He used to put his heart into his work, and held out his art to the world like exposed nerves. It pulsed with life and hope. Every encouragement brought him life, and every criticism felt like little deaths. But his love of art had always revived him. Until it hadn’t. The thing that brought forth his creative death was when his first love rejected his art, the very core of him, at his debut exhibit in the most public and humiliating way.

He pushed away thoughts of his past. What had happened happened. There was no point in lingering on it. Never again would he make himself so vulnerable that another person could destroy him. When he locked away his heart from love, his art couldn’t survive, because art demanded the same raw vulnerability as love. The dreamer in him that had burned so bright now only existed as a glimmer.

But Seth was happy the way he was. Not pouring too much of himself into anything or anyone kept him safe. He would never go back to living with his heart on his sleeve. It would be foolish to take such a risk. He wasn’t a masochist. Life was fun when he just skimmed the surface. He didn’t need the intense joy that his dream and love had brought. Pretty happy was enough for him.

And his arrangement with Tara was going to fit perfectly into his lifestyle. His lips tipped into a smile. She was such a dynamic woman. He had nothing but respect for her ambitions and single-mindedness. He appreciated her honesty, intelligence, and loyalty. A conversation with her was an adventure—always interesting and often hilarious.

And, God, she was so beautiful that she literally took his breath away. Seth wanted Tara to the point of distraction, but that wasn’t the driving force behind his proposition. It was about the fun and excitement of getting to know her better. He was moving to Paris next month, so he had to make the most of his time with her. And if their dates led to sex, he’d be fucking grateful. Getting to know her body would be another fascinating adventure.

He blew out a calming breath to slow down his suddenly pounding heart and dragged his hands through his hair. He felt a deeper connection with her than any other woman he’d dated, but that didn’t mean this was going to be different from any of his other relationships. She knew he was leaving in a month, and all they’d promised each other were four dates. They had no expectations of this leading anywhere, and knew exactly when it would end. Clear and uncomplicated. It was going to be a fun spring fling for both of them.

Seth packed up his equipment and locked up the restaurant. Since he volunteered to bring a picnic basket, he had to figure out what went in one. His family used to have picnic lunches in the backyard or the park when he and Landon were small. He should’ve paid more attention to what his mom packed for their excursions. He was almost certain his mom packed their favorite sandwiches and a fruit salad. While his brother was a world-class chef, Seth was the opposite of handy in the kitchen. But even he should be able to make sandwiches, right?