To Steal a Prince Read online

  I grimace.

  “Can you guess which one’s mine?”

  My eyes immediately lock on a crown with an alexandrite that looks like a reflection of the one I’m holding.

  “That’s right.” He laughs. “Not much of a challenge, was it?” Reaching out, he touches one of the silver points. “The velvet cap is turquoise to match the stone in sunlight. My father wanted it trimmed with ermine, but I didn’t want to associate myself with a weasel.”

  “Probably a good call.” I hold out the pillow. “So where would you put this crown?”

  “Next to mine.”

  I slide it carefully into place.

  Damon stands still, admiring the crowns. “It’s good to see them together again.”

  He looks very peaceful. It’s so nice to be near him right now.

  “Thanks for helping me set this up.” He flashes me a smile that I can’t help but return. “I’m no good at security, as you may have already gathered.”

  I wish I could return his thanks with a kiss, but there’s business to take care of. “Do you want to put a decoy in here?”

  He shakes his head. “Only a few people can get into the vault. The family, Nic, and three servants who clean everything.”

  “Can they all be trusted?”

  “The king and queen own everything. Marc and I will inherit it. I trust Nic with my life, and the servants have worked years for this position. It pays well, and they wouldn’t risk it for anything. They hold each other accountable, and our cameras make sure they do.” Damon points to the corners of the ceiling, where I see tiny points drilled in the concrete for concealed pinhole cameras. I guess it’s good I didn’t kiss him.

  Damon closes the cabinet. “What do we do with the fake?”

  “Let’s go to my room.”

  The prince doesn’t argue. We leave the vault, and the Jewel Room with its misleading name. I try not to drool over any of the gems on the way out. The thick steel door thunders closed behind us. We take the elevator to the ground floor.

  I half expect Nic to jump out and yell at me, but there’s no sign of him among the sunny marble columns. He should have been back by now. He’s probably scouring the palace for me, getting more and more enraged.

  “Damon!”

  The shout rings across the hall, making my stomach churn. If only it were Nic who’d spotted us.

  “Father? What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.” The king’s face is red, his eyes bulging.

  Damon steps in front of me, as if trying to shield me from his father’s wrath. “What brings you downstairs so early?”

  “A phone call. From that cursed museum you love so much. They wanted to apologize again for ‘the incident.’ I asked them to fill me in, since it seems that’s too much to ask of my firstborn son.”

  “Everything’s fine,” Damon says. “I didn’t want to trouble you.”

  “Everything’s not fine.” The king’s voice echoes off the pillars. “Someone stole our crown. They’re lucky they returned it, or I would have had my dogs chase them to the ends of the earth.”

  I swallow hard. I hope that Nic takes what he knows to the grave. Otherwise, I think I might be asked to leave this hemisphere.

  “It was never stolen,” Damon says. It’s clear he’s trying to calm his father, but every word from his mouth seems to enrage the man further. “The museum made a mistake. I retrieved my crown, and it’s safe now.”

  “It’s not even yours until you find a wife. Maybe you should get serious, instead of slumming around with any girl who looks your way. You’re becoming an embarrassment to us.”

  Damon doesn’t respond, though I wonder if he feels the sting of his father’s comments as piercingly as I do. Because he’s right. I don’t deserve Damon. I can help him protect the crown all I want, but in the end I’m just a thief.

  The king glares when it’s clear he won’t get a response from his son. “Fine. So you have the crown. What makes you sure it’s safe?”

  “We had a decoy made. We left the real crown in the vault.”

  The king fixes me with his gaze. “We?”

  “Grace has some security training.”

  “Mostly counter-criminal measures, King Darius.” I curtsey as gracefully as I can, trying to remember what Damon demonstrated last night.

  “Hmm.” The king appraises me as if for the first time. “Keep in mind, Miss Sparrow, that crossing us is ill-advised. We neither forgive, nor forget.”

  I guess that’s the only thanks I’ll get from him.

