“Okay, you all go sit down and I’ll dish up the food,” said Mum, waving us over to the dinner table.

“Can we talk later?” Stu whispered while Dad was out of earshot.

I pretended I hadn’t heard him. Probably not my finest hour, but it had been yet another in a long line of weird days. Mum carried the plates over, providing me with something else to focus on. Stu and I stayed relatively quiet while my parents chatted away throughout the meal, completely oblivious to the growing tension.

When we finished eating I immediately offered to wash up. Stu looked irritated that I was still avoiding him. And yes, I was being immature, but I was mortified for Christ’s sake. I felt like a teenager, wishing I could erase an embarrassing drunken text. The only difference was I’d been stone-cold sober when I sent those messages.

I noticed Stu checking the time before agitatedly running a hand over his jaw. It was clear he had somewhere he needed to be, and I was relieved. He likely had to go soon. To my dismay he stood and followed me to the sink.

“You wash, I’ll dry,” he grunted, his shoulders knit with tension.

Since Mum and Dad were still in the room he couldn’t confront me for avoiding him. Unfortunately, that saving grace was lost when they both retreated to the living room to watch TV.

“What’s up with you?” Stu asked once they were gone, his voice all growly.

I turned on the tap, plastering on a neutral expression. “Nothing.”

“Are you upset about today? Do you . . . regret it?” he questioned further, his brows furrowed. I turned off the tap, bracing my hands on the edge of the sink.

“Of course not.”

“Then why are you being such an ice queen? You barely looked at me in class and even now you’re acting strange. Was it the messages? Because I promise, nobody will ever see them. In fact, I’ll delete them right now if it’ll make you happy.”

He started pulling his phone from his pocket. I let out an exasperated breath and twisted to face him. “You don’t have to do that. I’m just embarrassed, okay? That’s why I’m being weird.”

He slid his phone back in his jeans as he frowned at me, then his features softened when my meaning sank in. “Luv,” he murmured, coming to cup my cheek, “you’ve absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. You’ve got a gorgeous little pussy. I loved every second of having my mouth on it.”

“Stu,” I gasped. His dirty words made me blush and I glanced shyly at the door, worried Mum or Dad might overhear. The volume was loud on the TV though, so I knew it was unlikely.

I cleared my throat. “Let’s, um, let’s get these dishes sorted and then we’ll talk, okay?”

“Sure, Andrea, whatever you want,” Stu replied, dipping down to capture my lips in his. His kiss was brief and I turned back around to focus on the task, my lips tingling the entire time. When we were done we went and said goodbye to Mum and Dad, and I promised them I’d try to convince Alfie to come visit with me next time.

As soon as we were outside Stu grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers and leading me over to his Toyota. I had no choice but to follow.

Sixteen

“Let’s take my car. I’ll drive you back in a little bit.”

“If you’re busy we can do this another time.”

Stu’s grip tightened. “Nah, we’re good. I can multi-task.”

He had me strapped into the passenger seat before I had the chance to ask, “Where exactly do you need to be?”

Stu started the engine and pulled away from the kerb, his jaw firm. He actually seemed a little stressed. “I need to do some recon. This is the only time this week I know Renfield’s going to be out of his house.”

“You’re taking me to scope out the house of the man you plan to steal from?” I exclaimed, not happy in the slightest. “Stu, let me out of this car right now. I’m not helping you break into someone’s home.”

“Relax,” he urged, bringing his hand to rest on my thigh. “I’m not breaking in anywhere. I just need to get a feel for the place, see what I’m dealing with. And I want to do it while he’s out so there’s no chance of anyone spotting me. There’s no danger, Andrea. We won’t even be getting out of the car.”

“How do you know he won’t be there?”

“There’s some big charity hoopla going on tonight. The Duke told me about it. Said Renfield never misses an event.”

“Oh,” I breathed, my nerves subsiding a little. If Stu said there was no danger, then I trusted him. In a way it was completely unearned, but it was just how I felt in the moment. I couldn’t explain it. “Well, where does he live anyway?”

Stu shot me a grin. “Hampstead ‘I’m too rich for my own good’ Heath.”

I laughed because it was true. I was pretty sure half the celebrities in London lived in Hampstead Heath. A little while later Stu parked his car down the street from a moderately sized Georgian house, though given the location it probably cost as much as a mansion anywhere else. He’d picked a spot shrouded by trees, to avoid security cameras capturing the licence plate on the car.

Killing the engine, he turned to face me. “So, are we gonna talk this out, or what?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Don’t you have some scoping to do?”

“The scoping can wait. I want to know what’s bothering you.”

“I’m fine, honestly. I was just being weird earlier. If you knew me, you’d realise I’m prone to bouts of weirdness.”

Stu squeezed my thigh, his voice warm yet commanding when he said my name. “Andrea.”

He wasn’t buying my bullshit, I guess. I needed a new tactic. “So, the painting is right in there, huh? Feels weird that we’re so close yet so far.”

“Luv, stop being an oddball and just talk to me,” Stu urged, his patience wearing thin.

“I’m not being an oddball. I’m just marvelling at the fact that we’re mere yards away from countless stolen antiquities. I wonder if he has any Ancient Egyptian artefacts in there. I’ve always been fascinated by hieroglyphics.”

“Right, that’s it,” said Stu, reaching over and unclipping my seatbelt. I yelped when he gripped me by the waist, lifted me up and placed me firmly on his lap. I scrambled to escape but it was no use. He was far stronger. The only exercise my muscles ever got was lifting coffee mugs and holding up paperbacks for prolonged periods as I read.