Free Den of Desire by Shauna Hart

happened to them?” she asked.
    Ellen opened her mouth to answer but stopped when she heard the front door. Joe walked into the kitchen, his gaze jumping back and forth between the two women. James came back in, struggling with the zipper on his jacket. Joe crossed the room to zip the jacket for him.
    “Thanks,” James said, giving him a wide smile. “What was your name again?”
    “It's Joe, Grandpa. Remember?”
    Color crept into his cheeks. “I forgot again, didn't I?”
    Joe nodded. “It's okay. You're going to go to the library with Ellen, remember?” he prodded.
    His head bobbed up and down. “How could I forget a beautiful woman like her?”
    Ellen came over to slide an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, handsome. We'll be back in a little while, Joe. It was nice to meet you, Mara.”
    “You too,” Mara called out.
    Once they were left alone, Joe turned to face her. His gaze traveled over her length from the collar of his shirt to her bare feet.
    “Nice outfit,” he commented.
    Mara pulled at the hem of the shirt. “I didn't know that you lived with your grandfather,” she explained.
    Joe walked over to the island to remove the dirty dishes. He placed them in the sink. “He moved in with me a couple of years ago,” he stated brusquely.
    Mara stared at the rigid line of his shoulders as he stood at the sink. “What happened to him?”
    He lifted his head to stare out the window over the sink. “Doctors say it's Alzheimer's.” He turned to face her as he continued. “At first, it was just the little things, like forgetting to grab bread at the store. Then it was forgetting to lock the door. When he started forgetting to turn off the stove, I made him move in here.”
    Her heart went out to him as she began to realize that everything she had believed about this man was untrue. She took a step toward him, needing to feel close.
    “What about your parents? Couldn't they help out?” she inquired softly.
    He turned to face her. “My mother took off when I was three. And my dad ... well, my dad decided that she had the right idea when I was ten. After that, I lived with my grandfather.”
    She reached out to take his hand in hers. “And so now you take care of him,” she finished for him.
    “He was the only one who stuck it out for me. I could never turn my back on him or put him in a home. I owe him more than that,” he said.
    Her fingers linked with his as she took a step closer, her body brushing against his. “I didn't know.”
    He sighed heavily. “Not many people do. I thought they would be gone before you woke up,” he offered.
    She reached up to caress his cheek. “I'm glad I got to meet him. He's a sweet man.”
    His eyes met hers. “Mara...”
    She put her finger over his lips to stop him. “Shhh,” she said. “No more talking. You know, I was hoping to take a shower before I left. Maybe you could give me another private tour,” she suggested with a wink.
    His lips slid into a mischievous grin. “Then let's get started.”
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    Chapter 12
    Mara walked up to her apartment with a grin on her face. She had spent the entire morning getting the private “tour” with Joe. It still amazed her that everything she had believed about him was false. Climbing the stairs, she mentally replayed their last few moments alone together. Reaching into her purse, she felt around for her keys. When she found them, she lifted her gaze to the door.
    What she saw made her heart stop.
    A white silk scarf was wrapped around the doorknob. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following her before turning back to face the door. She blinked several times, wanting the image to disappear, but it didn't. Reaching out, she let the silk sift through her fingers.
    It couldn't be the same.
    But it was.
    It had to be.
    The woman from the club in the white dress was real. She hadn't imagined it. She was staring at tangible proof. The odds of someone leaving a