Page 7 of Swept Away

“I will,” I say softly when I drag my eyes to the man standing in front of me.

And that would wrap up a casual conversation, which is not the case here, as something keeps me in place.

I flick my chin toward the stairs.

“I saw you sitting on the steps. Were you waiting for someone?”

He tilts his head down slightly, his eyes glinting with a random thought.

He seems amused and intrigued, which is not what I usually get from men.

Most figure me out quickly–that there’s nothing there for them–so they’re neither amused nor intrigued.

They move on in a breath.

And I normally look more put together than this.

Never in the history of hookups, old bathrobes and flyways did the trick, so I doubt he’s taken with me.

But he acts like he’s interested in me.

Maybe the cat did the trick for him.

Although I wouldn’t necessarily consider him a cat person, or a pet person in general.

By the looks of him, he might not have a place to live or a job, and he might be in trouble with the law.

He shifts slightly and peers at the house as if the answer is dangling from the windowsill.

“I was told my sister lived here,” he says when he shifts his gaze back to me and narrows his eyes with an expectant look.

The corners of my mouth slacken.

“For real?”

“Yeah…” he says, dipping his eyes to my lips.

Overly conscious of the glimmer of heat in his eyes, I roll my bottom lip under my teeth and nod… at nothing.

“Huh…” I say, intrigued.

Freeing my lip, I speak again.

“I haven’t seen anyone who might look like your sister. I’m thinking, um… someone your age?”

“She should be more like your age,” he tosses back at me, and I wonder if he didn’t just make up the story.

“You haven’t met her before?” I push at him, prompted by a hunch.

“Something like that.”

“Is she your sister for real? Like a biological sister?”

“She’s my stepsister. I’ve never had the chance to meet her, though.”

“Well… I don’t think anyone lives here, to be honest.”

I gesture at the house and tell him about the old lady who comes to the house once in a while to open the windows, let some fresh air in, and most likely clean the place.