Page 31 of Forever a Thief

“Tell me more.”

“Records show a gem dealer sold it to Lord Nuffield of England. From there, the history gets a little murky. Rumors say Nuffield intended to gift it to Queen Elizabeth at her coronation, but that never happened. Instead, it continued to change hands, surfacing for a bit in the 1970s, but disappearing again before coming up for sale at auction. A man who kept his identity secret bought it from a Saudi collector’s estate sale for almost $17.5 million. He loaned it to museums to display, and that’s how I first saw it.”

“Oh, wow. How does the book play into all this?” she asks, tilting her head.

“The unidentified private collector was rumored to be quite eccentric—a man who appreciated a good treasure hunt. Apparently, after finding out he was terminally ill, he hid the necklace and placed the clues to its whereabouts in his favorite story—”

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” she finishes excitedly, and I nod. “It’s my favorite. I’d always beg for just one more page when my dad would read it to me at night as a little girl.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever read it.”

“You’re missing out.”

“Maybe you can read it to me,” I suggest, sliding my hand down her side, along her hip and straight between her legs. She inhales sharply, and my fingers begin to stroke her slit until she’s dripping. “Unless you can think of something else we can do.”

“I might have an idea.”

Her voice comes out so breathy. So damn sexy. I dip a finger inside her heat, curling it, while my thumb rubs small circles around her clit.

“Laurent—”

“Rhys,” I correct her. “Call me Rhys when I’m giving you an orgasm.”

“Rhysss…” She whispers my name like a prayer intention. And while I may not be God, you better believe I’m going to deliver exactly what she wants. An absolutely divine experience.

The night passes in a tangle of sweaty limbs and endless orgasms. We wreck the bed, the shower, the couch and the table—that last one literally. When I had Savvy spread beneath me on the table, we managed to break one of the legs. Zero regrets. I caught her before she fell and we had a good laugh before I was bending her over the back of the couch and finishing up what we’d started.

I can’t remember ever having such a good time with a woman. Probably because I haven’t. Between our romps, we refueled by consuming the bulk of the overpriced snacks and drinks provided in the room. A ten dollar bag of chips never tasted so good.

Lounging on the couch as we finish a huge breakfast spread from room service, I flip through the copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The one that holds clues to the location of The Heart of Azure.

Yet, I see nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that strikes me as strange or unusual. If we’re being honest, the whole damn story is strange and unusual, so I’m at a loss. As far as I can tell, it’s just a regular copy of the damn classic by Lewis Carroll. Sure, it’s old and could fetch a halfway decent price at auction, but that’s not why I’ve been searching for it for so long.

With a frustrated sigh, I slam it shut and toss it on the coffee table.

“Nothing?” Savannah asks. I glance over where she’s curled up in a fluffy hotel robe munching on a strawberry.

“Nothing. But the exasperating part is I know something’s in there.” There has to be. Otherwise this has all been a gigantic waste of time and energy.

She lays a hand on my thigh, squeezing. Okay, not a total waste. Spending last night with Savannah was the best night of my life.

“How long have you been searching?” she asks, voice low as she continues to caress my leg.

“I’ve wanted that sapphire since I was twelve years old,” I admit, harsher than I intend.

“Why? Because it’s shiny? Or is there more to it?”

God, she’s intuitive. But I’m not about to share my past and put a damper on the mood. “Because it’s really fucking shiny,” I say, covering her hand with mine and slowly sliding it up.

“I feel a little like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole.” She palms my dick through the robe, and I groan as she slips her hand past the fabric and wraps her fingers around me. I’m already hard as steel as she slides off the edge of the couch and drops to her knees between my spread legs.

Leaning back, I watch her with hooded eyes. Absolutely mesmerized. “If you’re Alice, who am I?” Her hands twist up and down, and I can’t look away as she works my dick.

“Oh, you’re the Cheshire Cat. No doubt about it. Calm, enigmatic, mischievous.” She kisses my engorged tip, and my fingers dig into the couch cushions. “Guiding me through a topsy-turvy world.”

I’m trying to listen to what she’s saying, but it’s getting harder and harder. Just like me. The moment she wraps her lips around me, I’m a goner. My hips jerk up, giving her a mouthful. And she takes every fucking inch, sucking me deep.

“Fuck!” I’m not going to last long, but I have the feeling she’s enjoying her power over me tremendously. I don’t miss the sexy fire sparking in her sage eyes because she’s staring straight into mine as she sucks harder. “Jesus! Savvy!”