Текст книги "CHAINED"

Автор книги: Jaimie Roberts

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

“Please don’t feel embarrassed, Olivia. Your innocence is rather sexy.”

My eyes widened. “Sexy? How can my obvious inexperience be sexy to you?”

Kit frowned for a moment. “Shall I flip that question right back at you?”

I closed my eyes, feeling like an idiot. “I’m sorry, Kit. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just... I only know what I know from that one time, and it wasn’t a memorable one. All I remember is a lot of pain and grunting.”

Kit grimaced. “Did he hurt you?”

I shook my head. “Not intentionally. I was a virgin, but I don’t think he realised it until it was over and he saw the blood.”

I looked away, embarrassed again, but Kit grabbed my cheek and made me look back at him. “Sex shouldn’t be like that. If done properly, you should enjoy the experience. It’s about pleasure, love, and joy from making the other person feel good. It should never be about pain.”

I looked into his eyes, searching for something. I couldn’t find it, though. “Was sex a pleasure for you?” I swallowed, wondering why I had asked him that. Of course it was pleasurable for him. It must have been.

In that moment, I felt stupid, but Kit sighed and shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. Sex for me was pleasurable, but not in the sense you’re talking about. It was always too rough, too aggressive. Sex for me was always about getting a release. It was never about love. Never about a connection between two people. It was just raw and gritty, and I always ended up feeling empty inside.”

I felt sad for him and, I must admit, slightly inadequate again. Who was raw and gritty like that? In one sense, it turned me on to think about; in another, I knew I didn’t want a relationship like that.

“I don’t want you to feel like that with me.”

My vulnerability must have showed because Kit kissed me tenderly. “I already know it won’t be like that with you, Olivia.” He tenderly stroked my face. “When we do this, it won’t be just sex. I want to make love to you.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled. I was ready for him. I wanted this as much as he did. “I want you to make love to me, too.”

He bent down to kiss me and manoeuvred himself into position. Once his cock was sitting on my entrance, Kit looked down at me. I nodded and felt him slide himself a little inside me. I moaned and he stopped. “Is that okay? I’m not hurting you, am I?”

I shook my head. “No, Kit. Please. More.”

Kit smiled and pushed in a little further. He was so big, it felt as though he was ripping through me…in a good sense. I think the fact that I was so wet helped. It was making it a bit easier for him to ease into me.

“Olivia, you feel so good.”

I saw the look of pure pleasure on his face as he glanced down to me. It just made me want more.

“More, Kit. More. Please.”

He didn’t hesitate. Kit pushed in all the way, then stopped. He stayed like that for a moment, his forehead against mine. Our breathing was coming away in quick bursts.

“I need a moment,” Kit said, closing his eyes. His breathing was harsh and I could feel the warmth from his breath on my face.

I saw him swallow, and my desire spiked with that one little gesture. Did being inside me really affect him that much? I hoped so.

I barely had time to think on this when I saw a tear roll down Kit’s face.

“Kit, what’s the matter? Have I done something wrong?”

He shook his head and opened his eyes. “Never, Olivia. You can never do anything wrong. I just feel like, with you, I can be someone again.”

I laughed a little and stroked his face. “Kit, you are someone. You got that? You’ve always been someone.”

Kit looked into my eyes and nodded. He then moved a little inside me and I couldn’t help the moan that left my lips.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded. “My god. Am I okay? I don’t want you to stop.”

Kit smiled, but when he moved inside me again, his smile vanished. He closed his eyes and groaned. The look on his face was enough to make my body start climbing into another orgasm. I just couldn’t seem to get enough of this man.

At first, his movements were slow, then he picked up the pace. Before we knew it, we were both moaning and breathing heavily.

The feel of him moving inside me was exquisite. It was like he was specifically made for me. With each thrust, a feeling rose like I had never felt before. I was climbing and I didn’t want it to stop.

“Olivia, I’m so sorry. I’m going to come soon.”

His words, coupled with him panting on top of me, was my undoing. I dug my nails into his back and screamed his name. Kit just roared and went faster. Before I knew it, he was collapsed on top of me and we were trying to catch our breath.

“That was... That was…” I had no words. I seemed to have lost the power of speech.

Kit looked up at me with a smile. “I know.” He roamed his eyes over my face for a moment. “You’re an amazing lady, Olivia Brown.”

I gasped when he said my full name. Well, a part of it anyway. “You know my full name?”

Kit smiled. “I saw it on a piece of mail that came through the door once.”

