map?
In the end, they’d left, returned to their shop, and gone to bed.
And now he was here, doing a little burglary of his own.
“Why were you here tonight?” she asked. The needle pierced his skin, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Shemade her touch more
gentle. There was no need to take her frustration out on his tender flesh. She tried to keep her attention on the stitching.
His gaze slowly rose to meet hers, and the full impact of his clear blue eyes nearly stole her breath away.
“Perhaps I came for another kiss,” he said, his mouth tilting in a smile.
She quickly looked away, instead concentrating on his wound. Suddenly being kind and gentle seemed less important; being quick
became her goal. He grimaced as she pulled the needle through his flesh. “Well, if that was the case, I believe you came for
naught.”
“Indeed?”
“The kiss was uninspired at best.” She would not allow him to see how truly distracting she found him. “In my estimation,
it hardly warranted a special trip, especially in the middle of the night. We both would have found a decent night’s sleep
more rewarding.”
He winced again, whether from her insult or the stitches, she couldn’t be certain. Nor did she care, she reminded herself.
And it especially didn’t matter that she was lying. He need not know that the kiss had shot tingles through her body from
her scalp to her toenails. That even still, as she sat here before him, she could taste him, still feel his warmth pressed
against her.
“What do you know of my map?” he asked, and this time his voice had taken on a darker tone.
She ignored her churning stomach. It would be best if she kept her nerves to herself. Not only that, but she needed to keep
her eagerness at bay. They had to have that map. The lives of her people and family depended on it.
“Someone told me you have in your possession theonly map of the legendary continent of Atlantis.” She made another stitch.
Again his eyes met hers. “And who is this someone?” He gave her no time to answer as he continued. “Miss Tobias, it is not
widely known that I own that map. Though certainly in some circles…” He trailed off. “I would have assumed that most map collectors
would be more concerned with countries that are widely accepted as fact rather than a mythical continent.”
She paused over the next stitch to allow her hands to cease shaking. Damn him but he rattled her. It was no great secret that
many did not believe in the existence of her homeland, but she had not considered that detail in her lie. He had a good point.
A typical map collector would not bother with Atlantis. Real collectors valued detailed maps whose accuracy could be compared
with real places. But she couldn’t change her story now.
“I don’t recall who told me.” She hoped she sounded casual. She added a short laugh to enforce the point. “And I collect maps
from all over. Fact or fiction. I could not speak to what other collectors might deem appropriate. It’s not a scholarly pursuit
with me. I told you, I merely find them attractive.”
“Might I see your collection? I have a great affinity for maps as well,” he said.
The needle slipped, and she accidentally jabbed him. “Sorry. I’m afraid I don’t keep them here. This isn’t our primary residence.”
“Of course,” he said. He sat quietly for a moment before he spoke again. “Generally those maps worth collecting do not come
at a cheap rate.”
“Surely you are not suggesting that I don’t appear wealthy enough to be a legitimate map collector,”she said. “That would
be horribly rude and quite presumptuous.”
“Of course not. I could never be that crass.”
“Ah, such charm,” she said as she pulled the thread through. “I bet that sort of thing works well for you. Most of the time,”
she added with a little bite to her tone.
“Most of the time,” he agreed.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t make such
In the end, they’d left, returned to their shop, and gone to bed.
And now he was here, doing a little burglary of his own.
“Why were you here tonight?” she asked. The needle pierced his skin, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Shemade her touch more
gentle. There was no need to take her frustration out on his tender flesh. She tried to keep her attention on the stitching.
His gaze slowly rose to meet hers, and the full impact of his clear blue eyes nearly stole her breath away.
“Perhaps I came for another kiss,” he said, his mouth tilting in a smile.
She quickly looked away, instead concentrating on his wound. Suddenly being kind and gentle seemed less important; being quick
became her goal. He grimaced as she pulled the needle through his flesh. “Well, if that was the case, I believe you came for
naught.”
“Indeed?”
“The kiss was uninspired at best.” She would not allow him to see how truly distracting she found him. “In my estimation,
it hardly warranted a special trip, especially in the middle of the night. We both would have found a decent night’s sleep
more rewarding.”
He winced again, whether from her insult or the stitches, she couldn’t be certain. Nor did she care, she reminded herself.
And it especially didn’t matter that she was lying. He need not know that the kiss had shot tingles through her body from
her scalp to her toenails. That even still, as she sat here before him, she could taste him, still feel his warmth pressed
against her.
“What do you know of my map?” he asked, and this time his voice had taken on a darker tone.
She ignored her churning stomach. It would be best if she kept her nerves to herself. Not only that, but she needed to keep
her eagerness at bay. They had to have that map. The lives of her people and family depended on it.
“Someone told me you have in your possession theonly map of the legendary continent of Atlantis.” She made another stitch.
Again his eyes met hers. “And who is this someone?” He gave her no time to answer as he continued. “Miss Tobias, it is not
widely known that I own that map. Though certainly in some circles…” He trailed off. “I would have assumed that most map collectors
would be more concerned with countries that are widely accepted as fact rather than a mythical continent.”
She paused over the next stitch to allow her hands to cease shaking. Damn him but he rattled her. It was no great secret that
many did not believe in the existence of her homeland, but she had not considered that detail in her lie. He had a good point.
A typical map collector would not bother with Atlantis. Real collectors valued detailed maps whose accuracy could be compared
with real places. But she couldn’t change her story now.
“I don’t recall who told me.” She hoped she sounded casual. She added a short laugh to enforce the point. “And I collect maps
from all over. Fact or fiction. I could not speak to what other collectors might deem appropriate. It’s not a scholarly pursuit
with me. I told you, I merely find them attractive.”
“Might I see your collection? I have a great affinity for maps as well,” he said.
The needle slipped, and she accidentally jabbed him. “Sorry. I’m afraid I don’t keep them here. This isn’t our primary residence.”
“Of course,” he said. He sat quietly for a moment before he spoke again. “Generally those maps worth collecting do not come
at a cheap rate.”
“Surely you are not suggesting that I don’t appear wealthy enough to be a legitimate map collector,”she said. “That would
be horribly rude and quite presumptuous.”
“Of course not. I could never be that crass.”
“Ah, such charm,” she said as she pulled the thread through. “I bet that sort of thing works well for you. Most of the time,”
she added with a little bite to her tone.
“Most of the time,” he agreed.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t make such
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