Fumbling with my key, I unlocked the door, trying to ignore his large presence at my back even though every nerve in my body seemed to tingle when he was around. There was this palpable energy about Luch, like he was a fire to warm my hands with, and I blew out a breath as I stepped inside my flat and flipped the kitchen light on. Crossing inside, I put my tote bag and keys on the kitchen counter and turned to Luch.
“I’ll just be a minute.”
“Take all the time you need.” Luch wandered toward the windows that overlooked the loch, Oban sniffing the blanket on the couch. The dog’s ears perked, and he turned his head to meet my eyes.
I suspected he smelled Gloam.
Bloody hell, I’d forgotten to warn the fox we were coming. He was nowhere to be seen in the living room, but that didn’t mean he might not be curled up in the bedroom. Darting over to the bedroom door, I eased it closed behind me and looked desperately around for Gloam.
“Why are there dogs in here?”The way Gloam said it told me everything I needed to know about his thoughts on dogs. Mortal enemies the two were.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I crossed the room to stroke his head. He was curled between my pillows, just his wee snout sticking out. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s one of us.”
“I’m not interested in finding out.”Gloam glowered at me, and I couldn’t blame him in the slightest.
“Just stay here then. I’ll get them out quickly.”
Gloam buried his head again, effectively hiding himself, and I dug out a pair of jeans and a loose blue jumper to change into. Pausing to look in the bathroom mirror, I debated unplaiting my hair and running a brush through it, but then I didn’t want Luch to think I was trying too hard for this date. Even so, I couldn’t help but dash a bit of mascara on and put a touch of gloss at my lips.
Stopping at the bed, I reached into the pillows and gave Gloam’s ears a scratch, before I grabbed my handbag and left the room, pulling the door almost all the way closed.
Luch stood by the windows, arms linked behind his back, staring out at the loch.
“I’m ready.”
He reached down and picked up the picture. “Is this your mum?”
“It is.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“She was, yes.”
“Och, I’ve stuck my foot in it, haven’t I? I’m sorry, Faelan.”
I shrugged one shoulder, never certain what to saywhen people I didn’t know all that well offered condolences for someone they’d never met. Luch put the frame down and turned to gesture at the bare walls of my flat.
“How long have you been here now?”
“Um, I don’t know. Two months?”
“Place is a bit spartan.”
That was the understatement of the year. Aside from the flowers I had in a vase by the picture frame of my mum on the table, I had no other decorations in the room. Remembering the new bundle of flowers he’d given me, I went to a cupboard and opened the door, considering my options. There were more coffee mugs than glasses, and even at that I had five to choose from. Picking a chipped green mug, I filled it with water and added his new bundle of flowers, crossing to put it on the windowsill.
“I haven’t had much time to decorate.”
“Is that so?” His tone suggested he had a lot of questions. “You didn’t move any of your household stuff with you? Rugs? Art?”
I shrugged again, noncommittal. “My practice consumes my life.”
“I get that. But even I have had time to decorate.”
“You don’t run your own business, though, do you?” My voice had a sharp edge, warning him to back off, and he seemed to understand he was treading on difficult territory.
“What would you do here?”
“Huh?” I turned from admiring the flowers to see him staring at the blank wall next to the small bistro table set.
