Thief of Hearts by Leda Swann

Author:Leda Swann [Swann, Leda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-08T18:30:00+00:00

The boy who had stolen his name was waiting at the western door. Miriame’s brother, if he guessed aright, with all Miriame’s courage and daring, but none of her beauty and sweetness.

Metin glared at him, shut the door behind him with a bang and stood with his back to it, feet apart. “What are you doing here?”

The boy shrugged. “The Marquise asked to see me and I am here at her command. What is it to you, anyway?”

Metin did not know who he wanted to protect from whom. The boy was a thief and a scoundrel. Francine should be warned against him. Then again, the boy was only young and must be even more green and inexperienced than he had once been. What hope did he have if Francine were to work her wiles against him. His conscience smote him at the thought of leaving the boy to walk unwarned into such a snare as she would set for him. “What would Francine want with you?”

He gave a cheeky grin. “That is for me to know and you to guess of.”

“Francine is not the woman for you.”

“I am sure you are right.”

“She is using you to further her own ends.”

“I have no doubt of it.”

“She wants the King and no one else.”

The boy’s grin widened. “Ah, that is where our opinions differ. I would have said she wants the King in her public bed so she can queen it over the rest of the court. But in her private bed she wants someone who can give her what the King does not. She wants a real man.”

“She wants you? You think she wants you.”

“Only for the moment, but that is fine by me. I’m a “for the moment” kind of man myself.”

He clenched his fists together in an effort to keep his temper in check. “You told me you were not her lover. You swore as much.”

“I’m not.” The boy shrugged one slim shoulder. “Not yet. She likes the chase as much as the capture and I’m still playing hard to get.”

“You intend to be her lover, then? A nothing, a nobody like you?”

“Only if she catches me. She’ll appreciate me more if she has to work hard to get me. No one appreciates the ripe fruit that falls into their lap at the first shake of the tree. I would have thought you’d found that out already.”

The boy’s taunting made him see red, as it always did. “You’re a scoundrel. I will warn her against you.”

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you. She’d probably be quite excited about it and even more determined to catch me. Besides, she’ll think you are jealous of me for replacing you in her affections, fickle as they are, and will laugh at you behind your back for your fondness.”

He fought his rising temper. How did the boy manage to bait him so successfully every time. He could hardly see him now without wanting to tear him apart from limb to limb. “I should kill you, you know.

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