I nodded. “Probably a bill. They usually are.” I laughed. “So, you’ve been spying on me, Kit Chain?”

Kit frowned. “Not spying. I just wanted to know more about you. I want to know why you look so scared at times. I want to know why you have nightmares about your father. I want to know what made you feel so much pain that you felt you had to hurt yourself. I don’t like seeing you hurt. When you hurt, I hurt.”

I smiled and felt the tears well in my eyes. “I will tell you, Kit. I promise. Just not now. Can we please just enjoy us? The here and now? That’s all that matters to me. Not what went on in my past. This, right here, is what makes me happy.”

Kit looked into my eyes for a moment and nodded. “I want to make you happy.”

I laughed at the absurdity. “You do. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can be happy. The selfish side of me needs this and, if you’re being honest with yourself, I think you need it, too.” I stroked his face and ran my thumb against his bottom lip.

Kit smiled. “I do.”

I ran my eyes over his face and touched his beard. “What man lies underneath this mask, Kit? What stories could he tell?”

Kit sighed. “Not ones I’m proud of. I wish I could tell you, but I don’t want to lose you.”

I shook my head. “Nothing you tell me could make me push you away. Please remember that, Kit.” I implored with my eyes. “We all have dark pasts at some point. I could never judge you after everything you already know about me.”

He shook his head and looked pained. “You don’t know what I did before.”

I sighed. “No, but I can guess. And yet, here I am with you lying on top of me. Which, by the way, feels awesome.”

Kit smiled and moved a little inside me. “Awesome, ha?”

I felt him growing inside me and I gasped. Kit raised his eyebrow. “Are you…?” He nodded. “So quickly?”

Kit nodded again. “Olivia, it’s been so long. I have a lot of catching up to do. I hope you don’t mind.”

I smiled up at the mischievous glint in his eye. “I don’t mind.” He moved inside of me, making me gasp.

No, I didn’t mind. I didn’t mind at all.

Chapter 15

“Livy, do you have to keep on embarrassing your parents like this?”

I cringed. I hated mother using the little nickname Uncle had for me. She started using it when she heard him using it. She always smiled and treated me nicely whenever Uncle was around. I sometimes thought she liked him. It made me happy every time he didn’t acknowledge her, though. Instead, he would stare at me. My mother didn’t seem to like that, so it made me want it more.

“Stand up straight. Your posture is disgraceful. We didn’t teach you to be a slouch. You’re supposed to be a lady. One day, a nice fine man will have designs on you and he won’t want you looking like that.”

I sighed my displeasure. At times, my mother was just as bad as my father. All they ever cared about was how good or bad we looked in public. Like right now. We were at yet another charity function with yet more bodyguards than was necessary surrounding us. I really didn’t know what all the fuss was about. I was fourteen and not completely unaware of the fact that there was an element of danger because of who we were, but this? This was going overboard. I had a feeling both my parents loved it because it brought them more attention and made them look more important. Right now, my father was talking to some very important men, three bodyguards surrounding them. His paranoia was getting out of hand now. I, for one, didn’t care for it all. Sometimes, I wished I could just run away and never look back.

“Livy, if you don’t stand up straight, I’ll tell your father about how insubordinate you’ve been. You got that?” She grit her teeth as she said it, but she knew her threat would work.

I did as I was asked, standing tall, wearing this stupid Alice in Wonderland-type dress. I hated it, but I had no choice when it came to my wardrobe. I either wore it, or I would be punished.

“Smile,” she growled as the vice-president came toward us.

So I put on a stupid smile, one that was faked. I didn’t care to be here. She just wanted the attention. I, quite frankly didn’t give a shit.

“Vice President Thorpe, how nice to see you again.”

Thorpe smiled widely and came in to kiss her on the cheek. “And how lovely to see you, too.” He looked over to me. “And this is Olivia. How big she is now. You’re practically a woman.”

I blushed like I should, smiling sweetly when he gave me a kiss on the cheek. I just wanted to vomit. I hated all this narcissistic crap.

By the time Lord Manderville came along, I was tired and just needed a rest. I could see Uncle on the other side of the room and, every now and then, he would look over at me and smile.

“Olivia, how lovely to see you again. You’re looking simply beautiful.” Manderville leered at me a little more than he should. I felt instantly uncomfortable.

My mother’s laughter filled the air. “Lord Manderville, don’t give her a big head.”

