Page 24 of Ask for Moore

“Wow,” she breathed. “And Silas Moore is one of them?”

“Silas is my brother. I’m the eldest, he’s in the middle, and Ethan is the baby.”

“Hold up. Silas Moore, the bestselling thriller author, is your brother?”

I’d never been jealous of my brother, but the awe in Waverly’s tone made me twitchy.

“Yes.” I shoved my hands into my pockets, clenching my fists. “I take it that you’re a fan?”

“Uh-huh,” she breathed. “I bought the last signed copy of his newest release on my first day in town.”

Fuck, I wanted her breathless like that because of me.

“If you want signed copies of any of his other books, let me know. I can hook you up.” With his books—not my brother.

“Thanks for the offer. I really appreciate it.” Her blue eyes were filled with gratitude…and something that looked like a spark of desire. “But I think for now, I’d prefer if you check with your cousin to see if he has those cat supplies handy while I call Julie to see if it’s okay if I foster this little guy. I’d love to take care of him, at least while I’m in Mooreville.”

“I can absolutely do that for you.”

One hour later, I stopped at the bed and breakfast to drop off all the cat supplies she’d need for a year. And even though it was irrational, I hoped she’d still be in Mooreville when they finally ran out.

12

Waverly

For something so tiny, Gracie—the name seemed apt for the gray kitten—took up a lot of space in my room last night. It hadn’t taken long to put out all the supplies Ryland had brought over, but she didn’t settle down for several hours. Finally after getting enough to eat and drink and sniffing every inch of the space I called home while I was in Mooreville, she curled up on the fluffy cat bed I’d placed in the bedroom I was using and fell asleep.

Only she didn’t stay there for nearly as long as I would have liked. I woke up to tiny, sharp claws in my hand and foot several times through the night. Or purring in my ear. Even kitten kisses against my cheek.

When my alarm went off in the morning, I was exhausted. My eyes were bleary as I parked my rental car and trudged through the parking lot into the courthouse. I had chugged down two cups of coffee but desperately needed another so I would be awake enough to argue against the motion for summary judgment that Ryland had filed.

Wishing that I was still cuddled in bed with Gracie—and that she would let me take a nice, long nap—I glared at Ryland when I bumped into him on my way to the elevator.

Holding up a to-go cup, he murmured, “Here, I figured you could probably use this.”

The rich aroma hit my nostrils. “Oh my goodness. You brought me coffee.”

“I figured you might have had a long night with Gracie and could use the caffeine.”

“I really do need it.” I was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness, and not for the first time. Ryland Moore had proven to be one of the kindest people I had ever met, which made his hotness level skyrocket as far as I was concerned. It wasn’t often that a gorgeous guy was also smart and a truly good person. “Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure.” His dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he gestured toward the hallway we needed to take to get to the elevator. We walked side by side, both of us sipping at our hot brew as the crowd ebbed and flowed around us. Since we had arrived with plenty of time to spare before our court appearance, we stayed on the edge of the group waiting for the elevator. The car filled twice—and we both finished our coffees—before it was our turn.

Standing in the elevator alone with Ryland again made me think about when we were stuck in here by ourselves. Just like then, the air in the small car practically crackled with our chemistry. I looked down at my feet, trying my best to ignore the butterflies swirling in my belly. But when the bell dinged to signal that we were passing the second floor, he let out a deep groan. I peeked up at Ryland through the cascade of my hair and discovered his dark gaze was locked on my legs.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, I joked, “If I started to wear my gym shoes, we wouldn't keep finding ourselves in elevators like this because I could take the stairs.”

“That would be a damn shame,” he growled, his eyes flaring with desire. “I already told you how great your heels made your legs look, and I have a feeling that the best part of my day is going to be riding in this elevator, surrounded by your scent.”

I had been fighting my attraction to Ryland from the moment I saw him in Leaves & Pages on my first day in town. But his rough admission made it impossible to hide my reaction. And he was too smart—and too focused on me—to miss it.

As the doors slid open, he interlaced our fingers and tugged to me out of the car. Then he led me down the hallway to an empty conference room. Nudging me inside, he followed close behind and slammed the door shut. After turning to lock it, he growled, “Please tell me you're feeling this, too.”

I nodded, but that wasn't enough for him.

“I need to hear the words,” he demanded.

“Yes,” I gasped. “I feel it, too. How could I not?”

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