He held out a hand to her, which she reached out and took, allowing him to help her up the step into the gazebo. A thrill ran through her from the touch of their skin against each other’s, and she shivered despite the warmth of the night.
“Are you cold?” he asked, his voice husky.
She shook her head as she attempted to grasp hold of her emotions. “Not at all,” she answered, closing her eyes for a moment, reminding herself that she was here to thank him and to determine their next steps forward. That was all. “Thank you for meeting me.”
“Of course,” he said, his violet eyes boring into her. “Anytime you need me.”
She had needed him. Five years ago — when he had left her.
Their eyes locked and Juliet didn’t speak for a moment, forgetting everything she was going to say, lost in his eyes and memories of all they had been to one another, all that they had felt for each other.
Unbidden, a memory stirred, of the night that she had realized that her regard for him was not just the unrequited tenderness a young woman might feel for a young man.
The setting was nothing like this. They had been in a dirty alleyway, outside of the club where Damien had just finished beating his seventh challenger in a battle of fisticuffs. During the match, Xander had made his way through the crowd, lightening pockets while Juliet had distracted the men so they wouldn’t notice — not that he really needed her, so light was his touch.
They were celebrating their success when Xander had picked her up and twirled her around. As her skirts swirled around her, her heart had pounded at his closeness, and when his lips had pressed against hers, she knew that at the age of eighteen years, she had found the man she would be with forever.
She closed her eyes now, trying to will away the love and lust that surged through her at the remembrance of what it had felt like. She missed him. Missed his charm, his wit, the way he loved her and made her feel as though she was the only woman in the world.
But it had all been a lie.
She cleared her throat and her mind, returning to the present and just why she was here when she should be abed, preparing for another day.
“I just wanted to say thank you. For coming back for me today and arriving in such a… timely manner.”
He grinned at that. “I saved your bottom from some mud, is all.”
“Yes. Well, you likely also prevented the baron from attempting to take any more liberties.”
Xander’s grin faded and his eyes darkened at that. “I did, Juliet, but I might not be there the next time he tries. What are you going to do if he does?”
She sighed, walking to the side of the gazebo, wrapping her hand around one of the posts as she stared out at the dark expanse of garden beyond. “I share your concern, Xander. It is not that I cannot prevent him from what he is attempting, but if I do so then my entire plan will be ruined.”
She sensed rather than heard him come up behind her. He placed his hand just above hers around the post, his body so close yet not quite touching her, and it was all she could do to keep herself from leaning back against him.
“So abandon this plan,” he said, his breath tingling the top of her ear where it lightly brushed against, like the tiniest whisper of wind on an otherwise perfectly calm day. “Leave this estate and go back home to London. Damien and I will take care of the rest.”
She turned around, disconcerted by just how close he was, but he refused to take a step back, trapping her between his body and the half wall of the gazebo behind her.
Juliet arched an eyebrow, refusing to be overcome.
“And if I do such a thing,” she said wryly, “I’m so very sure that you will be sharing all of the spoils with me.”
She could have sworn his cheeks reddened ever so slightly, but he nodded. “Of course.”
Juliet snorted and pushed past him. “I learned long ago that I can never believe anything you say. At one time I would have, but now I know that the lies roll off your tongue even more easily than any other truth.”
“Juliet,” he said in supplication, reaching out and taking her hand in his, pulling her back toward him, “I would never lie to you.”
“But you did,” she said fiercely, pointing a finger at him. “You told me that you would always be there for me. That you would always look out for me when I needed you. And the time I needed you the most, you left me.”
Xander reached out and took her pointed finger within his hand, gently folding it back down among the rest of her fingers.
“I know, Juliet, and I’m so sorry. You have to believe me.” He looked at her with such entreaty that she nearly did — until she remembered just who he was and what he was capable of. “But you have to understand. I left you because I thought it was the only way I could protect you. You were injured because of me. You nearly died. I didn’t want anything else to happen to you. I couldn’t let anything else happen to you. I thought you could start a new life, that you could find a better way. And yet, here you are.” His voice took on a desperate edge. “You have to know how much it’s killing me that you are here, putting yourself at risk yet again.”
“I need this, Xander,” she implored him, hoping that there was something within him that still cared enough that he could be moved to understand, to take pity and allow her to have what she needed so badly. “You have your family, have plans and other prizes to rely on. I have nothing. This is it. Every last pound I had was spent on making myself presentable, making myself into a woman that the baron would want. And it’s worked — so far. Annabelle and I have come so far already. Please don’t ruin this for us.”
Xander stepped forward and brushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s work together and share it, then. I won’t ruin it for you, Juliet. But let me help you. Please.”
“I—” She should say no. She should tell him that she would never trust him again, that he had ruined any chance for them to work together again, for her to ever believe a word he said.
