“Put a leash on your brother, would ya? He’s been on the sauce since midday.”

“Oh, fuck off,” someone shouted, and I turned to see Lee making a jerk-off motion with his hand, blind drunk and very clearly angling for a fight.

The man looked at Stu again. “I mean it — we don’t want any trouble.”

“He’s been having a bad night. I’ll make sure he behaves,” said Stu, and the men seemed relatively appeased as they returned to their booth.

“Yeah, that’s right, piss off back to where you came from,” Lee slurred, and Stu scowled at him.

“You trying to start a war?” he hissed, disgruntled.

Lee let out a derisive laugh. “Like we’re not already in one.”

Finally getting my feet to move, I approached them, directing my question at Stu. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with him?”

“Snap,” Lee said, blinking like he thought I wasn’t real.

“He’s drowning his sorrows, that’s what, and trying to get us both killed,” Stu answered. “You see that bloke over there? That’s Ade Fowler. He just got out of prison for manslaughter. Killed the man who’d been having it off with his wife, and this dumb bugger,” he says, gesturing to Lee, “rolls right on up and asks him how his Mrs is doing, big smarmy fucking look on his face.” He paused, taking in my appearance properly. “Jesus, Karla, you could’ve at least gotten changed.”

“I was working, and I thought it was an emergency.”

Before he could respond, Lee was in front of me, his scent invading my senses as he grabbed my wrist and pulled my body to his. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered, alcohol heavy on his breath. “Let’s get out of here.”

I tried to steady myself, placing my hand on his chest and pushing him back. “What are you doing to yourself? This isn’t you,” I said, my voice half angry, half sad.

“Yeah,” he said, riled. “Well, this is what happens when I have to be without you.” He paused for a second, his expression turning tortured. “Life is shit without you, Karla.”

My eyes went to Stu, who was looking at me like it was all my fault his brother was acting like an alco. “Let me talk to him in private for a minute.”

“By all means,” said Stu, lifting his hands in the air.

“Come with me,” I said, focusing back on Lee. Putting his arm over my shoulder, I led him from the crowded pub and into the ladies’ toilets, which were thankfully empty. His face was in my hair, inhaling deeply. I tried to ignore the butterflies scattering around inside me at his touch. I’d missed him, too, desperately.

His hands went to my neck, his thumbs rubbing softly at my throat as a deep groan escaped him. I could feel that he was hard, his erection grinding into my hip.

Fingers fumbling at the collar of my shirt, he urged me, “Take this off.”

I caught his hands to stop him. “No, Lee, look at me. What’s going on with you?”

He lifted his head, his eyes a little bloodshot. “Everything’s going to shit, and I can’t sleep when you’re not there. I need to feel your skin, just for a minute,” he pleaded, and I swallowed tightly. His hands returned to my buttons, but this time I didn’t stop him. I knew I was supposed to be the strong one, but I couldn’t summon enough willpower. I wanted to be touched just as much as he wanted to touch me. His hands slid inside my shirt, gliding over my collarbones and caressing the rise of my breasts.

“So perfect,” Lee groaned, and I breathed raggedly.

One hand sank into my hair, and he growled in frustration when he couldn’t get it out of the bun. “Don’t,” I whispered. “I have to go back to work in a minute.”

His face rose then as he looked me square in the eyes, and even though he was blind drunk, he still managed to look sexy and predatory. “Fuck work. I want to be inside you.”

A second later his lips seized mine, his tongue invading my mouth as my entire body turned to mush. I needed this, needed him. He was still kissing me when his hands dropped from my hair and began fumbling at my belt. Before I knew it, his hand had disappeared inside my pants and his fingers were sliding along my folds, feeling how wet I was.

A deep, masculine noise rumbled up out of his chest, and his mouth went to my neck, kissing me feverishly below the ear. “Fuck, I love you,” he swore, and I went utterly still. My pores tightened, and my hands pushed at him harshly.

“What? What did you just say?” I asked in panic.

“Shhh,” Lee hushed me in a lazy voice. “No talking now.”

I tried to get my heart to beat normally but it was no use. He’d just said he loved me, but he was drunker than I’d ever seen him, and he clearly wasn’t thinking straight. He was horny and full of beer, and though they said that alcohol was truth serum, I wasn’t quite sure that was the case in this instance.

People often mistook lust for love, and that was clearly what was happening with Lee. He wanted me, yes, but love? How could Lee love a woman who stood for everything he didn’t?

He stroked at my clit, while two fingers dipped inside and I let my head fall back in pleasure. His mouth caught mine again, and I savoured how he devoured me, how he acted like I was the only thing in his entire world.

It was just as I was about to come that my conscience began to niggle at me. I was being a selfish bitch, letting Lee get me off when I knew full well I was going to have to leave him after. I’d walk right out of the pub and get back in the patrol car with Tony, go back to the job that meant nothing would ever be right between us.