Trevor’s expression sobered as he nodded, while Sophie explained, “This is Billie. I’m taking care of her because her mum’s gone AWOL. She was in the house alone for two days before I found her. Some people don’t deserve to have kids.” She sounded angry, and I couldn’t blame her. I remembered Lee telling me how Sophie’s mother had abandoned her in a similar fashion when she was only little. Looking back at the girl, I saw that she was wearing clean clothes and her hair was braided into a French plait. It seemed like she was being well looked after, but I still wanted to suggest they call social services.

“Sophie’s determined to foster her,” Trevor told me quietly. “Lee’s not sure the social will give her the green light, though.”

I nodded, looking back to Lee’s cousin and completely getting it. Even though she was young, there were some women who were just born to be mothers, and seeing how Sophie interacted with Billie and her son was evidence of that.

“So, you’re with Lee now? Can’t say I saw that coming,” said Sophie, breaking me from my thoughts. Her expression gave nothing away, and I really couldn’t tell how she felt about me.

“Oh, no, we’re not….” I began, but she waved me off.

“Don’t bother. I get it. I just hope you both know what you’re doing,” she said, her face serious.

And that was the problem, wasn’t it? I wasn’t sure either one of us had a clue what we were setting ourselves up for, or where this would lead. Ever since I’d first met Lee, a feeling of recklessness had formulated in my gut, and it had only grown bigger and bigger each time I saw him. A part of me didn’t want to live by all the rules and procedures anymore; it wanted them to scatter in the wind.

Trevor turned to go into the kitchen, and I followed him. Stu was sitting at the table, typing on a laptop, while Lee stood by the cooker, checking on the food.

“What the fuck’s she doing here?” somebody asked angrily, and my attention went across the room to Liam, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. I shot Trevor an annoyed glance. Clearly he’d been lying when he said Lee had told his brothers I was coming.

“Yeah, I second that,” Stu piped in, his eyes narrowed to slits.

The two of them regarded me with open hostility, causing my stomach to twist with discomfort. The notion that I shouldn’t have been there echoed in my head once more. Lee wiped his hands on a dishcloth and levelled each of his brothers with a sharp look. “The two of you, shut it. She’s here because I say so.”

Both Liam and Stu bristled at the authority in his voice, but they didn’t argue. I barely had a chance to blink when Lee came toward me, his stride purposeful.

“Karla,” he breathed, and the way he said my name made me shiver. He slid his fingers between mine and pulled me back out into the hallway for privacy.

“They’re right — I should leave,” I said before he could get a word in.

His hands went to my face, palms cupping my cheeks as his eyes flickered over my features. “You look tired,” he murmured, his voice low and tender. The gravelly tone had a strangely arousing effect on me, and I suddenly felt too warm. I was also overly aware of how much I’d missed him. All of him.

Trying to summon some reserve, I took his hands and lowered them from my face before stepping back a bit. Clearing my throat, I said, “Trevor said you had an update for me.”

Lee frowned and closed the distance I’d put between us. “Still all business, eh?”

“I don’t see how I should be any other way.”

We stared at one another in silence, so much want between us I could almost taste it on my tongue. Unable to resist, my gaze lowered to his lips. I missed how they felt on me, missed how his eyes could devour me from the inside out. Schooling my expression, I knew Lee could see just how much of a hard time I was having being this close to him. He took a deep breath and stepped away.

“All right. Let’s do this your way, then. The update is that everything’s been settled. Nobody’s gunning for you anymore. It was mostly a precaution anyway, because they didn’t even know your name.”

Air rushed out of me all at once. “That’s good news.”

Lee eyed me speculatively. “Yeah, it is. So, are you staying for dinner, or are you gonna run off now that you’ve gotten what you wanted?”

“You could have just called me, you know.”

“I know,” Lee said, looking me up and down before whispering, “but then I wouldn’t get to see you.” He breathed in deep, moving closer, and I shivered slightly. “You smell incredible. What is that?”

“Uh, honey and almond,” I answered, blinking. His proximity was causing me to flounder a little.

“Stay, Karla, eat. I want to spend time with you. And I promise I won’t touch you unless you ask me for it,” he told me huskily.

I should have tucked tail and fled right then, but I didn’t. No, I was my own worst enemy, because I didn’t have the willpower to say no to him. Finally, I nodded shyly and was rewarded with the handsomest of smiles. He took my hand in his again and led me back into the kitchen.

Twelve

I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I sat at a table and ate a proper family-style dinner. Sure, I visited Mum and Dad’s every once in a while, but that was different. There was no warmth between us. The Cross brothers did Sunday dinner the way it was supposed to be done. People passed bowls of food around, they spoke over each other, they laughed, but more importantly, it was clear that they all genuinely enjoyed one another’s company. Well, aside from the fact that Stu and Liam refused to acknowledge my presence.