To Love a Thief

by Darcy Burke

  “You don’t know whether Miss Renwick can or can’t do any of those things.” Neither did Daniel, but he suspected she could—and well.

  Aldridge leaned forward, his forearms braced on the table as he cradled his glass of whisky between his hands. “Here’s what I do know: During her Season two years ago, she was immediately marked as Trouble. With an impertinent mouth and flirtatious nature, she quickly gained a reputation as a … loose female.”

  She did all that in a fortnight? Daniel had expected Aldridge to disdain his growing interest in Jocelyn, but he hadn’t been prepared for all-out warfare. “I have to think you’re exaggerating,” he said softly, but with an edge.

  Aldridge set his glass down and gestured with his hands, as he was wont to do when he was engaged in a conversation he cared deeply about. “I’m only telling you the truth. If you marry her, many will think less of you for it, and it will be difficult for you to effect the change you want. I know how committed you are to creating a true police force, and how much you care about improving the conditions of our prisons. Are you prepared to abandon those endeavors for a woman whose virtue may or may not be pure?”

  Daniel’s hackles rose, and he gripped the whisky glass like a weapon. “Careful. I won’t have you impugn an innocent’s reputation.”

  “Carlyle, how well do you know this girl? You’ve only just met. I have it on good authority she was in London looking for a husband because she’d been thrown over by someone in Kent. Someone with whom she’d already been intimate.”

  Outrage on her behalf threatened to spill forth from his mouth, but he kept himself in order. With a composure he didn’t feel, he took a healthy drink of his whisky. When the fire reached his belly, he allowed the warmth to calm his rising temper. “How could you know such a thing?”

  “Lady Margaret Rutherford has infallible information about everybody.”

  Lady Margaret was the most feared gossip in London and perhaps all of England. A spinster with a supposed network of informants that would likely rival his own, her on-dits were generally accepted as truth, even if the majority of them bordered on the malicious.

  Aldridge plucked up his whisky and downed the remainder. Then he reached for the bottle and poured another glass. “I’m only asking you to listen to my counsel. We’ve known each other awhile now, and I only have your best interests at heart. I should hate for you to ignore my advice—which is coming purely from my concern for your welfare—and suffer the consequences.”

  Daniel couldn’t ignore the man’s earnest plea. He did know the earl far better than he knew Jocelyn. And he had to admit she did have an impertinent tongue. He’d seen evidence of it just that afternoon. Could the rest be true? He doubted it. And more importantly, it was of no consequence, at least not to him. However, he also recognized he couldn’t be the viscount he wanted to be if he married someone who would be scorned. Furthermore, he had caught her stealing. It didn’t matter that she’d been taking items she believed were hers, she’d bent the law in her favor.

  His insides twisted. Hadn’t he bent the law on countless occasions? He knew Odette and his other informants were criminals, could have sought their arrest on any given day. But he hadn’t. He’d accepted that he had to allow a little wrong to do a lot of right. How was that different from her actions?

  “My lord?” A footman arrived at their table, breaking into Daniel’s internal discussion. “I have an urgent note for you.” He handed Daniel a folded parchment.

  With a frown, Daniel accepted the paper from the footman’s gloved hand. “Thank you.”

  He unfolded the missive and read the hastily written lines:

  Please come at once.

  Jocelyn

  He stood quickly, nearly knocking his chair over. Jocelyn might not be the right viscountess, but he already felt more strongly about her than he had any other woman. “Please excuse me.”

  Aldridge got to his feet as well. “What’s wrong? May I be of assistance?”

  “No, I have to go. I’ll take your counsel into account.” His heart pounded, and his muscles grew tense and tight. It was all he could do to walk sedately from the club.

  JOCELYN paced the small entry hall waiting for Daniel to arrive. Her thoughts went from what she’d found upstairs to the encounter with Aldridge at the park to the delightful flirtation she’d shared with Daniel. Her blood warmed at the thought of seeing him tonight, and for that reason alone she was glad she’d found the clue.