He smiled in my mother’s direction. “She comes from you, Beatrice, so it’s only natural she would be beautiful. She has your lovely bouncy blonde hair and blue eyes. Simply breathtaking.” His eyes wandered over the length of my body, making me cringe.

I was shocked, wondering why my mother seemed okay with Manderville talking and looking at me like that. He made my skin crawl. She saw my horrified face, but instead of telling him where to go, she glared at me.

“You’re such a charmer.” She patted Manderville on the shoulder, and he kissed the back of her hand. When he got to me, I cringed, but did my daughterly duties.

He held my hand to his lips a little longer than he should. When he looked up, his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

My whole body tensed at his leering stare. I wanted to be out of there. The room was suddenly caving in on me and it was making me sweat.

Eventually, he let my hand go, but when he passed me, he patted my bottom. I jumped and my eyes went wide.

He didn’t really just...?

I barely had time to register this when I saw Uncle storming across the room like a man possessed. He walked up to Manderville, whispered in his ear, and led him out of the room. He was gone for about ten minutes, but when he came back in, he smiled and winked at me.

He walked up to us and my mother cooed in his direction. “Oh, look who it is, Olivia. It’s Uncle. So nice to see you.”

Uncle smiled, briefly looking at her before his eyes met mine. “Is everything okay?” He was asking both of us, but I knew he was really asking me.

“We’re fine,” my mother answered. “Aren’t we, Livy.”

I cringed again and Uncle immediately noticed my reaction. He seemed to always notice everything about me. “I’m fine. Thank you, Uncle.” I smiled at him sweetly. This time, my smile was genuine.

The next morning, I left Kit sleeping as I got ready. I really wanted to stay with him and feel his loving arms around me, but duty called. I was tender and ached in places I had never ached before. It was a good feeling and one which made me smile. We stayed in bed for sixteen hours, only getting up to get something to eat. Kit had been insatiable. We had made love about five times and, with each time, Kit’s confidence grew. It just got better and better.

I stared at his sleeping form and marvelled at how much beauty surrounded him. I knew he said he had been a bad man, but I couldn’t see an ounce of badness in him. His breathing was slow and his face angelic. Even with all that hair, I could see the beauty beneath it. I could have stared at him for hours.

Ignoring the ache between my legs and the pull to get back under the covers with him, I made my way down the stairs. I grabbed all my things and walked outside, noticing how much the weather was changing. It was a lot warmer today. Once I got to the coffeehouse, I was actually regretting bringing my coat with me. In the ten minute brisk walk, I had worked up a bit of a sweat.

I was about to walk in when I heard my phone chime. I fetched it out of my bag.

Livy, call me. This is not a request.

 

I had ignored his text yesterday and now he was pissed. I knew I would have to answer him at some point, but I wanted to get on with my day.

Tim smiled once I walked in. “Olivia, I always look forward to when you come in.” I smiled brightly. “Your usual?” My smile faded and he frowned as he walked over to the side of the counter. “What’s wrong?”

I told him all about what happened yesterday…finding Rachel dead and Wayne in custody.

“Olivia, I’m so sorry to hear that.” I nodded, not wanting to say anything else just in case I started crying again. Tim noticed my anguish and set about making three hot drinks, instead of the normal five.

Once all was ready, Tim set them down and I started to hand him some money, but he held his hand up. “Don’t worry about these. They’re on me. I think you, Thomas, and Marcus are going to need them.”

I looked up at Tim and smiled, tears in my eyes. I croaked out a thank you, then hastily made my way out of the shop.

Because I didn’t want to get myself too hot, I took my time walking down the street. Once I saw the steps of the soup kitchen, I spied Thomas and Marcus sitting in their usual spots. An instant sense of relief came over me the minute I saw their smiling faces. I didn’t think I could have coped if they hadn’t been there.

With a silly smile plastered on my face, I walked up to both of them and handed out their drinks. They both said thanks, but Thomas stared at me for a moment.

“Oh yeah... She definitely got some last night.” I flushed bright red, giving myself away. “You did, didn’t you? Who was it? I bet he was hot. Knowing you, he was hot.”

I gasped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Marcus interrupted. “I think what he means to say is because you’re so beautiful yourself, it would only be natural that you would snap up someone just as hot as you. It would only be what you deserved.”

I frowned. “It’s not all about the beauty on the outside, Marcus.”

Thomas huffed. “You keep telling yourself that, babes.” He winked at me, showing me he was just pulling my leg.

I smiled in his direction. “You’re just too much, Thomas.”

“Never a dull moment with me, sweets. So, are you going to tell us all about him?”

