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He peered over her shoulder. “It doesn’t say that.”

“Not in as many words, but look at him, Luke.” Her voice waivered. “How could so many people walk past and ignore him?”

“Because he’s ugly?”

She reared back as if he’d insulted her. “So if you only had one eye, you’d be happy to be called ugly, would you?”

“No.” He caught her eye, smiled. “But I’ve got two eyes. So what would you call me?”

She let out a noise that sounded like something Jack might make if he knew he’d been called ugly. “Right now, I’d call you annoying.” She turned back to Jack and crouched down so she could make googly eyes at him through the glass.

Luke felt a twist in his stomach. Great, he was jealous of a one-eyed mangy-looking cat.

It did not surprise him when, a few hours later, he walked up the steps to the condo building carrying an armful of cat stuff; bed, food bowls, toys, litter tray, scratch post. And Anna followed behind clutching a cat carry case containing a smug looking tabby.

“I think my brother had you in mind when he wrote visit an animal shelter,” she cooed to Jack as she carefully lifted him out.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed to Luke that in the last hour she’d talked more to the cat than she had to him.

“He knew I’d rattle around in his condo, so he wanted to make sure I had a companion.” She smoothed her hand down Jack’s spine and the guy arched his back, purring like a badly tuned Harley Davidson.

Damn it, Luke wanted that hand smoothed down his back. He’d probably purr, too. He’d definitely nuzzle up to her like Jack was doing, definitely beg her to keep doing it, though in his case he’d use actual words.

It made him regret the way he’d dismissed her offer to stay on, to live with her a little longer. Probably she wouldn’t need him now, she had all the company she needed in that furball.

And he needed to get on with his life too, didn’t he? So why hadn’t he accepted the job offer yet, the one he’d been so desperate for only a few weeks ago? Why had he written back thanking them very much and saying he’d give them a reply after Christmas?

Because you want to stay.

Only this morning he’d sat in the kitchen and warned her against falling in love with him. Now here he was, feeling he was teetering very close to breaking his own damn rule.

“Pasta okay for tea?”

Anna blinked up in surprise at his blunt question. “Err, yes, if you’re offering to make it.”

“Sure. You get Jack settled.” Though he looks pretty damn settled to me, he thought grimly as he watched Jack dip his head under Anna’s hand in a clear demand to be stroked again.

Anna joined him in the kitchen a little while later, Jack padding after her like . . . a stray cat who’d suddenly found himself in cat heaven, his new owner a curly haired angel with a huge heart, the kindest eyes and a body made for cuddling up to.

“He looks like he’s made himself at home,” Luke remarked as Jack leapt onto the chair and curled into a ball.

She smiled softly at the tabby. “He won’t let me out of his sight.”

“He probably still can’t believe his luck.”

Her eyes lit up. “I hope so. I hope he’s thinking he’ll be happy here.”

Luke drained the pasta and poured the lemon, shrimp, garlic mix into it, adding a slop of cream. “He’s thinking he’s the cat that got the cream.”

He spooned the pasta into two bowls and they sat opposite each other at the table. “At least someone is happy to stay with me,” she said after a few minutes of silence.

“It isn’t that I don’t want to stay.” He dipped his head so he could look into her eyes. “But this, what we’ve been doing, it’s not real life.”

“I know.” She averted her eyes and pushed at the pasta. “I just . . . I’ve enjoyed it. And I’m not sure I want it to end just yet.”

His chest felt like someone had wrapped a band round him and pulled it far too tight. How easy it would be to stay with her, take a job at one of the indoor climbing gyms, or back at his old place. But it would be taking advantage of her huge heart, falling into a relationship that would never have happened if Colin had been alive. Anna was vulnerable, she missed her brother. He was here, he helped her feel less lonely. It didn’t mean he was right for her. “You say that now, but give it another few weeks and you’ll remember all the things about me that pissed you off when I first got here.”

She gave him a forlorn looking smile. “Maybe.”