Scandalous Weddings

She stared. "You amaze me."

He laughed, kissed her lips lightly. "Good night."

"Good night, Pierce," she said.

A

toward the elevator. He seemed to be in exceedingly good spirits.

As was A

Pierce froze in mid-stride.

A

He turned. And he saw her immediately.

His expression was comical. His eyes went wide.

There was no point in hiding anymore, so A

A

He folded his arms and chuckled.

"How are you going to rob her if you do not sleep with her?" A

His smile vanished. "That idea is highly repugnant. How little you think of me."

"But you have to get inside her apartments, and she has locked the door."

He smiled at her.

"Oh." A

"Perhaps what I want is not in her suite," Pierce said softly. He stared directly at her, his smile gone.

A

Pierce suddenly shook his head, as if catching himself in an unpla

Now she started. "So it is tonight." Which explained his good mood, she thought.

"Yes." He stared.

"Let me help."

"That is out of the question." "Why?"

"You will cause me to bungle the job."

"That is not fair," A

A

He hesitated. "It would be unlikely."

She crossed her arms, hugging herself.

For a long moment, he did not speak. "You are wearing your heart upon your sleeve-for me to see."

It was hard to speak. "I don't care," she said hoarsely.

"A

She swallowed with difficulty. "What is insane?" – - "This." And he swept her into his arms.

A

And then his lips were on the soft underside of her throat. A

He pulled her hard against him, burying his face in her hair, groaning.

"Don't stop. Please, Pierce, I will never see you again!" A

He pulled away from her, only to clasp her face with his strong hands. Their gazes locked. "I want you," he said.

There was a soft rapping on the door.

A

For one instant, his arms tightened around her. Then he slid off her and sat up.

A

"Guv, wot yar doing? Did you forgit we 'ave a job to do this night?" Louie asked in a low tone of voice.

"I do believe I briefly lost my head," Pierce said wryly. "With good cause." And he looked over his shoulder and smiled at A

A

That was when Louie saw her and his mouth dropped open. "Guvnor, it's late. We got to get going. Forget 'er."

Pierce stepped aside so Louie could enter the room, and he quickly dressed. His expression had changed, hardening. Watching him, A

"No." Pierce buttoned his white shirt deftly, slipping on his jacket.

A

A

And for one instant, as Pierce stared, she thought his gaze was admiring, and knew it had nothing to do with her body. Then he stepped to her and gripped her shoulders. "No. I know you are headstrong and brave, but not this time, A

"What if she wakes up and catches you while you are robbing her?"

He flung on his jacket, and as he did so, A

But if he did, it would be her own fault, for allowing this to happen-and for not seizing her own fate.

She was so upset, she could not do up more than a single button. "Goddamn it!" she cried.

He paused at the door, and when he finally turned, his face was grim. A

Pierce dropped the satchel. He strode to her, grabbed her and kissed her hard. "Good-bye," he said, his gaze intense.

"No!" A

He retrieved the satchel and, without a backward glance, moved to the door. A

Her gaze swung around the room wildly and settled upon a blue and white vase filled with flowers. She grabbed it, ru

But it was too late. A