The Cocky Thief (Stolen Hearts #1)(14)

True to his word, Stranger kept the liquor flowing, which made it easy to get to know people. Austin was pretty funny normally, but once someone was on their fourth Scotch, he became downright hilarious.

He’d had the opportunity to sit next to Jennifer, but considering their awkward meeting in the hallway, he gave her a break and sat across the table between Stranger’s assistant, Phillip, and his younger sister, Eileen. So he tried his best to be an amusing guest and rattled off all the funny stories that seemed like something that would happen to a guy trying to work his way up the food chain of lawyers at a promising firm.

Every once in a while, Eileen, whose laughter got higher and more shrill with each drink, would let out a loud laugh and Jennifer would glance over his way. She was just out of reach for casual conversation, but every time those gray eyes glanced in his direction, it was as though a tractor beam was directed right at him. Impossible to ignore.

Once the table was cleared and the dessert course was about to be served, Stranger stood and held up his glass. “I know we’re going to get sick of these soon, but I’d like to make a toast.”

Everyone immediately fell silent and turned to the end of the table Stranger sat at, with Isobel directly to his right. She beamed up at him and held up her own glass. “Sweetheart, you didn’t have to do this.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s our wedding. Everyone needs to know exactly how madly in love I am.”

She held a hand over her heart and mouthed the words “I love you” back to him.

“So before the house becomes overrun with people whom I barely know, I wanted to get a toast in for our close friends and family.” He glanced to Austin. “And the lawyer,” which was received with a chuckle all around.

“The day Isobel came into my life, I knew things would never be the same. The second I first laid eyes on her... I’ve been trying to put into words what love at first sight feels like, but nothing can do it justice. Ever since Isobel came into my life, I’ve felt whole. Complete. So I’d like to raise a glass to the truly special woman who has utterly changed my life.”

The women all swooned and Isobel was still beaming up at Stranger as they all clicked their glasses and took a drink. Once the dessert, a strawberry cheesecake, was set in front of him, he looked up and noticed that Jennifer was gone. This might be the best time for him to slip out. With her eyes on him all evening, he hadn’t felt a good time to make an excuse to wander the halls.

He didn’t say anything to Eileen or Phillip. No use making up a lie when he didn’t have to. He was sure they’d assume he went to find a restroom. As he did one more quick glance around the table, he noticed one more strange thing about the Murray women. Each of them had a completely full glass of white wine. One person not drinking was barely noticeable, but three in a row?

He filed it away, but didn’t think too much of it. Right now, he needed to keep his eyes and ears open. He was looking for rooms that would hold a safe. Not just any safe, but a good one.

Hiding was one thing, but when storing a necklace like the Dragon Heart, size mattered. Something that couldn’t be carried out of a room and a crowbar couldn’t get through. A safe like that would be at least three feet tall and two feet deep. So closets and nooks were the best bet.

He didn’t waste any time before he slipped into the first door on his right, leaving the door ever so slightly cracked behind him. Partly because closing doors made noise. Also because when he left the room, he’d need to make sure no one was around before he walked out.

He did a quick walk around, but quickly crossed out the small office space as a possibility to store the Dragon Heart. Before he left the room, he pulled the inspection mirror out of his pocket and extended it to its full twenty-eight inches. The mirror itself was only two inches in diameter, so it took some getting used to, but knowing what he was walking into was priceless in his line of work.

Once he had the all clear, he left the room and went onto the next one. This appeared to be a sitting room, with bookshelves all around. Not a great place for a safe because rooms like this could have guests wandering in and out.

He continued down the hall and after three more rooms, he was still striking out. After he cleared the hallway with his inspection mirror once more, he walked out of the room to clear the rest and at the same moment, Jennifer stepped out of one of the doors on the other side of the hall. They both froze in place as their eyes met and the seconds ticked by while neither said anything.

“What are you doing?” Jennifer’s gaze scoured his body as though looking for clues.

Well, hell. He’d wanted to make this easy for her, but he had a part to play. So he went full in. Crossing the hall in two long strides, he set his hands on her hips and pulled her close before he crushed his mouth against hers. She was still frozen in place for a few moments, but soon enough she tilted her head and met his kiss.

When she finally pulled away, he knew he had to act fast. Before she could ask any more questions he didn’t want to answer, he blurted, “I saw you wandered off and I figured this would be a good time to join you.” He leaned in and kissed her again; one of his hands moved to the small of her back to hold her closer as she wrapped her fingers in the collar of his jacket. He only intended to kiss her briefly and head off, but when she pulled him in closer, he didn’t even try to fight it.

He pushed her against the wall—the painting hanging next to them shook at the abrupt motion—but he barely noticed as Jennifer opened her mouth and he plunged his tongue inside. The normally erotic act became exponentially hotter when she sucked on him in just the right way.