I shook my head. “No. There’s nothing to tell.”

Both Thomas’ and Marcus’ postures picked up. “Oh no, no, no, Olivia. You’re not getting away with that. We both know you bumped uglies last night.” Thomas smiled over at Marcus.

“Bumped uglies? Thomas, where on earth–”

I felt Marcus put a hand on my arm. “Never mind what he says. Just answer one thing. Does he make you happy?”

I smiled. I couldn’t help myself. “Oh, yes. He makes me happy.” I tried biting my lip to hide the wide smile on my face, but it was no use.

“Well then,” Marcus smiled. “That’s all that matters.”

I quickly thought about Rachel and everything that happened yesterday. “How have you been since yesterday?”

Thomas shook his head, leaning back on the stairs. “Not great. We heard the guy Wayne attacked died last night.”

I gasped. “No.”

Thomas nodded. “I’m afraid so, Olivia. Wayne’s in a whole lot of shit now, but that’s what happens when you think you’re above the law.”

I cringed a little. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Thomas sighed. “Well, at least I feel better knowing you’re here. You always brighten my mornings.” He lifted his coffee cup in salute.

I laughed. “Well, it’s nice to know I can brighten someone’s morning.”

Thomas leaned forward. “Oh, I’m sure you brightened the lucky bastard’s morning who’s probably basking in the smell of you right now.”

I gasped again. “Thomas!” He laughed, hunching over and grabbing his belly.

“Don’t listen to him, Olivia. He’s just got such a boring life, he has to find amusement in others.”

Thomas nodded and sipped his drink. “Now that’s true.”

I pointed upstairs. “I’m going to up now. I’ll see you inside?”

They both smiled. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Marcus chimed in.

I smiled and couldn’t help but notice the little spring in my step as I went up the stairs. Despite what happened yesterday, it didn’t end too badly. Kit was healing me with every little touch.

And, boy, was it addictive.

I walked in and made my way to the office. Tony was there and he gave me a big smile and a nice hello. Tammy quickly surfaced, not looking too happy.

“Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “Not really. I think someone is stealing money from the office.”

I gasped. “No! What makes you think that?”

She moved closer to me. “Well, every now and then, twenties keep going missing. Sometimes it just happens for whatever reason, like needing new supplies, but there aren’t any receipts or anything. You haven’t taken money for something recently and just forgot to write it down, have you?”

I shook my head. “No. I haven’t touched the petty cash.” And I never do. I don’t like going anywhere near it for this reason alone. If they took fingerprints, mine would definitely not be on it. I made sure of that.

Tammy sighed. “Okay, but if you see anything, please come and tell me. In the meantime, I don’t think it’s wise to bring anyone into this office.”

I nodded. “Okay. That’s fine.”

She walked away, and I sighed. I wasn’t sure how much Tammy trusted me, but situations like this could escalate rapidly.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apron. Tony regarded me for a moment. “You look different. Did you get your hair done or something?” I shook my head and he frowned. “Hmmm... Definitely something different.” He walked off, that frown still on his face, and I was left feeling a little flustered. Was I that transparent? I guess I was.

I didn’t have time to stew over this because it was time to get to work. I was busy for a good hour, making sure everyone got their fill. Once all was done, I stood there for a moment, daydreaming about Kit. It wasn’t until I heard a violent scraping of chairs that I snapped out of my trance.

All of a sudden, shouts erupted on the far side of the room. I looked over and saw someone punch Thomas. I gasped, then saw Thomas lunge for the other guy. Marcus grabbed both his arms, whilst another guy did the same with the other man.

On instinct, I ran towards them. “What in the hell’s going on?”

Thomas glared at the other guy who was breathing harshly. “He’s a fucking arsehole.”

They both made a move to go at each other, but were held back. I noticed that Thomas was bleeding underneath his eye.

I pointed to the guy throwing daggers at Thomas. “You! I don’t know what the hell’s going on here, but you better calm down. Sit down, eat your breakfast, and I don’t want to hear another peep from you again. If you even breathe in the wrong direction, you’re out of here and won’t be welcome back. You got it?” He grunted, but nodded.

I looked back at Thomas and pointed at him. “You, bring your plate and come with me. Marcus, you can come, too, if you want.”

They both just nodded and did as they were told. I marched towards the office, not caring about Tammy’s little request earlier. It wasn’t my fault the first aid kit was in there.

Once I got to the door, I opened it and sighed my relief when I saw Tammy wasn’t there. I walked towards the desk and opened the drawer to grab the first aid kit.

