Page 42 of Gwen's Delta
“Hello, kitty,” Luke’s deep voice rumbled as he followed her into the house and locked the door behind him.
“He doesn’t like strangers. He has claws, so be careful,” Gwen warned as he petted the orange fluff ball.
“That’s okay, he likes me. Right, Sir Galahad?”
Gwen couldn’t believe the cat ignored her and rubbed against Luke’s legs as he purred.
“Traitor.” Not that she could blame him. Luke had that something that drew people to him.
Kicking off her shoes, she put them next to the closet and padded toward the kitchen with the bag of leftovers. Luke followed with her evil cat purring in his arms. At least the distraction had cooled her raging libido so she could think again.
“Do you want something to drink? I have wine, beer, iced tea, and water,” she asked as she put the to-go boxes into the refrigerator. When he didn’t answer, she turned around to see if he was still playing with Sir Galahad.
The cat had disappeared, but Luke leaned against the arched doorway. His grin dripped sex, and a fresh wave of desire flooded over her already-sensitized skin.
“Are you having anything?” he asked.
Gwen swallowed hard and then whispered, “water.”
“I’ll have some, too.” Luke pushed off the door frame, coming toward her like a tiger stalking his prey.
Their hands touched as she handed him the water bottle, and a bolt of electricity shot up her fingers and along all her nerve endings. Lust, desire, arousal—Luke set her on fire.
“Do you want to give me a tour?” he asked.
“What?” When she realized she’d been staring at him, heat flooded her cheeks. “Oh yeah. Sorry.” She was a hot mess—literally. “This is the kitchen…”
“I thought you said you can’t cook?
The question made perfect sense as she looked at it from his point of view. “It was Gramps’ idea. He said when I sell the house, I’d get more for it with a well-equipped kitchen.”
“Smart man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“How about your parents? Did they help with the house, too?” Luke asked as he followed her through the empty dining room and into her living room.
“No, they were traveling. In fact, since I moved in five years ago, I don’t think they’ve ever visited. Or they might have been here once. I’m really not sure.” Gwen couldn’t keep the hurt out of her voice. Her parents were more like strangers than family.
“I’m sorry.” Luke slid his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side.
It surprised her how well he read her emotions. “It’s okay. I have my grandparents. They made sure I had a great childhood and never lacked for anything.”
“I’m glad you have them in your life.”
“Me, too. They’re more my parents than my parents. Mom and Dad travel so much that it’s hard. But we must keep the bookstore stocked, too,” Gwen murmured more to herself than to Luke.
“I’m impressed with the stock there. While I waited for you, I found three books I’ve been trying to find for years. I saw the new book section, too. It surprised me.”
“I wanted to increase foot traffic into the bookstore. There aren’t too many people in Lancelot who are looking for rare books. But I figured they’d shop for current bestsellers and some non-fiction and DIY books. Gramps didn’t want me to but changed his mind quick enough when more customers started coming into the shop.”
“Smart. My granddad would have given you major kudos.”
“Did he work in retail?” Gwen blushed. She already knew the answer. She’d researched him and knew all about the family business.
“You could say that.” Luke grinned.
“So…here’s the living room. It’s where I spend most of my time. Not as impressive as your library, but it makes me happy.”
