“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 fucking 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.”

He squeezed my arse, and I jumped in fright when one finger slid between my cheeks, teasing me over the fabric of my pants. It felt shockingly good, forbidden, which was enough to jolt me out of my moment of weakness. I swore and climbed off him, then strode to the other side of the room. I was panting, and I knew my face must have been as red as a stop sign. Lifting a finger, I pointed between him, me, and the couch.

“This never happened.”

Lee smirked, his lips slightly redder than before. I felt a deep sense of embarrassment at how hungrily I’d attacked his mouth. I knew he’d been the one to initiate things, but I’d been a more than willing participant.