Love Thief Read online

  Charmaine got her back up. “Oh really, you just assume because some man accused us, we’re guilty? Did you see us take anything?” She had a moment of panic thinking they had security cameras.

  “I was mistaken,” came a deep voice behind her. “As you can see, the backpack’s empty.”

  Charmaine stiffened. Why was he defending them now? He had obviously seen the books because Charmaine took them out. Plus, this wasn’t the first time Amaya had stolen.

  Maybe the green eyes and the voice worked, because the woman started trying to fix her hair and almost simpered. “Well, please be more careful next time.”

  Charmaine barreled past, holding onto Amaya’s hand. When they got to the street, stopped the little girl beside her car. “What is up with you? Why do you keep doing this? Those books weren’t even anything anybody would want.”

  Amaya bowed her head and twisted her fingers together. “Sorry, Aunt Charmaine.”

  “You keep saying sorry, but you don’t stop!”

  “Maybe there’s a reason she’s doing it,” came the nosy voice again.

  Charmaine sighed and straightened. “Why are you following us?”

  He leaned against the car and smiled. Nice smile with the eyes. Okay, stop, Charmaine, for real! You don’t have time for him.

  “Can I buy you two ladies lunch?”

  She stared at him.

  “I mean to make up for almost getting you thrown in jail and all.”

  “No, thank you.” Charmaine shuffled Amaya into the car.

  He looked so disappointed, it shocked her. Didn’t men usually hide their feelings, like playing it off that they weren’t that interested anyway? “It was a little mistake. How about not telling her mother?”

  Charmaine had a twinge of pain. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away away from the car and Amaya’s hearing. “My sister is dead. She died six months ago when one of her— Never mind. You don’t need those details. Anyway, she’s gone, and I have custody of Amaya. This isn’t the first time she’s stolen things either. For the last few months she lived with my mother, and every week there was something. So don’t tell me how to deal with her. Good-bye.”

  Charmaine left him standing there, but curiosity made her peep in the direction she left him after she got in the car. He was gone. She searched the parking lot but didn’t see him. Well, good because she had let enough outside forces slow her down. Amaya could stew at home and reflect on what she did while Charmaine wrote a little more code. Just a little more, and she would have a prototype. Nothing could get in the way.

  Chapter Three

  Charmaine sat with a manual open and her laptop in front of her. The words blurred before her eyes. She rubbed them and checked the time then the screen. What the hell? Two hours had passed, and she hadn’t done a damn thing. This was his fault. Why did she have to keep thinking about him, hearing his voice in her head? He was throwing her off her game. Not to mention the chortles in the corner and the blaring cartoons.

  Maybe if she stretched her legs a bit and walked around, she could get her focus on point. Her apartment was more like a gigantic room. The building had been an old warehouse and was remodeled into studio apartments. Charmaine had loved it on sight and had lived here for four years. She didn’t want to move, but in all honesty, if she was going to have to raise Amaya, the little girl should have her own room.

  Charmaine wandered over near the door, wondering if all the apartments in the building were big open spaces or did some vary. What about what’s his name’s? She mentally kicked herself because she knew damn well she remembered his name was Elliot. Talk about a pompous moniker, the bastard.

  Chewing on her bottom lip, she stood at the door with her hand on the knob. Which direction did he live? Which place was his?

  “Oh, who cares?” she growled, and Amaya looked up.

  “Who cares about what?”

  “Never mind. Watch your shows.” Charmaine told herself not to, but she opened the door. Just when she did, she found him standing there, hand raised to knock. Charmaine blinked. “Are you stalking us?”

  He grinned. “Me? Maybe.”

  She had expected him to say no.

  “I thought I would stop by and tell you which apartment is mine, I mean should you need me.”

  Charmaine folded her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. “You got bold after your accusation, didn’t you?”

  “I was always bold, lovely lady. I just wasn’t getting anywhere. The fact that I got to see your face unobscured has given me new hope.”

