Steff lay on the kitchen floor, Layla wrapped up in his arms, and he smiled to himself. He’d been waiting for this for years, as far back as he could remember. Layla Black had been in his head since the first day he’d laid eyes on her. It was just a pity that Donnie got there first, even if he did know that Steff had his eye on her. That was Donnie all over. Greed was his middle name. Steff was only just able to tolerate Donnie, even if they were brothers. And the more he saw Layla hurt for him, the more he wanted to end Donnie. Layla didn’t deserve this. She was a good woman.
‘What would you do if Donnie walked in here right now?’ Layla asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.
‘I don’t know.’
‘I’d laugh in his face. The bastard deserves it.’
‘That’s strong,’ Steff replied. ‘You don’t feel a little remorseful?’
Layla laughed a little. ‘Not in the slightest. If he can do this to me, then I can hit him with something far worse. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I tell him.’
Steff sat up, glanced down at a naked Layla, took in her scent. ‘You can’t tell him. Not yet.’
‘Why not? He’s probably out there right now with his bit of skirt. I’m not going to allow him to think that I’m sat here in this house by myself, pining for him.’
Steff hesitated. That’s what she’d been doing when he arrived. She’d been lying on the couch, drowning her sorrows and almost begging Steff for answers.
‘Just don’t say anything, Layla. It goes further than just you and him. He’s my brother.’
‘That wasn’t bothering you a few minutes ago, was it?’
Layla stared at him, at his pleading eyes, and she sighed. ‘Fine.’
She leaned in and kissed him again and for the first time in his life, Steff felt like he had the connection with Layla that he’d always wanted.
This feeling of triumph Layla was feeling wouldn’t last, he knew. Donnie would soon creep back into her head and she’d start to feel guilty about sleeping with him. He’d just have to make sure that didn’t happen, give Layla a reason to stop thinking about Donnie and focus all her feelings on him, just like he’d done with her for the last two decades. No one ever came close to Layla. It had always been her.