  Darius looks at his son. “At least you’re finally taking some precautions. The next time there is an incident of this magnitude, I expect to be informed immediately.”

  “Of course, Father.”

  “Good day to you both.”

  My impression as he sweeps away is that he doesn’t much care how good our day is.

  “So…” Damon says. “We’re putting the fake in your room?”

  “Don’t worry about him.” Marc pops out from behind a pillar. “My dad’s very stressed right now.” He lays a hand on my arm. “It’s nothing to do with you.”

  “Thanks for that.” Gripping his half-brother by the shoulders, Damon encourages him to step away from me. “We’d love to chat, but now’s not a great time.”

  “I can take a hint,” Marc says. “I just wanted Grace to see that some of us can be friendly.” He saunters away, hands in his pockets.

  Damon rolls his eyes. “My dear brother. Always there when you least want him.”

  I exhale. The urge to recoil from Marc was so strong, but I’m glad I resisted. At least Damon was here to keep me from being rude.

  “Your room then?” Damon asks.

  I look at Marc’s retreating back. “I’ve changed my mind.”

  This time, we take the elevator to the third level.

  7

  “Why my room?” Damon asks.

  “I just have a bad feeling about mine. Besides, I don’t know it well enough. Don’t you know all the nooks and crannies of yours?”

  The doors slide open before he can answer. Nic stands in our way. I groan. Can’t I ever catch a break?

  “I told you to wait for me,” he snaps. “I’ve been looking all over… Oh, sorry, Highness.” The bodyguard’s tone changes completely. “I didn’t see you there.”

  “And why did you need Grace to wait for you?” Damon asks.

  His tone is so icy that I feel the need to defend Nic. “This is my fault,” I say. “I was going to walk the grounds alone, and Nic wanted a word with me before I did.”

  “A word about what, Nic? You don’t usually take such an interest in my guests.”

  “Security.” The bodyguard’s expression is stony. “Most of your guests aren’t quite as… adventurous, Highness.”

  “She already has a handle on security. You should know that, if you’ve reviewed the footage from the museum. One second, the real crown is there. The next, it’s a fake. You can barely see her move.”

  Damon beams at me. Strange as his pride is in me stealing one of his family heirlooms, I feel a thrill of happiness. No one’s complimented my abilities before.

  Nic flushes. It’s obvious that he’s lost his trump card. I’m outside his power now.

  “In fact,” Damon continues, “Grace is assisting me with security. We’ve just secured the crown in the—”

  “Don’t!” I can’t stop the word from escaping.

  Both men turn to stare at me.

  “It’s just… secrets last longer when fewer people know.”

  Nic’s eyes burn into me, and I have to avert my gaze.

  “I told you, there’s no one I trust more than Nic,” Damon says gently.

  “You can tell him, just not here in the hallway.”

  “Don’t bother.” Nic pushes past us, down the long flight of stairs. We stand in silence as his footsteps dim.

  “That went well.” Damon tugs on his blazer.

>   “Should we go after him?”

  “Let him cool off first.” Hand light on my waist, he guides me to his room. His touch makes it easy for me to forget the anger of others.

  Damon shuts the door behind us. “We’re safe here. Remind me again why we need to hide the fake?”

  “If someone realizes there are two crowns in the game, they might find it simpler to just steal both of them.”

  “That makes sense.”

  I pull the crown from my bag and hand it to him.

  “What should I do with it?”

  “You know your room better than I do. Put it where no one will look for it.”

  Damon thinks for a moment. “It might be too obvious…”

  “Where?”

  He beckons me to follow him to the bed. A lion figurine rears rampant on his nightstand, its silver claws threatening to tear at us. Damon turns the lion’s head to one side. Something in the wall clicks softly.

  The prince presses on the wall, and a panel opens. A safe lies behind it. I look away as Damon turns the knob.

  “This is your idea of obvious?” I ask. “I’m sorry to inform you that lion figurine/secret panel/safe combinations aren’t all that common.”