  He was unbelievable, but deep inside she acknowledged a tiny bit of amusement. She didn’t let it show on her face. As quick as she could, she took in his form. He wore khaki slacks and a short sleeved collared blue shirt. A nerd, she thought, cringing, but the arms sticking out from the sleeves were muscular and tanned with a smattering of fine hair on them.

  “I’m sure I don’t need to know where you live.”

  “Elliot.”

  She hadn’t paused as if she didn’t recall his name.

  He pointed to the right. “I’m next door, one down. You’re free to stop by any time.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t like people dropping by unannounced. So if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my project.”

  “What are you so busy with all the time?”

  She didn’t answer.”

  “I’m headed out to the quad. If you like, you can join me.”

  Charmaine had another unwelcome flashback, this one generic. For some reason she thought of high school and the quadrangle outside of the cafeteria where the kids hung out. In the back of the warehouse, or rather in the middle of four buildings, there was a good size square like a mini-park with benches and trees. A few of the residents spent time out there, enjoying the breeze and sunshine. Charmaine had stepped out once and never gone back. Not because it wasn’t nice but because people tended to talk to her, and she had been distracted from work.

  “Thanks,” she said to Elliot’s offer and made to shut the door. He at last gave up and waved as he walked away. She dropped into her spot in front of the couch and focused on the computer screen.

  “Aunt Charmaine?”

  She clenched her jaw. “Yes?”

  “Can I have a sandwich?”

  Charmaine swallowed a sigh and rose to open the refrigerator. She hadn’t done grocery shopping. They had eaten the last of the eggs that morning, and they had eaten a snack not an hour ago. Charmaine eyed Amaya’s slender figure. “I’ve got cereal.”

  Amaya frowned at the box of plain oats. Charmaine had bought them because they came in a huge box, and she could snack sometimes when there was no milk. Her niece apparently wasn’t impressed.

  Charmaine lifted the box down and handed it to Amaya. “Just give me an hour, and we’ll hit the grocery store, please.”

  Brown eyes rolled like she had been doing lately.

  “And watch the eyes!”

  Amaya opened the box and ate directly out of it then wandered over to the window. She climbed on a chair and gazed out. “Aunt Charmaine, can I go out there?”

  Charmaine banged her head on the coffee table. “Go. If you take the elevator down to the first floor and turn right, then walk to the back, you’ll get to the door outside. Or you can take the stairs at the back of this floor. It’s closer.”

  “You’re not going with me?”

  Charmaine raised her head. “You can’t go by yourself?”

  An odd look came into the little girl’s eyes, and she nodded. “Yes, I can. I’m almost grown up.”

  The tiny figure that ran over to the bed and dug her shoes out from under it didn’t look very grown up to Charmaine, but she let her go. Besides, Charmaine could see outside easily enough. After Amaya left, Charmaine opened the window and looked out. Soon Amaya appeared and ran straight over to Elliot who sat on a bench with his head bent over a tablet. She blew out a breath. He had the nerve to criticize her and her electronics.

 
Amaya’s high-pitched voice echoed over the quad, and Elliot looked up at her and then behind her as if he expected Charmaine. Then he gazed up toward her window and caught her looking. She almost darted back, but stayed where she was. He said something she didn’t catch and frowned, shaking his head. What did that mean?

  Charmaine stomped back to her work and tried to focus. Laughter and excited little screeches from Amaya kept drawing her attention, especially when they were followed by Elliot’s more sedate and deep voice. They were having a lot of fun apparently. She wandered over to the window and watched. He had set his tablet aside and chased after Amaya. When he tagged her, she chased him. Charmaine thought he let her catch him because that build looked liked it was made to move.

  “Stop admiring his body and get back to work,” she whispered.

  The two below seemed to choose another game. Charmaine checked the clock. An hour and a half had passed, and he wasn’t bored or busy? Maybe he was just trying to impress her. That was a lot of work to get her to go out with him. She had to give him props.

