Stepbrother Thief(90)

When I climb out of the shower and spy Gill's discarded shirt on the floor near my bed, the compulsion is almost impossible to resist. I have so many memories of slipping into his clothes, letting the extra fabric billow against my naked thighs as I moved into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee or snuck over to his side of the bed to give him a kiss. Gill's spicy scent would rise around me, tease my already tender body with the promise of more.

Hell no.

Okay, that shirt is an absolute no go.

I decide to wear the jeans Gill bought for me, the ones I used when we were sneaking around Pike Place incognito, and my white Ella Moss tank, the one that reminds me of my mother. Clean panties and a bra are musts, but I decide to skip the shoes, even if a pair of Louboutin red sole sandals seem to be calling my name from the corner of the closet …

I give myself a quick once-over in the bathroom mirror, my swollen lips and reddened cheeks impossible to miss. Damn you, Gill. I shake myself out, take a deep breath and head into the hallway, letting my bedroom door snick softly shut behind me.

I can't wait to see him. The thought bubbles up inside of me, stripping the years away, making me feel like a teenager again as I head for the stairs. I pause for a moment and run my hands down the front of the lacy top, wondering what our interaction's going to be like this morning. Will he be as happy to see me as I am to see him? I'm damn near positive that the answer to that question is a radiant, effervescent yes. Gill's words come floating back to me: Let me make that all clear right now. I have one goal, one motive. Regina, I want you back.

I brush some loose strands of hair back and glance at Cliff's and Solène's doors. Both closed, no light shining from underneath. Good. I need to see Gill, talk to Gill, before either of them sees me with him. I need to know exactly what I'm working with here. Well, besides butterflies. Those pesky bastards are back and making my stomach twist with each brush of their metaphorical little wings.

I start down the stairs before I let myself get too worked up about this. It's just Gill—and probably Aveline. That oughta be fun. If she didn't hear us fucking earlier, I'll be awfully surprised. I move down the steps slowly and then pause at the first landing, one hand on the railing, my gaze focused on the stained glass window in front of me. I can hear them both from here, talking in the kitchen, their voices nothing more than murmurs in the quiet dark of the house.

I take a deep breath and pull my eyes away from the rose pattern in the glass, turning and taking the last few stairs loudly enough that I'm sure they know I'm coming by the time I set foot in that kitchen.

I pause in the doorway, curling my fingers around the decorative molding.

I hate to admit it, but my heart is pounding.

“Up early?” I ask casually as Aveline turns towards me, her red hair draped over one shoulder in a braid. She smirks at me as my eyes flick over to Gill's back, his shirt stretched tight across his taut muscles. Oh God, I can still remember how those felt beneath my fingers. I drop my hands to my sides and move through the archway and over to the coffeemaker without waiting for him to acknowledge me. Even though I want him to—more than I'd care to admit.

“Up late more like,” Aveline responds, sitting down at the kitchen table and shuffling through some papers. She snorts like the whole thing's amusing to her and tugs her laptop closer with her left hand. “There was some sort of strange mix-up where this guy was supposed to take over watch last night …” Aveline trails off as I glance over at Gill's back again, my heart stuttering as he turns away from his laptop, perched on the edge of the counter. His eyes find mine and steal my breath away, a small smile curling his lips. I have to lean against the counter to fight my body's visceral reaction. “Never missed a shift in his life, never even showed up a moment late, and now …”

“I said I was sorry,” Gill replies, voice cool and calm, gaze still glued to mine. We stare at each other for a long moment, communicating wordlessly about what happened last night, about what still needs to happen. I have to know; I have to know everything. But … “I got caught up in something.”

“Yeah, I heard. Hell, we all did. You know, in all this time, I've never seen Cliff look anything but mildly amused. Last night, well, all I can say is …” Aveline shuts her laptop and stands up, glancing over her shoulder at me. “Good luck with that conversation. I'm off to grab some shut-eye. See you on Friday?” Gill nods and Aveline salutes me once, computer tucked under one arm, before disappearing down the hall and out the front door.

After a moment, Gill follows after her and locks it, sliding the chain and dead bolt back into place. I linger in the hallway behind him, a cup of coffee warming up my hands as I listen to the torrential rains outside the window. It's still dark out there, the night still thick as ink. With the cloud cover like it is, I bet it stays gloomy and gray all day today.