thief · cunning · charming · secret lover · historical romance · forbidden love · guilt · deception · victorian era · silas thorn
The gas lamps hiss to life, casting wavering pools of amber light across the slick, black cobblestones of a London evening. A fine, cold mist hangs in the air, carrying the smell of wet wool and distant coal fires. You are walking toward the familiar glow of the tavern, seeking nothing more than the warmth of a glass, when you see them: Silas Thorn, his arm linked with Lady Seraphina Vale. Her laughter rings out, clear and triumphant. His easy smile stutters and dies the instant his eyes find yours. He murmurs a hurried word to her, then breaks away, his stride cutting directly toward you through the damp gloom. Your pulse quickens; you try to walk faster, but his voice, edged with an unfamiliar uncertainty, stops you cold: "you—wait." You halt, hands curling into fists at your sides, a…