The Siege of Kadenburg Read Online Free PDF Page B

grinned. “What are you doing here?”
    Louisa’s eyes followed him, watching as he placed the box onto the countertop. The muscles in his arms rippled and danced beneath taut skin, disappearing beneath the sleeves of his shirt as his eyes met hers once more.
    “I thought I would come see how the re-opening went for you.” She replied, though that was hardly her intentions at all. Truth be told, she wanted to see him.
    “Pretty good, I think,” Greg nodded as he raked his fingers through his short, spiky blond hair. “We won’t really get too much business until spring, I imagine. Not many folks want ice cream when it’s this cold.” He chuckled.
    They did sell more than ice cream, though. Louisa knew that from just one glance at the menu. Mrs. Kress disappeared into the back for something, leaving the incredibly shy panda-shifter alone with a very handsome ursi-lycan. They didn’t know what else to call him, really…..
    “See anything that you’d like to have?” Greg asked.
    His question pulled her out of her deep concentration and Louisa’s eyes widened. She nearly dropped the menu when she realized he was standing right in front of her.
    “Oh, um….” The blush crept back into her cheeks as she lowered her gaze to the pictures of food. Did she even want food? “What do you recommend?”
    “Anything, really.” He laughed, and it was a laugh that Louisa found to be pleasant. It was a deep rumble that started in his chest and worked its way between his perfectly kissable lips.
    Wait. What?
    “My dad is an excellent cook,” Greg nodded. “I help sometimes, but he’s really picky about who gets to be in the kitchen with him. He just made some fresh meatloaf and there’s a special recipe in it. No pepper, I promise. We don’t do pepper.”
    Louisa’s eyes wandered to the counter. She could see the small packets of pepper in a bowl and that made her lift a brow.
    “Well, except for that,” he chuckled. “We don’t touch it ourselves and if customers want it, they have to get a packet. We say it’s because my dad suffers from a mild allergy.”
    “Mild?” Louisa blinked. “Well that’s putting it lightly, now isn’t it?” She couldn’t recall an ursithrope to date who wouldn’t blister up due to the pestilent spice. Yuck!
    “So, would you like some meatloaf? It comes with homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll. Everything’s fresh, I promise.”
    “That sounds great,” Louisa smiled. “Thank you.”
    After Greg disappeared into the kitchen, Louisa let out a sigh of relief. Why did she have to act this way around him? He was a year younger than her, and she needed to remember that her mate-to-be had been gone for only a short while. It would seem terrible on her behalf if she allowed herself to care about another so soon, wouldn’t it? Yes.
    Easing down onto one of the stools by the counter, Louisa allowed her eyes –and her mind-to wander.
    “Hi, Louisa!”
    Her head turned in the direction of the kitchen entrance and she was delighted to see Greg’s little sister Gabby standing there. It was easy to tell they were siblings; Gabby possessed the same blue eyes as Greg, and they shared the same nose. It was a cute nose, if Louisa had anything to say about it.
    “Hey, Gabby,” Louisa’s smile broadened as she turned around on the stool top, facing the younger female as she got closer. “How was school?”
    “Boring,” Gabby rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to make friends when you’re the new girl. I didn’t really have anyone to talk to aside from my English teacher. She’s really nice.”
    “Just give it time,” Louisa offered with a small nod. “I’m sure they will come around soon enough.”
    “I hope so,” Gabby sighed, tapping her fingers against the countertop. “Well, I need to go get my homework done. Maybe we can hang out sometime?”
    Gabby was only a few years younger than Louisa, and it couldn’t hurt to spend time with her, could it? Unlike