The following morning, there was a clattering and a banging outside in the hallway, accompanied by a series of inventive curses from a soft, feminine voice. With a frown, I tugged open my door and was met with a sight that had me both grinning and shaking my head.

It looked like I was getting a new neighbor.

She was bent over, trying to pick up a box and shaking her ass. “Back, back, back it up. Three, six, nine, damn you’re … ” She hummed and sang as she picked up one of the boxes.

It was kind of unavoidable, but my eyes strayed to the way her jeans stretched tight across her ass. And the view made me wonder what the rest of her looked like.

Unfortunately for her, the jeans hung so low, they also exposed her electric blue thong. Despite myself, I laughed. "Looks like you could use a hand with that."

She stood abruptly and whirled around, and some kind of lamp went flying. I lunged for it, catching it in the nick of time. “Holy shit.” She clutched a hand to her chest then tugged out her earphones. “Where did you come from?”

I hitched a thumb toward my door. “From there.” I frowned as I stared at the thing in my hand. When I shook it, the boobs jiggled, as did the hips. "Is this seriously yours?”

She grinned and gave a nod. "That's Lola. My lucky charm. I know she’s tacky, but I picked her up at this artist's display a couple of years ago. I love her. And when I take her somewhere, I have the best kind of luck. So when I moved to New York, of course the lamp came along because I need all the luck I can get. Going out on my own, moving to New York, it’s crazy. So … ” She shrugged. “Lucky charm.”

I stared at her, dumbstruck. She was pretty, beautiful even. Her skin was a luminescent, sandy brown, and her hair framed her face in a wild array of curls. Several locks were green and purple. I wanted to play with them, and watch them bounce back into place.

Her eyes were wide and dominated most of her face. In this light, they looked hazel but with flecks of green. My gaze dipped to her lips. They looked soft and full and I couldn’t look away while she chattered on.

They looked tempting enough to kiss or to wrap around my—

No.

More like hell no. I was not going to go there. That was the man I used to be. The new version of me didn't do that. The new version of me didn't have time. I needed to get Lucas on board and head home. Get the old man to push the vote then I could abdicate my fucking throne in time for my opening. Easy. Lucas could be king, and I could be free. But my plan hinged on my brother. Or my sister if I failed here.

I resented my instant reaction to this girl. I’d spent the last six months trying to prove I wasn’t what everyone thought. A lazy, selfish layabout who fucked anything that moved. I resented her for tempting me.

I refocused my gaze on her face and not the full swell of her curves. "Do you always talk this much?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and her curls bounced up and down. "Yes. Usually. I can’t help it. Nervous habit when I'm excited, sometimes when I'm sad or totally spiraling out of control. So, pretty much all the time." She shook her head again. "Okay, let me start again. I’m Len."

Christ church. I couldn't help but laugh. She was cute. Clearly kind of a disaster, but cute. "Okay, Len. I’m Sebastian. Let me help you with that.” I took the box from her easily with one hand. Our fingers brushed and I froze. The zing of electricity surprised me and I snatched my hand back.

What the hell? I stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what was so familiar about her, but I couldn't place it. Maybe I'd seen her around the building? Or maybe I’d seen her this morning. I hadn't been paying attention because I’d been focused on my Lucas problem.

Whatever. Shut that shit down. I cleared my throat and forced my mind and expression into neutral. “Welcome to New York, Len.”

“Thanks. I’m really excited. It’s my first time in the city.” She talked a lot. With the box no longer blocking my view, my gaze swept over her. I was already a fan of the hair. And, yeah, the face was beautiful. Heart shaped with high cheekbones. And when she talked, they dimpled. When she smiled, they deepened even more.

Jesus, she was adorable. She wore an off the shoulder T-shirt in gray that said, I'm an artist, so I'm sensitive about my shit. The thing was meant to be oversized and have a bohemian look, but all I could focus on was how it clung to her tits.

You do not have time for this. And I didn't. I had a plan, and I had to work fast. I had zero time for this, but it was like she’d been sent here by a really twisted deity to tempt, seduce and punish me.

This girl was everything my type. You mean breathing? She was sexy, adorable bait, but I wasn’t biting the line. I had more important things to do.

Hell. I’d managed to keep shit wrapped up for six months. I hadn't slept with anyone. I’d been too busy traipsing all over the US, Canada and Mexico looking for my brother. Well technically, I’d been tracking Lucas’s mother and her longtime boyfriend. But the investigator I’d hired had led me here.

The girl had a strip of belly showing. It was flat, taut. Like she worked out. She was probably into classic yoga—a ‘look into your inner eye’ kind of girl. And her legs were amazing, even though she wasn’t excessively tall. Probably around 5'7", but her legs … Wow. All toned and lean. She looked like an athlete.

She turned around to the door, kicking it open. "Could you help me carry it in here? Please?" As she turned, I noticed she had paint on the hem of her shirt back.

Okay then. She also had a streak of badass. "So, I guess from your T-shirt that you’re an artist?"

"Yeah, good guess." She directed me where she wanted the box. "I just graduated from the Chicago Institute of Art. I think my father thought it would be a passing fancy. That I’d give up and study engineering. You can imagine his face when it wasn’t. So he’s given me a whole four months to figure out this artist thing. If it doesn't work out, then I have to get a real job."

"That's one hell of a Faustian bargain."

"You don't know my father. He has this way of getting what he wants. So I moved out here to get away from him and his influence. I'm starting fresh, and he's footing the bill."

"Four months isn't very much time."

She gave a winning smile, and for a second all I could do was stare at her. Jesus, she looked like some kind of angel. A cherub without all the baby fat. She looked far too cute to be locked in an engineering lab. If I’d gone to school with her, I would have spent a lot of time trying to get in her pants and very little time studying.

Keep it in your pants. Put the box down and run. I made a vow in that moment to spend as little time as possible with my new neighbor. It would be far too easy to forget what I came here to do.

"It’s plenty. Good news is I'm just like my dad, and I have a way of making things work out. Thanks for the help."

The urge to stay and help her was strong. And even though I tried to fight against it, the next words out of my mouth tumbled out on their own volition. "You need help moving any more stuff in here?"

"Thank God. I thought you were never going to offer. Come on."

I shook my head as I followed her back out the door. As I watched her ass, I wondered if this was what it was like to follow the Pied Piper.