip Princess, a young adult short story. Visit Merri's website at http://merrihiatt.com Merri states: "I am a lover of all emotions. They swim and spin around my head with abandon. What fun to let the words these feelings bring forth play along my tongue and whisper into the still of the night. When I capture them on paper, it is a joy and one of my favorite ways to spend time."

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Kat Burglar

By Merri Hiatt

Copyright 2011 Merri Hiatt

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

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Cover photo credit: Fuse/Fuse (RF)/Jupiterimages

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This book is dedicated to all the women

who secretly wish for a happy ending.

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Chapter One

Were they singing? Katrina thought she could feel them calling to her through the glass window. She pressed her fingers against the pane and leaned closer. Her pulse quickened. They glittered, they gleamed. Shiny brilliant sparks of light dancing in the echo of January’s morning sun.

Diamonds, oh how she loved diamonds. On her fingers, around her neck, encircling her wrists, dangling from her earlobes, wrapped in her hair. She never researched them. Didn’t know which ones were worth more than another. Kat knew what she liked. They spoke to her in lilting tones and soothing rhythms. None of the beauties displayed in the window were singing to her, though.

It was too bad she had to keep her treasures stashed away. Private. Secret. No one could know that she fantasized about finding them, then stealing them. They would call her thief, robber, criminal, burglar.

It wasn’t a new obsession. She’d had it since the day she was born. Why it was specifically diamonds she didn’t know. What she did know was that the thrill that shot down her spine when a particular diamond sang to her could not be denied.

It’s beautiful isn’t it? A woman with blonde tresses intruded on her thoughts. They were the same height, but that was the only similarity. Three-inch pink strappy sandals, a strawberry colored handbag and a beige demeanor met Kat’s eyes.

Yes. I’d like to steal them all.

You and me both, the woman replied with a toss of her hair, exposing a slim diamond encrusted necklace lacing her neckline.

Kat’s mouth went dry and her heart began pumping wildly. A gentle caress of melody seemed to run along the surface of her skin. Her body strained with the infusion of want and need.

That’s a lovely necklace you’re wearing, Katrina said.

The woman fingered the jewelry absently. My husband bought this for me a few years ago for Valentine’s Day.

Lucky woman.

I want that one, the woman said, pointing toward an emerald, ruby and diamond bracelet in the storefront display.

Kat’s eyes never strayed from the object of her current desire. The sound was intensifying. She could feel the heat spread from her core all the way to her fingertips, the rhythm skipping along her veins.

May I try it on? Kat asked.

What? the woman asked, reluctantly moving her eyes from the bracelet to Katrina.

Your necklace, may I try it on?

Appreciating the compliment, the woman released the clasp, removed the necklace and said, Turn around.

Kat complied, finding it impossible to hide her excitement. When the woman draped the diamonds around her neck, Katrina felt dizzy. Her breath was coming quickly and she felt the euphoria sweep over her body, inciting her senses to soar higher.

Instinctively, her hand sprang upward to touch the cool stones. She turned toward the windowpane so she could see their reflection.

It suits you, the woman said.

Kat didn’t hear her words. The world had slid from view. All she saw were heavenly pieces of gleaming stars. And they were hers. Not yet, though. She needed to focus. Create the diversion quickly.

That man! Katrina yelled, turning around swiftly and pointing across the busy street. Did you see him steal that woman’s purse?

No! the woman exclaimed, turning to follow Kat’s gaze. Where did he go? She searched the other side of the street, trying to peer through the unusually thick traffic. I don’t see anyone, she said, then turned toward Kat once again.

Wha… the woman’s mouth hung open in mid-air. She surveyed the sidewalk and surrounding stores. Her necklace, and the woman wearing it, had vanished.

By the time the woman noticed Kat was gone, she was in her safety zone on the South side of the bookstore heading for the parking garage on Ninth Street. She was in the enviable position of being far enough way not to be seen, but close enough to enjoy the thrill of the possibility of getting caught.

