The Taming of the Thief (7 page)

 
   
 
“Will
you join me?”

 
   
 
“But
of course, but I was raised that I could not eat until the lady has had her
fill. So you shall have to take pity on me and eat.”

 
   
 
Sophie laughed.

 
   
 
The
musical sound increased Pietr's confidence and he gestured to the table with a
teasing bow. To his delight, Sophie laughed again, the shadows chasing away
from her gaze. Despite the harsh reality of the last several hours and the air
of defeat she'd worn out of the bedroom, the laughter sparked her backbone,
straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin.

 
   
 
She
was stunning.

 
   
 
“All
right, but you must match me bite for bite.”

 
   
 
Her
acquiescence was worth any agreement. Pietr guided her over to a chair and laid
a throw blanket over her feet. He snapped out a linen napkin and made a show of
laying it over her lap.

 
   
 
“You're very good at this.”

 
   
 
“
Merci
, what would the lady care for?”

 
   
 
“Hmm, the hot cocoa, the toast and some eggs.”

 
   
 
Pietr
considered the spread.
“Eggs, toast and a slice of bacon and
perhaps some fruit?”

 
   
 
“Is
that the required amount to get the question answered?”

 
   
 
“Possibly.”
Pietr loved the way her smile curved her lips
upward, faintly dimpling her chin. The lines around her mouth suggested a
familiarity with smiling and a lightness that was more attractive than the
sparks dancing in her eyes.

 
   
 
“All right.”
She laughed again and Pietr quickly prepared
the plate for her, passing it into her hands before pouring a mug of the
steaming hot cocoa and setting it on the table next to her.

 
   
 
He
turned, watching her until she lifted a piece of bacon to her lips. Pietr held
his breath when her pink tongue dashed out to sample the bacon before taking a
bite. Desire fisted in his stomach and a longing to taste the bacon on her lips
had nothing to do with a hunger for food.

 
   
 
Sophie cleared her throat. Pietr jerked his
gaze up to hers. “Good?”

 
   
 
“Yes,
but aren't you supposed to be eating too?”

 
   
 
“
Oui.”

 
   
 
“Well?”

 
   
 
“Hmm?”

 
   
 
To
his immense delight, she laughed again and scooped up a forkful of eggs and
held it out to him. He leaned forward and took the mouthful obediently, never
letting go of her gaze. The taste of warm scrambled eggs filled his mouth, but
he reached for another slice of bacon and brushed it teasingly along her lower
lip.

 
   
Her mouth opened at the invitation and he
slowly edged the bacon forward, letting her tongue and teeth tell him when she
had the bite she wanted.

 
   
Pietr held his breath until she bit into the
bacon and her simple groan of pleasure rolled over him.

 
   
“The bacon is good?” He murmured.

 
   
“It's wonderful. You should try it.” Her
enthusiasm tugged at him and he leaned forward, intent on sampling the taste of
it on her lips. Sophie's eyes widened as he closed the distance, the sweet
coconut and tang of lemony soap teased his nostrils.
His
little academic proved provocative incarnate.
He slid a hand up to cup
her cheek, thumb stroking the tender skin beneath her eye.

 
   
Pietr hesitated, giving her the moment to
push him away, to tell him no, to resist. Her lashes fluttered down and he
touched his mouth to hers, accepting the invitation. The soft whisper of her
breath tasted of fresh mint, the bare hint of chocolate and salt.

 
   
He teased at her lips, his tongue a slow
caress against her lower lip, beckoning for admission. Her fork clanged against
the plate as her mouth opened to him to him with a groan.

 
   
A rapid knock against the hallway door
jerked Sophie back, her drowsy eyes going wide and Pietr swore.

 
   
He was going to kill that interloper.

 
   
“E
at.”
Pietr stroked the back of his knuckles down Sophie's cheek. “I will get rid of
them.” He waited for her shaky nod before striding to the door. If it was that
damn Detective, Pietr might just throttle him. A glance in the security hole,
however, left him frowning.

 
   
He opened the door to a long-legged redhead
with a fierce smile and expensive tastes. “Lady Katherine.”

 
   
“Pietr, darling!”
Lady Katherine Hardwicke, the only daughter of the Earl of Suffolk and a
distant relation of Lady Prentiss, Pietr's aunt, blew into the room with the
power of a hurricane. Her arms went around his neck and her plump, little mouth
planted a long, hard kiss to his.

 
   
Shock held him rigid as Lady Katherine
greeted him enthusiastically. He gave her a quick, polite squeeze and then
reached up to loosen her grip on his neck. “
Bonjour
,
Lady Katherine.”

 
   
“
Bonjour
indeed, my beautiful Pietr.
I just found out you
were in New York and I thought surely you would call, but here I am,
desperately showing up on your stoop for just the smallest bit of your
attention.” Her too clever for words green eyes snapped with playful insult,
but her body rubbed against him in a manner that seemed both suggestive and
playful.

 
   
She really needed to go now.

