“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.”

Twenty-Three

Lee was working out some kinks in his menu. This was exactly how he phrased it when he called and asked me on our first official date. Come over to the restaurant, he said. Let me cook for you, and you can tell me what you like and what you don’t like.  It didn’t take too much convincing for me to say yes, especially since he made all that sound decidedly sexual. But now I was nervous. I had no idea what to wear, and had changed my outfit several times.

The previous night we’d said goodbye without so much as a kiss, with Trevor drunk from too many tequila shots, and Lee and Liam helping him into a taxi. Needless to say, I was all amped up, excited and nervous for what would happen when I got to the restaurant. Would there be workers around, or would we be alone?

In the end I chose a dark purple skater skirt, boots, and an old Metallica T-shirt. It harkened back to my teenage grunge years, but it looked sexy and casual at the same time, so I forced myself not to try for another outfit change.

When I arrived at the Grub Hut, the sign above the premises was done in stylish carved metal. Peering in the window, I saw there was still work being completed on the interior, but I imagined it was going to look great when it was finished. I texted Lee to let him know I was outside, and a minute later he appeared from out the back, the end of his black T-shirt covered with flour and his hair tousled.

Opening the door, he welcomed me with a warm smile and pulled me into a hug. “Hey,” he murmured, placing a kiss on my temple.

“Hi,” I replied, stepping inside. “The place looks great. I love the sign.”

Lee grinned at my compliment and took my hand, leading me out back to the kitchen. The place was brand new, all stainless steel, with a long metal work top in the centre of the room. My mouth watered as I took in all the ingredients. There were bowls laid out with all manner of foods: chopped tomatoes and onions, avocados, coriander, quartered lemons, chilies, fresh tortillas, and a whole host of spices. It became clear that he was planning on making some kind of Mexican dish.

“Those shots last night gave me inspiration,” he said with a wink, and I got a little tingle along the back of my neck as I remembered his tongue on my skin. Lee’s eyes darkened, like he was remembering, too, and then he came over and took my jacket.

“Nobody else around?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

He shook his head and smirked. “We’re all alone.”

Trying to act like his flirting wasn’t affecting me, I hitched myself up onto the counter opposite his workspace and folded my arms. Looking around, I knew it must have cost a pretty penny to do the place up, not to mention the rents in London weren’t cheap. Though I didn’t suspect he’d used dirty money to fund the new business. Selling the garage would’ve left him with more than enough to start over.

“So how’s everything been going? You had any old acquaintances sniffing around?”

“No, and if they’re smart, they’ll steer clear. A couple of the boys who used to work for me wanted to go clean, too, so I gave them jobs here. If anyone comes trying for a protection racket, they’ll be shown where the door is.”

“That’s good. Do you expect they will?”

Lee shook his head. “Spent years building up a certain reputation, Karla. If anyone tries messing with this place or me, they’ll have to be dumb as fuck.”

I let out a breath and braced my hands on the edge of the counter. “Well, I’m glad to hear it, but if you ever have any problems, let me know. So, what are you making?”

He motioned to the ingredients. “Isn’t it obvious? Tacos.”

“I love tacos.”

He smirked. “Me, too.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help smiling. Lee went to wash his hands and then returned, throwing some minced beef into the pan and mixing in a few spices. I found it strangely relaxing to watch him cook, and my stomach was rumbling by the time he was finished. He set three tacos on a plate for me and pulled up a stool.

“Okay, so each one has a different spice mix in the beef. Tell me which one you like best.”

I grinned, enjoying myself. “The second one is best. I like the smokiness,” I told him after I’d tasted all three.

“Yeah?” Lee asked, his eyes lighting up with interest. “What about number three? I tried a pinch of cardamom just for shits and giggles.”

“It’s good, but not as good as the second.”

He stood before me, his arms folded. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it. Now we move onto my béarnaise sauce recipe. I’ll make mini-steaks to go with it.” He tried to take my plate, but I pushed his hands away.

“Hey! I’m not finished yet.”

Lee chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “No need to bite my head off. I just thought you might get full.”

“Ha! I’m a cop. I’m never full.”

“This is true. I should see about frying you up some donuts.”

I narrowed my gaze, still chewing. “Don’t be a dick.”

“You want my dick? Whoa, ease up there, serg. I’m not a piece of meat.” His cheeky wink held pure mischief as he bent to pull a pot out of the cupboard.

I scowled playfully at his comment, slightly annoyed by how easily he could get to me, and honestly, feeling a little turned on now that he’d switched up the conversation. I watched as he began melting butter in a saucepan and adding shallots. Already the smell was heavenly, and he hadn’t even put in the other ingredients yet. When he got some melted butter on his thumb, he stuck it in his mouth to suck it off, and without even realising it, I was clenching my thighs at the visual. When the steam made him too hot, he lifted his T-shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, exposing his abs. I swear, if anyone ever decided to make a cookery show about Lee, they’d get top ratings.