  Damon grins. “No one knows about this place besides my father. I don’t think he’d have any reason to take the crown. Especially when it’s fake.”

  I can’t resist peering into the safe. “Is there room for it? What’s in there now?”

  “I’m,” Damon stutters, “I’m not sure I can say.”

  “Can’t, or won’t?” Is he actually turning red? “Let me see.” I elbow him aside.

  Inside the safe is nothing but a hot pink thong.

  I lean against the wall. Damon looks at me, his face full of concern.

  “Grace?”

  I put a hand to my mouth.

  “Please say something.”

  I can’t. Giggles win, bubbling out of me.

  Damon exhales. “You’re not upset?”

  “At least it’s not a mankini.”

  Now we’re both helpless with laughter.

  Damon wipes his eyes. “I don’t even remember putting it in there. I must have had a bit too much Petrus that night.”

  I place the crown in the safe. “I think I can squeeze it in here. You want to keep this little number secure as well?”

  Damon swings the safe shut. “I’ll deal with that later. I can’t take any more giggling.”

  A perverse determination takes hold of me to have him replace those panties with mine someday. I fold my arms across my chest. What’s wrong with me?

  “What do you think?” Damon asks. “Is this security up to your standards?”

  My mind immediately switches back into professional mode. “I see that there’s also a keyhole in the safe. Where’s the key?”

  “The safe can be opened with the combination or a key. I don’t like the idea of a key being stolen or copied, so I had it destroyed.”

  “Good. I’d get at least one more fake crown to hide. Can’t go wrong with multiple decoys. Maybe a camera on the safe.”

  “One step at a time. The crown is secure for now.” The prince removes his blazer, laying it neatly on the bed. “It’s been a tiring day. Care for a swim?”

  I give the hanging pool a sideways glance. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

  “Do you need one?”

  I find myself blushing under his gaze.

  “I have some that should fit. They’re all new, don’t worry.” Damon touches a panel in the wall, and a rack of suits appears.

  Does he really have a closet dedicated to bikinis? I raise one eyebrow at him.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I like to be prepared for all circumstances.”

  “Including what, a pool orgy?”

  Damon strokes his chin. “You know, I’ve never tried that. What have I been thinking?”

  I give him a playful shove.

  He pulls the rack from the wall. “See one you like?”

  I reach for one, then hesitate. Is this really a good idea?

  “You’re not afraid to steal my car, but you’re afraid to borrow a bathing suit?”

  “Fine. Give me one.”

  The prince makes a great show of selecting an emerald green suit. “Will this do?”

  I snatch it from his hand, trying to ignore how skimpy it is. Is this going to cover anything at all? Doesn’t matter. I can’t show him that I am a tiny bit afraid.

  I grab my shirt, ready to pull it over my head. Damon’s still staring at me. I stare right back, motionless.

  “Oh. Sorry about that.” He turns away. “I’ll get ready over here. I won’t look if you won’t.”

  Peeling off my shirt, I let it fall to the tile. I look back to make sure that Damon isn’t peeking. Of course he isn’t. I get back to the business of stripping, then pull on the teeny bikini. He’s much more upstanding than I am.

  I inspect myself in a mirror, cupping my hands under my breasts. It’s not as bad as I feared. Everything fits well, and still leaves something to the imagination. Which is good for Damon, who will need to practice imagining a while longer.

  Speaking of Damon, I can see him in the mirror if I step to one side. He tosses his shirt aside, revealing a strong back. His belt clinks as he unbuckles it. I know I shouldn’t break our promise, but I can’t help it. I guess I’m just a terrible person. His pants slide to the floor, followed by his boxers.

  Now there’s nothing but his bare ass, sculpted and slightly paler than the rest of him. It looks so smooth, and I want nothing more than to touch it, to run my hands down his strong thighs and over his calves.

  “I thought we had a no looking policy?”

