“I was thinning the hellebore when I saw a woman in an oversize suit jacket and a fedora trying to throw a rope into a window two stories high to rescue her friend in the dark and rain. I've traveled all over the world and I've seen many things, but I've never seen anything like that. And then the alarm went off and she didn't run. She didn't give up. She refused to leave her friend and tried to scale a sheer brick wall with her bare hands. I didn't know love and loyalty like that existed. I only knew what it meant to be alone. I had to meet her."
"We didn't meet," I said. "You grabbed me and dragged me into the bushes."
"That's what you do when you find the love of your life," he said.
"You love me?"
His voice was soft as he turned away. "I think I loved you from the moment you threw that rope.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“There are people who need people, and then there are introverts.
You don't get to choose that particular personality trait when you're born. You're either the kid who spends recess running around the playground looking for friends, or you're the little angel who sits quietly in the reading corner with a book, lost in another world.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“In heist movies, there's always a montage of scenes where the caper crew rehearses for the big day. The greaser person practices maneuvering through a mock laser beam field made up of string. The driver races through obstacle courses, back alleys, and dark city streets. The hacker pounds on her keyboard, staring at screens full of code. The gadget person demonstrates all their clever toys. The key master practices opening a safe. The muscle finds a few security guards to knock unconscious and wrestles guard dogs to the ground. The inside person seduces or befriends the target and gets them to spill their secrets. And the leader organizes it all with the help of her second-in-command.
At least, that's the way it works in the movies. In real life, with a bunch of newbs who are scraping by with low-paying jobs, inflexible hours, difficult bosses, and a bunch of side gigs to make ends meet, just organizing a rehearsal heist was one hell of a task.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“You haven't been yourself lately." Nikhil shook his head and sighed. "You've gone off the rails. We just want you to go back to being who you were--- sweet, good, quiet, respectful. Listen to the people who know what's best for you."
"Shut up, Nikhil." I was sick of him and his officious, condescending attitude, sick of him thinking he knew anything about me. Where was he when I was struggling at school? Where was he when I needed a big brother, or even a friend? "Why are you here anyway?"
"To make sure you do the right thing."
"And that would be what? Telling the head of a Mafia family I'm going to bail on his daughter's wedding? Do you know how much money he's paying me to see it through? You can't even count that high."
Nikhil swallowed hard. He couldn't stand being bested in any way. "We've found a perfect match for you. He's a dermatologist and he's looking for a wife. The family all agrees this is the best thing for you."
"Single and has a job. That's a pretty low bar." I said. "Personality. Interests. Political views. Sense of humor. Pets. Hobbies. Character. Intelligence. Values. None of those matter?"
"Not when you've lost all sense of who you are." Nikhil leaned forward. "Not when the family honor is at stake."
"Oh, I'm sorry." My voice dripped with sarcasm. "Did I go to sleep and wake up in the wrong century? The family honor? Since when does our family have honor? And in what universe did you ever think I would agree to something like this?”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“How about this one?" I pointed to a graceful, feathery vine with small, delicate, star-shaped red blooms.
"That's a cypress vine," he said. "Ipomoea quamoclit. It's an escapee and not native to her garden. People think it's an annual, but with a little help from nature, it's self-seeding ability means it can pop up in new places year after year and thrive far away from its original home."
Something niggled at the back of my mind. If the vine could escape and start over again somewhere new, why couldn't a person? If Jack's grandmother's plants were strong enough to survive neglect, why couldn't I?”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“No one wants to get into an argument with a partner who can repeat back what they said word for word."
"I hope you're not referring to me." Jack made a mark on the graph he'd drawn in his notebook. "I didn't make any promises."
"Of course not," I snapped. "You didn't have time for promises. You were too busy running out the door with your ass hanging out of your pants.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Then Simi had to call in a favor from her police boyfriend to track the vehicle..."
Police boyfriend? Your brain sticks on those two words, and you don't hear anything else.
"What police boyfriend?"
"Shhh." Simi strokes your forehead. "The ambulance is coming."
You shake your head, concentrate on not passing out from the pain of the damage to your rapidly thawing body. "How long?"
"About twenty-four hours," she says.
