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

“Hey, hey.” The soft voice beside him brought him back to reality. He dragged his eyes open and ran his hands over the soft bed linen and groaned. David was standing over him, fully dressed.


Jeremy tried to bring his breathing under control, but it was hard.


“Steady.” David sat on the bed beside him and put a hand over his forehead. “How are you feeling?”


“Vile.” Jeremy felt as though he had been trampled. His head hurt, his muscles ached, and his mouth felt as though he had been eating straw.


“You were feverish in the night,” David said, threading his fingers through Jeremy’s hair, his eyes following their movement rather than looking at him.


“I was?” He frowned. He recalled having nightmares, then being hot and wet, but not much more.


“You were. You don’t feel warm now though.”


“Good.” Jeremy took David’s hand and kissed it.


“It’s almost time for lunch. I thought you might need feeding.”


“Lunch?” Jeremy was startled. “How long have I been sleeping?”


Chapter 78