  A sharp rap drew her from her reverie. She rushed to the door and opened it wide.

  Light from the entrance hall illuminated Daniel’s face—his dark blue gray eyes, his strong, square chin, and that bottom lip she still wanted to nibble.

  He immediately crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him. “Where’s Moss?” His voice was filled with alarm.

  The smile forming on her lips died upon hearing his concern. “In the kitchen with Mrs. Moss. I told him I’d answer the door.”

  He frowned down at her. “Do you think that’s wise, given what happened here? I don’t want you doing that again.”

  That he cared so much for her welfare warmed her to her very soul. Her smile crept back. “I won’t. I promise.”

  “But you’re all right?” He put his hands on her shoulders and grazed them down her arms to her elbows, which he clasped gently.

  His touch made her move closer to him. “I’m fine.”

  He frowned again. “Your note could’ve said so. I was worried.”

  Oh, dear. She’d dashed that note off without thinking. She should’ve added that she’d found a clue. But his solicitude felt so nice, she was perversely glad she hadn’t. “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll be clear.” She grinned up at him. “I’ve found a clue! Come!”

  She turned and, without thinking, took his hand to lead him up the stairs. When he didn’t follow, she stopped and turned back. He was staring at their joined hands. Then he seemed to come back to himself and stepped toward the stairs. Stifling a happy smile, she took him upstairs to her former bedchamber.

  He paused again at the threshold and, disappointingly, dropped her hand. “Where is Mrs. Harwood?”

  Jocelyn moved inside, but he remained at the door. “Abed already.” Was he hesitating because of propriety? “Come in and see, I found a knife under the bed.”

  Daniel hastened to join her and knelt at the end of the four-poster where she stood.

  She lowered herself to kneel beside him. “I came to remove the last of my things to my new chamber, and I saw a flash beneath the bed. It was the blade of a knife.”

  He reached under the bed and pulled the weapon into the light of the lantern she’d set on the dresser. He stood, and she moved up next to him in order to see the weapon. The blade was maybe six inches, but the handle was the truly remarkable part. It was in the shape of a dragon with red-jeweled eyes and had a tail that curved to form a rounded hilt.

  “It’s so unusual,” she said. “I questioned the servants after I found it. Nan said she was in here tidying when the thieves came in and hauled her downstairs. She believes one of them may have dropped it.”

  Daniel frowned at the weapon. “I recognize this knife. It belongs to a man I arrested several years ago, Nicky Blue. I’ll go and see him at once.” He turned as if he really meant at once.

  She rushed around him and blocked his exit. “Wait! Where are you going? May I accompany you?”

  His brow furrowed, and his gaze had turned quite dark. “St. Giles, and hell no. Pardon my language. It’s not an appropriate place for a lady, especially at this hour.”

  St. Giles? Even she knew that was one of the worst places in all of London. “I shall worry for your safety.”

  His features softened a bit, but he diverted his gaze from hers. “Don’t, I’m quite comfortable there and no one will bother me. They know I’m a constable—or was a constable.”

  Yes, there was definitely something wrong tonight. And being who she was, she couldn’t simply
let it go. “Are you still angry with me about what I said to Lord Aldridge earlier? I’m sorry, but it was just so jarring to see my father’s watch fob on his person. Particularly when he knows I know he had my things.”

  “No, I’m not angry.” His eyes found hers again, and she could see that he was telling the truth. He wasn’t angry, but he was something.

  “Will this knife help me get my fob back?”

  “Perhaps.” Daniel took her hand—maybe he was all right after all—and said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let anyone bother you again. Bow Street is keeping an eye on your house.”

  She clasped her fingers around his, wanting to keep him with her for as long as she could. Bow Street was fine, but he was better. “They are?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you.” She moved a bit closer to him and placed her other hand on his upper arm. “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met you. It’s been so long since anyone has sought to take care of me.” Then she knew she couldn't let him go without the kiss that had been simmering between them since yesterday.

