“Really?” Although Ty knew Imogen was educated and had guessed she was from an upper-middle-class family, he’d never suspected she had an actual trust fund. But he reasoned she had to be living off of something while she was in school. “Then why do you drive that shitty car?”

Imogen laughed. “Just because I can afford a new car doesn’t mean I should buy one. I didn’t know how long I would be in Charlotte, so it seems like a waste of money.”

That made no sense whatsoever to him. “A good car is never a waste of money.”

“It’s just not important to me to have a splashy car with all the bells and whistles. I didn’t even get my driver’s license until I was twenty-three.”

“Why not?”

“I was chicken, and I didn’t need one. I rode the bus, the subway, or grabbed a taxi.” She propped her hands on his chest and smiled up at him. “And I don’t get Lasik surgery because I am not sure I would recognize myself without glasses. I’ve had them so long it’s part of my identity.”

Now, that made sense to him. “I can totally understand that. And you wear your glasses well. You are very beautiful.”

She sighed. “You say that so earnestly. Like you actually mean it.”

He laughed. “I do mean it. Now get up, Engine, and jump in the shower. There are towels under the sink. Come on down to the kitchen when you’re ready and I’ll have a good Southern breakfast ready for you.”

Peeling herself off him, she said, “Is this going to involve gravy?”

“Uh, yeah. You can’t be eating a biscuit without gravy.”

“I’m not entirely sure my backside needs calorie-laden gravy and buttermilk biscuits.”

“Your ass looks amazing, thank you very much. And don’t even go there about calories with me. You’re rail thin and I am sick to death of women who won’t eat. It just sucks the fun out of everything.”

“So does gaining weight,” she pointed out, though she didn’t sound particularly passionate about it.

Ty frowned. “You think I give a shit if a woman has a curve or two? Hell, more for me to play with.”

Imogen smiled. “That’s good to hear, Ty. That’s a healthy attitude. And no, I am not in the business of denying myself foods I enjoy to maintain a completely unrealistic weight goal in order to satisfy society’s ludicrous standards of beauty. I am naturally thin and I try to eat healthy for longevity, but I am not going to turn down cake when it’s offered.”

“Or gravy and biscuits.”

She grinned at him. “Right. And I was just curious how you weighed in on the issue, pun intended, since Nikki starves herself.”