The Hearts Series

  I was exhausted beyond belief by the time I got home, dropping my keys on the coffee table and flopping down onto the couch. I could hear Alexis snoring lightly in her room as I closed my eyes and let out a weary sigh. I wanted to go to bed, but Lee’s number was still calling to me. I couldn’t sleep soundly until I’d let him know that his cousin might be in trouble.

  Dialling his number, I waited tensely for him to pick up. It rang for so long that I began to wonder if he was going to answer. Then, just as I was about to hit “end,” his voice filled my ear, tired and sexy.

  “Whoever this is, it better be important that you’re calling me at….” He paused, and I thought he must have been checking the time. “Five-ten on a Saturday morning.”

  I cleared my throat. “Hi, uh, this is Karla. Alexis gave me your number.”

  “Snap?” Lee asked, sounding surprised.

  “Yes, I’m, eh, sorry for calling you so early. I wasn’t thinking. The late shift does weird things to my brain.”

  There was a smile in his voice when he responded low, “You can call me whenever. Excuse the tone, thought you were Liam or Trevor looking for a lift home or something.”

  “A lift home at five in the morning?”

  “The young’uns like to party hard.”

  I laughed involuntarily. “Oh, and what are you now, an old dog?”

  “I’ve definitely got some city miles going on.”

  I laughed, again. Man, he was charming even when he’d been woken up at an ungodly hour. “Pfft, you have zero city miles, and we both know it,” I blurted before I had a chance to think it through.

  “Oh, yeah? You been checking out my miles?” he asked flirtatiously, and I heard the sound of sheets rustling. That reminded me he was more than likely in bed. I did not need to be visualising that.

  I bet he sleeps naked, the dirty side of my mind mused, causing a tiny shiver to trickle down my spine.

  “Anyway, I called you for a reason.”

  He sounded amused. “My apologies. Go ahead.”

  More rustling of sheets. God grief, what was he doing over there?

  “Could you stop moving around for a second? The noise is distracting me.”

  Lee let out a deep, raspy chuckle, and I swear it did me in. I found myself reaching for my shirt collar and undoing several buttons, feeling hotter by the second.

  “Mm-hmm, easily distracted, are we?” His voice was pure sex, and I just knew that he was bare-arse nekkid. Nobody spoke like that when they were clothed.

  I swallowed and tried to summon a steady tone. “Quit it with that voice.”

  “What voice?”

  “The distracting one,” I practically shouted and heard a gap in Alexis’ snore. It started up again a second later, and I exhaled heavily. For a second there, I thought I’d woken her up. Lee chuckled down the line, and the sound of it was so delicious that I felt it in my long-neglected lady parts.

  “Again, I apologise. Now go on — tell me what’s on your mind, baby.”

  I let the “baby” slide, because honestly, we’d be on the phone all night (or morning) if I didn’t get on with it. “Okay, so, the other day while I was working, I bumped into your cousin, Sophie. She had her little boy with her and his dad was there. They were arguing. I wouldn’t normally stick my nose in like this, but I think he’s been hitting her. When I asked if she wanted to report it, she brushed me off. I just thought you should know.”

  Lee went deathly quiet on the other end of the line, and I could almost sense the anger radiating off him. A long moment passed before he spoke. “This was David, yeah? Tall skinny prick, hair like he dipped it in a deep fat fryer?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “They split up months ago. Sophie never mentioned he was back on the scene.”

  “Well, from what I saw, he is.”

  Lee let out a slow breath. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll make sure he stays away from her.”

  “Good,” I said, and a silence fell. I should have hung up then, but something prevented me. I didn’t want to end the call, because as much as I hated to admit it, I was a tiny bit addicted to interacting with him.

  “Is that all you wanted to say?” Lee asked, his voice quiet, almost a whisper. I could imagine him inside me, talking to me like that, like I was the centre of his world.

