I woke up to the sound of Reya’s voice, and, sure enough, when I walked into the kitchen, she was sitting across from Alexis, holding Oliver in her arms and cooing at him like an annoying grandmother. Or maybe I just found it annoying because my head was spinning.

“How are you not dying right now?” I asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a carton of orange juice.

Reya shrugged. “I don’t really get hangovers.”

“Just you wait,” said Alexis, pointing to me. “A few years, and you’ll be as bad as this one.”

“Yeah, no offence,” I added, “but I kind of hate you right now. I’m going to take a shower.”

When I came back out, clean and dressed, I found breakfast waiting for me. Apparently, Reya felt guilty for her lack of a hangover and decided to cook me bacon to make up for it. She was such a gem. Sitting down at the table, I dug into my food. Her phone went off with a text, and she hurried to check it. I was willing to bet I knew who it was.

“Trevor?” I asked between bites.

She nodded sheepishly and put her phone back down. “He wants to hang out today.”

“Really? You should go.”

She shook her head. “It’s more of a group hangout. He and a few of his buddies are practicing for some free-running competition. He wanted to know if I was interested in coming to watch.”

“That sounds exciting. I could think of worse ways to spend a Saturday.”

“So why don’t you come with me?” she put in eagerly. “It’ll be fun, and I’ll buy you ice cream.”

There was something about the innocent look in her eyes that I couldn’t say no to. “Sure, I’ll come. Got nothing else planned anyway.”

“You’re the best,” she said, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand.

A half hour later we were on the Tube, heading toward Hyde Park. Trevor texted Reya, telling her to meet him at the Albert monument. When we got there, we found him, Liam and a bunch of their friends leaping up and down ten steps at a time, like they were running drills. There were also lots of people hanging about watching; not surprisingly, they were mostly female. That wasn’t what caught my attention most, though, because sitting off to the side and shouting encouragement was Lee.

I grabbed Reya’s arm, my voice tight as I said, “You never told me he’d be here.”

She shrugged out of my hold, smiling at me like butter wouldn’t melt. “Trev never mentioned it.”

I knew she was lying when I caught the both of them sharing a secret little smile as Trevor waved to her from the steps. They were trying to play Cupid, I could tell. Deciding not to let it get to me, I continued walking toward Lee.

“Hey,” I said tentatively, and sat down next to him on the steps. “So what are you, their coach or something?”

He looked up at me, eyes moving down my body before settling on my face. “Or something. How’s the head?”

“Thumping. I’m sorry about, uh, last night,” I said, fiddling awkwardly with the zipper of my jacket.

Unfortunately, I remembered every second of my embarrassing attempt to kiss him and his subsequent rejection. I wished I could scrub the humiliating behaviour from my brain, but they hadn’t created a pill for selective memory loss yet.

I knew from the set of his mouth that he was trying not to smile. “Nothing to be sorry about.” Leaning forward, he nodded to Reya.

“Good to see you again.”

“You, too,” she replied shyly. My friend tended to get quiet around good-looking men, which explained her behaviour with Lee. What it didn’t explain was her friendship with his brother. Then again, when Trevor decided he was going to be friends with someone, they didn’t really get a say in the matter. I’d learned that firsthand.

“So what are they all practicing for?” I asked in an effort to make conversation.

Lee rubbed a hand over his jaw, where an attractive bit of stubble was growing. “Big competition up in Brighton next week. The winning team gets a round trip to Thailand to climb the Doi Inthanon Mountain.”

“And that’s their idea of a good time?” I said. “I’d rather stay on the beach.”

Lee chuckled. “That’s you and me both.”

I noticed Trevor and the rest of them stopping to take a break, and he ran over to us, plopping down next to Reya. Waggling his brow at her, he teased, “I know I’m delectably sweaty right now, but do try to resist.” He leaned closer, but she pushed him away.

“Eww, get off. You need to take a shower.”

“I’ll just go hop in the pond, shall I?” he joked, lifting the end of his T-shirt to reveal an inch of toned stomach.

Reya laughed tightly. “I dare you.”

“And I’ll second that dare,” I added, goading him. “Crack on.”

Trevor scowled at us both playfully. “It’s a good thing I’m immune to peer pressure. There’s probably typhoid in that water.”

“And cholera,” said Lee. “So don’t even think about it. I’m not taking you to the hospital.”

“You just don’t want to clean up after I get the shits.” Trevor grinned, trying to gross him out. Lee stared at him, expressionless, which was kind of funny.

“Can we leave bowel movements out of the conversation, please?” I grimaced.

“You don’t know what he’s like,” said Lee, still eyeing his brother. “He’s off his nut. Can’t back away from a challenge.”

Trevor scoffed. “Jumping into a pond is no challenge. Now, if you’d asked me to climb atop old Albert, strip off all my clothes, and jump to the ground while crying out the lyrics to ‘Dancing Queen,’ I might have to take you up on it.”

