Free The Idea of You by Darcy Burke

though he was looking past her into the apartment. “So, are you ready?”
    â€œUm, no.” She laughed. “I didn’t know you were coming! Let me throw some makeup on and fix my hair.”
    He looked at her and did a quick survey. Her dark blonde hair hung around her face in waves. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but he only noticed because she’d said so. “You’re naturally beautiful. You don’t have to do any of that.”
    She laughed again. “I suppose you’re right—not the beautiful part, but that I don’t have to wear makeup. It’s not like the paparazzi are waiting outside.” She glanced toward the windows. “Are they?”
    He still didn’t know why she was hiding out, and he supposed he could Google her. Maybe he would. Later. If he thought of it. “No one here but us. My folks still aren’t back yet.”
    â€œI gathered that. I went over to the house last night looking for you, but the entire place was empty.”
    â€œYou searched the house?” He wondered if that included the bedrooms. His room was a potentially embarrassing mix of his younger and current selves.
    â€œI didn’t open every door, if that’s what you’re asking.” She grinned. “I’m not that nosy! Let me get my shoes.” She disappeared into the bedroom.
    Evan looked around the apartment. Though she’d only been here a couple of days, it looked lived in. Her coat and a jacket hung from the framed hooks on the wall. Her purse was on the kitchen bar. The kitchen itself was cluttered with dishes, and a box of crackers stood open on the counter. He went and closed it up.
    â€œYou don’t have to clean up after me,” she said, coming toward the kitchen as she put a small hoop earring in one ear.
    â€œI hate stale crackers.”
    â€œWho doesn’t? It was my weak attempt at lunch. I’ve never been very good at cooking for just myself. Seems pointless.”
    â€œIs that why you invited me the other night?”
    â€œThat and your hotness.” She flashed a smile, and it was like a gut-punch of heat. “I would’ve invited you last night, too, but I couldn’t find you. Like I said, the house seemed empty.”
    â€œI wasn’t there.” Because he’d been at the cabin working. He probably could’ve worked at home, since his parents were gone, but he kept his work stuff completely separate. He didn’t need anyone barging in while he had Archer creative stuff open across his computer monitors.
    He thought of what she’d said earlier about exchanging numbers. “You could’ve gotten my cell phone number from Sean.”
    â€œI could’ve. But . . . I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I can’t quite read you. I’m not sure if I’m a nuisance or not.”
    â€œDefinitely not a nuisance.” He swiped his hand through the cropped hair over his ear. “Listen, as bad as I am at reading cues, I might be even worse at giving them. I’m incredibly literal—often to a fault. And when I’m occupied with something, I’m occupied.”
    â€œWere you occupied last night?” She hesitated before adding, “I wondered if you were maybe on a date. It was Saturday night, after all.”
    He looked at her, and the connection of their gazes was potent enough to make him look immediately away. It was almost like her touch—wonderful but completely disruptive at the same time. What he couldn’t decide was whether that disruption was good or bad, but he was leaning toward good. Very, very good.
    And that was bad.
    He hadn’t felt an attraction like that since he’d first met Michelle. He didn’t need another Michelle right now.
    That was absurd. Alaina was nothing like Michelle, and he highly doubted there was any sort of potential for a physical connection. She was here for a short time, and they were just