"Yeah, you mentioned buying me supplies."

Seth tilted his head, reaching out to gently take my empty glass. "No, Ms. Starling. I mean anything."

The base of my neck warmed at his words. "I don't understand, what else could I need besides paints?"

Tapping a finger around the rim of the glass, Seth narrowed his cobalt eyes and laughed. "For starters, food. On top of that, as I said, I'm willing to let Corbin escort you back and forth. However..." He trailed off, his gaze moving back up to the hall. "There's a few spare rooms here. I'm more than happy to allow you to stay until this mural is complete."

"Stay here?" The idea was exciting. I'd never been in a mansion, staying here would be like a vacation. I'd have access to a pool, privacy, and I was sure the food would be amazing, if the wine was any hint.

I also felt the rumble of my nerves.

Everything here is so expensive, what if I break something?

And could I handle sleeping here, knowing an intimidating, far-too-sexy-guy like Seth Hart was nearby? Just imagining him under the same roof was a bit much.

"I... I'm not sure if I'll stay," I mumbled.

"It's fine," he said, lifting a hand to calm me. It didn't help, my heart still raced. "For now, let's just get the paperwork signed. You're free to come and go. I'll outline in the contract what areas of my home you can peruse at your leisure."

The way he implied that I wasn't allowed in every room made me shoot a curious glance at that gold door over his shoulder.

"Shall we, then?" His sharp cheek bones stood out when he smiled.

"Sure," I said, trying to focus on him. "Let's do this."

Once more he gave me his hand, and once more, I took it.

This time, I knew it would be impossible not to notice how clammy my skin was.

Or how I was trembling.

- Chapter Four -.

Naomi.

The contract ended up being far more in depth than I expected.

A stack of papers, thick as my wrist, outlined everything from liability, to timeline, to rules of the house. Flipping through it, I gave it a once over before simply staring at Seth. "Is this really necessary?"

"I have a very private life, Ms. Starling. I need you to understand what you can, and cannot, do while you are here." He folded his hands together, watching me over them as he sat behind his grand desk.

We had relocated to his study for the contract signing, a room entirely too dark for my taste. On the walls, I saw placards and awards. I also couldn't help but notice a few bare sections. Recently bare, I felt, and wondered if some of my art from the gallery was meant to hang there.

"That's fine and all, Seth, but this is just so much! Is there a break down, a summary? Just tell me the basics that would keep me from getting the letter of admission I need." I heard my own frustration.

Had my false professional aura already cracked?

"I need you to read it all. But, if you want the basics, fine." He lifted a hand, ticking off on his fingers as he spoke. "You can come and go as you please, but you're not allowed to bring anyone here without my permission. Eat any of the food in the fridge, but do not order takeout. If you need anything else, just tell Corbin, he can get it for you. Don't go in my bedroom, it's the master room on the first floor. Don't take any photos, none of that social networking is tolerated here."

The idea of him getting angry because his mansion ended up on Pinterest almost broke my composure. Lifting an eyebrow, I fought to keep the sarcasm from my voice. "Is that all?"

"No," he returned my tone, "But you know the rest."

"I can go in the yard?" I asked. When he nodded, I went on. "And the bedrooms along this corridor where I'm painting?" Again, he nodded. "Alright. So it's just that gold door that you want me to stay away from."

Seth's eyes melted from blue to black. "Forget it even exists, Ms. Starling. No matter what you see."

No matter what I see? Was he trying to make me mad with curiosity?

"Could you give me some leeway? I just want to know where it goes, why can't I know?"

"Because it's a rule," he said slowly, deliberately. His eyes met mine, hard as marble. It was a struggle not to buckle under his intensity. "Can you follow rules, Ms. Starling?"

"Of course." I sighed, trying to ease the mood with a gentle smile. "You can call me Naomi, you know."

"I prefer Ms. Starling. Now, please, sign." He slid the contract closer to me.

The restrictions weren't terrible, they just felt a little out of place. Why was he being so secretive? I mean, I thought to myself, No takeout? Was the pizza guy going to spill the beans about Seth's home? Who would care?

I ran my eyes over the page that explained what I would be given; food, a lavish bedroom, the letter of recommendation. He had also, strangely, given me access to a wardrobe of clothing.

Why he had a collection of women's clothing, I had no clue.

It seems like an amazing deal. Why do I get this strange feeling there's something insidious going on here?

If I was going to back down, this was the moment. Standing, leaving, maybe watching Seth's confidence crack as I told him I was no longer interested... all of that rippled through my mind.

Everything came back to the college.

I'd struggled for years, gone through so much.

It's the only chance I have.

I wasn't disillusioned enough to think three rejection letters wasn't a pattern.

Crushing the pen, I scrawled my name and slid everything back to him. A new, thicker knot grew in my belly as I officially agreed to the situation.

"Well done," he said, signing as well. "I'll get you a copy later. For now, let me show you what you have to work with."

Seth brought me to a closet in the hallway, revealing the contents. It was full of every sort of paint brush, every color I could ever need. The supplies were high quality, I knew it all cost a fortune.

It was a painter's dream, and my grin crossed ear to ear.

"But," I asked, walking to the long stretch of white wall, brushing my fingers over it lightly. "What do you want me to paint?"