  She stood on her toes and watched him watch her. His eyes were dark, unreadable. Then she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. He was soft and warm, and desire flashed through her, bright and hot.

  She laid her hand atop his shoulder and opened her eyes. His gaze was still dark, but his lids had lowered, giving him a rich, seductive look. Her pulse quickened.

  “Jocelyn,” he breathed. It wasn’t a question, but a warning, as if he were trying to stop himself.

  But she didn’t want him to.

  She curled her hand around the back of his neck and tilted her head to the side. Closing her eyes once more, she kissed him again.

  This time, his hands came around her waist and he hauled her up against his chest. His lips moved over hers with insistent pressure. Where he’d let her kiss him the first time, this was him taking control. She clutched at his head as if her life depended on it, and maybe it did. She’d never felt such delicious sensation, such heat swirling through every part of her. The contact of his chest against her breasts was new but so exciting. She wondered how it would feel with nothing between them.

  Then he completely distracted her thoughts by sliding his tongue along the crease of her mouth. She opened instinctively, and he swept inside. Oh. This … She was dumbstruck. He was all heat and velvet and bliss. Thank God he was supporting her weight; otherwise she would’ve melted into the floor.

  His tongue caressed her mouth, coaxing her to join him in the dance. Tentatively, she touched her tongue to his. He brought her into his mouth, showing her how to kiss him back as thoroughly and divinely as he was kissing her. She never imagined it could be so lovely. So enchanting.

  So perfect.

  His hand stroked up her spine and cupped the back of her neck and then her head. With his other hand, he cupped her hip and pressed her pelvis against him. Because of the difference in their height, she felt the hardness of his arousal against her belly. She arched higher on her toes, trying to fit herself to him to appease the need that had blossomed between her thighs.

  His mouth slid from hers, and he languished kisses along her cheek and then down her neck. She dropped her head back as his lips worked a path to her collarbone. His hand glided upward from her hip along her ribcage until it met the underside of her breast. It was as if the contact awakened every sensation inside of her. Her breasts grew sensitive, and they tingled with anticipation. She wanted more.

  Thankfully, he gave it to her. His hand cupped her breast. Then his thumb dragged over her nipple. Despite the layers of clothing keeping her flesh from his, she felt his touch as if they were skin to skin. Suddenly his mouth was at the top of her bodice. He was pushing the top of her breast up and over the edge of her gown while his mouth suckled her flesh. She couldn’t keep a moan from escaping. When had she become an utter wanton?

  Then his mouth stilled, and his hold on the back of her neck loosened. Since he was supporting less of her, she came back down onto her feet, which created a cold distance between them. She opened her eyes and looked up at him in bewilderment.

  “Why did you stop?” She sounded as breathless and aroused as she felt.

  He made sure she was standing straight without assistance, then took a step back. He pressed his fingers to his mouth. God, did he regret kissing her? No! She didn’t want that. She moved forward, but he only retreated another step. His eyes were focused low and to the right of her and his mouth was pulled down at the corners. Lush corners she wanted to kiss again and again.

  “I have to go,” he said, turning.

  “Daniel, wait.” She grabbed his elbow, not caring how her actions appeared. “I don’t want you to go.”

  He looked at her then, but his eyes were unreadable. “You must agree I have to. I’ll let you know what I learn from the knife. Good night.” And then he was gone from her.

  Jocelyn stared at the open doorway for several minutes while her body and emotions cooled. Why had he pulled away at that moment? He’d been enjoying their embrace as much as she. Even more, she believed they at least liked each other very much. In truth, she might even feel a bit more strongly than that.

  Dejectedly, she readjusted her bodice. Then she made her way to her new bedchamber with leaden feet.

  Chapter Eight

  INSIDE THE hired hack on the way to St. Giles, Daniel called himself every insult he could think of. What the hell had he been thinking, kissing her like that? She wasn’t some woman he visited in a flash house or a widow he tarried with after sharing an ale at the neighborhood pub. She was Miss Renwick. An estimable, virtuous young woman from a good family.

