“I’m not afraid of you,” I said defensively.

“Would you like to tell that to your clenched fist?”

I glanced down, and, sure enough, my hand was tightly clenched into a fist. I was all kinds of worked up. Loosening my fingers, I looked back at him and said curtly, “I’m here for Alexis, that’s all.”

“And there I thought you were after the pleasure of my company,” he deadpanned before lifting his pint. “Look, I get it. I’m a scumbag, not fit to lick your boots, etcetera, etcetera.”

Something about the way he spoke made me feel bad. My expression softened when I replied, “That’s not what…look, I’m sorry, can we start over?”

Lee nodded. “Already forgotten. So, what’s up with Clarky? The last time I checked, she was shacked up with that fancy-pants rich bloke.”

“She was. He’s gone. She’s been trying to find him for months but hasn’t had any luck. Today has kind of been a rough day for her.”

Understanding showed in Lee’s expression. “So, what you’re saying is, she’s here to use my brother for sex?”

I grimaced. “It sounds horrible when you put it like that.”

Lee chuckled. “Stu will have her any way he can get her. Don’t worry about it. He has a talent for keeping his emotions out of his sex life.”

“Oh?” I said, curious.

Lee looked away and drank some more of his beer. “Yeah, some of us don’t have that skill.”

When his eyes returned to mine they were fierce, and it took a conscious effort for me to breathe normally. I really wished I wasn’t so attracted to him. That way I wouldn’t feel so weak right then. Involuntarily, I crossed one leg over the other, which caused Lee’s attention to wander to my thighs. He stared for a good ten seconds, taking his time.

“How often do you work out?” he asked almost absently.

“A couple times a week. Why?”

He lifted his head. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve got a killer fucking body, and I’m saying that from a purely athletic standpoint. I admire your dedication.”

“Um, thanks,” I said, swallowing awkwardly.

“We should train together sometime.”

“I don’t box.” Nor was I particularly interested in jumping off buildings for fun, but I didn’t say that, because then I’d have to fess up about spying on him.

“But you fight. I can tell by the way you carry yourself.”

I grew self-conscious again, feeling shy and wondering how he could tell that. “I practice eskrima, but no, I don’t think us training together would be a good idea.”

“Yeah, you’re right. All those hormones and sweat flying around, who knows what might happen.” He looked away, smiling into his pint glass.

“You just can’t help being a tease, can you?”

He turned back to me and shook his head. “Not with you, babe.”

“Oh, my God, okay. We need to get this straight, no more babes, no more Snaps. My name is Karla. Be a normal human being and use it.”

He opened his mouth, ready to reply, when Stu cut in. “Bruv, I’m taking Lexie back to ours. You coming or staying put?”

“He’s coming,” said Alexis. “He needs to keep Karla company while you…keep me company.” She burst out laughing, and it was the first time I’d seen her properly laugh in a while, even if it was at the ridiculousness of the situation. Stu gave her a sexy smile, and I was just relieved that her mind was off her problems for a change.

“Sure, we’ll come,” said Lee, standing while Stu ushered Alexis out of the booth. I remained in place, unsure what do to. I didn’t want to go to their house, but I didn’t want to abandon my friend, either. Though technically, she was the one abandoning me.

When I looked up, Lee was standing there, his hand outstretched. There was something about his eyes right then that made me reach out instinctively and take it. As soon as my palm slipped into his, I felt electricity shoot through me. It was strangely exhilarating to do something as ordinary as hold his hand. He pulled me up and I let go, blushing furiously. Taking his hand had been all instinct. My brain hadn’t even had a say in the matter.

By the time we got outside, Stu and Alexis had already flagged down a cab. They both climbed in the back, and Stu pulled her onto his lap, not wasting any time as he kissed her hard right on the mouth. She didn’t stop him. Lee held the door open for me to slide in next, and he hopped in last. He told the driver his address, and then we were off.

Needless to say, it was possibly the most uncomfortable cab ride of my life. Lee and I sat across from Stu and Alexis, who had progressed to full-on snogging. The radio hadn’t been turned on, and the driver wasn’t feeling chatty.

The only sounds were kissing sounds.

Well, that and heavy breathing. I stared at my lap, sensing Lee’s eyes on me, but I refused to look at him. It would only make things worse. But damn, his stare must have had magnetic qualities, because eventually I couldn’t help lifting my gaze. His eyes had settled on my lips, and whatever dirty thoughts he was having were written all over his face. I sucked in a deep breath and wished my heart wasn’t beating so erratically. I swore he could see my pulse hammering in my neck.

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.”