She mounted the stairs and setting the bag down, knocked before she lost her nerve. She picked the bag up again as she heard steps near the door. She lifted her lips into her best smile and waited.
The sight that met her when the door opened was indescribable. He stood there in his jeans and nothing else. No shirt, no shoes and his hair was mussed. A lot. Like she had pulled him from a nap. Her smile fell like a stone.
"Oh no! I didn't mean to wake you. I'm so sorry."
His eyes narrowed as she tried to back away. "I wasn't asleep," he told her in a flat tone. That didn't make her feel any better. If she didn't know any better, he had been in bed. She gulped and paled as the thought of what he had been doing hit her. He opened the door a little wider and moved to the side. "Would you like to come in?"
"I'm sure I can come back some other time," she offered trying to back up, wanting to escape in the worst way. She shook her head trying to hide her embarrassment.
"What's wrong with now? You're here." Her eyes closed as she remembered to breathe. His voice was gruff and deep again. When she opened them, he was just staring at her, and it wasn't a terribly welcoming stare, either. She took a step inside and waited in mortified silence while he shut the door.
She avoided his gaze, staring at the wall behind him. She felt the heat on her face; she didn't need a mirror to see her embarrassment. "I didn't mean to interrupt. If you're busy, I can just leave this. It's what I had intended to do anyway. I'm sure you have better things to do. You don't need me to hang around. You can eat this whenever and I'll just pick up the pan. No rush."
She stopped her rambling when his thick laughter finally cut her off. His eyebrow raised in a sardonic taunt as his mouth lifted. "I wasn't doing that either. I was beating my head against my computer. A repetitive argument, I'm afraid," he said in a droll way. "It thinks I should work, and I'm telling it, it doesn't know one thing."
She felt as his eyes swept over her, could feel him as delicate as a butterfly's kiss on her skin as he swept from her hair down her legs and back again.
"So what did you bring, that was so important you had to interrupt my daily rant?" As he relaxed again her smile was reborn, relief calming her racing heart. "I made this for you."
She pushed the pan toward him. "It's lasagna. I brought a salad with peppercorn dressing and breadsticks. I hope you like it."
He took it from her slowly, holding the warm pan in one hand and the bag in the other. His eyes narrowed again. "And for what do I receive such generosity?" She was struck to the bone by his tone, so cold. His eyes were nearly slits.
She lifted her chin to look him in the eye. "Look, I just wanted to say thank you. You don't have to eat it, but if you don't, let me take it to the shelter. I'm sure they'll appreciate it." She crossed her arms, challenging him. She waited as he appeared to consider it. He looked from the pan to her, from the pan to her.
"You don't know who I am?" His voice was incredulous and doubtful.She tossed her arms with impatience.
"Mrs. Fillipo said something about a Dr. McKenna when I asked if she knew how to find you, but I don't know who that is. I was looking for Drake and that seemed to satisfy her." She returned his glare. "There. Does that answer you or do I need to take a lie detector test too?"
She watched as his eyes lightened and his lips lifted in a smile. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude."
"But you do it so naturally," she came back, her chin still lifted at him.
That made him laugh again, a little lighter, a little kinder. He looked at the pan once more before he caught her gaze. "I hope you plan on sharing this with me. I can't eat but about half of this by myself."
"Half!" She took in his lean form, his trim waist defined at the top of his jeans. "Where are you going to put it?"
She laughed herself when he wiggled his brows at her. "I have my ways," he told her with an evil tremor in his voice. He turned and hooking a shoulder, led her into his kitchen.
Thanks for reading! To find out more about this book visit my site, or go hereto purchase this romantic tale!
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Diana Castilleja
Best Selling Author
http://www.DianaCastilleja.com
Romance that thrives in dark places
http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com
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