“I have plenty of men ask me out on the regular.”
“I have no doubt that you do. I just never see you leave here with anyone. Or get dressed up for that matter.”
I tap my foot on the floor and bite my lip while I try to think of something witty to say back, but what’s the point? I have nothing to hide.
“For your information, I’m just as happy, being here on a deadline, wrapped up in my fictional world for the evening, than being with a man who is a waste of my time.”
I push the bottle of limejuice into his chest—a tad bit forcefully—and walk over to the couch, where I was working.
Propping my feet up, I put the laptop back on my thighs and look at the screen. I’m about to start typing again when the cushion next to me dips with the weight of the man taking a seat beside me. When I glance up the bottle is sitting on the counter looking like a forgotten thought.
“What are you working on anyway?” He slings his arm behind me, resting it on the top of the couch.
I roll my head toward him. The scent of his cologne is so damn sexy. I wish he’d bathe in fish oil, so he’d have at least one repulsive trait.
“Don’t you have a date next door?”
“She can wait five minutes. You seem like you can use the company. You’re awfully on edge.”
His eyes curve in concern as he smiles. I know I’m being short with him, which is unfair. I just get so anxious when I start a new book, especially when I have no idea where it’s going.
“I’m finishing up a three-book series about brothers. The first hero was a badass racecar driver. The next was this enigmatic CEO, and now, I’m at a total loss. I need him to be bold yet gentle. Sexy yet down-to-earth. He has to be … dreamlike.” Yes, even I hear the wistfulness in my tone.
“You do realize, these guys aren’t real, right?”
I pop my head over with a scowl. “Better than anything I’ve ever met in the flesh.”
He puts his hand to his heart and acts like he’s been shot. “That’s cold, Lace.”
“I’m sure you’re heartbroken.”
“You have no idea.” The way his eyes glint with a closed-mouth smile makes him seem sweetly endearing. “Maybe I can help. Tell me about what you’re writing now.”
“Are you sure you have time?”
“You look like you need a hand.”
I’m taken aback by his interest in my books. It makes a small grin spread across my face. I sit up straight. “Well, I’m messing around with a scene, just to get a feel for my characters. Tanner—”
“His name is Tanner?”
“It’s a romance. I can’t name him Fred or Chuck or Barney.”
“Why not? Fred’s a good name.”
“Will you please let me tell you my story? So, Tanner is young because that’s been established in the other books. But he can’t be a bad boy or a controlling boss because I did that already. I’m thinking something in the creative field.”
“Florist?” he asks with a wink.
“It’s sweet, and that works for you, but I need something sensual and maybe a little more daring.”
His mouth rises on one side as he levels his gaze with mine. “For the record, I’m very daring in the bedroom and incredibly sensual.” His words are said in a deep hum.
“Is that opinion or fact?”
“Baby, it’s a proven fact.” His words are a low, rumbling thunder to my lady bits.
I clear my throat and raise my chin as Jake places a finger to his lips and thinks for a moment.
“What if you make him an artist? Then, you can have him paint her.”
“Like on a canvas à la Titanic or something?”
“No. He paints her naked body.”
My eyes widen as my lips pull to the side. “Well then, that’s a new one. I’m impressed you came up with something like that.”
He grins. “I can’t take all the credit. I have a friend who runs classes for couples, where they do that. Kind of like those wine-and-paint parties you girls do, just less clothing.”
He says it so nonchalantly, and I’m sitting here with my jaw on the floor, having no clue this was a thing.
“Have you ever done that?” I’m beyond intrigued.
“Not yet. Would you ever let a guy paint you?” he asks with a slight tilt to his head.
“Hell yeah, I would!”
He coughs, completely taken aback. “Seriously?”
“Why are you so shocked?”
He shakes his head with a smirk on his face. “Because you always seem like a wallflower who hides behind her apartment door.”
“That’s only because you know me as a neighbor. When it comes to sex, I’m not afraid to experiment.” Not that I actually am right now. In fact, it’s been five long years, but Jake doesn’t need to know that.
He drops his head and lets out a small laugh. “My mind has just been blown a little,” he says, turning his sight on me. “Makes me wonder about you.”
I blow him off. “Oh, stop. Don’t act so surprised. I write romance for a living.”
There’s a peculiar look in his eyes as they roam over my face. It’s a soul-searching stare, the kind that says he’s studying me, hoping to find an ending to the story in his mind. I can only hope he’s reading me right.
I lean back a little, confused by the intensity in his expression.
“What are you staring at?” I ask.
“You,” he says seriously. “You can learn a lot about a woman by watching her when she’s talking about sex.”
“And what is that?”
His hand rises to my face, and he places the softest of touches to my skin. “Your cheeks are flush, and your shoulders fall back. There’s even this gleam in your eyes, like you’re about to eat your favorite
