Page 14 of Gone with the Rake

Lydia’s body reacted instantly, fire-like heat coursing through her veins. Her skin grew clammy with sweat, sticking to her clothing while an unrelenting pulse beat in her nether regions.

She turned away and forced herself to direct her thoughts somewhere else, anywhere!

But the suggestive sounds coming from behind the curtains didn’t help derail her body’s response. His breathing grew louder with every thrust and slosh of the water, and then he whispered, “Lily…” And everything grew quiet.

Lydia froze.

Did he really just say, Lily?

It couldn’t be. With the crackling fire and the sloshing of the water, she had probably misheard. Perhaps it was just a growl of completion.

Lydia forced out a measured breath to calm her nerves.

She counted to ten, waiting for her heartbeat to slow and her mind to stop racing.

When she glanced through the curtains once more, he was already in bed. The servants entered the next moment and carried the bath out. A maid walked up to his bed and pulled the silky drapes around it.

A few moments later, the servants had left, and the room was quiet, except for the soft breathing coming from inside the bed.

Lydia swallowed. It was now or never, her only chance to get the ring back.

Chapter 5

Lydia waited for a few minutes to make certain that Art was indeed asleep before tiptoeing her way out of her hiding place and toward his bed.

This wasn’t the first time she had to steal something off a sleeping person. This mission shouldn’t have bothered her at all. Not taking into account the fact that it wasn’t just anyone that she had to steal from, it was Art, the man she used to love.

And she had to do it after witnessing him pleasure himself in the bath. And to top it all off, the bastard was still distractingly attractive after all these years. Her body was already responding to him without seeing the show earlier. And now she had to come close enough to him to touch his skin.

Lydia wrinkled her nose, trying to ignore her thoughts, then slipped inside the drapes.

It was completely dark. She had to stand there motionless, forcing her eyes to get used to the darkness until she could make out his outline.

Art was lying on his right side, facing Lydia. His hair obscured his face, but the even movement of his chest with his deep breaths convinced Lydia that he was indeed asleep.

Lydia held her breath and leaned over him, trying to ignore the heat of his body. She could barely make out the chain around his neck, but she could not see the ring. It was probably under his body.

Lydia gulped. Perfect, just perfect.

Her hands trembled as she reached for the chain. Slowly, she picked up the delicate chain with her fingertips and carefully dragged it up.

Art squirmed in bed.

Lydia froze, her hand still holding the chain about an inch from his warm, inviting flesh… She grimaced. There was nothing inviting about this vile human being who’d abandoned her so cruelly. She tugged on the chain again, its weight indicating that there was indeed something attached to it, but was it the ring?

Art moved.

Lydia dropped the chain and retreated behind the drapes.

Through a tiny crack, she observed as Art turned onto his back with a groan, his arm covering his face, and stilled.

Lydia held her breath as she waited for him to relax and fall back into deeper slumber.

Perhaps I should just leave. Come back some other time? She shook the intrusive thoughts away. And just a moment later, she heard his soft snores. She had no reason to give up now.

Lydia licked her lips and peeked inside the drapes again. The ring that seemed so close just a moment before had disappeared underneath his prone body again.

Damn. This was getting a lot more difficult than she’d thought it would be.