"That's it?" You try to push yourself up, but your arms still aren't listening to the messages from your brain. "You moved on in less than a day?"
"It's not what you think," she says. "Garcia and I..."
"Garcia? Not Detective Garcia? You're now on a last-name basis?" You don't care about your broken body or the necklace or the hench people. You don't even care if they've captured Mr. X or killed him. You care about Simi in a way you've never cared about anyone before. You love her.
You love her and she dumped you in less than a day for someone far more worthy than you. A good guy. A man in uniform who doesn't live a life of secrets and lies.
Pain washes over you. You close your eyes and let the words settle in your throat.
Police boyfriend.
Death. Come for me now.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“You and Garcia aren't---"
"No. I'm a one-man kind of woman."
"And this one man..." His eyes lit up. Hopeful. Intent. "What's he like?"
"He's brave." I pressed a kiss to his forehead. "He's strong." Another kiss, this one on his cheek. "Funny and sarcastic." Kisses down his jaw despite the bristles. "Selfless." A kiss on the corner of his lips. "Loyal and honorable." Another kiss on the cheek. "A team player."
Jack gave a satisfied rumble. "He's always worked alone."
"Not anymore." I brushed his hair back from his face. "No one wanted to be left behind when it came time to save him. Everyone wanted to help. He was part of a team, and the team looks after each other."
"How is he in bed?" His voice dropped to a sensual rumble.
"Incredible."
"The best you ever had?"
"I wouldn't want him to get too cocky."
Jack laughed. "He's cocky now.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“She pulls off the mask and her beautiful face warms you inside. Too bad she's frowning. "You have hypothermia," she says. "I'll get some blankets to warm you."
"Best cure for hypothermia is skin-to-skin contact." Your words come stronger now because Simi is here, and she's real and her tears are deliciously hot and they remind you of other places that can be hot and hopefully she'll take you to bed so you can hold her and make the cold go away. "I think you should take off our clothes and lie on top of me.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Most women want coaching in one particular aspect of life."
"What aspect?"
"Coitus." Emma pumped her fists and rocked her hips. "Also known as fornication, doing it, getting laid, knocking boots, doing the Devil's dance, shagging, screwing, nailing, banging, or doing squat thrusts in the cucumber patch."
Jack swept my hair away and pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck, allowing a wave of heat rippling across my skin. "I have another word," he whispered. "We can try it out tonight.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“You are so fucking sexy when you're bossing people around," Jack said, nuzzling my neck as he pulled me behind an azalea bush. "Have you ever done it outdoors?"
"Didn't last night count?" We'd sneaked up to the roof of Jack's hotel for a little loving beneath the stars.
"There were no trees or bushes, no flowers or grass. I want you naked in the hellebore moaning my name." He pulled me into his chest, squeezing me so hard, my breath came out in a huff.
"Jack, you know how much I love sexy times with you. But I've got a minister to ordain, a wedding to run, a heist to plan, a necklace to steal, and a bride to kidnap. I can't juggle any more balls.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Ten stories of stair climbing later, you knock on her door. And there she is. Now your heart aches. Now your pulse beats strong and fast. You wrap your arms around her and kick the door closed. You are home. You lift her to your hips and carry her to bed. You don't talk because you need her lips on your lips. You don't breathe because you need her breath in your lungs. You rip off her clothes because you need her skin on your skin. She has awakened something inside you---- something wild and forever.
When it is over---- and it is many hours before you both collapse from exhaustion, because you are a stallion in bed---- you lie under the sheets and hold her in your arms.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Jack walked me through the garden, naming plants and flowers with dizzying speed: blue spruce, hydrangea, and boxwood gave winter interest to the garden. Quaking aspen and Boston ivy grew along the fence. Pink Spike and Crimson Queen Japanese maple added colorful purple foliage along with First Love speedwell and panicled hydrangeas. "These plants are fighters," he said. "Even without any nurturing, they've managed to flourish. They do what it takes to survive.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Are you a part of an off-the-books organization that steals necklaces and seduces candy store clerks?"
"Were you seduced?" He pulled on his helmet and buckled the strap beneath his chin.
"I will be once I feel the thrum of the motor between my thighs." I put on the helmet and his voice faded to a dull muffle.
"I thought that had already happened."
