Your Thief

Four

Alice paused, frozen in her larcenous act, for one of the voices was eerily familiar.

“He’s not in,” flustered a woman, “But I’m certain one of my daughters would be pleased to keep company whilst you wait. Abigail, perhaps? You seemed so taken with her at the gala last month.”

“I thought I might leave him a letter, actually, as I have other business to attend today.”

With horror, Alice saw the study door give as someone pushed it from the outside. The window being too far to reach in time, she ducked behind the largest of the wall hangings and pressed herself against the cool wall.

“I’ll be quick, my lady, and you needn’t attend to me. This business is best kept private between your husband and myself.”

The door shut firmly, and though the heavy velvet wall hanging obscured her view, she was certain the footfalls she heard were now in the room with her.

She could feel the blood racing in her head, and her heart thundered so loud she was certain he would hear. The footsteps paced to the desk, and she could hear several drawers opening and closing. Something creaked. The steps came closer. Alice pressed one hand against her chest to quell the hammering of her heart. She closed her eyes and laid her head softly against the wall and counted on the plaster to hold her upright.

The shadows shifted and suddenly someone was there, pressing himself against her. Her eyes flew open with a shock and she found herself looking up at Edward’s ruggedly handsome face.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said cordially.

Her chest was heaving in shock and she would have fallen over but for his body pressing hers into the wall.

“Fate keeps drawing us closer together. ‘Tis a lovely spot to meet, after you gave me the slip this afternoon.” He lazily drew a finger down her jaw and cupped the back of her neck. He massaged her neck with his broad fingers, and suddenly his hot breath was in her ear. “We can stay here all day if you want, you sneaky wench, but you’ll not be slipping my grasp again.”

Alice shivered as his lips grazed her ear. She was certain he heard her sharp intake of breath, because his lips continued their downward path. He nibbled her ear lobe, and moved on to her jaw line. Alice brought one hand to his shoulder to push him away, but he snagged her wrist with one big hand and pinned it against the wall above her head. Whisper-soft kisses were tracked along her neck, each one sending shivers of heat through her body. She could feel him stiffening against her, and she squirmed away from the heat building inside.

Soft lips brushed her own, and she turned her head away. “No,” she said breathily, “No, stop.”

He stroked her neck with his warm thumb, drawing his fingers into the knot of hair at her neck. He kissed her ear again as his clever fingers plucked the pins from her hair, and swiftly unraveled the braid. Edward surveyed her appearance.

“I prefer your hair loose.”

“Let me go,” she hissed, and tossed her head to look at him.

“Henceforth, you’ll stop pretending to be a lad.” Edward ran his fingers through her hair, fluffing it out about her shoulders.

Her eyes blazed at him, “Step back, sir, and let me be on my way.”

She trembled in frustration, and he swiftly lowered his head to her lips. She struggled against him, but his firm lips were already moulding to her own. Edward’s teeth nipped at her lower lip, and she could feel all the tension leave her jaw. He kissed her thoroughly, drawing his lips against her own. He parted his mouth and hers followed. His tongue flicked into her mouth, tasting her, teasing her. She found her tongue meeting his own, and she trembled. Heat flared inside of her and she arched her back against him.

“Sweet Jesus,” she said, as he trailed wet kisses down her neck.

Fire curled within her, and she whimpered as his arm curled around her waist and pulled her close. His arousal pressed against her hip, and the heat pooled in her belly. His arm traced its way up her waist, curling around her hips and his palm pressed against her belly and upwards to her bosom. The thin tunic she wore was not enough to disguise the sensation of his hand cupping, and then kneading, her bound breasts.

He turned his liquid caramel eyes on hers, “So I break you, a miserable thieving wench, from Exeter prison,” he kissed her soft mouth once more, “And yet I find you here, thieving once more, not three hours since your escape?” His words were hot against her mouth as he kissed her again, plunging his tongue into the soft recesses of her mouth and drawing a soft moan from her throat. “I know you are about something, for even you are not so simple as to burgle your way through the town so soon after being caught.”

“I needed the money,” she gasped as his lips rasped her sensitized throat. He nuzzled the soft, smooth patch of skin under her jaw and felt her racing pulse beneath his mouth.

“Surely there are easier ways.”

“Easier, yes, but not – oh! – not quicker ways.”

“Tell me and I’ll release you once more.”

She shook her head, trying to dispel the beautiful fog that enveloped her mind. “I cannot, and I will not, and you will,” she caught her breath as his hand stroked the curve of her bottom, “You will stop this at once!”

“Easy now, you wouldn’t want to arouse our hosts.”

Alice struggled to pull her hand, still pinned above her head, from his iron-like grip. “I must be off. It’s been too long already. Please,” she added desperately.

Edward relaxed his grip and took both of her hands gently in his own. “It happens I have need of your particular services. No,” he said, catching the look of dismay in her eyes, “No I won’t be turning you in, but I do need your professional assistance, as it were. Afterward, you are free to be on your way, with my gratitude, and with coin for your time. If you decline my generous offer, then I will find reason to call the constables and have you locked away for a very long time indeed. And not,” he added, “as a lad. I’ll make sure of that.”