Dream of Me: A Sweet Contemporary Romance by Delaney Cameron Read Free Book Online

twenty.”
    “Meaning I act like a child?” she asked with a frown.
    Corbin flicked her cheek with his finger. “I mean that you credit your unselfish motives to others. Not everyone is as nice and uncomplicated as you are.”
    After he left the room, Aubrey absently touched her cheek. Had he given her a compliment? It was a wonder she hadn’t fainted on the spot.
* * * *
    The following morning Corbin watched as Aubrey gave Paul a quick kiss and then waved until his van was out of sight. As he trailed behind her into the house, he asked, “Do I get the same treatment when I leave?”
    “Why do you have to ruin everything?” she protested.
    His lips parted into an adorable smile. “I guess that means I’m getting a handshake.”
    On a spark of mischief, she added, “Even that may prove too much.”
    His eyes swerved to her face and the intensity of his glance made her look away. He laughed softly as her cheeks flooded with color. “You could be right; we better not risk it.” As was his habit, he delivered this parting shot and left her staring after him.
    When Corbin made his departure, he did so without anything close to the same sendoff. Aubrey decided to put in a few hours work and take the afternoon off. The pile of research on her desk had little chance of being completed even if she worked nonstop. This was her first opportunity to explore the area, and she wasn’t going to waste it. She would do some sightseeing and deal with Corbin later.
    When the sight of Savannah’s bustling riverfront came into view, Aubrey was delighted. Numerous antique shops and restaurants jostled together along the cobblestone streets. Glancing around appreciatively at the old factory buildings with their aged brick exteriors, she made her way down a steep set of worn steps and was soon swept along with a tide of people walking along the narrow sidewalk.
    Her first stop was a Christmas shop where she spent a delightful hour gazing at dozens of trees cunningly decorated in every imaginable theme. Next to a Christmas village display, she discovered a mother cat and one kitten sleeping peacefully. Bending down, Aubrey touched the soft black fur of the kitten and watched as one and then both eyes opened.
    “You’ve discovered Maddie and Horace.”
    Aubrey turned to see an older woman standing behind her. “Do they belong to you?”
    “No, the owner of this place found Maddie wandering the street a few months ago and started feeding her. We got a surprise when we came in one morning and found she’d enlarged the family with five kittens. Horace is the only one left.”
    Not stopping to think how Corbin might feel about having his home invaded by a feline, Aubrey impulsively asked if she could take the kitten.
    The woman waved a hand toward the back of the shop. “You’ll need to see the owner. He’s in his office now. Just knock on the door.”
    Aubrey was bidden to enter by a familiar voice. As she walked through the door, Richard rose from behind a desk that almost completely filled the tiny room. In her surprise, she blurted out, “What are you doing here?”
    Motioning her to the only other chair in the room, Richard resumed his seat, leaning back precariously on two legs. “I inherited this shop from a relative.” He laughed slightly. “It doesn’t exactly fit my image, does it?”
    “What’s your real job?”
    “Real estate. I deal mostly with rental properties, and since I’ve been able to hire a very competent secretary to handle the more tedious parts, my hours are very flexible. Ideal working conditions, don’t you think?”
    A small “meow” prevented her from answering. Maddie and Horace had followed her into the office. Aubrey scooped up the kitten.
    “This is the reason I’m here.”
    Richard smiled ironically. “I thought you came to see me.”
    “Do you mind if I take Horace home?”
    “Not at all. How did you manage to get away in the middle of the day?”
    “Corbin and Paul are out of