"Are you cracking jokes at such a serious moment?" I asked. "This is my first time."
"I promise to be gentle.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Wild Heart, a magnificent necklace containing twenty-six oval-shaped pink diamonds surrounded by diamonds and emeralds with a forty-carat heart-shaped pink diamond pendant center.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“doing squat thrusts in the cucumber patch.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“20 percent and that's my final offer." Dog folded his arms across his chest in a move that I assumed was meant to intimidate. He had sizable muscle, but the effect was watered down by his My Little Pony tattoos. I could swear I saw Fluttershy wink.
"Don't give me that 20 percent bullshit," I said. "I work in retail. I know the margins and I know you didn't buy these goods so everything is profit for you."
"You didn't tell me she was a hard-ass." Dog glared at Jack.
"I like to keep the good stuff to myself."
"Give me the Boxing Day special," I said. "Six A.M. door crasher."
His eyes widened. "40 percent?"
I shook my head. "First five people in the door."
"Sixty?"
"Take it or leave it." I pulled out a wad of cash. We'd all chipped in to cover the costs in hopeful anticipation of a bigger return at the end.
Dog took the money, but not before registering a complaint with customer service.
"You said she was a newb," he said to Jack.
"She's a smart and savvy newb." Jack grinned. "Gotta say, it's pretty damn hot.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Watch your back."
"I thought that was your job." I looked over my shoulder, only to catch Jack's gaze on my ass.
"It's more of a hobby right now," he said.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Rich people were just like me except they had a lot more money, wore fancier clothes, couldn't get good staff, and shouldn't have bought little Amanda that third horse because she could only stable two horses at her private school. Imagine. Where was all that tuition money going?
Rich people also had a place in the Hamptons, a place in Italy, a place in Florida, and thank God "Jim" finally got a private jet. First class is so congested. Shudder. Like me, they found there were simply just enough hours in the day. Unlike me, it was because their days were spent with personal trainers, stylists, therapists, and Reiki practitioners, and their nights were spent at galas, balls, banquets, charity events, operas, symphonies, and fundraisers. Then there was the shopping. Honestly. Jim/Richard/David/John just couldn't understand that it was impossible to wear the same dress twice. Everyone was run ragged. Exhausted. What about me time? Who wanted to fly up to New York to spend a day at the spa? Jim's treat.
Me! Me!”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Rose draped my new black cashmere wrap around my shoulders. Chicago weather being unpredictable, Clare had been concerned I would get cold in my one-shoulder hot pink evening gown. Made from gazar fabric from some obscure designer, the dress featured ruching along the bodice and a cape skirt overlay. It was smooth and sleek, hugging all my curves to perfection.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Bring binoculars, and make sure your phones are charged so we can take pictures."
"You'd get better images with a drone," Anil said. "I've just modded up my DJI Air 2S. It's got an operating time of around thirty minutes and the camera capabilities really make it shine. We'll be able to get close-up images while maintaining the fifty-foot distance from people required by law. It's not the best surveillance drone out there, but it was all Santa could afford this year."
"Looks like the heist is a go," I said into the silence. I wasn't sure if everyone was blown away by Anil's expertise or by his reference to the big man in the red suit, but whatever. We had a plan.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“I assume you've got a weapon under that shirt, although it's tight enough to see every ripple of your abs and I don't see a holster, but maybe you've got a low-profile holster, or maybe the gun is in your pocket, or under your jeans..." Stop. Stop. But I was in the spiral and the only way out was down. "I meant on your ankle under your jeans and not under your zipper part of your jeans because I wasn't looking there. At all.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“But you'll have to make it up to Chloe. She likes your dal tadka, paneer masala, methi saag, lamb biryani, and chicken coconut curry."
My dad's face softened. He had a sweet spot for Chloe and her daughter, Olivia. "I'll cook on Saturday, and they can have it for Sunday dinner.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“The only jobs I could get were holding the coach's clipboard or running out of protein shakes. I didn't spend $90,000 for a stupid degree to run around ordering kale açaí green tea chia almond milk smoothies with a triple protein boost hold the shredded coconut. Like strawberry and banana is going to kill you? I had to take this gig just to pay the bills."
