by L.H. Cosway
His attention flickered between my eyes and my lips when he spoke. “Hungry?”
I blinked, afraid for a second that he might have read my thoughts. “What?”
His lips curved as he repeated his question. “Are you hungry? I could cook for you when we get to our place. I give good food.”
“Is that supposed to be a euphemism?”
He shook his head, laughed, and answered simply, “Nah.”
I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. “Well, what do you make?”
“Anything. What’s your craving?”
I turned and stared out the window, because all this talk of food was strangely sexy. “I have no idea.”
Lee leaned over to nudge me with his shoulder. “Guess I’ll just have to surprise you, then.”
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before we reached the house, and we all got out while Lee paid the driver. Alexis and Stu were already inside and climbing the stairs by the time I hesitantly stepped in the front door. Lee came in behind me, bumping me with his chest and forcing me to move farther down the hallway. Stepping back, I waited for him to lead the way into the kitchen. The place was clean and tidy, which was the last thing I expected, given that four brothers lived there. Then I remembered their cousin, Sophie, and her little boy. Perhaps she did the cleaning.
Passing by the living room, I saw a gigantic flat-screen TV on the wall and a designer leather couch. The kitchen was sleek and new, at odds with the age of the house. I guessed the place was built around the ’50s or ’60s, one of those old red brick council jobs. Usually, these builds were a two up, two down affair, but I knew there had to be more rooms, given that six people lived there. Sure enough, a hallway led off from the kitchen to an extension out the back. I was willing to bet the loft had been converted, too.
All in all, it was fairly obvious that the brothers had a decent amount of money coming in, though you’d never think it from the outside. Lee eyeballed me for a second, shrewd as a fox, and I knew he could tell I was taking everything in and coming to one conclusion. Unless his garage was doing a booming business, his money had to have come from elsewhere. This was why I couldn’t understand him inviting me over. Either he was allowing his attraction to cloud his judgement, or he was up to something.
I sat down on a stool and he turned away, opening the fridge to check what food he had in.
“It must get hectic, living with so many people under one roof,” I said, attempting to make polite conversation. After all, I wasn’t going to be a bitch to the man in his own home.
“I’m used to hectic, Sn…I mean, Karla,” said Lee, pulling ingredients from the fridge. “Me and my brothers have been living here since we were kids. Back then there were four of us in one room, though we’ve had the place updated a little since.” He paused and pointed to the extension. “Sophie and Jonathan share the downstairs bedroom. Stu has his own room upstairs, Trevor and Liam share, and I’m in the attic.”
“So your parents don’t live here?”
“You like spaghetti?” he asked, perhaps to change the subject. “I make my own sauce from scratch.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
A moment of silence elapsed, and I wasn’t expecting him to answer my question about his parents, so I got a surprise when he did.
“Mum died when I was fourteen. Overdose. Dad left when we were little, but he still comes around every so often. Waste of fucking space.”
I sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry to hear that. Who took care of all of you after your mother passed?”
Lee cocked an eyebrow like I was being nosy, which I was. “Took care of ourselves. My aunt, Sophie’s mum, fooled social services into believing she was moving in to care for us. What she really did was dump Soph here, then fucked off to live with her junkie boyfriend while getting a nice little government payment every month.”
He was chopping tomatoes, onions, and garlic as he spoke, throwing them all into a blender.
“But if she took the money, how did you survive?”
He paused, looked me dead in the eye, and asked low, “How do you think we survived?”
I stared back at him, and in spite of what he was inferring, sympathy churned in my gut. I didn’t know how to respond. He pointed his knife at me for a second, which was a little jarring.
“Everybody’s always so quick to judge, but we’re all born into our own patch. Some patches are worse than others, and yeah, most of the time you get a choice on what way to live. Trouble is, sometimes the choice is between bad and worse. I had two choices, and if I had picked the one I didn’t, my brothers would’ve been split up and shipped off to a bunch of shitty care homes, where they’d-a been turned into victims. Instead, I chose the other option and turned them into survivors.”
I stared at Lee, but he didn’t meet my gaze, concentrating on the food instead. It made me uncomfortable to see things from his perspective. I’d always looked on the world from the viewpoint of a cop. Somebody who stopped people from taking what didn’t belong to them. The problem was, some people had nothing, and their only option was to take.
There were so many things I wanted to say. Like, why didn’t Stu get a job to support them? He must have been at least sixteen at the time. Yeah, the best he could’ve done was minimum wage, but at least it was honest. Then again, I doubt that kind of money would support a house of five growing kids. Plus, Stu wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. I could imagine him looking to Lee, who seemed a lot savvier, for guidance, and who obviously saw a more lucrative path.
“What I’m saying,” Lee went on, “is that we all have our reasons.” A loaded silence fell, and I grew self-conscious as he studied me. “So, what’s yours?”
My brow furrowed. “I don’t get you.”
“Somewhere along the way you decided to become a copper. What was your reason?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested.
I rubbed my palms on my thighs. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Your old man?”
“What about him?”
“Did he push you?”
I laughed, resting my elbows on the counter, surprisingly engrossed by watching Lee cut vegetables. He had those fancy knife skills, like the chefs on TV. “No, actually. The exact opposite. He doesn’t think women are fit to be police.”
