Haunted Heart Read Online Free PDF

house? About this whole process? About me personally? Fire away.” Then he smacked his lips, surprise written on his face. “Wow. This is really good. Did you grind the beans yourself?”
    Beaming, Ruben nodded. He was pleased Duncan had noticed. “I like fresh coffee. This is an African blend, exotic. There’s a place in Seattle where you can get a grand variety of beans. I use three different types at once. Gives it a little something extra.”
    Duncan took another gulp with a satisfied expression. “This is great. Probably the best coffee I’ve ever had. And that’s saying something considering we live in Seattle.” He laughed.
    Feeling light as a feather, Ruben chimed in, “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
    For a moment, they drank their coffees. Ruben glanced at Duncan as much as he dared while Duncan seemed to be taking in his surroundings. The sitting room had a whitewashed fireplace, two couches and two armchairs, a long cherrywood coffee table, tall windows, and white-painted wooden fixtures. The room was airy, and the cracked-open windows let the mountain wind in.
    “Have you lived here long?” Duncan asked, his eyes fixed on a couple of photographs on the mantle.
    Ruben followed his gaze. The pictures were mostly of Rose with her female friends, her charity functions, and the occasional family photo with Ruben when he’d been a kid, loving the life here, carefree. Knowing he hadn’t been that peaceful in ages darkened Ruben’s mood a bit.
    “That’s Rose, my grandmother, in those pictures. She owned the house. When she died she left it to me.”
    “Is that you as a child?” Duncan pointed at the few photos with Ruben in them, and he smiled. “You looked adorable.” Then he chuckled low and locked gazes with Ruben. “That hasn’t changed.”
    Suddenly, Ruben found it extremely hard to breathe.

Chapter 6
     
    I N IMMEDIATE hindsight, Duncan realized maybe he should have kept the personal compliment to himself. But it was true. Ruben was just the absolute cutest guy he had ever seen.
    “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” he offered, not really contrite but to be polite.
    Flushed red, Ruben stammered something under his breath.
    “I fear I may have developed a severe case of foot-in-mouth disease,” Duncan jested to lighten the mood, and Ruben actually smiled at that. Duncan considered that a win. “I may come on pretty strong sometimes. I just know what I want when I see it.”
    “Oh.” Ruben’s eyes widened adorably big. Though Duncan hadn’t meant that as a sexual reference but as an allusion to Ruben’s art, he was glad to see Ruben didn’t seem put off by either possibility. In fact, if anything, Ruben seemed hot and bothered.
    That made Duncan want the young man more than ever. Still, he veered the discussion away from the erotic. “Before I became the art director with EP, I studied at Cornish College of Arts. Do you know it?”
    Ruben nodded, his smile fading. “Yes, I’ve heard of it.”
    Duncan by no means wished to upset Ruben. “Sometimes places like art colleges, with their preplanned courses and strict curriculums, don’t really get artists. Some artists never fit in to larger institutions. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
    Cocking his head to the side and his gaze aimed at the fireplace, Ruben seemed to mull this over. “I guess.” He looked down at the cup he was holding in his lap, clearly concerned. “Is the lack of a formal art degree a problem for—”
    “Oh, absolutely not,” Duncan replied emphatically. “Some of the best artists in history, and modern ones as well, have received no formal training whatsoever. It is not a requirement. You have worked for us a month now, and your talent alone is enough for us. We’re hoping you’re happy with us too. If there’s anything EP can do for you….” He wondered if Ruben would pick up on the offer, perhaps tell more about himself and his needs. It was important for Duncan to meet the young