Reya stared at the monument. “You’d break your neck.”

He leaned closer to her. “Is that a dare?”

Her eyes flared with worry. “No! Absolutely not.”

“Too bad. Could’ve been fun.”

“I think there might be something wrong with you,” I said, my brow furrowing.

Lee smirked and shook his head. “Nah, he’s just flirting with your friend.”

“Hey, now, bruv, don’t be tellin’ porkies. Reya here’s a good buddy of mine,” said Trevor, throwing his arm around her shoulders. Reya looked away for a second, and I thought she might be feeling awkward. It was clear that she fancied him, so maybe she was embarrassed that her crush was unrequited.

Lee eyeballed his brother, his pull the other one expression pure comedy gold.

Reya caught my attention, a pleading look in her eyes. “Do you want to go get ice cream now? I spotted a stand on our way into the park.”

“I’ll go,” Lee said. “You stay where you are, love.”

Reya frowned, annoyed that he’d thwarted her escape plan, and settled back onto the grass beside Trevor. I was about to lie back and enjoy the unseasonably sunny weather when I felt Lee nudge me with the toe of his shoe. “Come help,” he said, eyeing me pointedly.

“Oh, sure,” I replied, and got up to follow him. I waited until we were a good enough distance away to whisper, “They’re trying to set us up.”

Lee smiled. “I know. You like how I turned it back around on them?”

“I do. You’re an evil mastermind.”

“Just giving them a taste of their own medicine. See how they like it. By the way, I never got to congratulate you properly last night, what with you being shitfaced drunk and all.”

“I do believe that’s the technical term for it, yes.”

He laughed. “Well, I heard you passed your exam, so, well done.” Reaching out, he gave my hand a small squeeze. My skin tingled where he touched me. It wasn’t long before his hand was on me again, this time when we reached the ice cream stand. He placed his flattened-out palm to the base of my spine, standing beside me as I scanned the choices. His warmth spread through me, both soothing and disconcerting.

Slipping his other hand inside his jeans, he pulled out a small business card and handed it to me. Glancing down, I saw it was for his restaurant.

“Address is on there,” he said. “You should come see the place.”

“You already invited me, remember? At the hospital.”

“Just wanted to make sure you knew the invitation was still open,” he replied, eyeing me intensely. I swallowed back the lump in my throat that always seemed to come when I was around him these days.

“I’ll come next week on my day off.”

“Good.” I saw his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. Was he feeling this just as much as I was?

After we got the ice creams, the walk back to the monument was quiet. I thought I could feel him looking at me out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn’t be certain.

“So, are you both coming out with us tonight?” Trevor asked as we ate.

“What’s tonight?”

He nudged Lee with his elbow. “It’s this one’s birthday bash. He’s being an old curmudgeon and won’t let us throw him a party, so we’re just going for a few drinks at the local boozer.”

I gaped at Lee. “It’s your birthday? Why didn’t you say?”

He lifted a careless shoulder. “Not really big into birthdays, Snap.” There was something sad in his expression, and I wondered if he didn’t like celebrating because of when he was a kid. I didn’t imagine birthdays were very fun for him back then.

Since I was sitting next to him, I reached out and gave him one of those consolation prize half-hugs, wishing I could give him a full one. “Happy birthday,” I said, my voice quiet.

He turned his head, his mouth only centimetres from mine. “Thanks.”

Time stood still, and I couldn’t look away from his lips. I watched him inhale sharply, his nostrils flaring as his hand came up and wiped a spot of ice cream away from the corner of my mouth. Bringing it to his own, he licked it away, and I felt all of my insides clench tight.

 In the end, Trevor broke the moment by announcing loudly, “Oh, my God, just kiss her. This is getting downright inappropriate for my youthful gaze.”

Reya laughed quietly next to him, and I looked away, trying to control my blush. Right then I wanted to kick him, annoyed that a cocky little twenty-three-year-old could embarrass me like that. Thankfully, there was a distraction when a group of girls barely out of their teens approached, smiling demurely and giggling as they eyed the aforementioned cocky little shit.

“Hi, Trevor.” One of them finger-waved.

Reya began fixedly studying the crumpled ice cream napkin she held as Trevor flashed them a charming smile. “Ladies.”

“We were watching you earlier. It’s amazing the stuff you guys can do.”

“Oh, yeah?” Trevor preened.

Reya quietly stood and announced, “I just remembered I have to go collect my laundry. I’ll see you all later.” With that she turned and walked away, an urgency in her gait.

I glanced at Lee. “I’d better go after her.”

He nodded. “Go. Will I see you tonight?”

“Sure, we’ll stop by around eight or nine.”

His eyes warmed. “Okay, see you then.”

