A Little Slice of Heaven Read Online Free PDF

the thin walls. He opened the door to the ripe aroma of garlic. As if by some inner radar, his gaze honed in on Gianna, who stood before an eight-burner stove. Based on his nostrils’ opinion, she stirred what could only be a thousand gallons of tomato sauce. The pot was nearly as tall as she, and she stood on tiptoe to see the contents.
    Her thick hair was tied in a high ponytail, and a sheen of perspiration dampened her cheeks and forehead. Over a pale pink blouse and snug blue jeans she wore a stained white apron that did nothing to enhance her figure. But damn, if she wasn’t the prettiest thing he’d seen in eons!
    Images of her standing in front of his stove in his Manhattan home, cooking just for him, brought a mixture of peace and regret to his subconscious. Jeez, hadn’t he learned anything from this experience? He pushed the mental pictures into the darkest corners of his mind. A lump the size of a baseball rose in his throat, and he cleared it away with a loud cough.
    Gianna looked up, eyes wide and smile wider. “You’re here. I’m so glad.”
    “ Uh-huh,” he managed. Smooth, Kyle. Nothing charms a lady like the grunting of a Neanderthal.  
    He couldn’t help his sudden loss of verbal skills. She was prettier in daylight than he’d thought last night. And when she smiled, her entire face lit up.
    “ Before I show you the ropes, come into the storage room. I bought groceries earlier this morning. We’ll bring them upstairs and put them away.” Wiping her hands on the apron, she led him into the storeroom where four filled mesh bags sat, waiting. She lifted two and, with a nod, indicated he do the same with the remaining two.
    The weight of the bags took him by surprise. Expecting a few items, he didn’t bother to put much muscle into the lift, and nearly fell on his backside for his troubles. “What the heck did you buy? Bricks?”
    “ I didn’t know what you liked, so I picked up the basics,” she said. “Mostly breakfast items. Milk, cereal, fruit, coffee, orange juice, bread, butter, and eggs. Usually, you’ll be having lunch and dinner down here so…” She shrugged, hoisting the bags higher, and then headed into the hallway and upstairs.
    Hefting his burden, he followed. “You really shouldn’t have done this. You’ve done enough already.”
    The more she did for him, the less he completed on his own. How would that affect the rules with David and Rory? Honestly, he had no idea. But he’d hate to lose Aurora over a free loaf of bread.
    “ Nonsense.” She stopped at the landing, waiting for him to join her. “You have the key.”
    After placing the bags on the floor outside the door, he fumbled in his hip pocket. The jeans were too snug, and he practically scraped the skin off his knuckles shoving his hand inside. Luckily, two of his fingers pinched the thin lanyard, and he pulled the damn thing out, along with the pocket’s interior lining.
    “ Here.” He handed her the key, and then fussed with the white scrap of fabric sticking out from his hip like an elephant’s ear.
    Inside the apartment, they had their own assembly line. Kyle removed the items from the bags, and Gianna stored them on shelves in the cabinets and refrigerator.
    Once they completed the task, she leaned against the counter. “There. All done. I hope I didn’t forget anything. Maybe I should have picked up some cold cuts. Not everyone likes Italian food. There’s a deli across the street. During lunch, I could take a walk over and—”
    “ Enough,” Kyle interrupted. “Please. Stop.”
    His censure sent a fireball hurtling into her cheeks. Either she was the greatest actress who ever lived, or the worst. Every one of her moods communicated through her face. If her reactions were genuine, she wouldn’t last a minute in his weekly poker game at the New York Legacy Club.
    Gianna babbled, and she knew it. Obviously, he knew, too. But she couldn’t stop her tongue from wagging. If she did, it would just