  After a while, Charmaine closed the laptop. Her stomach started grumbling. She leaned out the window and called to the two below. Now Elliot sat on a bench chatting up a pretty white woman, and Amaya was splayed on the grass, picking blades and staring at the sky. Of course, he tossed Charmaine aside for another potential date.

  When Charmaine called out, all three looked up at her. Elliot smiled. She glared at him and signaled to Amaya to come up. Then she promptly slammed the window closed. A short while later, the door opened, and Amaya bound in. Elliot was right behind her.

  “What are you doing here again?” she demanded. “Did she turn you down?”

  “She?” He smirked. “Oh, Karen, no. I didn’t ask her out. I came up here to talk to you.”

  “Elliot, give me a break. I told you I’m not interested.”

  “It’s not about that.”

  “Oh.”

  He shut the door and walked farther inside without an invitation. She cut him slack because he had entertained Amaya for a long time, even if she herself didn’t get much done during that time.

  “What do you know about children?” he asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You said you have custody of her now.” He nodded his head toward Amaya.

  “Yes, so? I’ve had her a couple days. We’re falling into a routine. It’ll take some time.” She was aware she had taken to defending herself and couldn’t stop. “My mom had her for the last few months, but she’s been sick a long time. She can’t handle Amaya.”

  Elliot’s expression held sympathy, and where he had given off anger a second ago, it dissipated. “Have you been around other kids as an adult?”

  She had no idea where this was going. “No, not really. I had the one sister, and we weren’t close. She had a teenage son, but he went to his dad when…it happened.”

  Elliot glanced toward Amaya, who had sat on the bed to continue watching TV. “Hey, sweetheart, we did a lot of running around. Why don’t you go take a bath and change clothes?”

  Amaya pouted, but she moved to obey. Charmaine glared at him. “Excuse you?”

  He moved closer to Charmaine, and she backed up. “I have eight nieces and nephews, with a couple more on the way. I know and love kids, and one thing I know beyond a doubt is you don’t let girls her age go outside alone. While I realize I’m a nice guy, you don’t know that.”

  Great, twice in one day he humiliated her. Charmaine was tempted to cuss him out and show him the door, but what he said made sense. She should have thought of that, and it seemed like the kind of thing even a person who had little experience with kids should know.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  He hesitated as if waiting for something. “What, no insult?”

  She ground her teeth. “No, I’m not going to pretend. I don’t know what I’m doing with Amaya, but there’s no one else.”

  “Her dad?”

  She cleared her throat. “My sister didn’t say who he was.” She was being generous. Charmaine dropped onto the couch, and Elliot hovered. She gestured for him to join her, and he sat down. How odd that her wide-open apartment felt smaller with him in it. His scent too transformed her place and filled her nostrils. Charmaine dipped her head onto one palm and studied his handsome face. With a firm jaw, covered in a slight beard, a straight nose, and gentle, friendly eyes, he kept making her forget everything but him. No other man had tempted her so much in so short a time.

  “I feel sorry for her,” Elliot said and pulled her from her happy bubble.

  Charmaine clenched her hands. “I’m not that bad. I keep her fed and clothed, and I buy her whatever she wants.”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “Easy. I wasn’t saying you’re a bad aunt. You’ve had her a short while. No one can fault you. It’s a learning process, but I’m beginning to see why she steals.”

  Charmaine leaned toward him. “You are? Well tell me because I’m over it.”

  “Heart ache.”

  “What?”

  “It’s Amaya’s way of dealing with her mother’s death. With love and support, I believe she’ll eventually stop it. You have to be patient with her.”

  “You’re saying let her get away with stealing?”

  “No, assure her it’s wrong and unacceptable, but show her love and help her every step of the way.”

  “Are you a counselor?” Charmaine’s voice was dry because for real she wasn’t feeling too comfortable herself. Love and support? What did she know of those things? She had cut off her sister years ago and never made time for close friends.