But when he looked at her like that, in this garden setting with the scent of the lilacs surrounding them and the light of the moon illuminating his silhouette as the memories of his touch, his taste, his embrace assaulted her anew, she found that it wasn’t within her to say no.
Instead, when his head bent close to her and his lips descended toward hers, it felt more natural than breathing to lift her head and meet him halfway.
And, oh goodness. His kiss was everything she had remembered it to be. His lips were paradoxically soft yet firm, searching, tasting, drawing everything from her — all of the longing that had been stored within her for five years now, waiting. For him.
She lifted her hands to clutch his shoulders, her fingers sinking into the fabric of the jacket he wore, no longer the livery of the baron but fabric that was soft, fine, familiar, his scent clinging to it and now around her, within her.
She could tell herself all the lies that she wanted — that she hated him, that she would never trust him again, that she had moved on and cared nothing for him anymore.
But this kiss proved just how great of lies she was telling herself. For when he kissed her like this, his tongue already finding entrance, searching, stroking, seeking hers, she knew that he had ruined her for all others and that, for the rest of her life, she would only love one man. The man right in front of her.
He grasped her in his arms, holding her tightly against him as though he would never let her go, and in this moment she most certainly had no wish for him to ever do so. She wanted to stay here, with him, and agree to everything he asked of her, if it would mean that she could have this again, that there might be a chance for the two of them to possibly be together.
Even though she was better than that. She was smarter than that. She needed to understand that this was the last and only time this would happen.
But damn, did it feel good.
Chapter 6
“Are you going to tell me what happened out there last night?”
“
Nothing,” Xander grumbled as he and Damien stood outside of the baron’s billiard room, where he was entertaining Shiplack. There was something about the man Xander didn’t quite trust, and he had been glad when the butler asked him and Damien to wait and help with anything that might be needed. “Juliet thanked me for my timely interruption of the baron’s intentions upon her. Then she agreed that we can work together on finding the jewels. She didn’t seem particularly pleased about it, nor inclined to trust me, but the truth is, I believe there is something that she isn’t telling me.”
“That she’s purposely keeping secret?”
Xander nodded, looking over at Damien as he pulled at his jacket, already looking forward to the day when he would no longer have to wear it.
“She’s hiding something. I just don’t know what yet. I will soon, though.”
“Very well,” Damien said, characteristically not pushing, for which Xander was grateful.
“John! Get in here.”
Xander and Damien shared a look. “Am I John or are you John?” Damien asked.
“I think we both are,” Xander said grimly. “I’ll go.”
He walked through the door, finding that Wilington was nearly falling out of his chair, while Shiplack seemed rather pleased with himself.
“Yes, my lord?”
“Fetch us another bottle of brandy.”
“Of course, my lord,” Xander said, looking beneath the sideboard, where he found a bottle that was likely worth nearly as much as one of the pieces of jewellery he was searching for, which would be wasted on men too drunk to appreciate it. He pulled it out, uncorked it, and served Wilington and the merchant who was wealthy for reasons that Xander was not actually aware of.
He made to leave, but the baron barked out, “Stay, in case we need you.”
“Very good, my lord,” Xander said, actually pleased to have reason to remain and perhaps discover more about Shiplack’s interest in the baron. It was an unlikely relationship, and there must be more involved. Xander hadn’t heard anything to suggest that the baron owned any debts of Shiplack, and he didn’t know why such a man would have any interest in the baron’s company. It wasn’t as though he was particularly pleasant to converse with.
The two quickly forgot him, as the wealthy always did servants, and returned to their conversation.
“I’ve been quite lucky with my dealings from London,” the baron slurred. “Your main contact has done an excellent job with his appraisals. Many of the jewels I bought for even less than I could have imagined! And they do look ever so fine on what’s-her-name.”
“Your Juliet,” Shiplack said, and Xander did not appreciate the gleam that overtook his eyes as he said her name. He was suddenly overcome by the urge to cross the room and wipe her name off the man’s lips himself.
“Right. Juliet. Her name doesn’t really matter when she looks as she does, now, does it?” the baron asked, laughing as drops of brandy trickled out of his mouth and over his jacket. Shiplack smiled grimly.
“You still planning on marrying her?”
The baron shrugged. “I should. I need an heir, one my first bloody wife should have given me. But if I have to take her as a mistress instead, so be it. If the title goes to a cousin, what do I care? I won’t be here anymore.”
Xander tried to take deep breaths as his heart raced and his hands clenched into fists. He reminded himself that he was here, so none of this was ever going to happen. He would make sure that there was no potential of Juliet being taken by either of these men.
There was only one man who would ever know her taste or the feel of her body against his.
And that was him.
The ferocity of the unbidden vow struck him, even as he reminded himself of all of the reasons he had left her to begin with — to take her from this life, to prevent her from ever having to face men like Wilington and Shiplack again, to find a man worthy of her.
Before he could finish the thought, the baron actually did fall out of his seat, and as he sprawled on the floor, Shiplack looked down at him without expression and took another sip of his drink.
