I breathed in slowly through my stuffy nose, thinking about the people I would hurt if I said anything. "If I tell you, innocent people will pay for my stupidity."

He moved away and turned another chair around so he straddled it, the bulge in his jeans still evident. The fact that he looked entirely too good sitting that way made me feel warm all over. There was something seriously wrong with me. No guy had ever affected me this way. If you added the situation into the mix, it was pure insanity to notice what he looked like. But hell was he hot.

He interfered with my dreamy thoughts. "You should have considered the consequences before you broke into my house."

The words brought me back to reality and shame replaced the desire to run my fingers across his perfect abs. I couldn't control my stuttered response. "I did consider them just-just not this one." I looked away but quickly turned back. "I'd rather go to jail."

His intense glare almost burned through me. "I told you that's not an option." He continued, but his gritted teeth made the words harsher. "Will the burglaries stop if you go to jail?"

I squeezed my eyes closed, praying for some type of intervention, but when I opened them he continued to scowl at me.

I was so screwed, but I answered honestly. "No, they won't stop. But if I tell you the truth, my sister and brother will be the ones to pay. They're only kids. It doesn't matter what you do to me, I can't say anything."

He remained quiet for several long minutes.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Maybe I was getting through to him. "The only thing I have to worry about now-" I pulled the towel tighter across my chest, "is causing danger to my sister and brother."

"What if I have the balls moved to another location?"

I took a moment to think about it. "That might work as long as you made a big deal and got some media attention."

He scratched the scruffy stubble on his face. "Why would someone want my balls?" His sexy grin flashed. "To me they're priceless, but really each one isn't worth more than a few grand, if that."

They had to be worth a lot more. The price offered for them was three times that much.

"You're lying."

His eyes hardened. "Why would I lie? I don't think you believed me when I said I would keep you in that chair naked until you start talking."

He stood and picked up the tape again.

This was it. I gave him a resigned look knowing I could do nothing. I couldn't spill any more information.

He took the cloth out of my hand and laid it on the counter. When he secured my hand to the chair, I refused to look up. The towel slipped off, baring my chest. He unsnapped the top of my shorts before slitting the very bottom of the corner seam with the knife. I didn't flinch or say a word, only closed my eyes in resignation.

"Fuck. You're not going to talk are you?"

I opened my eyes and his face was only inches from mine. Completely defeated, I whispered, "I can't."

He grabbed the towel and tossed it over my chest again. He'd been bluffing. I let out a huge breath and watched him leave the room. He returned a few minutes later wearing a shirt and carrying sweatpants and a t-shirt. He cut the tape and waited for me to peel it completely off my skin.

"Put these on."

I put the shirt on first, slipped my tennis shoes off, and pulled the pants over my shorts. They were too big, but I didn't care. They covered me. After slipping my shoes on, I watched as he grabbed keys out of a small basket on the counter.

"I'm taking you to the address on your I.D. card. Is that where you live?"

He couldn't be serious. "Yes, it's where I live, but I don't understand."

He rubbed his hand over his chin. "According to your I.D., you're twenty years old. I don't think felony breaking and entering is your only gig or you'd have a criminal record. I have no idea why my balls are so popular at the moment, but even though they mean a lot to me, I'm not sending you to jail because of them."

I couldn't help the small, relieved half-laugh half-cry that escaped my lips.

His gaze softened. "Do you think my balls are safe while we're gone?"

I couldn't help when my eyes dropped to his crotch. "Probably not."

He barked out a laugh. "Well then, we'll just take them with us."

After he gathered his Plexiglas-encased autographed balls, he placed them in a shoebox. I followed him out to his car in a daze. He opened my door, but stopped me from getting in with a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Reed Tyler."

"I know who you are." I said using my bitchy voice. I exhaled. I wasn't out of danger of going to jail yet, so I tried again. "Sorry. I'm Jaycee Shumway."

He released me and walked around, folding himself into the driver's seat. I wasn't sure what type of a car this was, but I knew it was expensive. The engine roared loudly and the tires screeched when he pulled out of the driveway into the street.

"How did you get to my house?"

"The bus."

"You took a bus to my house to rob me?"

I turned without answering and looked out the side window.

He didn't give it a rest. "I wasn't aware there were any bus stops near here."

"I walked the rest of the way. Why are you doing this?"

His voice went lower. "Taking you home?"

"Yes, taking me home, not calling the police, being nice?"

A small chuckle escaped him. "I wasn't feeling nice a while ago, but I have a question for you."

I knew he would ask me 'who' again, so I didn't say anything. He surprised me, though.

"Why?"

I didn't hesitate. "For the money."

"If burglary's the way you make your living, you're not very good at it."

I couldn't help my snarky reply. "It was my first time, but I'm sure I'll get better with practice."

"That's a scary thought. You might want to try a real job." Condemnation dripped from his voice.

Anger laced mine. "I do have a real job. I work at Tasty Burger."

His laughter exploded into the car. I tried not to let it hurt my pride. After being stripped practically naked by him, I had very little left. He didn't say anything until we entered my section of town. The rundown houses were actually considered the upper-class area. Five minutes later, I told him to pull into a small, decrepit trailer park.

"You live here?"

"Yes. It's the fifth one on the right."

The travel trailer was dark and there were no streetlights, so the entire area looked sinister. Who was I kidding? It was sinister and that's why I almost landed in jail.

The car stopped and he turned off the loud engine. My hand went to the door handle as I looked at his profile. "I still don't understand why you did this, but thank you."

The headlights were still on and Reed looked out through the windshield. I followed the direction of his gaze and saw my little sister's cat pacing in front of the trailer door.

"Umm, that's Don Gato."

"Is he yours?"

"My sister's."

He wasn't good at hiding the shock in his voice. "You live here with your parents?"

"No." We lived in a one-room travel trailer and it was nothing to be proud of. "I'm the only mother she has."

"How old is she?"

"Six."

His head jerked in my direction. Though I couldn't see his face in the dark, I could hear the censure in his voice. "You left your six-year-old sister here while you were out committing a felony?"