Steal the Light (Thieves #1)(16)

A smile crossed his face. That smile didn’t need magic to make my heart pound. “You’re still interested?”

“Well, I’m definitely interested in avoiding a lecture.” I took his hand and made my escape.





Two hours later, I walked beside Dev out of the upscale restaurant he’d taken me to and took a deep breath of the night air.

“I know I’ve said it a couple million times already, but I really am sorry about what happened back at your place.” Dev gave me an apologetic smile that actually made my heart skip a beat. He attempted to smooth down his white dress shirt. The shirt had been immaculate at the beginning of the night, but I found it endearing now. The slight messiness made him somehow more approachable.

“It’s all right.” I stared up at him and prayed I didn’t have a dippy look on my face. “I mean, it’s not like anyone died.”

“That’s looking on the positive side of things.” The grin he gave me showed perfect white teeth and an incredibly sensual mouth. “I like an optimistic view.”

It was easier to be optimistic after a fabulous dinner and a couple of drinks. I could laugh about the event now, though at the time it had seemed like a scene out of a really black comedy, if said black comedy had the potential in ending with a juicy bloodbath.

“I just can’t believe Sarah actually jumped you like that.” I didn’t mention that only Daniel’s quick thinking had saved me from a similar fate. “She’s going to be so embarrassed in the morning.”

He winced. “Yeah, well, that was completely my fault. I was just trying to make a good first impression.”

“Oh, you made a first impression, all right. Even my dad was impressed.”

“Don’t remind me. He’s never going to forgive me.”

It felt good to tease him. Dev Quinn wasn’t a man who took himself too seriously. “You’re kidding, right? You’re like a prince of Ireland. I never would have thought my dad was stuck in feudalism. Are you really Tuatha Dé Danann?”

The Tuatha Dé Danann was a mighty group of Fae who led the second settling of Ireland. They were legendary, and there were still groups in Ireland who worshipped them. Apparently there was at least one man in America who did as well.

“If you believe my mother, then yes, but who really knows? Most of the Fae I know claim kinship with the great tribes of the past. Well, I’m just glad you were smart enough to combat my mistake. I don’t think your father would enjoy serfdom.” Dev’s face flushed slightly.

I stopped teasing and reached for his hand. “It was a little mistake. Everyone does their own version of it. I was trying to do the same thing with the dress and makeup and the…presentation of certain key body parts.”

Dev laughed, a throaty sound that reminded me I had female parts that still functioned. “I very much appreciate your presentation.”

“I enjoyed yours as well,” I agreed. “Especially once you toned it down slightly.”

The valet pulled up in Dev’s black Audi A8. I walked to the passenger side, but Dev raced in front of me.

“Please, let me,” he said as he opened the door. “I’m going to take you to one of my favorite places in the world. You’re going to love it.”

I got into the car as gracefully as my dress would allow, and Dev shut the door with care. In a moment, we were driving into the night.

“I’m really glad you knew the trick with the clothes,” he said, returning to our previous discussion. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t.”

“I can guess what might have happened.” Daniel might have found his piece of iron and shoved it in a couple of creative places. Faeries are sensitive to iron, and given Daniel’s own “sensitivities,” I thought he might have been a bit more diplomatic. Daniel forced me to sell a lovely set of silverware because the sight of it disturbed him. Now I wished I’d at least kept the steak knives.

Dev turned, and his eyes were wide with questions. “Yeah, what was up with the big scary vampire? Is he your brother or something?”

“I just work with him,” I muttered, not wanting to go into it. “Don’t worry about him. He’s not very friendly. I’m really sorry I had to hit you with all those people. I didn’t mean to have a greeting committee with me. They just sort of showed up.”

“It’s all right. I think it’s great you have a bunch of people who care about you. Trust me. It’s better than the alternative.”

“The alternative being?” I asked out of curiosity.

“The alternative being completely cut off from your family and friends because they don’t approve of your lifestyle choices.” His mouth was set in a firm line as he made a right turn.

“Did that happen to you?” I was surprised. The Fae tended to bond strongly. Their relationships were passionate and family units were close.

The lights of downtown danced all around us. Though there were hundreds of people on the road and walking around the city streets, I felt like Dev and I were the only ones who mattered. There was a sweet intimacy to being next to him and talking about his past.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I should just get that out on the table to start with. I’m the black sheep of my family. My mother no longer speaks to me. My father died a long time ago. My brother does what Mother tells him to. I am formally an outcast, so if you’re interested in Fae life, there’s not a lot I can do for you. The only ones of my kind who still speak with me are Ingrid and her husband.”