Understanding lit up his eyes as he grinned. “Ah, so you did it to piss him off. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
My smile began to fade. “That’s only a part of it. I want to help people, too. A lot more than I want to stick it to my father.”
Lee’s eyes flickered between mine, his expression contemplative. “Yeah, I can see that.” A silence fell between us, and for the tiniest second I felt like we truly saw one another. All the flaws and all the good bits. The moment was broken when he continued, “Anyway, look, I’m not judging you for the thing with your old man. In fact, this means we have something in common. My dad’s a prick, too.”
“How do you know him?” I asked before clarifying. “My dad, I mean.”
“Now, there’s a story. Just let me get the spaghetti boiling first.” His reply intrigued me, and I waited as he put some dried spaghetti in a pot. Once he was done, he went back to the fridge, pulling out a can of beer and a bottle of white wine. He held it up to me. “This is Sophie’s. It’s got to be better than the shit you were drinking at the bar.”
I shrugged and he poured me a glass before popping the seal on his can. Taking a stool and resting his elbows on the counter, his posture almost matching mine, he recounted his story.
“So, I’d just turned eighteen and I was at my mate’s house party. Some weed was being passed around, the usual. All of a sudden, the lights went out and somebody starting banging down the door. A neighbour must have called the police to come and break things up, and your dad was heading the team. Turns out the dealer at the party had been on their radar for a while, and your old man was dead set on booking him. Usually, I’d have
been out the back window before you can say zip-a-dee-fuckin-doo-da, but I was shitfaced drunk. Before I knew it, your dad was slapping a pair of cuffs on me and hauling me off for a night in a jail cell.
“‘Is that a truncheon in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?’” I’d joked. Your old man didn’t take too kindly to that. Bastard twisted my wrist, nearly fucking broke it, and gave me a warning. “‘One more word out of you and I’ll have you up for drugs charges.’”
“‘Fuck you, I don’t have anything on me.’”
“‘You have whatever I say you have.’”
“Even though I was drunk, I knew to shut my mouth after that. Liam and Trev were still only young at the time, and I couldn’t afford to get sent away, even for a couple of months. I’ve had a few other run-ins with him over the years, and he’s a mean motherfucker. So yeah, my condolences and all that.”
I narrowed my gaze at him and shook my head. I didn’t doubt that my dad had said those things, but I was uncomfortable having Lee know what he was like, because that meant he also knew that my childhood wasn’t a walk in the park.
“I…I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry he did that,” I replied at length.
Lee levelled me with his eyes. “Yeah, well, I think the fact that you’re sticking it to him is the fucking business, Snap.”
He was back to calling me Snap again, but I just shook my head. It was a losing battle trying to get him to stop. Returning to the cooker, he poured his sauce into a pan, stirring it every so often. He made quick work of draining the spaghetti, and before I knew it, there was a plate in front on me. It smelled absolutely mouth-watering, so I could only imagine how it was going to taste.
“Um, thanks,” I said, glancing at him as I lifted the fork. I wanted to mouth a silent “wow” to myself when I finally tasted it. It was by far the best thing I’d eaten in a long time, and it was only spaghetti. I could just imagine what he might do with a more adventurous recipe.
“Well,” said Lee, “what’s the verdict?”
“Amazing,” I blurted before I could censor myself, and he grinned wide. “I mean, not that I’m the best judge. My work doesn’t leave a lot of room for fancy cooking. More often than not, I just end up grabbing something from the local takeaway on my way home.”
Lee’s grin didn’t falter, but his eyes did flick to the ceiling for a second.
For the past couple of minutes, I’d been trying to ignore the subtle banging coming from upstairs, but it was gradually getting louder. I glanced at Lee and he smirked, and then I laughed and he laughed, too. We shared a moment of eye contact before I shook my head.
“So, your brother is, uh, kind of vigorous.” I frowned at myself. Why the hell hadn’t I brought up a different topic? Like, say, one that didn’t involve discussing the fact that his brother and my best friend were having a roaring good time right above our heads.
“Vigour runs in the family,” said Lee.
I sputtered a laugh. “That was smooth.”
He flashed his teeth at me when he smiled. “You know it.”
The banging from upstairs petered out, and my heart gave a thud of relief. I continued eating my food, because honestly, it was too good to ignore. I was also downing the wine like nobody’s business, and when my glass was empty, Lee refilled it. I wasn’t a big drinker, so, needless to say, the three glasses I’d had were hitting me hard. I was tipsy, and being tipsy in the presence of Lee Cross was dangerous territory.
“So, you like to cook?” I said to break up the silence.
“Yup.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but it’s kind of a strange thing for a twenty-five-year-old guy to enjoy.”
Lee let out a breath. “Yeah, well, when you can remember a time when you couldn’t afford food, you tend to make the most of it when you can.”
His answer took me off guard. Damn, coming to his house had been a really bad idea. More and more I was empathising with him, and I didn’t like it. I mean, nobody likes being forced to admit they might have been a tiny bit wrong in their first impressions.