“Well, I suppose that is my cue to head to bed,” Shiplack said, stepping over the baron as he finished his brandy and placed it on the sideboard next to Xander. “Take him up, will you?”
At that, he left, Xander’s eyes boring a hole of hatred into his back.
He looked down at the baron, heaved a sigh, and went to find Damien.
The two of them dragged Wilington — who was actually much heavier than he looked — up the steps to the first floor, then down the hall to the wide door at the end. They deposited him on the bed, then looked around the room.
“Where’s the closet?” Xander asked, he and Damien coming to the same thought without words that this would be the opportune time to search the room.
Damien pointed across the room, Xander following him to look within.
“You see that part there? It doesn’t seem right.”
Xander nodded, running his hands over the paint to try to find a crack.
“Keep a look out, just to make sure his valet doesn’t come in,” Xander said. “I’ll see what I can find.”
Damien nodded and left the closet, leaving the candle behind him as Xander tried to inspect every inch of the wall to see if he was missing anything. Nothing, however, seemed particularly forthcoming.
He lifted the candle and looked closer, finally seeing the small seam where it should open. But how, Xander had no idea. He cursed as he pushed, pulled, tried every way he could think of, but nothing happened.
“Xander,” Damien hissed from outside. “Footsteps coming from down the hall.”
Xander slipped out of the closet, joining Damien in the main room just as the valet entered.
“Oh, you are here,” he said. “Did you… bring my lord into the room?”
“We did,” Xander said, nodding, “he’s all yours now.”
At least they wouldn’t actually have to undress him.
The valet nodded, apparently accustomed to such a task, as Xander and Damien left, no better off than they had been before. Xander took one last look back at Lord Wilington, wrinkling his nose. One thing was for certain. He would get Juliet out of here. Then he would make sure that she would never have to live a life like this again. Only this time he would make sure that he helped plan her life, that he set her up somewhere she deserved, where she would never have to rely on such schemes.
Even if that meant she would be out of his life for good.
* * *
“Oh, here, let me do that.”
Annabelle crossed the room and lifted the pins out of Juliet’s hands, despite her protests.
“Annabelle, I told you that you would not actually be working as a lady’s maid when you have much else to do.”
“Perhaps, but we could finish your hair in half the time if I helped you.”
Juliet sighed as Annabelle’s deft hands quickly began pinning Juliet’s light brown hair into a much cleaner style.
Soon Annabelle smoothed her hands over it as she looked above Juliet’s head into the mirror with a smile. “There we go.”
“Thank you,” Juliet said, before rising and allowing Annabelle to help her fasten the buttons at the back. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
She meant that in far more ways than what was obvious, which she hoped Annabelle was aware of.
“Well, because of me we are gathering quite a collection of jewels,” Annabelle said with a gleam in her eye. “We just need to switch out a few more. I’ve the diamond bracelet ready, as well as the gold earrings with the emeralds within. Hopefully if you wear green tonight, the baron will give them to you to wear.”
“Hopefully,” Juliet murmured.
“What’s on your mind?” Annabelle asked, tilting her head and looking at her shrewdly.
Juliet sighed. “I told Xander that we would work with him, except I haven’t shared the second step in our plan — that we have been slo
wly replacing the pieces. If he ever does break into the baron’s safe, he will find a fair amount of fake jewellery amongst the collection!”
Annabelle walked over and placed her hands on Juliet’s shoulders, looking her square in the eye.
“Juliet. When I met you, you could barely walk after taking a bullet in your thigh. One that was placed there while you were acting as a distraction for that family. And not only that, but he left you alone. With nothing. I’ve never seen a woman so broken-hearted. You told me that you would never trust again, let alone trust that man. Don’t let him charm you into believing him all over again.”
Juliet listened to the words, watched Annabelle’s lips move, heard everything she said that then echoed around her head. And yet still, her heart held out hope that she had been wrong. That Xander had left her because he had no choice, that he had been honest when he now said he was just trying to create a better life for her.
But then she remembered her visitor. The one who had arrived shortly after Xander had left. Who had told her that there was no place for her in his brother’s life, that she needed to accept that her future was far from Xander, that she was his weakness and had made him soft.
She hated Arie Hondros nearly as much as she had come to hate Xander.
Except there was no underlying love for Arie. No memories except how terrible he had been to her, how insensitive. How he had practically thrown money at her, had told her that if she took it, it would be her agreement that she would leave Xander and the family, to never see them again.
She had thrown it back in his face, had told him to leave.
He had done so, although not without warning that she should never enter Xander’s life again.
Well, he needn’t have worried, for she had no desire to do so.
“You’re remembering,” Annabelle said with a nod of her head. “Good. Because I don’t want to ever see you like that again. And we have come too far to be tricked by such a man.”
A Jewel for the Taking: Thieves of Desire Book 2 Page 5