  “Um, yes. I mean, no.” I paused for a second before continuing, “Do you remember Steve? The guy who came with me to your garage the other week?”

  “Hard to forget a prick like that.”

  “Mm-hmm, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the black eye he’s been sporting?”

  “Nope.”

  “Oh, well, I just thought I’d ask.”

  Lee moved again, like he was trying to get into a comfortable position.

  “You sound tired,” he commented.

  “I am. I told you I was working tonight. Well, last night and this morning.”

  “So what’ll you do today, just sleep and hang out?”

  “Pretty much. Maybe head to the gym later.”

  “I could come over and cook for you. A working woman should have a man to take care of her needs.”

  I could just imagine his cheeky grin. And honestly, that sounded good, too good. I had to laugh at his brazenness. “Never took you for a feminist.”

  “Oh, but I am. In fact, I think they should bring in a new law that says all women should receive several orgasms a week. I’d be more than happy to support that,” he said, and against my own will, I chuckled.

  “I’m sure you would be.”

  “Yep. Hey, did you know they had these doctors back in the day who women visited to be treated for hysteria? The doctor literally jilled them off to relieve the tension, then sent them home happy as clams. Excuse the pun. Saw that shit on a documentary.”

  I laughed loudly, unable to help it. “You’re crazy.”

  “God’s honest truth. Google it if you don’t believe me. So, you gonna let me come over?” Lee purred.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Aw, but I was going to bring my baked cheesecake. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried my baked cheesecake.”

  I had to admit, I found it hilarious to imagine Lee baking, tattooed ne’er-do-well that he was. I shouldn’t have indulged him, but I couldn’t seem to help it. “What flavour cheesecake?”

  His voice dipped low. “Whatever flavour gets you to say yes.”

  “You’re such a flirt.”

  He chuckled, and I got up from the couch, heading for my bedroom. “I’d better go. It’s been a long night.”

  “Don’t go yet.”

  I was yawning as I replied, “I have to. Otherwise, I’ll fall asleep while we’re talking.”

  “I don’t mind. Stay on the line.”

  I closed the door to my room. “Okay, well, I’m going to put you on speaker for a minute because I have to change out of my uniform.”

  I heard him groan just as I hit “speaker” and placed the phone on my bedside dresser. “Forget talking on the phone. I should come over.”

  I laughed. “Nice try.”

  “No joke. I can be there in fifteen minutes, maybe less.”

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Oh, that’s fightin’ talk. Where’d you learn those fancy words, Constable?”

  “Lee, you’re flirting again. Quit it or I’ll hang up.”

  “Okay, no need for drastic measures. I’ll behave.”

  A quiet fell as I pulled off my shirt and tie, then unbuckled my belt.

  “So, are you naked yet?”

  I huffed a breath. “I thought you just said you were going to behave.”

  “I will, but at least give me something. I’m trying to visualise here.”

  A second later my trousers were off, and I threw all my clothes in the laundry basket. I was too tired for my usual shower, so I just put on an old T-shirt and climbed into bed. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but nothing even remotely sexy is happe
ning over here. I’ve been working for the past ten hours, and I stink. Go put that in your spank bank.”

  Lee groaned again. “You can’t say ‘spank bank,’ Snap. It’ll give me ideas.”

  “Don’t you dare,” I warned him.

  His laugh was devilish. “For all you know, I could’ve been rubbing one out this whole time.”

  “For all you know, so could I,” I countered.

  “Fucking hell. Okay, you win that round.” He swore and moved away from the phone for a second. I thought I heard him scratching his stubble while muttering “Jesus Christ” under his breath.

  I tried my best to change the subject. “So, have you got any plans for the day?”

  “Other than coming over to yours?” he asked confidently. When I left him in stony silence, he added, “Kidding, kidding. No big plans. It’s a friend of mine’s birthday tonight, so I’ll have to show my face.”

