1.2 | The Prince of Thieves

Chapter 50

For the first time in her life, Hana had attempted to inject some appeal into her walk. She was pretty sure she failed miserably. Each pop of her hips felt juvenile and fake, each stride awkward and clumpy, even the unchanging expression of her interviewer seemed to think so.

The only person who was remotely excited was the man who brought them into the room. His eyes perked up and he wore a telling leer when she stood and swept her coat aside to reveal her bare legs. She couldn't have felt more vulnerable as she did then as she strode down the length of the room with her short skirt flaring about her thighs and her hair curling about her bare shoulders and down her back.

But as for her walk – she shuddered to recall it. Mickey could have done better. Heck, Leon could have done better if someone forced him with a weapon to his head. But she got in anyway.

She was officially a club hostess.

And she hoped her parents would never find out.

Then they were presented with their outfits, and looking wide eyed at the white corset in her hands, Hana hoped Leon would never find it out.

~

'Guess what I brought back?' he called out the instant he passed through the door.

Instead of the reaction he expected, she jumped to her feet with a short exclaim and dashed to their walk-in wardrobe in a mad hurry as if hounds were yapping at her feet. He blinked at the scene he just witnessed as he removed his shoes, unsure if his words had sounded like a threat that she needed to run from. After depositing the paper bag of goodies on the kitchen island, he proceeded slowly into their bedroom, just in time to see her rushing out of their wardrobe to stick her arms and legs across its entrance. Behind her, a pile of clothes lay toppled on the floor.

'What are you doing?' he asked with confused amusement in his tone. She was all harried and desperate, her eyes wide, her face hiding a secret. Leon tried to peer around her, but she blocked his face with her head each time, muttering 'No, no, no' as she did so.

'Nothing, nothing,' she assured him. 'Don't look.'

Had she forgotton how easily he'd lifted her off her feet that night? He didn't mind providing her with another demonstration but it would set dinner back by a few hours.

'Darling,' he started as he deftly unbuttoned his shirt, 'I need to shower. Unless you want me to walk around the house naked – '

His words brought about its intended effect. Hana squealed and stepped quickly from the entrance, but only to shield her side of the cupboard with herself. His wife was the tiniest woman he knew. Did she really think she could hide whatever it was that she was trying to hide with just her body? He could very well have lifted her, but watching her mad escapade amused him very much indeed.

'What are you hiding in there?' he asked with casual interest. He had divulged himself of his clothes and was now taking his time to dig for a particular shirt, although a whole slew of similar shirts presented themselves to his face. Glancing back, he saw that she still had her arms wrapped around a pile of her clothes. Another short dress? Another bandeau? A body?

'Nothing,' she muttered breathlessly as she stuffed and scuffed, messily piling clothes on top of each other. She was creating such a mess in that tiny space, he wondered if there really was such a need to go to that extent. 'W – what did you bring back?' she asked belatedly, turning her face to his with a smile.

'Cinnamon rolls.' He pulled his shirt out gingerly, careful not to disturb the neatly folded pile.

'Oh, wonderful!' she exclaimed and nearly dropped her stack of clothes in her excitement. She braced herself against the tilting pile with near desperation in her gaze. She was evidently waiting for him to shut the door to the bathroom behind himself but he was taking his sweet time at it.