Thief of Hearts by LH Cosway
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Seduce the teacher.
Meet the cousin.
Make a deal.
Steal the painting.
Steal the painting.
Andrea Anderson has no clue of the thoughts churning around in the dark and dangerous ex-con’s head as he enters her classroom. In fact, she’s momentarily lost for words. Not in her entire teaching career has she had a student who looked quite like Stu Cross.
A widow at just twenty-eight, love is something Andie hasn’t considered a part of her life for a very long time. However, when lingering touches turn to whispered words and hot, searching stares, she begins to wonder if maybe she should take a leap of faith.
But Stu is in her class for a reason, and it has nothing to do with love. He’s there to burrow his way into her life and repay a debt, otherwise his family will suffer. Andie is the first person to show him true kindness since he left prison, and though he doesn’t want to mislead her, he doesn’t have another choice.
Before long, Stu can’t tell whether or not he’s acting anymore, and his feelings for Andie could throw all of his carefully crafted plans into complete and utter disarray.
**Can be read as a stand alone.
Stu Cross! I loved getting to know Stu in this story. It's amazing how much heart LH Cosway can pull through her characters, and Stu was a real treat. He's had it rough, he's made tough, even bad, choices. He's out of prison, given a chance at a new life, but things are never as simple as that. I really felt for this guy. He needed a break. He needed someone to believe in him. He needed to believe in himself.
Andrea Anderson has her own special set of circumstances. Widowed at a young age, and struggling beneath piles of debt, she still has a heart of gold as a teacher, always seeing the best in her students, even when she can't picture her own future. Is it any wonder she's caught the eye of a certain sexy ex-con?
This story has a multitude of layers. The love story between Stu and Andrea is one. But compiling both their families, their student/teacher relationship, their pasts, and then the complicated manner of Stu's current obligations, there were many twists and turns to be had. Nothing was simple. And there are things happening that I refuse to spoil. But it was great fun, with my nerves going haywire at times.
But getting back to the love story, that was the yummy goodness of this story for me. Stu was tender when he needed to be tender, sexy when he needed to be sexy, demanding, patient, honest, apologetic, determined, vulnerable, and all heart. Andrea fought her hardest to resist him, but seriously, she didn't stand a chance. I want a epilogue novella about them, because I loved them so much together.
And as an aside, I loved the epilogue. It threw me for a loop, not at all what I was expecting in this epilogue, and it was perfect.
I exhaled a breath when the door closed and then went to find a quiet spot amid the bookshelves to calm my erratic pulse. The reading had moved on to questions and answers, as Jamie held court taking questions from the attendees. A minute or two passed before I sensed movement in my peripheral vision. Judging by the faint hint of his cologne, I knew Stu had found me.
“Are you hiding?” came his deep, masculine voice and I glanced up from my place on the floor.
“Just having some ‘me’ time,” I answered and Stu’s brows rose.
“Behind the shelves of a book shop? Andrea, I didn’t peg you for the kinky type.”
“You’re an incurable smart-arse, do you know that?”
Stu smiled and dropped down beside me, his shoulder bumping mine. “Ah yes, smart-arsery runs in the family, I’m afraid. You’ve met my brother, right?”
I nodded, thinking he was definitely correct on that one. “I have.”
A moment of quiet ensued as I stared at the shelves in front of us. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Stu studying my profile, but I didn’t dare move. I felt like I was on display somehow, my every thought on view to him. Lacing my fingers in my lap, I tried not to let the quiet affect me but it was a lost cause. It wasn’t necessarily awkwardness I felt, but I was definitely uncomfortable.
“You should come meet the rest of my family,” said Stu, breaking the quiet, his eyes still on me.
Now I turned to him. “Huh?”
I know, so eloquent.
Stu reached out and began pushing my hair back behind my shoulders. I normally wore it up at work, but today it was down. “It’s Trev’s twenty-fifth today. We’re having a party at Lee’s. You should wear your hair like this more often. I like it.”
His offhanded compliment made me flush as I tried to think of the nicest way to decline the invitation. “Thank you. I can’t come to the party though. I promised Jamie I’d help him clean up after the reading,” I croaked.
Stu’s eyes told me he didn’t believe that for a second. “I’m sure he’ll manage. How messy can things get?”
I swallowed hard. “Pretty messy.”
“You’re right. I bet those history buffs leave empty beer cans and cigarette butts everywhere,” Stu quietly teased, his hands still on my hair as he groomed me. The feeling was heavenly, probably because nobody ever touched me like this. I couldn’t help sinking into the touch.
A smile curved my lips. “It’s true. They go a little wild after they’ve gotten their books signed.”
Stu moved ever closer, his mouth at my ear as he whispered, “Do you know what I think, Andrea?”