It was Chloe's story and my story. It was Cristian's story and the story of countless other millennials we knew. We were living a life where our dreams and passions were always out of reach.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Am I okay? No, I am definitely not okay. My best friend is being arrested for something she didn't do. I tried to rescue her and failed. My cheap rental apartment flooded, a naked man was mostly dead, I got fired, and now I have to live at home and work with Cristian, whose only goal in life is to get every woman he meets into bed. My parents are desperate to marry me off, and now I'll be a sitting duck for a parade of losers who can't find a woman on their own. I eat too much candy and I need to exercise more. I'm wet and cold and on the verge of bankruptcy and a stranger just dragged me into the bushes to do God knows what with me.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Are you wearing a suit?" I felt behind me, stroked my hand over his thigh. "Feels like jeans."
"You're making it very difficult to be a gentleman," he said. "I think we should keep the below-the-belt stroking for later.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Star Wars was good. I liked Han Solo."
"That makes sense. He's the nexus of true cowboy grit and a cocky, irreverent action hero--- flawed, ambitious, egotistical, daring, handsome, and charismatic. I always liked his swagger."
"What's swagger?" he asked.
"The combination of confidence and charm."
"Does he remind you of anyone?" He leaned back against a tree, pulling me with him. I could feel his tension ease, so I relaxed, sinking against his broad chest. "No," I said, my lips quivering with a smile. "No one at all."
"Hummph." He gave a snort of derision. "Are you sure? Maybe you should rethink your answer."
"If you're looking for a boost to your massive ego, I think you're more of a Star-Lord type. He's in the inverse of Han Solo. Cocky yet oblivious, womanizing, facetious, conceited, charming but arrogant."
He bristled behind me, his voice thick with indignation. "Conceited? Facetious? You obviously know nothing about me."
"That's true. I haven't even had a good look at your face."
"You'd change your mind if you knew me," he said. "You'd instantly think Han Solo and not Star-Lord."
"I look forward to being proven wrong.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Do I get to look at you properly now?" I asked, turning. "Or is this going to be a case of 'If you see my face, I'll have to kill you'?"
"I promised I wouldn't hurt you," he said. "I don't break my promises."
"I'm glad to hear---" Words failed me when I turned around. He wasn't traditionally handsome but ruggedly so, with a strong jaw, a straight nose, and a wide, stubborn mouth. His eyes were dark and velvety, sprinkled with gold. Gorgeous. Just like the rest of him. Even partially hidden in the shadows, he was simply the most breathtaking man I'd ever seen.
My knees weakened and I struggled to regain my composure.
I was already dead when he smiled. I died a little more when he brushed back the longish dark hair that was a damp tangle around his chiseled face. He wore a leather jacket over broad shoulders and a gray T-shirt stretched tight across the hard, muscled chest I'd had the pleasure of leaning against for the last twenty minutes. I guessed him to be an inch or two over six feet, maybe slightly less if his battered leather boots had heels.
"Hello, beautiful."
My mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. He looked like trouble. But it was the kind of trouble that sent a delicious thrill down my spine.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“Were those gold flecks in his warm brown eyes or was it just the glitter of ill intent? Was that a smile or a smirk on his handsome face? Was the devil-may-care attitude masking something more sinister? And were those jeans molded to his narrow hips for ease of running away? Or to entice a sex-starved candy store employee who couldn't remember the last time she'd had a hookup?”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist

“It must be hard for Chloe as a single mom," Garcia said. "Lots of bills to pay and no one to help. Sometimes people get desperate."
My spider senses tingled. This was not where I had expected the conversation to go.
"Olivia is safe, healthy, and happy," I said. "Chloe works three jobs to support her. They're renting the first floor of a nice house that has three other lovely tenants, and although money is tight, the only real issue she has is an ex who has consistently refused to pay child support or alimony. He's someone you should investigate, not Chloe. He's a nasty piece of work. His parents disinherited him after they found out he'd abused her. He barely scraped through college, and now he's involved with a bad crowd."
"No one is trying to take Olivia away," he said, understanding.
"Then I don't appreciate your attempt to insinuate that my friend would resort to theft to make ends meet. It's beneath you and the dignity of your profession.”
― Sara Desai, To Have and to Heist