would kill me if I showed up empty handed."
"Ah. Fully house trained. No wonder Robyn likes you." He took my hand again. "I'll let you deliver that yourself. Robby's just in the kitchen, I think."
I let him pull me further into the house, slightly disconcerted by his complete disregard of the physical boundaries that normally existed between virtual strangers. He led me past a curving, stone stairway going up to our left, and down a wide hallway, our footsteps muffled by expensive-looking woven rugs that covered smooth tile floors.
A railed landing at the end of the hall overlooked a huge, open living room with a two-story wall of glass offering a breathtaking view of Los Angeles at night.
I stopped, pulling Josh to a halt as well. "Wow."
"Nice, isn't it?" He tugged me towards a stairway. "You should see the view of the mountains in the daytime. That's really why she paid out the ass for this place."
"I bet," I murmured, following Josh down the stairs, still gazing at the view.
At the bottom of the steps, Josh paused, glancing around. "Robby? Your guest is here."
"Caid." The husky voice affected me like a jolt of electricity and I dropped Josh's hand hastily, afraid my feelings could somehow be transferred by the contact. Robyn emerged from an arched doorway that led into a large kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "I'm so glad you could make it. Welcome."
"Thanks," I said, unable to stop the large smile that spread across my face at the sight of her. Her long hair fell loose down her back; she wore a faded green t-shirt tucked into worn jeans and no shoes.
This was by far my favorite view in the house.
She answered my smile with one of her own, and we stood like that for several moments, until Josh moved towards the kitchen.
"Where's my meat, woman? I'm starving."
Robyn threw the towel over her shoulder and stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Uh-uh. Stay out of my kitchen, grill-boy." She turned him around and motioned towards a sliding glass door leading out onto a wide deck. "Go light the grill, and I'll bring it out to you."
He pouted a little, but did as she asked, flashing me a quick grin as he walked by. Robyn watched him go with a fond smile, and motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen.
"Want me to open that?" She motioned at the wine in my hand.
"Oh. Not necessarily, unless you want to." I held it out to her, and she took it, glancing at the label and treating me to a raised eyebrow.
It was a nice wine. At least it had better be, for what I paid for it.
"I'll let you get away with it this time, but next time you come over, you really don't need to bring anything." She glanced at the label again. "I think we'll save this one for later. I've got a merlot open that I've been sipping on," she motioned to an opened bottle and half-full glass on the counter. "Or there's beer, soda…I think I've got some ice-tea made. Or a cocktail of some sort, if you'd rather."
I nodded at the open bottle. "Some of that would be great, thanks."
She picked up a foil-covered pan and handed it to me. "If you take this out to Josh, I'll bring you out a glass."
"Hey," I said, taking the pan with a mock-pout. "No one told me I'd had to work for my dinner."
"At least you've got the right shoes," she said with a smile. "Now shoo. I'll be out in a second."
I wandered through the living room and out onto the deck, spotting Josh in a corner where the deck wrapped around the other side of the house, scrubbing vigorously at a monstrous grill with a wire brush.
"Delivery for you." I walked over and set the pan down on a nearby table.
"Oh, great!" He set down the brush and rubbed his hands together in anticipation before peeling the foil back to reveal three large steaks, a pile of chopped peppers, onions and zucchini, and a dish filled with marinade.
"You are in for a treat. I don't know what magic sauce stuff Robyn puts on these steaks, but it's damn tasty."
"It looks wonderful," I said, meaning it. My stomach
"Ah. Fully house trained. No wonder Robyn likes you." He took my hand again. "I'll let you deliver that yourself. Robby's just in the kitchen, I think."
I let him pull me further into the house, slightly disconcerted by his complete disregard of the physical boundaries that normally existed between virtual strangers. He led me past a curving, stone stairway going up to our left, and down a wide hallway, our footsteps muffled by expensive-looking woven rugs that covered smooth tile floors.
A railed landing at the end of the hall overlooked a huge, open living room with a two-story wall of glass offering a breathtaking view of Los Angeles at night.
I stopped, pulling Josh to a halt as well. "Wow."
"Nice, isn't it?" He tugged me towards a stairway. "You should see the view of the mountains in the daytime. That's really why she paid out the ass for this place."
"I bet," I murmured, following Josh down the stairs, still gazing at the view.
At the bottom of the steps, Josh paused, glancing around. "Robby? Your guest is here."
"Caid." The husky voice affected me like a jolt of electricity and I dropped Josh's hand hastily, afraid my feelings could somehow be transferred by the contact. Robyn emerged from an arched doorway that led into a large kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "I'm so glad you could make it. Welcome."
"Thanks," I said, unable to stop the large smile that spread across my face at the sight of her. Her long hair fell loose down her back; she wore a faded green t-shirt tucked into worn jeans and no shoes.
This was by far my favorite view in the house.
She answered my smile with one of her own, and we stood like that for several moments, until Josh moved towards the kitchen.
"Where's my meat, woman? I'm starving."
Robyn threw the towel over her shoulder and stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Uh-uh. Stay out of my kitchen, grill-boy." She turned him around and motioned towards a sliding glass door leading out onto a wide deck. "Go light the grill, and I'll bring it out to you."
He pouted a little, but did as she asked, flashing me a quick grin as he walked by. Robyn watched him go with a fond smile, and motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen.
"Want me to open that?" She motioned at the wine in my hand.
"Oh. Not necessarily, unless you want to." I held it out to her, and she took it, glancing at the label and treating me to a raised eyebrow.
It was a nice wine. At least it had better be, for what I paid for it.
"I'll let you get away with it this time, but next time you come over, you really don't need to bring anything." She glanced at the label again. "I think we'll save this one for later. I've got a merlot open that I've been sipping on," she motioned to an opened bottle and half-full glass on the counter. "Or there's beer, soda…I think I've got some ice-tea made. Or a cocktail of some sort, if you'd rather."
I nodded at the open bottle. "Some of that would be great, thanks."
She picked up a foil-covered pan and handed it to me. "If you take this out to Josh, I'll bring you out a glass."
"Hey," I said, taking the pan with a mock-pout. "No one told me I'd had to work for my dinner."
"At least you've got the right shoes," she said with a smile. "Now shoo. I'll be out in a second."
I wandered through the living room and out onto the deck, spotting Josh in a corner where the deck wrapped around the other side of the house, scrubbing vigorously at a monstrous grill with a wire brush.
"Delivery for you." I walked over and set the pan down on a nearby table.
"Oh, great!" He set down the brush and rubbed his hands together in anticipation before peeling the foil back to reveal three large steaks, a pile of chopped peppers, onions and zucchini, and a dish filled with marinade.
"You are in for a treat. I don't know what magic sauce stuff Robyn puts on these steaks, but it's damn tasty."
"It looks wonderful," I said, meaning it. My stomach
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