Love Thief Read Free Page B

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