He'd thought she was cute when she was hating him, but it was nothing compared to his reaction to her when her face became stark white and she looked like she'd been kicked in the stomach by a bull. Shocked, panicked, and utterly unprepared, yet holding tight to her last vestiges of control.

He could think of nothing he'd rather do than sprint across the kitchen and kiss the look of shock right off her face.

What? No way. He had no intention of kissing her. It was just guilt because the garbage bag had held too much evidence for him to deny the truth any longer.

She knew Buddy.

Whether he'd stolen something from her was another story, but she definitely knew him.

Josie's mouth opened and shut without making a sound, and, for the first time, he noticed how full and kissable her lips were. Probably because it was the first time he hadn't been distracted by the hostile words pouring out of her mouth.

"No way in hell," she said.

So much for the absence of insults. Had he actually expected Josie to fall at his feet declaring him a savior and a hero? "Why not?"

"Because...you're...you." She finished her statement with an odd sort of gargling noise, as if she was being strangled by invisible hands.

Damn, she was adorable. No wonder Buddy had written her those poems. Awful poems, on tattered scrap paper in the bottom of that trash bag. Yet they were actually complimentary and pleasant about Josie. If Buddy hadn't written porn about Josie, it could mean only one thing: Buddy had loved her.

There was no doubt in his mind.

Which meant his job was to keep her around until he could track Buddy down and reconcile them. Perhaps Josie could be the woman to finally straighten his brother out. For an instant, Evan felt a weird warmth in his body at the thought of his brother back in his life and living a law-abiding life. Then he thought of Josie with his brother, and the warm feeling turned into a cold prickly sensation. Get over it, Evan. "Just say yes, and we'll pack you up."

"Why in the world would I move in with you?" Josie struggled to her feet. "And why would you even offer? You hate me."

A woman with Josie's spirit bolting into his life? Hardly something he'd hate. Not that that was why he was making the offer. "I don't hate you. I was simply being careful. It wouldn't have been the first time someone tried to extort something from me because of Buddy." And it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to pay.

"So, you're saying you believe me now? Because I throw darts at his genitals?"

"No. That just convinced me to hide all my darts before you move in."

"A skillful dodge of my question. Do you believe me or not?"

"I believe you knew him."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Be still my beating heart. I feel so vindicated."

He grinned at her spunk. "Actually, I also believe that you were dating him."

Her lips tightened. "Dating is too generous of a word. I went on a few dates with him. We didn't 'date.'"

"Actually, you guys were together for almost two months," Monica said. "That's pretty much dating." She immediately turned pink at Josie's glare. "I...um...guess I have to go to the bathroom." She ducked past Evan and disappeared around the corner.

Leaving Josie and Evan alone. He felt as if the walls were closing in on him, as if the ceiling was collapsing, and the entire room was on fire. Josie was two steps away from him, her chin lifted so she could give him an offended glare. All he'd have to do was move forward and lower his head and...

"You want to kiss me?" She sounded more than a little surprised, and Evan immediately cursed and took a step back.

Oops. He had so not meant for her to realize that. "No. Of course not." Total lie.

She pursed her lips. "Wow. You really were."

"I was thinking about Buddy," he growled. It was close to the truth. He should have been thinking about Buddy, his long-lost brother who apparently loved the woman standing in front of him, despite the fact Josie was apparently more than slightly dis-enamored of Buddy. Honestly, knowing Buddy, Evan was pretty sure she had a good reason to be not-so-delighted to be associated with his brother, but that didn't change the fact that Buddy loved her, which meant hands off for Evan.

"I wasn't thinking about Buddy. I was thinking about you kissing me," she said.

"Stop it." God, the idea was far too tempting.

"Don't worry. I'm not interested in you." She sounded just a little too forceful, and he contemplated proving to her that she actually did want him. Just drop a kiss on her and...

Think about Buddy. "Those poems about you are in Buddy's handwriting, which means you were involved with him."

