The year is 1806. Bastard-born jewel thief David Lambert has few rules in his personal life. Never bed the staff, never more than once with the same man, and never, ever, kiss. Attending an aristocratic party and relieving some of the wealthy of their possessions should be easy, but in the space of a weekend, one by one all his rules are shattered by a footman with a secret.<br><br>Jeremy Naylor thought he had found the man of his dreams, the one man who might understand him. Someone passionate, handsome, and respectable. But in one shocking moment his world is destroyed, and he is forced to run for his life.<br><br>Flung together to escape the hangman’s noose, the passion between David and Jeremy burns fiercely. But Jeremy yearns for respectability, and David refuses to admit what lies in his heart. Will they find a way together, or will their differences lead them to the very brink of disaster and the shadow of the gallows?

Thief of Hearts

Jeremy’s courage failed him. He swallowed and got to his feet. “Well, you’ll never know then, will you?”3


The door closed as Jeremy left the room, leaving David in a state of extreme arousal and complete shock. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. His rule about never bedding the staff was long standing. A cardinal rule. One he had never broken. He never bothered the staff. Never. They had enough to contend with without having to fend off people who could ruin their lives with a nod. But not only that, he was very rarely spurned because he had made it his business to be good at reading people. Good at seeing what they wanted and giving it to them. Jeremy Naylor had thoroughly trounced him by asking for a kiss. His third rule. No kissing. Far, far too intimate and inevitably left the recipient bent on attempting a return match.


Chapter 7