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

He pulled back and looked at David. “If you do this, you should stop thieving. Find an honest way to make a living.”


David frowned and looked away. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, letting go of his hold on Jeremy.


Jeremy sighed. “I’m not being ridiculous, I’m being serious.”


David flicked an awkward glance in his direction. “You are beginning to sound like my brother.”


“I’ve tried to ignore what you do. I really have and it’s terrifyingly easy when you give me all this,” he said, looking around the hallway. “When you take me to the theatre, give me all the things I have ever wanted.”


David squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before looking at him. “I have lived with nothing. Less than nothing. I know what it is to suffer, to sell one’s soul, one’s dignity…” Jeremy watched as David shook as he spoke. “I will never be in that position again. Do you hear me?”


Chapter 47