  “Oh, well, I hope you have a good time,” I said sleepily as I snuggled into my pillow and we were both quiet for a minute. I could hear him breathing on the other end of the line, so I knew he was still there.

  “You nearly gone?” Lee asked softly. For a moment it felt like he was there beside me, whispering in my ear.

  “Almost,” I answered past another yawn.

  “Bet you look a picture right now,” he murmured.

  “Mm-hmm,” I mumbled, closing my eyes.

  “Go to sleep, beautiful,” he said, his voice a caress.

  Seconds later, I was dead to the world.

  Six

  “Guess how many bras I’m wearing?” Reya asked as she jogged alongside me on the treadmill.

  I sputtered a laugh. “Um, I’m hoping the answer to that is one.”

  She shook her head. “Nope, I’ve got three of these bad boys on right now. Otherwise, the girls’d be flopping around like an elephant on a trampoline.”

  I laughed harder, feeling breathless. “Oh, my God, stop! You’re putting me off my stride.”

  “I’m being serious. I bet you’ve never even had to double up, whereas I’m here tripled up and could probably do with a fourth. I curse you, Karla Sheehan, you and your perfectly manageable boobs.”

  The guy on the treadmill next to Reya’s cocked his head, clearly listening in to our conversation. I couldn’t blame him.

  “You know what?” she went on. “I’m thinking of getting a reduction. I want a pair of Claire Danes–style bee stings. She can probably go around free as a bird day in and day out without so much as a back twinge.”

  The guy listening almost tripped over his own feet, and I sort of felt bad for him. Reya was always very chatty when she was around me because I made her feel comfortable. The problem with that was that it often meant she didn’t think to censor herself.

  “Why don’t you just get a sports bra, you big freak?” I asked when I finally managed to stop laughing.

  “Because I’m broke, but also because sports bras are bullshit. They might give you support, but they barely cover the nips. I don’t want to be going around flashing my headlights at everyone.”

  “You have to shut up. Seriously, you’re giving me a stitch,” I complained, laughing so hard I had to reach for the buttons to slow down my machine.

  I’d slept until midday and then Reya had called, asking if I wanted to go to the gym for a workout. Since I felt unusually refreshed after being lulled to sleep by Lee, I agreed. Now, here we were. And yeah, I was refusing to think about the fact that Lee Cross’s voice had sent me into the best night’s sleep I’d had in forever.

  “I’m going over to the rowing machine. Come find me when you’re done,” I said, stepping off the treadmill and heading to the other side of the gym. I’d been rowing for a couple of minutes when out of the corner of my eye I saw someone take the machine next to mine. I didn’t pay them too much attention, and focused on the music streaming from my MP3. For some reason, I preferred listening to metal when I was working out, and James Hetfield was currently growling in my ears.

  It was only when I started to slow down that I sensed a familiar presence, intense and all-consuming. I slowed to a stop, pulling out my earbuds. A second later I turned to see who had my instincts on alert, and there he was.

  Lee glanced over at me, wearing workout clothes and a towel draped around his shoulders. I wiped the sweat from my brow and narrowed my gaze at him. After a millisecond of eye contact, I stood, making my way to the water fountain. I knew for a fact that this wasn’t a coincidence. Last night on the phone I distinctly remembered telling him I might go to the gym today.

  He followed heavy on my heels, dipping his head and asking, “Sleep well last night, Constable?”

  I bent over the fountain, took a drink, then straightened. “Well enough.”

  The T-shirt he wore wasn’t exactly tight, but his perspiration had caused parts of it to stick to his chest. I tried not to look and failed. Lee took the opportunity to stretch his arms up over his head, causing his T-shirt to rise and reveal several inches of toned stomach. I knew he’d done it on purpose, but still, I couldn’t stop staring. That was when my gaze wandered to his right hand, where the knuckles had been bandaged.

  “What happened there?”

  Lee glanced down, then back up to me. “David happened,” he answered casually. “Let’s just say, he won’t be bothering Sophie anymore.”

