“I can’t believe this is the third time you’ve had to help me out,” I said, clasping the bracelet around my wrist. “At least this time I wasn’t at risk of bodily harm. I promise I’m usually better at looking after myself—and my things.”

“It was no problem at all.” Jeremy chuckled and leaned back in the cafe’s narrow black chair. He leaned well, I had to admit. The motion pulled the thin cotton of his T-shirt tighter over his muscular chest.

Not that I was staring or anything.

I jerked my gaze back up to his face. Of course, those bright green eyes made my heart flutter in a totally different way. Man, I was such a goner for this guy already.

I had him for the length of one cup of coffee. I had to make the most of it.

I sipped my cappuccino and gave him a look I hoped was coy and not totally goofy. “You certainly are a useful guy to have around.” Did that sound too forward? My face started to heat. I scrambled for another line of conversation. “How did the photos turn out? I’m looking forward to seeing them.”

“I’ve almost finished going through the set,” Jeremy said. “Should have the final files ready tomorrow. There wasn’t a whole lot of editing needed. The animals do most of the work.”

“They are cute as hell.” I sighed. “If I had any less self-discipline I’d be bringing a new one home with me every other night.”

“How many have you taken so far?”

“None, actually.” I rubbed my mouth, my chest twisting. Gran used to have a Pomeranian, but Daisy had passed on just before the Alzheimer’s started getting bad, and it hadn’t made much sense to bring another animal into the house then. After... I guessed I hadn’t thought I could give a pet enough attention on my own. I’d always be worried about them getting lonely while I was away at work.

“I’d like to have a dog someday,” I added. “Maybe two. They’re just a lot of responsibility.”

“You seem like a responsible person,” Jeremy said. It wasn’t the sexiest compliment ever, but something in his tone sent a little shiver of pleasure through me.

“I guess I just see at work how many people buy puppies and then end up giving up on them... I want to be sure I can give any animal I adopt a real, permanent home.”

“Fair enough. Not just responsible but also compassionate.” He smiled at me over his coffee mug.

“What about you?” I asked, remembering his reaction when we’d talked about pets before. “I guess with all your travel for work, having a pet mustn’t be practical, but what would you want to have if you could?” A person’s affinity for animals could tell you a lot about them.

Something about that topic didn’t totally sit right with Jeremy. He shifted in his chair—casually, but I could tell his shoulders had tensed slightly. Weird.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve spent enough time around other people’s pets to have a good sense of what type would be a good fit for my life. Maybe a cat? Something independent enough that it doesn’t need constant attention, but happy to keep you company when it’s in the mood.”

I laughed. “That sounds like a cat, all right.” But the back of my neck was prickling as I remembered the other weirdness I’d noticed this morning during my internet surfing. I could ask about his online presence in a general way without sounding stalker-y, couldn’t I?

What the hell did I have to lose? I went for it. “I looked online to see if you had a portfolio for your photography. Nothing came up. Is it under a different name or something?”

Jeremy’s gaze flicked away from me just for a second. I definitely didn’t imagine that twitch of his eyelid. The question made him uncomfortable.

“I prefer not to have my photos online,” he said smoothly. “It’s too easy for people to lift them and claim them as their own, even if I watermark them. I find my clients through other means—message boards and referrals and that sort of thing.”

That didn’t explain why there was nothing at all about him as a person on the ‘net, but I couldn’t pry about that without verging into stalker territory.

I turned my mug between my hands, studying him. Maybe he had a good reason to be tense about these questions. Maybe he’d taken on a new name to get out of some kind of trouble. Witness protection or who knew what. I didn’t think it could be anything bad. Everything about him felt warm and protective. Safe.

Jeremy drained the last of his coffee. Crap. Now he’d want to leave. I hadn’t worked up the courage to ask him on an actual date yet. Well, I could pretty much turn this little meeting into one. Stealth-date!

“Do you want to go for a walk or something?” I said. “I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs, and the park is just down the street.”

My face heated again at putting myself out there even that much. Jeremy looked at me for a moment, considering, and I was afraid my cheeks were going to burn right off. But then he smiled and said, “Sure. A little fresh air sounds good. It is a beautiful day.”

He held the door open for me on the way out. It really was beautiful outside, the late afternoon air warm but not humid, the sky clear blue with only a few streaks of clouds. The flowers were blooming along the edges of the park. Their tart scent tickled my nose as we strolled down the path.

