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"That's your art." He stowed her suitcase carefully in his helicopter. "It's a vocation, not maintenance." He said it with complete sincerity, despite the fun he'd made of all her barrels.
A vocation. Not junk. No guy she'd ever been attracted to had felt that way about what she did.
"Okay." He dusted off his hands. "We'll take the helicopter, and the guys can meet us."
The helicopter. It was hard to hold back a wow. Or to ignore just how badly she wanted to experience flying in a helicopter. But she needed to make sure she could come and go freely from his property while she was working on the chariot and horses. "That sounds like fun, but I need to drive my truck."
Sebastian eyed her dusty truck beside the garage. "You're free to use one of mine."
"You have a truck too?" Until now, she'd managed to be cool about his wealth--and everything he was offering her--but the question came out before she could stop it.
He simply grinned and said, "What can I say? I've liked playing with them since I was a kid. And honestly, I'd feel better having you drive something more reliable."
She looked at the dirt barely holding her truck together. He had a good point. Still, she was wary about agreeing to anything too quickly. Not when she'd been so careful to make sure she could easily take care of herself without depending on a man.
"No strings, Charlie," he reminded her in a soft voice.
She believed him. But what about the strings she might want to tie on at some point in the future? What if she fell for him? What if she let herself believe in him the way he seemed to believe in her already?
Don't borrow trouble, honey. It was something her mother had said to her more than once when they were taking care of her father, and then again when she had to move into the nursing home. Just try to appreciate the good things we already have.
"Thanks, I'd appreciate the loaner," she finally said, giving him a smile to let him know she truly meant it.
"Then we're ready to go." He circled his arm above his head, and a beat later, the helicopter's rotor blades started to whirl.
Sebastian held out his hand, offering her the adventure of a lifetime. Days spent with a billionaire and all his toys. A six-figure commission. Entree into a glittering world of future art patrons.
There would also be pressure. Pressure to create. Pressure to fit in. And plenty of time to wonder if in the long run Sebastian might not be quite as charmed by her menagerie or her very unique quirks as he seemed to be right now...
No. She wouldn't let herself borrow any more trouble. She couldn't let this chance slip through her fingers just because she was afraid to step into shoes she'd never worn before.
Reminding herself that this was the life any artist in her right mind would die for, Charlie put her hand in his and let him sweep her away.
*
Half an hour later, Sebastian brought Charlie's suitcase into the guest bungalow. She'd filled almost an entire semi with her equipment, but she had only one small suitcase.
Sebastian couldn't begin to describe how attractive that was. Not that she needed any help in that department, given that he'd been seriously hard-pressed not to kiss her at least a hundred times this morning.
"I hope you'll be comfortable here."
"Comfortable?" She turned in a circle. "Look at this place. It's huge."
There were four bedrooms that he'd equipped with flat-panel TVs, stereos, game consoles, and computers. The bathrooms all had a large jet tub, sauna, and rain shower. Sliding glass doors opened onto a deck and hot tub. And the kitchen was fully stocked with top-of-the-line appliances.
"I can't stay here for free. I have to pay you rent."
He'd be damned if he took a dollar from her. "I'm providing accommodations so that you're at your best when you're creating. Room and board is part of our deal."
"I don't remember this being part of the deal." She waved a hand. "All the luxury. A brand new truck at my disposal. Helicopter rides."
But he'd seen how much she'd enjoyed it, the way she'd been glued to the window when the pilot had flown them out over the Bay. Once upon a time he'd been floored by the view from above too, but these past few years he was always in a hurry just to get where he was going. Today, however, he'd reveled in her excitement and appreciation.
Thinking how much he'd appreciated the view--and her too--he said, "My truck is safer, this guest cottage is closer to the big workshop here, and the helicopter is easier and faster than sitting in traffic."
"I get all that, but you know it's not what I meant. It's just too much, Sebastian. Too much for some artist that you've hired to build a sculpture for your office building."
She was right about so many things, so flawless in her vision for her sculptures. But she was wrong about this. Nothing was too much for her. And soon, he'd make sure she knew that she deserved everything that would be hers once the rest of the art world finally discovered her incredible talent.