  My face turns bright red. “You didn’t even turn around! How did you know?”

  Damon pulls up a pair of swim trunks, pulling the drawstring tight. “They all look.” He winks at me, then heads toward the pool.

  I wish that I could be as self-assured. It must be easy for him, after being with so many women. I envy that. I’ve been so busy trying to keep myself fed and ahead of the cops that I’ve never even had a boyfriend.

  “Ready?” Damon dips in a toe. “Water’s great.”

  “It’s also hanging a few hundred feet in the air.”

  “Come on.” The prince holds out a dripping hand. “You can hold onto me if you want.”

  The temptation is too much. I take his hand and allow him to pull me in. I sink under the surface, my hair clouding around my face. The glass side distorts the view of the city. It’s wavy, uncertain under here. That feels comforting somehow.

  I let go of Damon’s hand, coming up for air to see more clearly. The baked clay roofs stretch out to the sea. The view calms me enough that I lean an arm on the glass. I wonder how long Damon will want me to stay. How long does it usually take him to grow bored with his latest lady friend?

  I want to ask him about the other women he’s been with, and how long they’ve lasted here. But I don’t have the nerve. I don’t want to hear how he’s had countless other conquests. I don’t need to know how much curvier they were than I am, how much better they were in bed.

  “Are your parents still in California?”

  Whipping around, I frown at him. “Why?”

  “I just wondered if they’ve ever visited here. They must be missing you.”

  He looks uncomfortable. I realize that I’m being way too defensive for such a simple question, but it did come out of nowhere. Relaxing my shoulders, I try to release some tension.

  “We don’t speak much anymore. They were very upset that I left.” That’s enough of the truth for now.

  “I’m sorry. It’s hard to lose a parent, no matter what the circumstances.”

  I slip down until the water laps my eyelashes. This isn’t turning out to be the romantic scene I’d envisioned when we first stripped off our clothes. I must be the only woman in the world who would mope when pulled into a pool by a half-naked prince. And he’s gal
lant through it all. I want to sink to the bottom and not bother coming back up for air.

  “Let’s switch to a lighter topic,” Damon says. “Is there anything you’d like to do in our city? I’m a magnificent tour guide. I’ve played the nanny for countless foreign dignitaries.”

  I imagine him pushing a wizened diplomat around in a stroller, and have to smile.

  “You’ve already sampled our museums,” he teases, “and our auto scene.”

  I’d dunk him if I didn’t richly deserve the ribbing. “I always like beaches. You’d think I’d have gotten enough of them on the cruise ship, but it was mostly boring ocean. I had to work on the ship when we were in port, so even though we anchored at many world-class beaches, I never got to feel the sand between my toes.”

  “The beach? That can be arranged. I can take you there tomorrow. I’ll tell Nic to make arrangements.”

  That’s the last person I want to see right now. “Don’t have him do anything on my account. I wouldn’t want to make more work for him.”

  “You know what? Forget Nic. Let’s go now.” Damon sets his hands on the pool’s edge, ready to lift himself out.

  “No, not yet. There’s something I want to do first.”

  He turns. “And what’s that?”

  Now I have to, before I lose my nerve. I push off the clear wall, gliding across the pool to him. I don’t aim to land beside him. I aim to land in his arms.

  He looks surprised, but readies to catch me. I must have misjudged my strength, because I crash into him. Damon laughs, hooking my legs up over his waist. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around him and press myself against him. His skin is hot despite the cool water. I can’t believe we’re this close.

  It feels like my heart might beat out of my chest. Damon looks into my eyes. This is my moment. Now or never.

  I touch my lips to his. They’re so soft, so infinitely kissable. Damon responds, his mouth needy on mine, as if this is the last kiss he’ll ever get. I put a hand to his chest, and feel his heart beating like a drum. I’m thrilled that he wants me too. I don’t care what I am to him right now, or desire to label this strange relationship. All I want is to live in this electric moment, arching toward him with every fiber of my being.