Goosebumps marked my skin as his breath washed over me. “What?” I replied, so quietly I was surprised he heard.
“I think you’re a dirty little liar.”
He startled a gasp out of me when he tongued my earlobe into his mouth and gently sucked.
I should have pushed him away, jumped to my feet, proclaimed my indignation. But I did none of those things. Couldn’t do any of those things. Instead I sat there, eyes closed and frozen to the spot as I sank into him and he continued to do magical things with his tongue.
Breaking away, he murmured, “I like you. Come to the party.”
“O-okay,” I breathed. What the hell? I hadn’t meant to say that. It just slipped out, my body running ahead of my mind. For the first time in years I felt unchained from my inner worries, and all because Stu Cross had slipped his tongue in my ear.
Figure that one out, because for the life of me, I couldn’t.
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Andrea Anderson has her own special set of circumstances. Widowed at a young age, and struggling beneath piles of debt, she still has a heart of gold as a teacher, always seeing the best in her students, even when she can't picture her own future. Is it any wonder she's caught the eye of a certain sexy ex-con?
This story has a multitude of layers. The love story between Stu and Andrea is one. But compiling both their families, their student/teacher relationship, their pasts, and then the complicated manner of Stu's current obligations, there were many twists and turns to be had. Nothing was simple. And there are things happening that I refuse to spoil. But it was great fun, with my nerves going haywire at times.
But getting back to the love story, that was the yummy goodness of this story for me. Stu was tender when he needed to be tender, sexy when he needed to be sexy, demanding, patient, honest, apologetic, determined, vulnerable, and all heart. Andrea fought her hardest to resist him, but seriously, she didn't stand a chance. I want a epilogue novella about them, because I loved them so much together.
And as an aside, I loved the epilogue. It threw me for a loop, not at all what I was expecting in this epilogue, and it was perfect.
“Are you hiding?” came his deep, masculine voice and I glanced up from my place on the floor.
“Just having some ‘me’ time,” I answered and Stu’s brows rose.
“Behind the shelves of a book shop? Andrea, I didn’t peg you for the kinky type.”
“You’re an incurable smart-arse, do you know that?”
Stu smiled and dropped down beside me, his shoulder bumping mine. “Ah yes, smart-arsery runs in the family, I’m afraid. You’ve met my brother, right?”
I nodded, thinking he was definitely correct on that one. “I have.”
A moment of quiet ensued as I stared at the shelves in front of us. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Stu studying my profile, but I didn’t dare move. I felt like I was on display somehow, my every thought on view to him. Lacing my fingers in my lap, I tried not to let the quiet affect me but it was a lost cause. It wasn’t necessarily awkwardness I felt, but I was definitely uncomfortable.
“You should come meet the rest of my family,” said Stu, breaking the quiet, his eyes still on me.
Now I turned to him. “Huh?”
I know, so eloquent.
Stu reached out and began pushing my hair back behind my shoulders. I normally wore it up at work, but today it was down. “It’s Trev’s twenty-fifth today. We’re having a party at Lee’s. You should wear your hair like this more often. I like it.”
His offhanded compliment made me flush as I tried to think of the nicest way to decline the invitation. “Thank you. I can’t come to the party though. I promised Jamie I’d help him clean up after the reading,” I croaked.
Stu’s eyes told me he didn’t believe that for a second. “I’m sure he’ll manage. How messy can things get?”
I swallowed hard. “Pretty messy.”
“You’re right. I bet those history buffs leave empty beer cans and cigarette butts everywhere,” Stu quietly teased, his hands still on my hair as he groomed me. The feeling was heavenly, probably because nobody ever touched me like this. I couldn’t help sinking into the touch.
A smile curved my lips. “It’s true. They go a little wild after they’ve gotten their books signed.”
Stu moved ever closer, his mouth at my ear as he whispered, “Do you know what I think, Andrea?”
Goosebumps marked my skin as his breath washed over me. “What?” I replied, so quietly I was surprised he heard.
“I think you’re a dirty little liar.”
He startled a gasp out of me when he tongued my earlobe into his mouth and gently sucked.
I should have pushed him away, jumped to my feet, proclaimed my indignation. But I did none of those things. Couldn’t do any of those things. Instead I sat there, eyes closed and frozen to the spot as I sank into him and he continued to do magical things with his tongue.
Breaking away, he murmured, “I like you. Come to the party.”
“O-okay,” I breathed. What the hell? I hadn’t meant to say that. It just slipped out, my body running ahead of my mind. For the first time in years I felt unchained from my inner worries, and all because Stu Cross had slipped his tongue in my ear.
Figure that one out, because for the life of me, I couldn’t.
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