"Whatever you'd like." He shrugged. "I've loved everything you've painted that I've seen, I trust you to make the right choice. It's you that I want." His smirk turned my throat into a barren wasteland.

Then, I noticed how close he was. The hall was tight, the railing inclining people to naturally stand near the wall. Seth stood over me, his face sharp as a knife in the deep shadows.

In my ears, my heart was deafening, smothering my voice. "What do you mean, you want me?"

"Your skill," he whispered, eyes rich and heated. "What you can do, how you do it, that's what I'm after. Nothing you create could be wrong, because you made it, Ms. Starling."

Could he hear my rapid breathing, or smell my fear?

What is this, what does he mean?

Seth leaned back, erasing the magnetic pressure in a snap. He was closed off all over again. "Now, I have some things to take care of. If you need anything, just come find me. Barring that, call Corbin, you should have his number from when he texted you this morning."

On perfectly shined shoes, Seth turned, silently trudging down the stairs. I watched him go, only starting to control my pulse when I was sure he was out of earshot.

Slumping against the cool wall, one hand clutched the front of my shirt. My laugh was weak and strained. Seth had cornered me without me seeing it happen. He'd hovered over me, stealing my awareness until I had focused on nothing but him.

I'd known he was intense, but this...

What have I gotten myself into?

It was evening before I decided to take a break.

I'd spent most of my time plotting out the general layout for the painting, then it was down to the slow process of prepping the wall. The section was long, it took me several steps to go from one end to the next.

The left part ended at the staircase, the right connected with an archway that opened into other rooms, including my closet of paints, and the guest area I'd been offered.

Wiping my forehead, I tested my sore muscles. I craved a shower, was I was allowed to use the facilities here? Seth has the contract, I don't have a copy still, hmn.

Frowning, I decided it would be safer to find him and ask, instead of risking upsetting him.

Wandering down the stairs, I passed by the gold door. Absently, I slowed down to stare at it. I surveyed the entrance room. There's no one here, is there? Would he know if I peeked?

I chewed the inside of my cheek. The temptation was pulling at me, made worse by the demand that I not go inside. I wasn't the kind of person who broke the rules.

I had the power to resist temptation.

Think of the letter.

Finally, I slumped my shoulders and forced myself to walk into the kitchen. I'm not ready to risk losing my chance at CCAD for something so dumb.

Unsure where to find anything, I peered into the fridge, looking for water. I spotted a tray of glistening, chocolate covered strawberries. They made my stomach tight, reminding me I hadn't had lunch or dinner.

Ugh, can I eat those? I can't recall any of the rules, where is Seth?

Wanting to make an effort, I prowled the house. It was a futile search, I discovered nothing but more rooms and more books. After strolling blankly down some halls, I returned to the kitchen and peered out the large glass doors.

The yard was dim, night starting to creep in. The lights in the trees, sparkling on silvery strings, gave everything a pretty glow. The pool, especially, was beautiful. It muted my hunger, reminding me instead about my sweat and filth.

Pulling out my cellphone, I dialed Corbin.

"Hello?" His voice was polite, precise.

"Hey, this is Naomi. Listen, I can't find Seth and I have a question. Is it alright if I use the pool here?"

"Of course, Mr. Hart instructed me to inform you, in this potential scenario, that there are bathing suites in the closet in the first guest room upstairs. Anything else?"

"Yes." I turned, eyeballing over my shoulder. "Are these strawberries up for grabs?"

Sometime later, I was soaking in the delightfully warm water of the pool.

The air was fragrant, I could hear insects chirping. My elbows were propped up on the smooth stone around the edge; my lower body, clad in a teal bikini from the closet, was submerged.

The sensation of the crystal water was melting my knotted muscles. I'd had a pool when I was younger, but it had been years since I'd gotten to indulge like this.

Gleefully, I reached into the mostly empty tray, plucking up another strawberry. They had been dipped in various chocolates; I'd eaten the dark ones, first.

Chewing thoughtfully, I kicked my feet and sighed. Alright, this is pretty nice.

"Enjoying yourself?"

I painfully swallowed the chunk of food I had come close to choking on.

There, standing in the open doorway of the kitchen, was Seth.

He wore a tight tank-top that did nothing to hide the row of abdominals cascading down to his lower stomach. His long, navy shorts exposed his crafted calves where he leaned.

After only seeing him in fancy outfits, I couldn't help but stare.

The fact I could see his arms, his defined shoulders where they shone in the outdoor tree-bulbs, wasn't helping.

"Uh, hey," I said nervously, setting the fruit back down. "I asked Corbin if it was okay."

He smiled, his eyes hidden by the back lighting from the kitchen. "Oh, it's fine. I know. I can't blame you, the pool is very relaxing. Mind if I join?"

I wasn't sure if I did, or didn't, want him in the pool with me. Sinking lower, letting my arms dip into the water, I calmed my voice. "It's your pool."

His grin was a bit toothy, his movements graceful as he shut the doors and approached. Watching him move, I was reminded of how he had called my own motions 'beautiful' at the gallery. Compared to his natural grace, I was a damn klutz.

I wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence.

And then he took his shirt off.