 
   
Pietr finally managed to extricate himself
and pulled back a step. He shot a careful look over his shoulder and could have
groaned. Sophie's wounded gaze traveled between
he
and
Lady Katherine. Before he could initiate damage control, Katherine noticed
Sophie.

 
   
“You have company!” Katherine actually
clapped her hands and darted around him, bearing down on his poor little
academic.

 
   
Oh
mon
dieu.

 
   
S
ophie
stared at the stunning redhead who'd kissed Pietr like a lover striding across
the too small sitting room. The woman was absolutely magnificent with a wild,
true red mane of hair falling around her face and shoulders in an artistic
tumble. Her movements in the rich, verdant green dress were nearly feline. She
practically floated when she walked and while Sophie couldn't name the shoes,
she recognized designer when it teetered towards her.

 
   
Setting the plate aside, Sophie rose. She'd
never felt frumpier - hotel robe, wet straggly hair and no make up.

 
   
“Lady Katherine Hardwicke,” the knockout
held out her dripping-in-gems right hand in introduction.

 
   
“Sophie Kingston.” Her manners kicked in and
she shook the offered hand politely.

 
   
“I'm so sorry to interrupt.” Lady Katherine
quirked a look towards Pietr who'd followed in her wake, his hands tucked into
his pockets. Sophie wasn't sure what his bland expression suggested. She'd seen
a quick flash of horror dance across his face. Was he embarrassed that Sophie
had seen Katherine's enthusiastic greeting or discomfited that his lover found
him in a hotel room with another woman?

 
   
Sophie's stomach turned over at the thought.
She didn't want to be the other woman.

 
   
She really didn't want this red-haired
goddess to be Pietr's lover either.

 
   
“I've interrupted your breakfast.
So sorry.”
The apology sounded too
flip
to be real, but Katherine's smile lacked malice. She twisted and smacked Pietr
on the chest.
“Naughty boy.
You should have told me
you had company.”

 
   
“My apologies, Lady
Katherine.
As it's just after 4 a.m. we weren't expecting to entertain
visitors.” Pietr's tone was so dry that Sophie's lips quirked into a half-smile
that she just barely managed to smooth away when Lady Katherine's sharp green
gaze returned to her. Behind Katherine, Pietr mouthed an apology that did a
great deal to boost Sophie's sagging confidence.

 
   
“Men.
He flies all
the way from Europe, he knew I was in town, nothing escapes our Pietr.”
Katherine waved a hand airily. “I would invite myself, but I think I've already
overstepped the boundaries of politeness.”

 
   
“I'm sure we have more than enough to
share.” Sophie gestured towards the long table with its covered dishes and the
pots of coffee and hot cocoa. Sophie found herself liking the woman, she might
be dressed in a few thousand dollars of designer clothes and gems, but her
smile looked genuine.

 
   
“You are positively too sweet. If someone
like me burst in on my lover and
I
, I would be ready
to rip her eyes out of her head.” Katherine shot a reproachful look at Pietr.
“You should know that despite how gorgeous she is
,
no
woman wants to entertain in her bathrobe, Pietr darling.”

 
   
“Duly noted, Lady
Katherine.”
Pietr's lips twitched, but he kept a watchful distance, circling
around to sit with one hip on the edge of Sophie's chair.

 
   
The action sent a shiver of pleasure through
Sophie's insides. She thought about mentioning they weren't lovers, but when
Pietr's hand slid to the back of her neck and began to rub at the tense
muscles, she kept her own counsel.

 
   
Heat rushed to her cheeks and she reached
for her mug of hot cocoa. She wanted to give her hands something to do. “Are
you staying in Manhattan for a while?” Sophie asked, the silence having
stretched too thin.

 
   
“I expect to be here a fortnight,” Katherine
shrugged, perching on Pietr's abandoned chair, one leg crossing over the other.
“Papa has me meeting with a few bankers about a new project.” Her lips pouted
in a moue.
“Boring bankers, too.
They like to 'golf,'
in the afternoon and meet by 6 a.m. for conferences with Papa via Skype.”
Katherine made air quotes with her fingers when she said golf.

 
   
“So you're on your way to a meeting.” Could
it already time for a new day to start? The previous day's events wore down on
Sophie, dragging her into a new business day. Belatedly, she realized that were
she at home, she would be getting up soon to go for her morning jog to the
museum.

 
   
“Unfortunately, boring
bankers.
And you two?
How long are you in the
States?” Katherine flicked away an imaginary piece of lint from her immaculate
skirt.

 
   
“Undecided,” Pietr replied smoothly, his
hand sliding down Sophie's neck to follow the line of her shoulder and
squeezing it. Odd, Sophie wasn't visiting Manhattan, but he apparently didn't
want her sharing that information.

 
   
“Well then we shall have to get together for
a supper this evening.” Katherine stood, her action sending Pietr to his feet
smoothly. Sophie hid a smile.

 
   
Somewhere his mother must be smiling proudly
at a well-mannered son who stood when ladies did.