“I guess this is a little tame for your tastes,” I said, gesturing to the trees spaced neatly across the trimmed lawns. “Compared to the state park, I mean. No exciting photos to be had?”

“The city parks have their own appeal,” Jeremy said. He was walking close enough that his arm grazed mine when he raised it to point. My skin tingled. “You’ve got to pay attention to the smaller details. The way that branch bends, like a cradle, under that bird’s nest. A hat someone forgot on a bench. Paw prints in the soil where a dog was playing. Little things can make for interesting photos too. It doesn’t all have to be epic imagery.”

“That’s good to hear.” My mouth curled into a crooked smile. “I love being outdoors, being surrounded by nature, but I’ve got to admit on a larger scale it can be a little unnerving.”

“How so?” Jeremy asked with genuine curiosity.

Oh, God, how could I put this into words without sounding like a total dork? “I guess it’s just... It’s always changing. You’re always having to check the weather, adapt what you’re wearing, what you’re going to do. Which keeps things interesting, of course, but I do like having a place to come home to that I can assume will stay pretty much the same. I don’t think I’ll ever be much of a camper.”

To my relief, Jeremy nodded. “That makes sense. When you’re close to home, you can appreciate the changes but have somewhere to retreat to if they get overwhelming. And hey, no one living in California can claim the great outdoors doesn’t get a little dangerous at times.”

He grinned at me, and my heart outright flipped over. I closed my hand against the impulse to reach for his. That would be coming on too strong, wouldn’t it? He hadn’t shown any definite indication he was interested in me romantically. I’d really look like a dork if he pulled away.

But maybe I just need to give him the chance to show a definite indication. I sucked in a breath, my pulse thudding. I could use my damn words. It was just a little flirting.

“Still, it’s nice to have someone who’s experienced other parts of the world to expand my perspective,” I said, letting my voice lilt a little. “I’ll have to keep you around.”

Jeremy’s grin grew approvingly. I landed that one, didn’t I? Inside, I did a silent happy dance of pleasure.

“You’ve got me for now,” he said. “Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself? You’ve lived here in San Jose your whole life, I take it?”

We walked on, across the park and then weaving through the streets beyond it, as I figured out what parts of my life story to tell him. Yes to living with my grandmother. No to the fights with my mom and her total disappearance. School was safe, and the jobs I’d held before the shelter. All that earlier time with Gran. Jeremy asked quick questions here and there to direct the conversation, but for the most part he just listened to me. Like he actually cared.

“She got sick a few years ago,” I said, finishing up my explanation about my grandmother. I hoped I hadn’t rambled too much. “She didn’t trust anyone else to look after her, so I ended up mainly working as her caregiver. For the last year that was all I did. Her pension got us by.”

“That must have been tough,” Jeremy said.

“Sometimes.” I didn’t like to think about the times it’d been particularly tough. “But, you know, for twenty years before that she’d been the one person I could always count on. Anything I needed, she was always there, trying to make my life as happy as possible. So she deserved having someone with her at the end she could trust.” Even if she hadn’t trusted even me in that last year, when she’d rarely even remembered who I was.

I swallowed hard and moved on. “It was just last summer she passed away. I’ve started getting back to a regular life—found that job at the animal shelter and so on. Gran left the house to me, so I’m still living there. But it feels a little empty without her.”

I hadn’t meant to admit that last part. I shut my mouth and peeked at Jeremy sideways. He didn’t look put off by my admission.

“Of course it does,” he said. “Did you ever think of selling it and finding a place that’s just your own?”

My stomach clenched at the thought. “I hate the thought of losing all the happier memories.”

“You wouldn’t lose them though, right? They’d be up here, always.” He tapped his head.

“True. I don’t know.”

“Hey, no pressure.” He held up his hands with a smile. “I only wondered. Speaking of homes, this is mine, actually.”

He motioned to a tall beige apartment building we’d come to a stop in front of. I glanced up at it. The sun was sinking. It was almost dinnertime. Did he want to call it a night?

I didn’t. That thought crossed through my mind, and my mouth opened, and before I knew it, the question was tumbling out.

“Are you going to invite me up?”

A spark of heat flared in Jeremy’s eyes—hot enough to melt me. I swallowed hard, waiting for his response. I could have told him never mind and pretended I’d just been kidding, but you know what? I didn’t want to. I wanted the heat I saw him in.

“You know what?” he said, his voice low. “I think I will. Would you like to come up, Grace?”

I couldn’t help grinning. “Yes, I would.”

I followed him into the lobby, my heart racing.