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At some point they needed to have a discussion about their past Big stuff had gone down and it couldn't be ignored forever But it was too soon

She was like a skittish horse, always on the verge of running Fortunately, Ty wasto be the Julie whisperer

To say that she was nervous as she walked down the long flight of dimly lit stairs was an understatement What if Ty was some kind of freak like Picasso and had filled the walls with all sorts of S and M pictures? What if he had S and M equipment down there? Julie wasn't sure what that entailed, but she was guessing that whips and chains and leather clothing with holes cut out in various places weren't too far off the mark

She shivered She should be horrified at the thought of Ty being into S and M So as she helplessly titillated by the thought of putting leather on for hi tied to a bedpost while he watched?

Ty flicked the lights on, and Julie gasped in shock

Warm, dark wood shelves surrounded the room and the thick leather-bound volumes seemed to be orn, their spines creased as if they'd been read ti artwork by Ias, Renoir She knew the difference between a print and an original canvas, and Ty's paintings were the real thing She couldn't contain her wonder

"Is that really a Rodin?"

He nodded and she so treasures to look at

Ty No one had ever surprised her so much before She didn't knohat to think, what to say

"This sculpture ishis fingertips over one ballet slipper of the two-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a ballerina

Where Julie had expected to see s else entirely: awe

Her traitorous heart leaped within her chest and it took everything Julie had to quell the beast inside her that wanted to love Ty again

No, no, no!

Just because she was is he possessed didn't mean she was impressed with his? Or had a designer told hiuests?

She shook her head If that had been the case, he wouldn't have so e room as well His den bore the stamp of a man who knew exactly what he liked

She didn't like feeling as if she'd just found a piece that couldn't possibly fit the puzzle she had already completed She didn't like to think that Ty could have another side or, God forbid, depth

She s, the other sculptures

"Aren't you afraid your friends will ruin these during one of your parties?" She winced at her tone She hadn'ther off balance all day "What II'd want to keep it all to myself"

He re to look at the

beautiful piece up close, which hly inadvisable move

Ty waited to respond until she was merely inches away "My friends have never been down here No one else has ever been down here"

She frowned "What are you talking about? You brought me"

He sht out of her body

"I know," he said, and she swore to God that her knees eak Pathetic

She took a step back and then another, until she backed up into the lushest, softest crimson sofa in all creation Even the furniture in this roo she'd always liked clean, contemporary lines She sat down and closed her eyes in appreciation No seat had ever felt this good, had ever cradled her better

Lord, things were far worse than she'd thought-- she wasn't just falling for his art, she was getting a thing for his couch too!

"Coainst the bookshelves, his muscular, tanned arms crossed across his chest

He looked like a lion in the heart of his lair, surveying all that was his with deep, unated pleasure Would he stroke her as reverently as he had the Rodin? Would he look at her with the same kind of wonder that he did his Monet?

Thankfully, the voice of self-preservation told her to reach into her briefcase for her "serious businesswoe reversal

Thereby getting her the hell out of his house in one piece

Preferably with all of her clothes intact