Read Online Simply Irresistible by Kristine Grayson - Free Book Online
Authors: Kristine Grayson
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best place for that.”
The kitten mewled and pin wheeled its little back legs with their sharp kitten claws. Its eyes were still milky but filled with life.
Dex found himself grinning at the tiny thing. His real problem was that he wanted to make sure everyone in the world—from kitten to adult human—was safe and loved. If he could, he would adopt every stray cat that crossed his path. But he already had a houseful of pets. He didn’t dare bring home any more or Nurse Ratched would find a way to eviscerate him in his sleep.
He put the kitten back in the basket and was helping it toward its mother’s stomach just as the bell jingled above his door.
He sighed. It was his own fault. Even though it wasn’t much past 8 A.M., a customer had found him. Probably some cranky customer with a stray Doberman she wanted him to buy.
“Excuse me?” A woman spoke from the door. She had a husky voice, warm and attractive. It sent a thrill down his spine.
He sat up slowly and peered over the counter.
The woman was small and bookish. She had curly brown hair that tumbled around her face, obscuring her features. Her oversized glasses magnified her brown eyes. And she had her arms wrapped around her waist like the teenage girls in his one-room school used to do ninety years ago, when they were asking the boys to the Sadie Hawkins Day dance.
Still he felt something—a curiosity, an interest— he had never felt before.
“What can I do for you?” Dex made the question friendlier than he normally would have because she looked so uncomfortable.
She came deeper into the store, and the light from the aquariums caught her face. Her skin was the color of the perfect tan, even though he had a hunch this woman never went outdoors. And she had bow-shaped lips, a pert nose, and cheekbones that were so high that they gave definition to her entire face.
In fact, if she brushed the hair away from her forehead, got glasses that suited her, and stood up straight, she would be a beautiful woman.
Or, more accurately, it would be apparent to the entire world that she was a beautiful woman. But somehow he was glad that the entire world had to work to see her that way. That way, he wouldn’t have to share her.
Then he flushed. He never had thoughts like that. Never.
One of the kittens mewled. The woman came closer. She smelled of rosewater, a scent he hadn’t smelled in fifty years. A scent he loved.
“Kittens?” she asked, peering over the counter.
Dex looked down. The black-and-white had escaped again. Apparently the little brat hadn’t been hungry and had decided to continue on his search of the great tiled frontier.
“Some lady left them yesterday,” Dex said. “I usually don’t handle cats.”
“I thought you were a pet store,” the woman said.
He shook his head, wishing she hadn’t said that. He found her so attractive, and she had uttered the most irritating phrase in his life. He wasn’t the pet store. He was the pet store—
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I meant, I thought this was a pet store. Jeez, I’m not at my best today.”
Dex looked up at her, feeling stunned. It was almost as if she had heard what he was thinking. But she couldn’t, could she? She would be a mage someday—the power fairly sparked off her—but she was too young to have come into it already.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I sell pet supplies. And fish. Lots offish.”
She nodded. “I would think getting rid of kittens would be hard, anyway. I mean, you never know who’s buying them.”
“Exactly,” he said. “Why don’t more people understand that?”
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I have trouble parting with collectibles. I can’t imagine what it would be like dealing with living creatures.”
Someone who understood. No one had ever given him perfect understanding before. They always thought of their own pets but never of all the others. Obviously this woman did.
Dex smiled at her and extended his hand. “I’m
The kitten mewled and pin wheeled its little back legs with their sharp kitten claws. Its eyes were still milky but filled with life.
Dex found himself grinning at the tiny thing. His real problem was that he wanted to make sure everyone in the world—from kitten to adult human—was safe and loved. If he could, he would adopt every stray cat that crossed his path. But he already had a houseful of pets. He didn’t dare bring home any more or Nurse Ratched would find a way to eviscerate him in his sleep.
He put the kitten back in the basket and was helping it toward its mother’s stomach just as the bell jingled above his door.
He sighed. It was his own fault. Even though it wasn’t much past 8 A.M., a customer had found him. Probably some cranky customer with a stray Doberman she wanted him to buy.
“Excuse me?” A woman spoke from the door. She had a husky voice, warm and attractive. It sent a thrill down his spine.
He sat up slowly and peered over the counter.
The woman was small and bookish. She had curly brown hair that tumbled around her face, obscuring her features. Her oversized glasses magnified her brown eyes. And she had her arms wrapped around her waist like the teenage girls in his one-room school used to do ninety years ago, when they were asking the boys to the Sadie Hawkins Day dance.
Still he felt something—a curiosity, an interest— he had never felt before.
“What can I do for you?” Dex made the question friendlier than he normally would have because she looked so uncomfortable.
She came deeper into the store, and the light from the aquariums caught her face. Her skin was the color of the perfect tan, even though he had a hunch this woman never went outdoors. And she had bow-shaped lips, a pert nose, and cheekbones that were so high that they gave definition to her entire face.
In fact, if she brushed the hair away from her forehead, got glasses that suited her, and stood up straight, she would be a beautiful woman.
Or, more accurately, it would be apparent to the entire world that she was a beautiful woman. But somehow he was glad that the entire world had to work to see her that way. That way, he wouldn’t have to share her.
Then he flushed. He never had thoughts like that. Never.
One of the kittens mewled. The woman came closer. She smelled of rosewater, a scent he hadn’t smelled in fifty years. A scent he loved.
“Kittens?” she asked, peering over the counter.
Dex looked down. The black-and-white had escaped again. Apparently the little brat hadn’t been hungry and had decided to continue on his search of the great tiled frontier.
“Some lady left them yesterday,” Dex said. “I usually don’t handle cats.”
“I thought you were a pet store,” the woman said.
He shook his head, wishing she hadn’t said that. He found her so attractive, and she had uttered the most irritating phrase in his life. He wasn’t the pet store. He was the pet store—
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I meant, I thought this was a pet store. Jeez, I’m not at my best today.”
Dex looked up at her, feeling stunned. It was almost as if she had heard what he was thinking. But she couldn’t, could she? She would be a mage someday—the power fairly sparked off her—but she was too young to have come into it already.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I sell pet supplies. And fish. Lots offish.”
She nodded. “I would think getting rid of kittens would be hard, anyway. I mean, you never know who’s buying them.”
“Exactly,” he said. “Why don’t more people understand that?”
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I have trouble parting with collectibles. I can’t imagine what it would be like dealing with living creatures.”
Someone who understood. No one had ever given him perfect understanding before. They always thought of their own pets but never of all the others. Obviously this woman did.
Dex smiled at her and extended his hand. “I’m
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