The metro bus heading toward High Street Mall pulled up and Kat boarded. She sat in the third seat on the left, next to an elderly woman who was diligently knitting what looked like booties for a baby. The women exchanged a nod of greeting.

Are those for a grandchild? Kat inquired.

Why, yes, they are. My daughter-in-law is due to have her baby in about a month. Can’t let the little one’s feet get cold now can we?

No, we certainly can’t, Kat agreed.

That’s a beautiful necklace you’re wearing, the woman said.

Thank you. My husband gave it to me a few years ago on Valentine’s Day.

It took all of Kat’s willpower not to let her fingers run across the string of diamonds surrounding her neck. The high usually lasted about three hours. During that time she was the happiest she’d ever been. No, that wasn’t really true. She felt most alive and happy when she was anticipating stealing diamonds.

The bus came to a stop to unload and load passengers. Kat exited and walked the eight blocks to her tenth floor apartment overlooking Lake Cassidy. She wasn’t sure why they called it a lake as it was more like a pond

Kat grabbed her mail out of her mailbox without bothering to look at it and headed toward the elevator. Once in her apartment, she tossed the mail onto the sofa and then headed for the full-length mirror in her bedroom.

Her eyes went directly to her neckline. Now that she was alone. she could squeal and let the rush of emotion flood her senses. Kat danced around playfully, watching the light reflect off the diamonds. It caused shimmering waves of sparkles to flash.

She began the strip tease slowly, deliberately. She wanted nothing to touch her flesh, except the diamonds. A pile of clothing lay scattered around her as she moved to the rhythm of this specific piece of jewelry. She had come to know that each item had its own spirit and soul. When her celebration was coming to a close, Kat headed to her walk-in closet. She bent down and carefully lifted the edge of the carpet stuffed snugly in the South corner. It pulled up easily with the fishing line hook she had attached to one section.

Once the carpet was pulled back and moved to the side, exposing a hole in the flooring and an ornate wooden box, Kat was able to retrieve the treasure box. She lifted it out, replaced the carpeting and went to sit on the bed.

Kat opened the lid and let her eyes caress the contents. There were 27 items in her collection. She remembered the story behind each and every one with vivid clarity. She wrapped bracelets around her wrists and ankles, placed rings on her fingers, clasped necklaces around her neck and draped her ears with dangling diamonds.

She laid back on her ecru waffle weave comforter and rested her head on her goose down pillows. She lifted the box high above her body then tipped it, allowing the rest of the jewels to tumble out onto her bare skin.

The feeling was sensual and intoxicating. Her hands roamed down her form, stopping briefly to squeeze the tender swell of her breasts. Her nipples were hard and ached to be pressed between a lover’s firm lips. Kat continued following the curve of her body down to her center. She delved inside her moist cavern and felt a hot flush spread across her skin. This was the sensation, the same one she felt when a diamond whispered to her soul.

With one hand exploring the curves of her body and one hand on her newly acquired diamond necklace, Kat moaned with pleasure. The jewelry that had tumbled out of the box had fallen onto her stomach and then slid to wedge themselves between her backside and the bedding. Knowing the source, Kat enjoyed the pain. It felt good. It felt right. She climaxed with the cool gems gleaming against her supple skin.

Kat didn’t know how long she laid there, lost in contented bliss. It was the pain in her lower back that finally urged her to change positions. She gathered up all the diamonds and carefully placed them back in their designated holders. Each one had a special location in the treasure chest.

With a slight sigh, she removed the final piece of jewelry -- the diamond necklace she had recently stolen -- number 28. She put it in one of the velvet-lined cubbyholes and then closed the lid.

Kat replaced the treasure chest in its secret compartment and then threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She left the clothes she discarded earlier where she had removed them. She’d pick them up later.

Back in the living room, she grabbed her mail and made herself comfortable on the sofa. Bill, junk, advertisement, bill, advertisement, junk, junk… Kat scowled when she saw the handwriting on