“Hello? Earth to dumb-dumb?” Janie tilted her head as she watched Dave stare off into nothing. She’d made a steady stream of one-sided conversation while she poured ingredients into the martini shaker, only to realize he’d been off in his own world. “Dave?”

He jumped on his stool and his gaze found hers, a glimmer of heat in its depths. It was there and then gone. “What’s up?”

She swallowed down the lingering discomfort of him seeing her work. Especially that one painting. Of herself.

She should’ve burned that one back in Arizona. It showed a part of herself that she didn’t like exposing. Raw. Without her walls and barricades. Showing her true self for the world to see.

Truth be told, that was why she’d been slow to do her research. Getting an agent. Trying to land a show at one of the big galleries. She was afraid of those things. But fear couldn’t hold her back anymore. She had to live off something, and art was the only thing she was decent at. If it didn’t work, nothing would. She had to give it a try.

“Oh, no big deal,” she said. “You asked a question, I answered, and you proceeded to stare at nothing like someone had stolen your brain.”

“Can’t steal what you didn’t have to begin with.” He grinned, and his deep brown eyes sparkled.

“Touché.”

“Sorry.” He wiped his brow. “Where were we?”

“I was telling you about how I got my stuff back. Creep-o has a private jet, remember? I just shove everything on it. If it was up to him, he’d wrap all the paintings and crate them up and all that. I don’t bother. I’ll probably just paint over them anyway.”

“Who is this guy?” Dave asked, his voice a little strained for some reason.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Totes.” He gave her a thumbs-up. “Okay, so yes, I am lying. Grown men don’t say totes. But mostly, yes, I am okay. I’ve just never met someone as clearly talented as you are. It is blowing my mind. I can’t stop thinking about that…those paintings.”

Janie’s face flared with heat. She blew out a breath. “It makes me uncomfortable. Like I told you. Before you stuck your big nose in.”

“Yes, I see that. Your face is a fantastic shade of I’m going to kill you in your sleep if you don’t shut up. I read you loud and clear, sister.” He shifted on his stool. “Look the other way.”

“What?”

“I have to adjust my junk.” He flashed her one of his most charming smiles. It boosted his attractiveness exponentially.

“Adjust away. I’m not worried about it.”

“Sounds good.” He reached down. Butterflies filled her stomach as her mind went for a swim in the gutter. “So this guy that hires you is insanely rich, then?”

“Yes. Insanely. I think he has more than one house. And I’m not certain, but I think I’m not the only artist he has this arrangement with.”

Dave gasped like an old woman might. “He’s cheating on you, that bastard!”

She laughed and threw a kitchen towel at him.

“Why is everyone always throwing towels at me?” He frowned at her, but the twinkle in his eyes was still there. “Does he have art on his walls?”

“Yes.” She sagged against the counter in envy. “That is a huge perk to a creepy situation. He has art on his walls. Famous shit. The guy is a serious collector.”

“And he flies you in to paint for him.”

Her face heated. “Yeah. I’m probably one of the few that will do it, right?”

“Doubt it. Not for that kind of money. Hell, I’d do it.”

“Truth?” She met his gaze. “There is a small part of me that puffs up in pride. I mean, he could invite anyone, and he invites me. He pays me. That’s cool. If it weren’t for the creepy factor, my reluctance about people watching me paint, and the whole nude bit, I’d be boasting about it.”

“You’ve got problems.”

“Right?” She laughed.

“Does he have a wife? Or husband?”

“Neither. That I know of. He seems like a loner. If he is gay, I have no idea why he’d want me nude. That’s the part I can’t figure out.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But he does. I don’t think he ever looks away, even though sometimes I don’t stop for hours. Maybe he’s bi?” She started to shake the drink, which had sat for much too long.

“Maybe it has nothing to do with nudity or lust.” His eyes delved into hers. “Maybe he’s attracted to your raw, powerful beauty and never wants to look away.”

Those butterflies came back with a vengeance, fluttering around her stomach before turning into tingles. She paused in shaking the drink, struck mute. Dave had never spoken to her like this. He’d never shown any interest in her. Every movement, every touch, had been from a place of genuine friendship. She’d always felt that.

Until now. His eyes shone with heat and something deeper, and she felt electricity sizzle the air between them. Felt her core tighten and heat spread throughout her body.

“Holy crap, I am probably stressing you out.” Dave bent down and banged his head against the lime-green countertop. The moment passed, and they were back to easy friendship. Strangely, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not. “You have thrown me for a loop, lady. Seriously. I feel like you are way out of my social league. I mean…” He straightened so as to give her a more meaningful stare. “You’re going to be rich and famous. All you need is a chance, which you’ll get because I will make sure you do, and you’ll shoot straight to the moon. You’ll laugh when you think back on the hooker you hung out with. I’ll be your version of slumming it.”

Janie chuckled. She grabbed a couple of tumblers and poured the drink, the clear liquid throwing off the lights from the kitchen. “You talk some shit, do you know that?”

“Usually, yes.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Anyway. Let’s get down to the brash tax.”

“The what?”

“Brash tax.”

“Do you mean brass tacks?”

He shrugged. “Probably. I’m terrible with sayings. And clichés.” He watched as Janie speared an olive with a toothpick. “I’m going to move in. I’ll be your roommate.”

She started laughing. “No.”

“No, listen. This makes perfect sense. I’m paying a crapload for a bunch of space I don’t need. I don’t even have furniture to fill it all. Plus, the people around me are judgey. No one needs that. I’ve wanted to downgrade, and this is the perfect chance to do so.”

“Dave, seriously.” Janie sipped her drink before gesturing around them. “I live in a hovel. It’s tiny. You make too much money for this place. I know you are a helpful sort of person, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it—this is one of your dumber ideas.”

“If you knew me better, you would know that I’ve had way dumber ideas. This is nothing.” He drummed on the countertop and looked around. “Yeah. This will work. I’ll save a fortune.”

“No.” Janie shook her head. “The noise from you bringing women back would be horrible. I don’t want to deal with that.”

“Oh, I don’t bring them to my place. No way. We go to their house if we do the nasty. Or in the car. Or in the woods. But my house is always off-limits.”

Janie had to squish her legs together to stop the throbbing in her core. She liked getting busy in not-as-usual places. It thrilled her. It made the act more exciting. That he was completely fine with it…

Made him a dangerous roommate for her.

“Definitely no.” Janie downed the rest of her drink.

“What’s the alternative? A loser you don’t know who may or may not pay rent on time? What happens if they don’t and you haven’t found a way to get income yet? Sounds like it’ll be a while before Creepy Rich Guy invites you back.”

The truth of what he was saying sank in. Her invites were at least a year apart, usually more. And most of the people willing to move into this place wouldn’t be the reliable sort.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to ruin my day with your logic?”

“Yes. How’s it going?”

“Well, actually.” She gave him a big sigh. “Fine. But it’s a terrible idea, you’re an idiot, and I want that all entered into the record.”

His smile lit up the room. “What, again?”

She laughed and took a sip of her drink.

“I’ll start moving in tomorrow.” He drummed against the countertop. “This will be great, you’ll see. I’ll be all up in your business. And don’t worry, I don’t pee on the toilet seat.”

As Janie looked at the handsome man, filled out in all the right ways, she had to own that pee on the toilet seat was the least of her worries.