***

When I caught up to Reya, she still wouldn’t admit that she had feelings for Trevor, and swore out and out that she really did have laundry to pick up. In the end I left her to it, with a promise to meet up later for Lee’s birthday drinks. My stomach was all a-flutter at the thought of seeing him again, but it felt different now. There was no anxious sense of foreboding, no feeling like I was doing something wrong. All I felt was excitement that I was going to see a man I found attractive and had some deep unresolved feelings for.

So, you know, the usual.

Look, at least he wasn’t thieving anymore, nor was he on my dad’s watch list. Although Lee and his brothers were being monitored by Dad’s team originally, he knew he didn’t have anything on them. Plus, he seemed satisfied enough that Stu was doing time, the person he’d always thought was the ringleader.

That was the problem with my dad. He was so wrapped up in his own alpha maleness that he couldn’t see another alpha when he was staring him right in the face. And sometimes, the big dog wasn’t necessarily the largest.

Feeling the need to get Lee a birthday gift, I stopped by a bookstore on my way home and picked up a Cordon Bleu cookery book that I knew he’d like. I smiled to myself, remembering the time I’d teased him for baking lemon cakes like a little old granny. In truth, the idea of him with his shirt sleeves rolled up, tattoos all on display, and wearing an apron was kinda sexy. Or maybe I was just a weirdo.

I spent the rest of the day helping Alexis with Oliver, then went to get ready. Settling on a pair of black skinny jeans, boots, and a white shirt, I thought I looked good without making too much effort. I tied my hair up in a stylish ponytail before heading out. Reya met me on the Tube, since she lived two stops away, and when we got to the pub, the place was busy. I spotted Lee, Trevor, Liam, and two other blokes sitting at a big table, drinking pints.

“Hey, everyone,” I said in greeting, and Lee immediately stood to place a kiss on my cheek. His gaze travelled over me as I shrugged off my jacket, and then he whispered in my ear, “You look hot as fuck.”

I shivered at his words, wondering if he only said it because he was drinking, but the alcohol on his breath wasn’t heavy. I sat down, and Trevor proceeded to quiz Reya on where she’d run off to earlier. He’d been so busy flirting with his gaggle of groupies that he hadn’t even noticed her leave, which just said it all. I thought maybe my friend was better off with him staying oblivious. Sure, Lee was a handful, but I imagined it’d take ten women to keep up with Trevor’s hyperactive personality.

Reya needed someone kind, someone safe. Not an adrenaline junkie who jumped off buildings and climbed mountains just for kicks. Sure, Lee was…okay, you get the point. Of all the brothers, Trevor was the wildcard. Speaking of brothers, Liam was eyeing me cautiously from the other side of the table. I understood why he was sceptical, especially with Stu’s current incarceration. But I wasn’t there for any reason other than the fact that I was drawn to Lee.

We’d been out of each other’s lives for three months. I’d thought I was over him, insomuch as you could ever get over a lost love. But the second I walked into that delivery room and saw him there, standing by my best friend’s side as she went through one of the most difficult and important experiences of her life, I knew I wasn’t over him. Not by a long shot. All my feelings had come rolling back, but with a renewed sense of warmth. I didn’t have to worry about my career or my reputation. He was just a man now. Just an ordinary man. Anything could happen. The idea caused my every pore to draw tight with anticipation.

I wanted to say something to Liam, but I knew that if he was ever going to accept me, it was going to take time. I’d have to get him to warm up to me little by little. For now, I simply nodded my head at him in lieu of a hello. He nodded back. This was good. I’d half expected him to flip me off.

“Oh, I brought you a present,” I said, turning to Lee. My knee knocked into his, and I was far more aware of the simple touch than I should have been. Pulling the gift-wrapped book from my handbag, I passed it to him. Lee stared at the gift, a grin tugging at one corner of his mouth.

“Aw, Snap, ya shouldn’t have,” he said, leaning forward and giving me yet another peck on the cheek. This time it was dangerously close to my mouth, and I inhaled a sharp breath. A second later, Lee’s attention was on the book as he pulled it from the wrapping. The smile took over his entire face then, and his eyes lit up as he looked at me. “This is great, thanks.”

“All right, it’s time for tequila shots,” said Trevor, returning from the bar. I’d been so wrapped up in Lee that I hadn’t even noticed him leave the table. He slammed a bottle of Patrón down, alongside some salt and limes. Then he went to grab a bunch of shot glasses from the barman before returning.

“Nah, man, that stuff makes me puke,” said Liam, shaking his head.

“Lightweight,” Trevor jeered, then turned to Reya, flashing a devilish grin. “How about you, Queenie?”

She blushed at him using her stage name, her eyes downcast as she nodded. “Sure.”

Trevor glanced at me. “And you, Constable?”

“Hey, it’s sergeant now,” said Lee, and Trevor looked at me, wide-eyed.

