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I change strategies. “Look, Jackson. We can negate this lease with no penalties. Besides, this place needs a lot of work; there are crooked paint lines and everything.”

“I’m aware. It may not be perfect. A little rough around the edges in some places, but I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. It’s perfect to me,” Jackson says, looking straight into my eyes.

I don’t justify his double meaning with recognition; I stick to my stance more firmly. “No. You can’t be here, in my space.”

“Legally … it’s our space? For the next 365 days, I have the right to call this space my own as well, and I am going to like it, living here, with you.”

“We are not living together. Don’t get any ideas.”

“Technically, we share an address, separated by a single letter, 301A and 301B. Easily confused by the mailman as the same. We could carpool at times, good for the environment and all.”

I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “Carpool, really? To where, work? The job you kicked me out of?”

“I didn’t kick⁠—”

Holding up my hand to stop him, I say, “Save it, I don’t want to rehash last night’s conversation.”

“You mean interrogation?” Jackson counters.

I shrug. “Tomato, tomahto.”

Jackson reaches behind his back, rubbing his neck, which pulls his shirt up slightly, putting his impressive physique on display. Before my eyes take over, wandering the shape of his body I know so well, a scent hits me, peppermint. My body instantly recoils, unable to stomach the scent I loved so much. Grabbing the brim of my hat and pulling it down firmly over my face, I take a step back.

“Fine, if you won’t leave willingly, I will look for an alternative solution. Until then, there are some tenant ground rules I think we should establish.”

Jackson motions for me to continue.

“Firstly, you park on the right side of the garage and on the driveway. There is space for your car. Do not step over to my side.” I reach into my pocket and hand him the garage door opener I brought out.

He reaches for the device, leaving a feather-light touch over the back of my hand, grazing my knuckles, creating a gentle flutter of awareness at every bare patch of skin he touches.

Pulling back, feeling burned instead of caressed, I continue on. “I will park in the driveway. You are allowed one car in the driveway in addition to the car in the garage. Please ensure any … guests that you have do not block me in.”

“Why aren’t you parking in the garage? You hate getting into a cold car.”

Jackson fucking Mercer, never missing anything. On days at the office when it snowed while he was working, he always made sure to scrape my windshield for me, so I never had to get my hands cold. The one weekend he had to go back to Portland, he bought me an extra-large mitt to cover the scraper.

“That is none of your concern. However, if you must know, my tools needed somewhere to go, so I moved them to my side of the garage.”

“That’s fine; you take my spot, and I will park in the driveway.”

Rage floods my veins at his offer. “No. You are adamant that we uphold the lease. The lease says you get a garage spot. If we break that clause, it leaves the rest up for negotiation, don’t you think? On second thought, yes, give up your garage spot.”

That moves him to silence, snapping his mouth shut and tensing his perfectly chiseled jaw.

Jackson is quiet for a moment before his lips twitch slightly. Not quite a grin, but a beat of happiness he can’t quite hide. Then he clears his throat, and the accent arrives.

“Anything else, my dear Proprietress?”

Jackass. He unfortunately knows I have a weakness for Regency romance stories.

A role he was always willing to jump into, grabbing my favorite romance novels and reading them aloud in his smooth baritone voice. I would curl against his side, head on his chest, while he absentmindedly played with my hair. My mind instantly goes back to our night reading The Duke’s Forbidden Vow.

I clear my throat, shaking off the memory.

“Yes, the walls are thin. I would appreciate if you kept quiet hours starting after 4:00 p.m. and waited until 9:00 a.m.” I pause, adding, “Make sure to tell any guests you have that. And I am sure you saw in the agreement that if someone stays more than five consecutive days, they need to be added, and vetted, to the lease.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Jackson confidently states.