"And...what's your point?"

"That's it." He closed the distance between them, stopping when he was only six inches away. Interesting, but the air actually felt warmer over here. And caught the faint scent of roses. He leaned forward. "Is that you?"

"Is what me?" She leaned back.

"Roses."

"Um..." She frowned. "Yeah. It's my body lotion."

"I bet Buddy liked it." Had his brother had the chance to bask in that glorious scent? Damn. How had his brother not done everything possible not to lose Josie? She was entrancing as hell.

She lifted her chin. "Buddy didn't like it, and it doesn't matter what he thought of it!"

He grinned at the fire in her eyes. Feisty even after her life had tumbled down around her? She was a fighter, and he liked that. It was a trait he'd like in his own woman...someday. Not now, and not Josie.

Josie was Buddy's.

End of story.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think Buddy was wrong. That scent is perfect for you. It'd be enough to make any man tremble." Crap. Had he really just said that? He had to pull himself together, and fast.

Her bluster faded, and she peered up at him as if he were a little strange. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Seduce her? Damn. He liked that idea. A lot. Or he would, under other circumstances. "No. Of course not. No chance."

She narrowed her eyes. "Good."

Yeah, it was time to change the subject. "So? Shall we pack up your stuff and take it downstairs? I have an SUV that should fit a lot of the boxes," he said.

She held up a hand. "Wait a sec. You didn't apologize for calling me a liar because I said he stole my money, my car, and my waffle iron."

Ah, she would have noticed that. "That's because I don't think he did it."

"So, I'm a liar."

This was sort of like that age-old question of whether a pair of pants made your woman look fat. No safe answer.

"Evan?"

"I think there may be other interpretations of the situation which you haven't fully considered."

She rolled her eyes and levered herself off the counter, no doubt intending to storm right past him and dismiss his offer.

He couldn't let that happen.

He had to keep her around until he located his missing brother. So, he didn't fight the instinct to stop her. His hand shot out, wrapped around her waist, and hauled her up against him.

Her hips against his hips, her eyes wide, her breath hot on his chin. "You have a thing for trapping beautiful women against your body, don't you?" she asked.

"You think you're beautiful?"

A faint pink colored her cheeks. "Self-affirmation."

"Well, you're right."

"Shut up. You can't flatter me into forgiving you." She squirmed against him, her body rubbing against his in all sorts of interesting ways.

"I suggest you remain still if you don't want that seduction talk to become a reality." It was all Evan could do to keep from growling the words, and Josie stilled immediately.

But her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes had morphed into a swirling palette of blues and greens. "I have no interest in moving into your house, especially with you there."

"What other choice do you have?" He bent his head, tempting himself with her nearness. He needed a good knee to the groin right now. Not much else was going to be sufficient to stop his mind from going straight to the gutter, regardless of whether Buddy loved her or not.

"None." Her voice was almost throaty. "I just dislike you intensely. Sleeping in the same house as you would give me far too many opportunities to try to kill you." She swallowed. "And I have an aversion to prison."

"Lying awake at night in a warm bed, resisting the urge to murder me, is worse than sleeping on a park bench?" Yeah, he knew that she blamed Buddy for the fact she was about to become homeless, so it probably wasn't the best tactic, but it seemed like the one most likely to get her to agree.

"It's summer, you know. The nights are warm." She shifted ever so slightly. "I could sleep naked and not get cold if I lived on the street."

He had no business contemplating the image that popped into his head at her remark. "If you slept naked on the street corner, I think you'd discover a large segment of the male population is even more despicable than I am."

She blinked, and he knew she was more worried about her living situation than she'd shown. Being evicted sucked. He knew it from his youth, and he honestly didn't want her living in an unsafe situation. So, he kept pressing. "Do you really want to sleep on the street?" He tightened his grip on her to add to the sensation of being trapped...of being out of options...certainly not because having her anchored to him felt so damn right.

