No man had ever looked
at her with anything but friendliness, so it wouldn’t be any different with
Matt.
But for just a brief second…
Sighing, she pulled the doona
around her shoulders. Reality might suck but she sure could fantasize about
it. Fantasize about Matt looking at her with more than curiosity, more than
friendly concern. She could fantasize that he looked at her just the way she
thought he had - with heat.
Closing her eyes, she tucked Minx
closer and the old cat stretched, purred, and snuggled in once more.
“At least I’ve got you, Minxie.”
Lori dropped a kiss on her head and relaxed, closing her eyes once more and
smiling.
Matt had kissed her forehead. She
was sure it could be so much more in her dreams. It was the closest she was
ever going to get to her real desires.
Desires she’d kept secret since
that one ill-fated night that she’d sworn to never again repeat.
When she next awoke, the sun was
low in the sky and she checked her wristwatch. Five o’clock. Time to get up
and shower, wake to face the day - or the night, as such. At least half the
night. Normally she’d have gotten up earlier, but it had been so cosy in the
bed.
Getting up wasn’t as easy, the
pain of her foot landing on the floor a strong reminder. Trying to keep the
weight off her foot, she limped to the bathroom to shower, choosing to get back
into her nightie and dressing gown. Seeing as how she’d be back in her night
clothes within a few hours, it seemed a waste of time to change into day
clothes. Time enough for that tomorrow.
When the doorbell rang, her heart
leaped. Matt? Had he come to check on her? Biting her lip, she looked down
at her nightie, hurriedly buttoning up the dressing gown, cursing as she
thought that she should have gotten dressed after all. She’d forgotten that
he’d said he’d check on her.
Limping to the front door, she
opened it to find Tracy standing on the doorstep, a DVD in one hand and a bag
of something delicious smelling in the other.
“Hi,” Tracy said. “I come bearing
food and entertainment for the wounded warrior.”
“I don’t know about the warrior
part.” Lori moved back to allow her friend entry. “But the wounded part is spot
on.”
Walking past her, Tracy waved the
DVD. “Romance night.”
Lori groaned. “Seriously?” She
started to close the door.
“Of course. It’s the latest.”
Tracy disappeared into the kitchen.
“Not into romance?” a deep voice
asked just as the door almost clicked shut.
There was no mistaking that voice,
the tone went through her like warm molasses. Lori pulled the door open to
find Matt standing on the veranda holding a container from which a delicious
smell drifted.
Self-conscious about her attire,
which was ridiculous seeing as how he’d already had the dubious pleasure of
seeing her in it already, Lori folded her arms across her chest and smiled.
“Hi, Matt.”
“Romance?” he prodded, his
eyebrows raised.
“In movies, no.” She shook her
head. “How are the cats?”
“Well, the vase didn’t survive a
second shot on the floor. It’s in the bin.” His gaze wandered over her and
when he lifted his lashes his dark eyes locked on hers, the warmth in the
depths making her breath catch. “How’s the ankle?”
“Oh - um - fine. Fine.” She
eased her weight off the throbbing foot. “Well, sore, but okay.”
“Don’t forget to ice it.” He
glanced past her briefly. “I see you have a visitor so I’ll let you go.
Here.” Abruptly, he thrust the container at her.
Taking it in one hand, she felt
the warmth. “Did you cook something?”
“A roast. I put some in there for
you so you didn’t have to cook anything.” He smiled, charming little wrinkles
appearing at the corners of his eyes. “But I see your friend had the same
idea.”
“That’s what friends are for!”
Tracy called out and Lori glanced back to see her
Kasonndra Leigh
Chuck Palahniuk
G. Allen Mercer
Lydia Rowan
Gabriel Hunt
Tina Brooks McKinney
Craig Ferguson
Evie Rhodes
Peter Straub
Sidney Poitier