Page 88 of Princess of Thieves

“Can you blame me?” He opens them again, looks at me. “Really, Maren, I...” He trails off. “You really gave out all that money?”

I grin. “Damn right I did. All by myself, too.”

“Well, shit.” He laughs, a rich sound I can feel resonate against my own body. “Maren de Mornay, I think I’m in love with you.”

The words hang in the air, like everything’s on pause. I barely take in another breath, unsure if he knows that he said what he just said.

“You are?” I manage, at last.

Rob squints a little, like he’s giving it one last think. Then nods. “Oh, yeah. We all are. I mean, Tuck’s been a goner from day 1, but he’s always been hopeless that way. Scarlet, too, although he’d never cop to it, that kinky son of a bitch. And LJ—”

“He’ll never say it out loud,” I finish for him.

Rob cocks an eyebrow. “You might be surprised. ‘Cause he told me as much.”

“Really?”

“Yes ma’am. Just now, in fact. And told me that if I didn’t keep you here with us then I could go fuck myself six ways from Sunday.” Rob sighs. “And to be honest, that just didn’t sound as tempting as the alternative.”

I can’t hold back my smile. I’m grinning like an idiot, wrapping my arms around his neck, nuzzling into his skin.

“I love you too,” I murmur. “All four of you. Is that...” I pull back, like I’m actually processing the words for real. “Is that even possible?”

“Beats me,” Rob says. “But if anyone could pull it off, it’d be you, pretty lady. You’ve got a damn big heart.”

He traces a finger down my neck, the hollow of my throat, the front of my ribs.

“And you’re so fucking gorgeous,” he mutters, trailing his finger a little bit further. “Been dreaming about this since you got back. Been dreaming about you, period.”

“Yeah?” I breathe. “What do you dream about?”

“Oh, little bit of everything,” he says. “Everything and more.” His hand slides back up, then down to my waist, where he pulls at the edge of my T-shirt.

I can’t stop myself. “Show me, then.”

He lets out a low chuckle and reaches down, unbuttoning my pants. He yanks them off roughly and tosses them aside. I’m completely exposed beneath him, but instead of feeling vulnerable, I feel seen.

“Usually starts along these lines. But...damn,” he breathes. “Better than my imagination.”

I press my lips together. “Then what?”

Rob chuckles, pressing a kiss into my neck. “Honest? I don’t last much longer than that on my own. Even the memory of you gets me hard as a fuckin’ diamond, Maren.”

His words pull a wave of arousal rippling into the center of me. I grab his hand, desperate, and push him to touch me, stroke me.

“Down, girl. You’ve already got a head start on me,” he growls. But obliges, his fingers brushing long and slow into me.

“S-so what are you waiting for?” I barely manage the words, feeling myself go liquid around him, but he doesn’t need more than that.

Rob rocks to his knees, messes with his belt and buttons and shirt, and suddenly we’re both naked and he’s pressing up against me, hard and urgent.

“You’re perfect,” Rob murmurs, his lips against my ear and his fingertips edging my clit with the lightest, most torturous flutters. “Absolutely...fucking...perfect.”

I can’t hold back any longer. “Please,” I breathe. “Please, Rob.”

“Please what?”

“Please...ah!” He dips in deep and I gasp. “Please fuck me before I come on your goddamn hand,” I rush out.

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