Chapter 4

That "little rest" turned into Lucas setting up camp on my couch for the night.

The next morning, the smell of something brewing woke me up.

I wandered out to the living room and found Lucas already up, wearing the old T-shirt and sweatpants I'd dug out of my dad's closet the night before.

The clothes didn't quite fit. The pants were a little too short, showing off his toned ankles.

He was standing in my open kitchen, taking his sweet time making coffee with my prized pour-over set.

He spotted me and greeted me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Morning." Then he held up the coffee pot with a casual smile. "Hope you don't mind that I borrowed this."

I watched him go through the whole process, grinding the beans, breathing in the aroma, and controlling the water flow with the precision of a trained barista.

Mind? I absolutely minded. I hadn't even used that set more than a handful of times myself.

And how did a guy who showed up at my door looking broke and half-dead from a stomachache know his way around a pour-over like a professional? His whole sob story was falling apart right in front of me.

I was screaming on the inside, but all that came out of my mouth was a flat, unconvincing "Not at all."

He poured me a cup of coffee and handed it over.

I took a sip, and my eyes went wide.

Holy crap. How was he this good? It tasted better than anything I'd ever had from any coffee shop in the city.

He took a sip of his own, furrowed his brow slightly, and delivered his verdict. "The beans are pretty mediocre."

I nearly spit out my coffee.

Mediocre? Those were top-shelf Geisha beans that I'd had a friend bring back from abroad. A single pound cost more than this guy's entire monthly grocery budget, and he had the nerve to be picky?

I forced a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Oh really? I think they're fine."

He didn't say anything else. He just set down his coffee cup and looked at me with the perfect amount of awkwardness and sheepishness.

He said hesitantly, "So, I lost my wallet and phone in the rain yesterday. I can't get home, and I can't reach any of my friends."

Right on cue. Step two of the classic scam playbook.

I took a deep breath and told myself to stay calm. "And?"

His voice got quieter with every word until it was barely a whisper. "Could I maybe crash here for a few days? I'll pay rent once I find a job." That face of his made the whole thing dangerously convincing.

I stared at him, completely torn.

Every rational bone in my body screamed at me to kick him out immediately. I didn't know this guy from Adam, and the whole situation was sketchy as hell.

But he was so ridiculously good-looking that even cooking for him felt like a treat for my eyes. And on top of that, he made incredible coffee.

In the end, my weakness for a pretty face and good food won out over common sense.

I waved my hand, doing my best impression of a generous landlord. "Forget the rent. But you have to earn your keep around here."

He nodded instantly, and his eyes lit up like a golden retriever that had just found a permanent meal ticket. "Deal."

And just like that, my new home came with a "down-on-his-luck hottie" named Lucas.