Read Online Tymber Dalton by It's a Sweet Life - Free Book Online Page B

yourself. Please? We’d like to do this for you.”
    Her green eyes stared up at him. He suspected her pale complexion was due more to her pain than lack of sun exposure. After what felt like hours, she slowly nodded, the ghost of a smile curving her lips. “Okay. Thank you, Charles. I appreciate it. What time?”
    “How about six? Is that okay?”
    “That would be great. Thanks.”
    She’d started to step back, as if to close the door. He couldn’t bear to let her go just yet. “Listen, Libbie, is there anything I can do to help you?”
    She hesitated. “We can talk about the bakery at dinner.”
    “I didn’t mean that. I meant anything else. Can I carry laundry down or up for you, or take out your garbage, or…anything?” He felt his face heat as he realized how lame that sounded.
    She started to reply when her huge, orange tabby stepped through the doorway and curled himself around his legs.
    With a smile, Allan reached down and picked him up. “Hey, fellow.” He glanced up at her. “I saw you had a cat, but I didn’t get to see much of him during the move.”
    Her eyes widened. “He…seems to like you.”
    The cat loudly purred in his arms. He rubbed under the cat’s chin. “I love cats. I haven’t been able to have any pets for a while now. Too busy,” he added.
    “No, you don’t understand. He hates everyone. Well, except me and Grover. And sometimes I think he only tolerates me because I feed him and keep his litter pan clean.”
    The cat looked at him and head-butted his chin. Allan laughed. “He seems to like me. Maybe he knows I’m an easy touch. Is he allowed outside?”
    She shook her head and reached for the cat. “No. He’s not allowed in the bakery, either. But he’ll go downstairs with me sometimes when I do the laundry.”
    “We’ll make sure we keep an eye out for him then so we don’t let him out.” He reached over and stroked the cat’s head again. The cat stretched his neck to keep contact with him. “What’s his name again?”
    “Galileo. Or asshole, when he’s being a real pill.”
    Allan’s eyes locked with hers. For a moment, the heat rising inside him took away his ability to speak. Then she shifted her gaze to the floor as another ghostly smile flitted across her features before disappearing again. “I’ll see you at six,” she softly said, stepping back inside the apartment.
    “Six,” he repeated.
    He turned and heard her door shut behind him. Kicking himself, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Gay. I’m supposed to be gay.
    He adjusted the semi-stiff chubby in his jeans before returning to their apartment.
     
    * * * *
     
    Libbie closed the door and leaned against it with Galileo tightly snuggled in her arms. She buried her face in the cat’s coat. For a moment, when her eyes had locked on Charles’, she felt something, like a bolt of heat streaking straight through her.
    Except for the fact that he was gay, she would have sworn he felt it, too, from the way his eyebrows arched.
    “Mrwao.” Galileo struggled to free himself from her grasp. She let him jump from her arms. He landed on the floor where he sat and proceeded to groom himself.
    “Ungrateful ass. What was that all about, anyway?” She looked down at him. “You hate everyone. Why’s he special?” Galileo never friendlied up to anyone. Including the three guys she’d had less than stellar onetime dates with in the past couple of years.
    Hell, even the vet techs drew straws to see who had to deal with him when she took him in for checkups and vaccinations.
    But that was yet another point in the men’s favor. Grover and Galileo, the only two important men in her life, had apparently signed off on the cousins.
    Well, Galileo had signed off on Charles. He had yet to officially meet Ken, but she had a feeling the cat might like him as well.
    Being sociable hadn’t blipped her screen of daily tasks, but she suspected spending time with others outside of the bakery would be a good