Harlequin Romance March 2021 Box Set Cara Colter (the mitten read aloud TXT) 📖

Barney after returning from the library, but she shot to her feet again now. ‘Friends?’ Old friends?

‘Childhood friends.’

It was three days since she’d had dinner with Owen and his family. She flew across to the breakfast bar. ‘Do you think they’ll talk to me? Maybe let me visit them?’

He glanced up from pouring coffee beans into his machine. ‘I’ve organised for us to meet with them at the Russian Tea Rooms for high tea this Friday at two o’clock. It was the only time I could get them together at the same time, and I thought it’d be better to meet as a group. Their memories might spark off each other.’ He halted. ‘I hope that’s okay? I wasn’t trying to be high-handed—’

‘Of course you weren’t.’ She reached out to squeeze his arm. ‘I’m really grateful.’

Beneath her hand, his forearm burned warm and vibrant, and a bolt of energy transferred itself from him to her, making her breathe deeper and adding colour to all the things in his kitchen, as if her eyes were seeing them in a more vivid light. She suddenly felt more alive than she could remember feeling. Ever.

He’d stilled at her touch and he stared down at her hand now. ‘We have a deal. And I mean to keep my side of the bargain, Callie.’

She reefed her hand back. That was what this was all about—the bargain they’d struck. He didn’t want her short-changing the residents of the apartment block. Nothing more. Which was exactly as it should be. But her heart gave a sick thud all the same.

‘I’m still grateful. Thank you.’

He shrugged, his attention on the coffee machine again and thankfully not on her.

‘Hopefully they’ll be able to provide you with a couple of leads.’

She hoped so too.

‘Coffee?’ he asked.

‘Um…no thanks.’ She’d shared one with him yesterday, and the day before too, but she couldn’t let herself get too comfortable and cosy with him. Men were off her agenda for the foreseeable future. Her sole focus was to get that TV job and find a new direction for her life.

If you keep your inheritance you can take things easy, take your time, have a holiday…

She shook the thought off. She still intended to work. Sitting around in the lap of luxury might sound appealing at first, but she had to do something or she’d go out of her mind with boredom. She had no intention of being a good-for-nothing layabout. She pulled in a breath. Bottom line—no guys until she was once again gainfully employed and her life felt as if it belonged to her again.

She edged towards the door. ‘I might just dump my gear upstairs and then take Barney for a walk.’

She didn’t ask him if he wanted to join her. They weren’t friends. All she was to him was a duty to discharge.

‘C’mon, Barney.’

The little dog scrambled to his feet and scurried across the room to her. The two of them had started towards Owen’s front door when Owen called out, ‘What do you do at the library, Callie?’

Working at the library sounded romantic—as if she might be sitting in a lofty vaulted room poring over dusty tomes, but the reality was vastly different.

‘Basically I just use their computers to access genealogical databases and old newspapers…and print off whatever looks useful.’

‘You could do that from here.’

‘Except my laptop was taken in the robbery. And as I have access to my emails on my phone, I figured I wouldn’t bother replacing it until I got home.’

‘I have a spare computer you can use.’

The day she’d been in his office he’d had three computers all fired up and on the go at the same time. She’d figured they were all necessary for whatever it was he did. Besides, the thought of working beside him day after day…

She shook her head. ‘I’ve intruded enough on your time as it is, Owen. You don’t need me under your feet. The library is fine.’

He stared, and then his eyes widened and his mouth puckered as if he’d sucked on a lemon. ‘I wasn’t suggesting you work in my office.’

She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. Nice.

‘Sorry, but I’m not good with distractions—noise, music…other people moving about. It breaks my concentration.’

She unbent a fraction and glanced at Barney.

Owen shook his head. ‘Barney is as good as gold. He just lies on his bed—’ they’d both bought Barney dog beds for their respective apartments ‘—and we enjoy each other’s company.’

‘You’re such a good dog,’ she cooed, scratching Barney’s hindquarters until he groaned his pleasure.

Owen frowned. ‘He doesn’t chew anything he shouldn’t. He doesn’t bark when he hears any of the other residents coming or going…’

‘And on walks he’s always polite to other dogs. He loves choosing random people to make friends with. He’s sociable and well adjusted.’ She blew out a breath, nodding. ‘I know… Someone has to be missing him.’

‘No word yet?’

‘None.’ She checked the posters they’d put up in various shop windows and on trees in the park every time she and Barney went for a walk. Just to make sure they were still there and didn’t need replacing.

‘Okay—back to the subject of the computer. I was going to suggest we set up a spare computer and printer in your apartment. You’re welcome to use it for as long as you’re in New York.’

She swiped her hands down the sides of her jeans. ‘Are you sure you can spare one?’

‘You have seen my office, right?’

His hands went to his hips and it made him look tall and broad and delectable. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She did her best to unglue it. ‘If you can spare it, then a computer would be very welcome.’

‘Done. Let’s do it.’

He strode into his office and she followed in his wake, slightly bemused.

‘Can you manage the printer?’ He opened a door to a storage cupboard and effortlessly lifted out a printer. ‘If not I can make a second trip.’

‘Give it here. Of course I can