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She holds my gaze, and I just know she’s wondering whether or not to call bullshit.

“Did you just move in?” she asks.

I laugh. “I’ve been here four years.”

“So I’m special?” She grins at me, teasing.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly again. There was a reason I decided to bring her back to my place. “Maybe I’m just determined to have you think I’m charming.”

“Well, these sheets feel really good, so it was a close call, but no, you’re definitely not charming. Remember, I’m not looking for charming.”

I chuckle as she takes a sip of her coffee. She’s right, she didn’t get much sleep last night, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a woman so beautiful. Her hair, lit up by the winter sun coming through the window, has a luster of gold to it, like she should be on display in a cathedral rather than in my bed. When she moves, it’s with a slow and deliberate grace that’s usually reserved for ballerinas. I can’t pull my gaze from her.

“I should get going,” she says.

“You don’t have to leave,” I say. It’s Sunday, so I don’t have any actual work to do. My only plans were to catch up with emails and go to the gym.

“Remember. I don’t want to find anyone charming for a year.”

I’m not sure I can wait that long.

“Oh yes. You’re on a year’s hiatus from charming. Didn’t seem like that last night.”

“What we did last night wasn’t even adjacent to charming.”

Right, but do you want to do it again?

“So you’re saying that after getting to know me, you still don’t find me charming?” I ask. “I’m not sure I’m buying that. I think if we spent a week together, you’d leave charming at the gate and be hopelessly in love with me.”

She laughs, and it’s so warm and sexy, I want to dive right into her and never come up for air.

“Well, I’m afraid you can’t keep me prisoner for a week. I have things to do.” She pauses for a minute, and I think she’s just about to open up and tell me what she’s got going on, but she shakes her head. “Can you get me one of your white dress shirts, and a pair of navy boxers if you have them? And then it would be great if your driver could take me home.”

I don’t want her to leave.

What the hell is the matter with me?

“And you’re sure you don’t want to stay and fall in love with me?”

She gives a small nod. “Positive.”

I sigh dramatically, slide my coffee back onto the nightstand, and pad into my dressing room. I pull out a shirt and pair of boxers. “As requested,” I say. “I’m going to head to the shower. There’s another bathroom through there, or you could join me.”

She bites back a smile. “Thanks. I’ll leave you to shower on your own.”

When I’ve finished showering, I head back into the bedroom, a towel around my waist, to find Avril still here, her hair wet, standing in my shirt, the sleeves rolled up and she’s tied the front together. She’s wearing my boxers on the bottom. I have no idea how they’re staying up. And she has her heels from last night on.

She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.

“You look good.”

She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I look ridiculous.” She shrugs. “But it was worth it.”

“Huh?” I say, cupping my ear like I can’t hear her. “What did you say? That you had the time of your life last night.”

She shakes her head, trying to cover up a smile, and she strides past me, pushing me with her palm flat against my chest. “I’m out of here.”

I grab her wrist before she can walk past me. “My driver’s downstairs in the basement car park. Let me show you.”