I finished eating my spaghetti, hoping it might soak up some of the alcohol. I knew Lee was watching me the entire time, but I refused to acknowledge his attention. Instead, I kept my eyes levelled in the vicinity of his right ear and told him about some innocuous story I’d seen on the news earlier that day. Lee seemed amused as ever, and if I was looking at his face, I was sure I’d encounter a knowing smile.
Taking our empty plates, he carried them over to the sink, then turned back to me. “You want to go sit in the living room for a while? I’m sure Alexis will be down soon.”
“Okay,” I replied, and followed him to the next room.
Beside the TV was an iPod dock. Lee switched it on and scrolled through his playlists while I took a seat on the couch. If there was one thing men did better than women, it was pick out sofas. They went for the most comfortable option, while women generally went for what looked good. Not unexpectedly, I sank into the plush leather with relish. A moment later Lee approached, and even though there was lots of space, he decided to sit right next to me.
My gaze wandered to his arm, which rested along the back of the couch, and I swallowed, my body tensing.
“So, how long have you lived with Alexis?” Lee asked, his attention focused on me, and my skin prickled with awareness. He was way too close for comfort, and I could tell he was the kind of bloke who looked at a person and saw everything.
“A couple of years, but we’ve known each other since we were kids,” I answered. “We grew up on the same street.”
Lee’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Do your folks still live there?”
I narrowed my gaze, wondering why he cared where my parents lived. Was he cosying up to me to get information about my dad? “No. They moved to a nicer area a few years ago after Dad was promoted,” I answered, intentionally leaving out where exactly they’d moved to. If Lee noticed this, he didn’t comment on it.
“And did you start cop training right after you finished school?”
“Uh-huh. Why all the questions?”
He gave me a small smile. “I’m just trying to get to know you, no ulterior motives, I promise. If you don’t want to talk about you, we can talk about me. Or we could just sit in silence.”
God, he was such a smart-arse.
I shook my head. “Let’s talk about you. When did you leave school?”
“Around the same time Mum passed. Didn’t have time for schooling after that. Stu stopped going around that time, too. I kept Liam and Trev in until they turned eighteen, though.”
I had to admit, I was surprised by that, and it obviously showed on my face, because Lee went on, “I live for my family, Snap. I’d do anything for them.”
“So much so that you had them join the family business instead of sending them to Uni?”
Now he frowned. “I gave them a choice. Working at the garage was the one they picked.”
“You know, I saw Trevor free-running the other day. He’s really talented.” I left out the part that I’d seen him, too, because I knew it’d please him to discover I’d been spying.
“I know what he’s capable of. Your point?”
“He could be doing other things.”
“Fixing cars is hardly gutter work,” said Lee, and strangely, the more hostile he grew, the closer he got to me. I was growing incensed, too, as I dug my fingers into my palms. We were talking about Trevor, but maybe deep down I was really talking about him. Because he was just as talented, channelling all his energy in the wrong direction.
“I think we both know that fixing cars isn’t all you and your brothers do.”
Lee eyes turned fierce, and I got a fright at the intensity in them. “Nah, we don’t know that. In fact, you don’t know anything.”
“I know enough.”
Lee dragged his hand through his hair and surprised me when he rose swiftly from the couch, pacing back and forth. “Don’t come into my fuc
king house and judge me.”
I shot him a look like he was on crazy pills. “Um, if you recall, I never asked to come here. You invited me.”
“And you could give me a little respect by leaving your cop hat at the door.”
“I’m not wearing my cop hat. I’m just being myself,” I retorted, standing to face him. “You see, you think you like me, but you don’t. Not really. This is me, and look at you — you hate it.”
I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. His chest was rising and falling with his temper, and all of a sudden my skin felt too tight. Electricity pulsed between us like a living, breathing thing. Tingles radiated down my spine, his laboured breaths somehow reminding me of sex. I found myself staring at his lips, and he caught me looking. The tension between us grew thicker. He circled me like I was prey, and when he spoke, he was practically growling. I felt it right in the pit of my stomach.
“I don’t hate anything about you, Karla.”
The words had barely left his mouth when he reached out and grabbed me by the neck to pull me forward. He bent down and rested his forehead on mine, our breaths mingling.
Only a second passed before his lips sought my lips, gently at first, a light nip of exploration. I whimpered, and the sound did something to him, because a second later he crushed his mouth to mine and I trembled under his assault.
A pleasured noise rose from my throat. I felt crazed. My hands gripped his neck, feeling the corded muscles and warm skin. His tongue dipped inside, slick and wet. A second later he lifted me up, fitting my thighs around his waist and carrying me to the couch. He sat with me astride him, his hands wandering from my neck, down my shoulders and hips until he reached my thighs.
I felt so fevered right then that I barely had time to think, to step outside the moment and see the gigantic mistake I was making. As soon as Lee’s hands wandered around to palm my arse, I was gone, lost to sensation. I felt owned, claimed by his hands and mouth. He pulled back slightly, drawing my lower lip between his teeth and biting down hard. I fisted his T-shirt, muttering a feverish “please” into his mouth before we were kissing again. He broke away just long enough to whisper back, “Tell me what you need, baby.”