“Marcus, you sit in that chair. Thomas, come over here and let me take a look at you.”

Marcus smiled and gave Thomas an amused look. “Yes, ma’am.”

Thomas walked over and sat on the edge of the desk. Upon inspection, I saw he had quite a nasty cut.

Thomas smiled. “Boy, that was sexy as hell, Olivia. You’re quite the little tiger once you get going.”

I glared at him. “This is no time for jokes, Thomas. Care to tell me what happened out there?” I took out an antiseptic wipe and swiped it across his cut. He winced a little, but smiled back at me.

“I’m sorry about that, Olivia. It’s just… That fucker said something about Rachel, but he was the one who punched me first. You saw it. I just wished I had the chance to punch back. Stupid fucker.” I sighed and stared at him. “Sorry. People like that make me so mad. They don’t know shit about the circumstances. They just automatically run their mouths. It just makes me so angry.”

I dabbed a little more antiseptic around his eye. “I know it’s hard, but you have to ignore people like that. It’s not worth getting into trouble over. You’re the better person, Thomas. Just remember that.”

I cleaned his cut a little more. When I thought it was the best I could do, I looked at him with a smile. “There. I think you’re all set.”

Thomas grabbed my hand. “Thank you, babes. You’re the best, you know that? You’ll make a fine wife for someone one day. I hope the guy who put a smile on your face this morning realises that. It’s good to see you smile. You always look so sad all the time.”

My eyes widened. “I do?”

He nodded. “You may have all the smiles in the world for us, Olivia, but a smile doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy. You deserve to have a smile on your face every morning. I just hope this guy does that for you.” He sighed a little. “If he doesn’t, I can always save my punches for him.”

I laughed. Not because of what he said, but because I knew not a lot of people could get a chance to even throw a punch in Kit’s direction. After what I saw that night in the alley, I knew there was a lot more to him than met the eye.

“That’s really sweet of you, Thomas. I don’t think you’d have any trouble there, but I’ll keep you in mind if he ever steps out of line. How’s that?” I smiled at him cheekily.

“Sounds good to me.” He winked back.

We were just about to go back out to the dining room when Tammy walked in.

“What’s this?”

Oh shit.

“There was an altercation in the dining room and Thomas got hurt. I was just taking care of his cut. We’re finished now.”

Marcus took that as his cue to stand up, and I couldn’t blame him. The way Tammy was staring at them made me want to squeeze her scrawny little neck. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact that I needed to keep working there, I would.

“Yes,” she spluttered. “Well, the dining room is now emptying. We’re going to need to start cleaning up.”

I nodded. “Sure.”

Marcus picked up his now empty plate, as Thomas picked up his. The three of us made our way out, leaving Tammy alone in the office. No doubt she was checking the petty cash.

I looked at Thomas eating everything he had left. “Do you want me to get you some hot, fresh food? That must be cold by now.”

Thomas smiled around a mouthful of egg. “This is fine with me, Olivia. I’m just grateful for food. The temperature of it doesn’t matter.”

I felt a stab of pain knowing this. Again, it made me realise just how lucky I was to have the luxury of being able to buy food on a regular basis.

Once he finished, Thomas handed me the plate. “Thank you, Olivia...for everything.”

I placed my hand on his arm. “Don’t mention it. Anytime. You have my number so don’t be afraid to use it.” I smiled at them both.

“See you tomorrow?” Marcus asked.

I smiled. “You bet.”

I watched as they both left and I went to work clearing all the tables, getting them ready for washing.

Once everything was clean, I made my way to the office to collect my things. Tammy was going through the petty cash and, by the look on her face, she wasn’t happy. I sighed.

“Did you leave those two alone in here at any time?”

I shook my head. “No. I was with them the whole time. I would have noticed if either of them went snooping where they shouldn’t.”

Tammy sighed in frustration. “It looks like there’s money missing again. I’m going to have to go through the books and take a proper look.”

I grabbed my coat, placed it over my arm, and threw my bag over my shoulder. “Look all you want, Tammy, but it definitely wasn’t Thomas or Marcus who took any money. I would have seen it.”

She looked up at me with a frown. “You can’t be around all the time to notice everything that’s going on.”

I shook my head. “I know that, Tammy. And neither can you.” My tone was sarcastic, but she never even batted an eye.

She looked up and noticed I had all my things. “You’re leaving?” I nodded. “What about the cleaning?”