"No, I don't."

He nodded. She was his. Not his as in his woman but his as in at his mercy. Just to make that clear.

"But...would I be any safer from marauding men at your house?" There was a challenge in her gaze.

He knew it was time for the truth. "I swear I'll never touch you."

"In the twenty minutes we've been in each other's presence, you've already manhandled me twice for an extended period of time. It seems to be rather a habit with you."

"It isn't usually. You seem to bring it out in me."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that good or bad?"

"You tell me."

"Depends on whether I can close my eyes and pretend the rock hard, hunky body pressed up against mine belongs to someone I actually like. When I can do that, then it's good." She cocked her head. "But when I have to look at you, it dispels all chance for fantasy, and then it's bad."

"You insult well."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"Though I won't take offense to being told I have a 'hunky body.'" Damned if she didn't look so appealing when her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You would dwell on that comment." She rolled her eyes. "Typical male. You were supposed to be so offended that you didn't notice that part."

He grinned. "I should warn you, I actually have enough intelligence to follow an entire discussion without missing any of it."

"Apparently." She didn't look impressed. "But back to the issue…"

His eyebrows went up. "The issue?"

"The fact you can't keep your hands off me," she said.

"Of course I can."

"You're fondling my butt right now."

He stopped moving his hand. Damn. He hadn't even noticed. As if she'd believe that. "Just testing you. My apologies."

"Apology not accepted." Except she didn't look mad. She looked amused. Entertained.

"About the touching."

"Yes?"

"You're right. I'll probably touch you." Might as well get it out on the table.

Her eyes sparked, and he felt like she'd zapped him in the gut.

"But I'll never touch you sexually." And he'd write it on his bathroom mirror in permanent marker to remind himself. Because he had no doubt he'd be tempted. With her sexy curves and flashes of temper, he might have more than a moment or two when he wanted to forget she was there for his brother.

She brought her lips together in a thoughtful pout. "Okay. Let me get this straight. You still think I'm a liar about how Buddy stole from me and my work, and got me evicted and fired."

"It's possible," he had to admit. Possible that she was telling the truth, and he didn't like that. He had to find out what really happened.

She raised her brows. "And you have no interest in me sexually."

"I said I wouldn't touch you sexually." Subtle difference.

She raised an eyebrow, but let his remark go. "So, I'm having a little trouble understanding why you're making this oh-so-generous offer for me to stay with you while I get my life untangled. I can't quite see it stemming from some deep-seated selflessness or a need to help society in general."

"I'm offended. I'm very selfless."

"Answer the question, Evan. What gives?"

Fine. "I'm doing it for Buddy."

She narrowed her eyes. "For Buddy?"

Hmm...if he said it was because he believed in his brother's innocence and he wanted to keep her around until he could find his brother and get them back together again, it might not go over so well. He was sensing a bit of hostility from Josie toward Buddy. "Because my family owes you."

She didn't believe him. He could see it on her face, and admiration surged in his soul. He could never admire a gullible woman. "I don't believe you," she said.

"I can see that."

She frowned. "Really? I've been working on hiding my emotions."

"You need to keep working."

"Apparently." She shifted, and he was reminded that her belly was still pressed up against the front of his pants. If she kept moving, she'd also become aware of his awareness. Thankfully, she stilled. "However, I do believe that your family owes me. And I also believe you won't actually hurt me. And I'm in desperate straits which require me to drop what minimal standards I already have for living arrangements."

"Gee, thanks."

"More than welcome."

"So, you'll move in?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes, I'll move in."

Even as he nodded and released her, he felt like he'd just stepped out of a small plane without a parachute. No oxygen, a rush of adrenaline, and a certain crash and burn.

Not that he'd ever give up the ride.

For the first time since college, he had a roommate.

One he couldn't touch.

Interesting didn't even begin to describe the situation. Especially since the only other furnished bedroom was right across from his.