Page 7 of Knot a Thief

Instead, my gaze is fixed on the Patek Philippe adorning his wrist. Its intricate design catches the sunlight. I smile. It looks like a limited edition, precious, and making my fingers itch with professional interest.

“Pardon me,” his voice cuts through my watch-induced trance. His cut-glass English accent, though a touch stuffy, seems to fit right in with the opulent surroundings of Monaco. “But I couldn’t help noticing you from across the room.”

I finally drag my eyes up and meet his gaze, and I force a polite smile.

“Oh?” I manage, trying to keep my voice steady. “And what exactly did you notice?”

He leans in slightly, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “A beautiful woman, alone in Monaco? It seems … unusual.”

I arch an eyebrow. “Perhaps I prefer the company of fast cars to that of slow conversations.”

His laughter fills the air with a rich timbre that sends a shiver down my spine.

“Ouch. Though I assure you, my conversations can be quite … stimulating.”

“I like my own company.” I pick up the cherry and almond tart in front of me and inhale. Wondering if this could be my scent. “And cake.”

“It smells delicious,” he says. “Like you.”

I hold back my reply that he can’t smell me, nobody can, when his phone buzzes.

His head turns as he glances at his phone, breaking our connection.

A flash of annoyance crosses his features as he tells me, “My apologies, but duty calls, I’m afraid.”

“It was nice, but brief.”

“Enjoy your dessert. We’ll continue this conversation later.” He drops a card on the table and writes his hotel and room number on the back.

Arrogant.

Then he smiles as he turns and walks to the door.

He pauses, before I hear a curt, “Yes.”

And with that, he’s gone, disappearing into the crowd while I’m trying to stop my heart from racing from the encounter.

Seb’s voice crackles in my ear again. “Ava? What just happened?”

I shake my head, trying to clear it. “Nothing important,” I mutter, even as my eyes track the alpha’s retreating form. “Just sizing up a potential target.”

I pick up the card. Black with nothing on it but the hotel he's staying at and his room number.

There are some benefits to being an omega. The most important is that it makes alphas do stupid things.

But as I turn my attention back to our original plan, I can’t shake the small, traitorous part of me that is hoping that I cross paths with the alpha again.

And as I turn the Patek Philippe over in my hand, I smile, doubting our next encounter will be so friendly.

The roar of engines continues.

People are disappearing from the side street as the practice laps of the Formula One fly around the Circuit de Monaco.

I gather my things, heart pounding as I press my large black hat on my head and slip away with the crowd and get ready to do what we came here for.

As I weave through the throng of people, Seb’s voice comes through again. “Ava? What happened to you? Your body went wild. Heart rate, blood pressure … Everything soared.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing pulse.

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