amazing time and I was hoping it might continue. I think we work well together and there’s nothing awkward about that.”
“But we’re so different.” She put down her brush and stepped out from behind the easel. “You’re the perfect specimen of adulthood and I’m…not.”
“I was hoping after all we’d shared that my maturity wouldn’t be the thing you focused on.” He pushed up from his chair and walked over to her.
“It’s not, but you’re so perfect at everything.” She laughed. “It’s kind of intimidating.”
“I’m not perfect at everything.”
Her arms folded across her chest, propping up her bust so that his eyes were drawn there. The white tank top was splattered with paint. “Oh yeah? Tell me something you’re bad at.”
“Relaxing.” He held up a hand when she rolled her eyes. “Hear me out. I go crazy on the weekends if I don’t have anything to do. Since I met you, I’ve actually had a meal without working while I was eating.”
“I’m not sure that counts.”
“Okay.” The challenge was most definitely accepted. “I suck at keeping plants alive, I can’t make out the difference between expensive wine and cheap wine. I’m an embarrassingly terrible poker player and I was told once by an ex that I give really painful massages.”
Wren laughed. “I don’t know which of those is my favorite.”
“I’ve never given a massage to anyone since that conversation. It’s my secret shame.”
“I don’t believe it for a second.” She reached out for his hand and rubbed her thumb over the center of his palm. “Your hands were good to me the other night.”
The small touch sent excitement rocketing through him. All Wren had to do was get close and his body lit up like a fireworks display. Normally, he was able to keep his attraction to women contained, controlled. But with Wren, everything he normally held dear seemed to fly out the window.
“I’m happy to hear it,” he said.
“Want to see how the painting is going?” she asked, her voice soft and low.
Knowing how cagey Wren had been about showing him her paintings the night they’d first had dinner together, this show of trust warmed him. “Definitely.”
She slipped her fingers between his and tugged him closer to the easel. “It’s nowhere near finished. But having you here really helped me to get in the zone.”
“Must be my type A personality rubbing off on you.”
“Maybe.”
From the first version he’d seen, this was leaps and bounds ahead. The lines were filled in; his eyes seemed dark and intense. She’d shaped his mouth to have an almost imperceptible lift at their corners, like they were sharing a private joke as she painted.
“It’s incredible,” he said. “You’re incredible.”
Viewing himself through her eyes, he wasn’t invisible. He wasn’t second best. He wasn’t the boy who’d struggled to belong. She saw him for who he really was. He couldn’t let that go, no matter how much his sensible side told him to walk away from this woman.
She wasn’t planning to stay, so falling for her was a bad idea. He’d be setting himself up for disappointment. But that was before they’d started to explore the chemistry between them.
What if she had a reason to stay?
WREN MIGHT BE the impulsive type, but even she could see that getting involved with Rhys was a dumb idea.
His security company was making headway with their investigation. They’d already figured out that Sean was crossing the line with his employees—how much longer would it take before Rhys figured out her reason for being at the gallery?
My personal feelings on the situation don’t matter.
His words danced in her head. It was clear that once he found out the truth, he’d still think her in the wrong, even with her good intentions. Which meant it was one thing to indulge in a night of passion, but it was quite another to go back for seconds.
But that was the problem with Rhys—she couldn’t get enough. She couldn’t keep her distance. She didn’t want to.
“We have something here,” he said. “I’m not sure what it is, but I can’t ignore it.”
“You know I’m not going to be staying after my internship is over,” she said, as though it might shake her brain into action. How could she explore these burgeoning feelings for him while at the same time lying to him? She couldn’t.
But sex was something she could keep separate from her emotions. If she drew a line between the two, maybe she could have it all.
“Is that set in stone?” He searched her face, his own expression unreadable.
“I have to get back to my family,” she said. “Besides, if I stayed I would inevitably make your life messy and disorganized.”
He pulled her against him, his large hands cupping her face and tilting her up to him. “Maybe you can teach me to be messy while you’re here.”
Relief swam through her. She couldn’t promise anything, nor could she allow herself to get emotionally entangled with him. But that didn’t mean she was ready to give up the incredible feeling of his hands on her.
“You couldn’t handle it,” she teased.
The graze of his lips across her jaw sent a shiver racing down her spine. “Try me, Wren. I dare you.”
“You dare me, huh? I don’t back down from dares.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” His mouth captured hers for one blissful second. One all-consuming, earth-shattering moment.
It was wrong, she knew that. Wrong to kiss him while she was keeping secrets from him, wrong to allow him to touch her even though their goals were in direct competition. But her body overrode her sensibilities.
“You’re on,” she said, pulling away.
She ordered him to sit as she went into the kitchen.
The man had no idea what he’d started. Anyone from her hometown would know not to dare her unless they expected to suffer the consequences. Once, in high school, she’d gotten herself suspended for letting a duck loose in the library on Kylie’s challenge.
Grinning to herself, she pulled a jar of chocolate sauce from the cupboard and found a small paint brush. The sauce had been intended to go with the brownies, but now she had a much better use for it.
“Should I be nervous?” Rhys