  “No, I’m not a counselor. I’m actually a grant writer.”

  Charmaine nodded. “Mm, nerd.”

  He grinned, not offended at all. The thought that she liked him passed through her head, but she tried to squash it.

  “I work from home, but most of my clients are nonprofits, and some have counseling programs they need funding for.”

  “Oh, so there was no reason for you to barrel into me early in the morning?” she teased.

  “You remember me. I knew I’d left an impression.”

  “You left an indentation in my skull.”

  He chuckled. “Shall I kiss it better?”

  Charmaine almost fainted. Now the bastard had her looking at his lips. She tried to recall the last time she had a boyfriend. Oh wait, she never had a boyfriend, just a lover or two, no commitments.

  “I think I can survive without your kiss,” she told him.

  “And yet every time I run into you, I feel like I won’t survive if I can’t get your number.”

  “RIP.”

  Elliot burst out laughing. He had a nice laugh that sent tingles all throughout her body. When he rose to walk over to the door, she had a sense of loss. “Think about what I said, Charmaine. For her?”

  She swallowed the embarrassment. “I will. Definitely. Um, thanks for taking care of her.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Chapter Four

  Elliot heard the banging, but he was so tired after having stayed up late to finish the job he had been working on. He had never missed a deadline, and he wasn’t going to start. That didn’t mean he didn’t know how to set his priorities though. Priorities like spending another hour before falling asleep thinking about Charmaine.

  Damn, she was beautiful. Long shapely brown legs. He was definitely a leg man, especially when they extended beyond a nice round ass. She had no idea how long he had been trying to get her to talk to him or how many times he had carried on conversations with her in the mornings with her responses more like grunts than anything else. What could he have done, jerk her tablet out of her hand and demand she look at him?

  He thought his chance had come when she plowed into him that one morning. Especially when Charmaine raised her sweet face and looked him in the face. He’d had the wind knocked out of him. Big brown eyes, full lovely lips, a cute short nose, she was achingly beautiful. Yet, her gaze had sk
immed over him. She had shut him down, and she had walked away. Again.

  Elliot wasn’t one to give up, and when fate had him stop Amaya, he didn’t know she belonged to Charmaine, until the object of his desire came barreling down the aisle like a mama bear. Short skirt, long legs, and up higher, fire in her eyes. She had so much potential—as a mother and a lover—but she didn’t know it. He intended to show her.

  Elliot grinned in his sleep, hoping for a dream of Charmaine under him, but the incessant banging went on. At last, he came fully awake to realize someone knocked at his door. If he didn’t get it soon, the entire floor would awaken. Then he heard Charmaine calling to him with fear in her voice, and he jetted from the bed.

  When he opened the door, she tumbled into his arms, and Elliot dragged her into a tight hold. “What is it, Charmaine? What’s wrong?”

  “She’s hot, and she says her stomach hurts. Should I call an ambulance? I’m not sure who her doctor is or if she has one. I don’t want to call my mother. Maybe I should take her to the emergency room.”

  “Easy. Calm down.” He knew right away, this was his fault. Charmaine was both panicking and overthinking everything because of his criticism of her the other day. “Let me come over there and check on her after I get my pants on.”

  His words alerted her she clung to his bare chest, and she wrenched away. He missed her touch, but this wasn’t the time to be thinking of their attraction. Elliot pulled on slacks and a T-shirt and hurried barefoot to her apartment. Empty takeout containers littered the coffee table and a discarded tub of ice cream half empty and melted. The little beauty was a terrible housekeeper.

  Elliot reached the bed, and just as Charmaine had said, Amaya was hot. Her entire body was covered in a sheen of sweat, and her nightgown clung to her. “Where’s your thermometer. Let’s get her temperature.”

  “I don’t have one. I don’t really get sick.”

  “Do you have Tylenol?”