He swallowed hard, unprepared for the surge of heat spreading throughout his chest from her comforting touch. He smoothed his thumbs across the soft flesh of her hands. “Five years.”
“She’s lucky to have you.” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without Portia. Even now, she’s so forgiving of our mother. It’s hard for me to share such close quarters with her again. I mean, last night, I actually snuck in through the window of my own apartment. And there she was, sitting on my bed waiting for me. I can’t—”
“Move in with me.” He banded an arm around her waist, sliding her off the chair to stand between the V of his legs.
She pressed her hands firmly against his chest. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I thought about it last night. You don’t want to sleep at your apartment as long as your mother is staying there. I’ve got a large house with plenty of extra bedrooms. I can teach you how to cook in my kitchen and . . . I’ve got something you can’t find anywhere else.”
“What’s that?” she asked breathlessly.
He instantly hardened from the nervous glimmer of heat in her eyes and the scent of lavender permeating from her skin. “A music studio. It’s set up with everything we’d need to write and record the songs you’ll need for the producer.”
She pushed off his chest. “Why do you have a music studio?”
He chuckled that she doubted him. With a billion dollars in the bank, he could buy a music label. “It came with the house. I bought it from a famous singer who didn’t get enough r-e-s-p-e-c-t.”
Her eyes grew wide, impressed by his hint of the previous owner.
“Really? That would be kind of cool.” She eyed him warily. “But why do I need to sleep there?”
“You said yourself you didn’t want to share an apartment with you mother.”
She cocked her hip. “Are you sure you’re not using this as an opportunity to get me into bed?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He got off his chair, stood, and yanked her against him, making sure she understand exactly what he wanted. “Of course I’m using this as an opportunity to get you into bed.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “And against the wall. In the shower. And wherever else the opportunity presents itself.”
She shivered and inhaled loudly. “At least you’re honest.”
He smiled against her cheek. “So, is that a yes?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said quietly.
“Why not? We’d be good together.” He swept his hand down her arm as he drew back and observed her beaded nipples beneath her shirt. He coughed, clearing the arousal constricting his larynx. “Is it because of Jon?”
“No, Jon isn’t a problem.” She kept her gaze on his chest.
He cupped her chin and tilted her head to look at him. “Then what?”
She pulled away and took a few steps back. “I wouldn’t want you to get the idea that this meant more than it did. As soon as the tests are done, I’m leaving Michigan.”
He rubbed at the tendril of sharp pain jabbing his chest “To Los Angeles? What if you don’t get the contract offer from Rand?”
She turned around and walked to the stage then pulled herself up to sit on the edge, her legs dangling. “It doesn’t matter. I guess you can say I’m officially giving you my notice. At the end of the month, I’m moving no matter what happens. I should have told you sooner, but when my sister came to Michigan, I stuck around longer than I’d anticipated and I didn’t know when I’d get that itch to move on.”
Now he understood why she’d wanted to know what would happen if she sold the building. Maybe it didn’t have anything to do with Jon at all.
He walked up the steps of the stage. “And now?”
She looked over her shoulder. “I’m itching like crazy. It’s what I do. This is the longest I’ve stayed in one city in twenty-three years. I don’t do long-term commitments and I don’t fall in love.”
That made two of them.
He sat down next to her. “Who said anything about love?”
“If you and I spend all our time together this month and have sex to boot, don’t you think you might get attached? You may come off as a player, but you’re obviously a nice guy and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Me? A nice guy?” He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face close to his. “Would a nice guy want to push you to your knees and order you to unzip me and suck me dry? Would a nice guy fantasize about bending you over one of those tables and taking you from behind? Would a nice guy plan on making you so crazy with lust, you’d forget, wouldn’t care, that Christopher is due to walk through the front door any minute?”