I tapped my foot. “Done. Tony and I did it whilst you sat in here, counting money.” With that, I turned and walked out, leaving a shocked Tammy sitting there. “See you tomorrow,” I waved. I had somewhere else to be right now...and I just couldn’t wait.

I raced out the door a little too eagerly, I almost tripped. Once I composed myself, I went down the stairs and briskly walked back towards my house. I was so happy in that moment, it was strange. I never thought I would feel happy about getting home. I just hoped Kit was still waiting for me.

I got to my gate and flung it open with a bang, making me jump. “Oops.” I shut it behind me and was just getting the key inside the lock when my front door opened wide, revealing a topless Kit. He smiled brightly and opened his arms. I raced into them and jumped, wrapping my legs around his waist.

“My god, I missed you,” I breathed into the crook of his neck as Kit shut the door behind us.

“I missed you, too. I couldn’t wait until you got home. I made you some lunch. You must be hungry by now.”

I was starving, but my need to hold him was greater. “I am hungry.” I pulled back so I could look into his eyes, then down to his lips. “So very hungry.”

I leaned in and captured his mouth with my own. Kit moaned, re-igniting the fire that raged this morning. We had only made love mere hours ago, but I was ready to go again.

Kit lifted me up against the wall and aggressively claimed my mouth. I loved his gentle side, but I also loved this side of him. It made me feel like he was just as desperate for me as I was for him. It never took much.

I bit Kit’s lip and he growled, setting me back on the floor. He broke away, his breathing heavy against my face.

“I want you so badly, but not yet. You need to eat.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Just how bad to you want me?” I knew I was teasing, but a side of me really wanted to know.

Kit put a possessive hand around my waist. “I’ve wanted you from the very first day I laid eyes on you. You won’t recall because you didn’t notice. You were so busy looking at a piece of paper in your hands, then looking up towards the soup kitchen that you didn’t notice anyone else around you. They all looked, pointed, and said things about you. I could tell what they were saying and I wanted to punch their faces in. I never had that feeling with anyone before. It was strange and it made me want to keep away from you. I couldn’t, though. I would always follow you home to make sure you got there safely. I made it my mission to protect you.”

I smiled and felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I remembered that day. I had only just moved to London a week before and had spoken to Tammy the day before regarding the soup kitchen. I wrote the details down of where it was located and was making sure I had the right place. He was right. I didn’t notice him then, but I certainly noticed him the moment he walked through the doors later that day.

“I didn’t notice you, no. I was busy making sure I had the right place. I did notice you later, though. I noticed you every day. I really wanted to talk to you, but you never once looked my way.”

Kit sighed and shook his head. “I couldn’t, no matter how much I wanted to.”

I looked into his sad eyes. “Are you going to tell me why?”

He sighed and pulled away from me, avoiding my stare. “Let’s eat. I made a risotto.”

My eyes widened. “A risotto? You are a man of many talents. I know that from last night.” I winked at him. “And again in the early hours this morning.”

We both walked into the kitchen and the smell hit me straight away. It made my stomach growl in protest.

“I’m sorry about that. You must have been tired today. Maybe you can get some rest after you eat.”

I smiled timidly at him as he got the plates ready. He frowned a little. “What’s up? You look a little sad.”

I shook my head. “Oh, it’s nothing. There was a fight today, that’s all.”

Kit stood tall all of a sudden. “A fight with whom? No one hurt you, did they?”

I shook my head and sat down at the table. “No, no. It was a fight between Thomas and another guy. I told them off and tended to Thomas’ eye. All was fine after that.”

Kit put the plates of risotto on the table and sat down. “Are you sure about that?”

He could tell there was more, so I told him about Tammy and the petty cash.

“I never liked that lady. There’s just something not quite right about her. I have been watching her for a while and I just know she’s up to something.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Really? Someone else you’re stalking?” I joked.

Kit laughed. “Yes, but not for the same reason I stalked you.”

I took a bite of the risotto and my mouth screamed out for more. It was delicious. “Wow, Kit. This is great. What is it? Chicken?” He nodded. “It’s lovely.” I took another bite and he smiled.

Swallowing, I turned to him. “So, why did you stalk me, Kit? Can you at least tell me that?”

Kit paused with a mouthful of food, then smiled. “I guess I can’t keep away from you.”

“But why?”

Kit looked away for a moment. “I don’t know. Something about you just called to me. I didn’t like it so I tried to fight it, but it was no use. The fact you were obviously trying to reach out to me didn’t help. I tried to push you away, but you wouldn’t let me.”