Stolen Heart

chapter 21





Annika returned to where Kieran was waiting with plenty of time to spare. When she morphed back into herself, he grabbed her and gave her a hard hug. “I was so worried.”

Pulling back, Annika grabbed her nose and waved her hand in front of it. “Geez, Kieran. Have you been bathing in garbage?”

“Funny. But come on, let’s get out of here so you can fill me in on what happened.”

Kieran hated to do his next task, but he knelt beside the unconscious man and plowed a fist into his face. He needed to leave a bruise so the man thought he’d been mugged. Grabbing Annika’s hand, they left the alley and headed back to the hotel.

Once inside their room, Kieran performed a quick spell cleanse on himself and changed clothes. He had smelled like the inside of a garbage can. Annika was sitting on the bed, cross legged. Kieran took the chair. The same chair that Annika had given him the most amazing blow job in. Focus, Kieran.

“I was able to learn quite a bit. The Scepter is kept in Claire Moldevaine’s office, locked in her desk. I was able to steal the key.”

“What? Are you crazy? What did you have to do to get the key?”

Annika wasn’t prepared for him to be pissed at her actions and she started back pedaling. “Relax. It was easy. The man whose identity I took happens to have access to the Royal chambers. The key was lying on the desk. I did some quick searching and found The Scepter lying in the drawer.”

Kieran looked at her in skepticism. Annika realized that sounded too easy.

“But I decided to leave it there. I didn’t want to risk taking it out of the palace without you having my back.”

She held her breath while Kieran processed the information. Finally a look of relief crossed his face. “If you had been caught…I don’t know what I would have done. Please don’t take risks like that again.”

Annika inwardly winced at the guilt she was feeling. This sucked.

“So, how are we going to get back into the palace again to steal it?”

“Again, pretty easy. When I was searching Claire’s desk, I came across some invitations that had been sent out. They are having a charity ball tomorrow night. We go in as ourselves. I have two invitations right here.”

Annika produced the two invitations and threw them at Kieran. They fluttered out of his reach and he bent down to pick them off the floor. He reviewed them then looked up at her with a smile. “Nice. You are quite the little thief.”

Boy did that compliment hit close to home. And again, Annika inwardly winced in guilt. Stars what she wouldn’t give to go back in time and do this all over again. She would have found another way to help Claire. Of course, if she had never stolen The Scepter, she would never have met Kieran in the first place. What a tangled web we weave.

Kieran stood up from the chair and walked to the bed. “Now, I think it’s time to reward you for your bravery and cunning.” His face was hot with desire.

Annika’s body responded immediately. “Then get your ass in this bed and give me my reward.”

Kieran gave her a wicked grin. “I will. But after I punish you for that ass slap you gave me this morning.”

He lunged at Annika and grabbed her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she squealed with laughter as he brought her over his knee to spank her. One hard slap to her rump, and she was squirming in his lap. She looked over her shoulder at him and her eyes were fired with lust. Kieran inhaled deeply, his eyes darkening with need.

Flipping her quickly in his arms, he brought her up to claim her mouth. Gripping the hair at the back of her head, he kissed her hard and thoroughly. Wrapping her hands around his neck, Annika squirmed on his lap, rubbing her ass against his erection. He groaned into her mouth. “What am I going to do with you, baby?”

It was a rhetorical question. Annika knew that. She also knew what he was going to do to her now, and the rest of the night. After tomorrow, she knew all bets were off. She’d have no clue how he was going react to her treachery. As she leaned back in to kiss him, she told herself to savor these last hours with Kieran. They would probably be the best she would remember in her life yet to live.