Amongst Thieves

5.

Ress had gotten himself out of bed and partially dressed in his pants by the time Maize returned to the apartment. He glanced up at her from the book he was reading while he lounged on their plush chaise, his cheerful grin dropping when he noticed the miserable look on her face.

"What happened?" he asked, closing the book and putting it aside.

With a sigh, she leaned back against the apartment door. "She wants me to spy on you."

"That's it?"

"That's it?" she echoed incredulously.

Ress shrugged his bare, muscular shoulders. "It's not like she's asking you to assassinate me."

"We're thieves, not murderers."

"You never know what can happen when things get slow."

"I'm so glad you find this amusing," she growled as she walked over and aggressively threw her body down on the opposite end of the chaise.

"Not amusing, just expected. I knew I was being followed at the market."

Her head whipped towards him. "You didn't say anything."

"You didn't need to know, and you needed those herbs more."

She frowned. She was going to get him killed and he was all but expecting it.

"Did she say anything else?"

Maize shook her head, still frowning. "Just that she wants me to watch you and report back next week."

"Fine— we can think of some elaborate story to tell her while we're waiting for Forge at the Chamberlain tonight."

Maize had practically forgotten the proposed plan from the lesser advisor. Or, at least that they still had to meet with him to formally agree to his proposal and get their advance and decide what else they were going to do with their new wealth.

"She knows you're supposed to be following me," he reminded her, taking her silence as hesitation. "And it's not as though we've never gone to the Inn to share a meal before."

"And if someone spots us speaking with Forge?"

Ress shrugged again. "We'll figure that one out when we need to."

"Why are you being so casual about this?"

"Because I know this is the best chance of finally getting you the help you need, and I'm more than willing to put my own neck on the line to get it for you."

"I don't deserve you," she said softly.

"I know." He smiled as he closed the distance between them, crawling across the cushions until he braced his arms along her sides and hovered above her. "But I deserve you, which is why this works."

She scowled and went to pinch his side, but he was ready for her, grabbing her hand before she could touch his skin and pinning it to the chaise before his lips met hers in a deep kiss. Temporarily distracted, Maize used her other hand to tickle his other hip, and he cackled against her lips. She tickled him relentlessly until she loosened his grip on her other hand and she was able to switch their positions so that she was straddling him upon the chaise.

His laughter subsided when he noticed that she was only sitting there on top of him, looking down at him, assessing the man beneath her. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions and contemplations, and all of them involved him.

"Tell me," was all he said, watching her. Of anyone else in that damn city, he was the only one who took the time to know her. Though Celese may have had a hand in making her the thief she was, Ress made her be the woman she wanted to be.