  But now he had to wonder if she was what Aldridge purported her to be.

  He could scarcely credit what Aldridge had said at White’s, but then she’d kissed him. Then he’d gotten quite carried away, and she’d allowed it. His confidence about her was more than shaken.

  Nevertheless, he spent the entire trip reliving her kiss: the taste of her mouth, the feel of her body, the sound of her moan. It was all he could do not to release his cock from his drawers and finish the job they’d started.

  Instead, he tried to focus on his journey into St. Giles, a rookery so foul and so corrupt that no sane police officer ever entered it at night. Unless they’d spent years cultivating mutually beneficial relationships, which Daniel had done.

  However, he’d made no such affiliation with Nicky Blue, who was as vile and unlawful as they came. It had given Daniel great satisfaction to see the man locked away, if only for a short time. He doubted Nicky would be helpful, but Daniel hoped the return of his prized knife would make him at least slightly amenable. Daniel would also make it clear he wasn’t after Nicky—unless Nicky had acted alone. Making such a promise would turn Daniel’s stomach, but it was the sort of accord that would allow him to snare the prize he wanted. In this case, that was whoever was behind the theft of Jocelyn’s things.

  It was nearly eleven of the clock, which meant Nicky ought to be at a flash house drinking and either eyeing a mark or waiting for a later hour to launch whatever misdeed he had plotted. The question was which flash house. Daniel would start at the outer edge of St. Giles and work his way inward.

  Nearly two hours later, he’d been to six establishments and hadn’t yet found his quarry. But he wasn’t frustrated. Such was the life of a constable on the hunt. Except he wasn’t a constable anymore.

  What the hell was he doing, hunting down thieves?

  Helping someone he cared about.

  He realized then that he cared about Jocelyn. Perhaps she’d permitted—even invited—far more to happen tonight than a typical young lady would or should have, but he’d been glad for it. How was a man with his background supposed to get on with a simpering Society girl?

  Which maybe made them a perfect match. A match he had to admit he wanted. He could see himself marrying her, was beginning to think of it seriously, in fact. He liked he
r fiery spirit—even her impertinent tongue—and her intelligence. That she was a warm-blooded woman unafraid to embrace her own desires only made her more attractive. Furthermore, he wanted to trust her. She’d been honest with him about taking her jewels from Lord Aldridge, and Daniel could see she’d only done it because she believed there was no other way. She’d consulted with a solicitor to try to solve the problem lawfully and when that had failed, she’d become desperate. Plus, her willingness to return the items if Daniel found that Aldridge had legally purchased them illustrated the goodness of her heart. A heart that was likely better than his own.

  He made his way further into the rookery. Now and again he saw a familiar face, but more often strangers looked at him as if he were a sheep for slaughter. Outfitted in the richer trappings of a viscount instead of his former, plainer wardrobe, he likely seemed an easy mark for the denizens of St. Giles. They’d be in for a surprise if they tried to rob him. He’d have the knife out of his boot and against their throat in a trice.

  He stepped into the next flash house on his mental list, the Crystal. Decorated with sparkling lanterns and flowered wallpaper, it aimed to attract wealthy, daring gentlemen out for a night of depravity in the “gutter.” He’d seen Nicky Blue here a time or two, but more importantly he’d seen some of Nicky’s associates and perhaps they’d be willing to help run him to ground—for a price, of course.

  The interior was crowded with gaming tables, mostly filled at this hour. Women were sprinkled about, all of them hawking their wares, but in a more subtle fashion than those on the street. Daniel scanned the room and looked for a familiar face. He stopped when he reached the far back corner. Sconces on the wall illuminated a table with five men sitting around it. One had his back to the corner and was clearly holding court: Ethan Jagger.

  Daniel made his way to the corner, the knife in his boot a welcome weight as he approached one of the highest-ranking criminals in London. Jagger was one of Gin Jimmy’s right-hand men, overseeing a large number of operations from thievery to fraud.