“No shit? You made sergeant? In that case, you definitely have to do a shot. All sergeants are notorious tequila fiends,” he said, making no sense whatsoever, but that was Trevor for you.

“Okay, I’ll do one,” I said, feeling Lee’s attention next to me. “But only one.”

Trevor began lining the shots up in front of us. When Reya passed me the salt, I licked a line between my thumb and forefinger, poured it on, and picked up a slice of lime. Before I could react, Lee grabbed my hand and levelled me with a hot look. A moment passed, and then he bent his head to lick off the salt, his tongue hot and wet on my skin. My tummy fluttered wildly as I tried to steady my breathing, especially when he glanced up at me, eyes dark with mischief. I watched, transfixed, as he knocked back his shot, then bit down on the lime. It was probably one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen.

“Your turn,” he said, voice husky as he held his hand out to me.

“Oh,” I breathed, heart pounding loud in my ears.

After a second of hesitation, I brought my mouth to his skin and licked. This close, all I could smell was him, his salty taste on my lips. To my horror, I found myself lingering, and a rumble only I could hear rose from his chest. I drew away quickly, downing the shot and biting into the lime.

Expecting to turn around and find everyone watching our borderline pornographic exchange, I was relieved to see they were ignoring us completely. That was mostly because Trevor was on his third shot, and the boys were egging him on to do more.

There was music in the pub and a small dance floor, a few women and men busting sloppy, drunken moves. Lee’s breath hit my skin right before he whispered, “Come dance with me.”

He didn’t give me time to respond, only grabbed my hand and pulled me up with him. I followed, my head foggy with either arousal or tequila, I couldn’t seem to tell. My eyes traced the muscular lines of his broad shoulders, shoulders made for hard work and fucking, and I began to imagine where this night would lead.

Some cheesy eighties rock ballad played through the speakers as Lee spun us around, pulled me close, and slid his arms around my waist. I stared up at him, his bright blue eyes arresting. The way he moved was purposeful, every brush of his body against mine designed to seduce.

“Lee,” I said, unsure whether he could hear me over the music, “why did you leave last night?”

I knew by the set of his mouth that he didn’t like my question, but he answered it anyway. “I didn’t want to, if that’s what you’re asking.”

What he said was a relief, because although he was showing all the signs that he wanted me, there’d always be that lingering doubt in the back of my mind, questioning whether or not he still harboured blame.

“So….” I ventured. “You just didn’t want to take advantage while I was drunk?”

“Yeah, I want to do things right this time.”

“This time?”

He nodded, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “If you think I’m here for friendship, Karla, you’re shit out of luck.” The growl in his voice did wonderful things to my insides. “I want you back in my bed, for good.”

“Oh,” I breathed, uncertain as to what to say.

“But it won’t be like last time. I refuse to sneak around or keep things secret. I won’t have you letting go of my hand because you’re ashamed to be seen with me. That shit is over. I want you to be proud to be by my side. I want you to want everyone to know you’re mine. But most of all, I want to be worthy of you.”

“You were always worthy. Circumstances just weren’t…optimal.”

He shook his head, still swaying our bodies gently to the music. “Nah. You said something to me once that rang true. You said I’d gotten away with murder for so long that I wasn’t afraid of being caught anymore, and you were right. When you’re in as deep as I was, you get numb, but you also start justifying your actions. You begin to believe you’re doing good, that it’s either you or them. You convince yourself that the law’s wrong. That’s where my head was at when I first met you, and little by little you broke down the walls of bullshit I’d built up. You showed me all the lies I’d been telling myself until I finally woke up and believed you.”

I stared at him, taken aback by his admission. Because the truth was that he’d shown me so much, too. The law wasn’t perfect. There would always be Steves around to screw people over and take advantage of the power that came with the job. There would always be corruption and unfairness. And it was those like Lee and his family who bore the brunt of that, because he’d shown me that people’s actions are a result of their circumstances, and sometimes breaking the law is the only choice.

I thought on all this as I lowered my head to rest on his shoulder.

“What I’m trying to say is, I want to date you, Karla Sheehan,” he said, a smile in his voice.

I laughed softly and nuzzled my nose into his skin. “Like an old-fashioned courting?”

He breathed deeply and drew me closer, his mouth at my temple. “Maybe not so old-fashioned. I’m not sure I can keep my hands to myself for that long.”

“I’m not sure I’d want you to,” I whispered, and felt him shudder when my breath hit his earlobe. “But there’s just one more thing.”

“Oh, yeah, what’s that?”

“When do you plan on announcing your intentions to my father?”

As soon as the question was out, we both burst into laughter. It went without saying that my dad was never going to accept Lee. It was a good thing I’d never been one to wait around for parental approval.

“How about this, if I promise you never have to meet my old man, then you have to promise I never have to meet yours?”

Eyeing him in amusement, I took his hand and we shook on it. “It’s a deal.”