  “You fought him?”

  “Had to. No other way of getting through to blokes like him. Words don’t work, but fists sure do.”

  I didn’t know how to feel about that, because if David had really been violent with Sophie, a tiny little pixie of a woman, then he deserved some sort of punishment. I just wasn’t sure that punishment was a beating.

  “You should have reported him.”

  “So your lot could give him a slap on the wrist and then he’d be back hassling Sophie within the month. No, thanks. I told you I’d do anything for my family. Sometimes that means doing things that fall into a…grey category.”

  I eyed him closely, a frown shaping my lips. The thing about Lee was that I never quite knew whether or not I agreed with him, and it was disconcerting. I didn’t get too much time to contemplate this further, as he distracted me by nodding over to the boxing ring. “Fancy sparring with me?”

  I shook my head and tried to keep a neutral expression. “No, thanks.”

  “Worried I’ll show you up?” he asked, a challenge gleaming in his eyes as they wandered over me intently. I felt like he was chronicling every tiny detail, from the way my workout pants clung to my thighs to the sheen of sweat glistening on my neck.

  I laughed, trying not to let his attention affect me. “No, actually, the opposite. I wouldn’t want the whole gym seeing you get taken down by a girl.”

  Lee stepped closer, so close I could smell him, soap and sweat and man. He bent his head to reply, “Hmm, I sense a wager coming on.”

  Our gazes locked, and it was the first time that I noticed we had almost the exact same eye colour, except his were the tiniest shade lighter. A moment of insanity must have struck me, because there was something about his challenge that I couldn’t back away from. I was riled, and I wanted to show Lee Cross that boxing was bollocks when put up against a real martial art.

  “What do I get if I win?” I asked, levelling him with a hard stare.

  His smile was slow and sexy. “What do you want?”

  “Hmm, let me think. How about for you to steer clear of this gym when I’m around.”

  His mouth was inches from mine as he replied, “But there’s no fun in staying away.”

  “Sometimes fun isn’t worth it.”

  “Sometimes it is.”

  I groaned. He really wasn’t going to let up. “We’re done here.”

  He grabbed my arm as I turned to walk away. “Okay, fine. If you win, I’ll keep my distance, but if I win, you’ve got to let me come around to yours tomorrow and cook you dinner.”

  I stared at him, incredulous. “You want to co
ok me dinner?”

  Lee nodded firmly and held his hand out to me.

  I grew flustered. Why did his end of the deal have to sound so…so romantic? A small part of me kind of wanted to lose, and that part began with a “V.”

  After a moment of indecision, I finally shook with him. A couple of minutes later, we were both in the ring. I couldn’t use my eskrima sticks, because then it wouldn’t be a fair fight. It didn’t matter, though; I had a number of empty-hand techniques I could use on him. I got in position, and Lee stood less than two feet away, knees bent slightly, fists up.

  “Just so you know, I’m not gonna actually hit you. This isn’t about hurting one another, it’s about submission. First person to achieve a takedown wins,” he said.

  I sputtered a laugh, circling him. “It’s not a real fight unless you hit me.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want a real fight with you. Play fighting is sexier,” he said, flashing his teeth and swinging. I moved quickly, dodging the would-be strike. He swung again, and I coiled my hand around his arm, pushed his other hand out of the way, and locked his arm behind his back. He dropped his body and pressed his foot down on my ankle. I released him. He backed away a few feet.

  “That was slick.”

  I just smirked in response before asking, “So, we never really set the rules. Is kicking allowed?”

  “Sure,” said Lee, and before I could react his leg shot out, making light contact with my upper thigh.

  I shook my head at him. “Dirty move.”

  “Hey, we just agreed to kicking.”

  “Yeah,” I grinned. “We did.” Making sure I had enough space, I launched into a wheel kick. My foot got him right in the lower abdomen, and he drew back, winded.

  “Hey, ease up, Mr Miyagi.”