Page 16 of My Twin Sister's Extremely Famous and Incredibly Hot Neighbor

“I’ll show you.” I take his hand, and immediately regret it. Warmth spreads through me as an electric current passes between us. I casually drop his hand after we get into Jera’s parlor. I face the painting I created for her, framed, and mailed to her last Christmas.

The painting was our view out Aunt Helen’s upper patio door in Larkspur. The red rock formations against the backdrop of the Colorado Rockies, the pine trees, and the clear, blue sky made the perfect landscape. I may have painted it, but God was the one who made it beautiful in the first place.

“Holy cow,” Dustin says under his breath. “You painted this?”

I elbow him. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“I don’t think you realize how amazing this is.”

Heat warms my cheeks with the compliment. “Thank you.”

Dustin looks down at me. “My hobbies are lame compared to yours.”

“What are your hobbies?”

“Well, cooking, for one.”

I shake my head. “That’s totally not lame. I’ve tasted your cooking and you’re…” Unable to find the right word, I impulsively kiss my fingers in the universal symbol of a chef’s kiss.

Dustin smiles at that. “Really? That good, huh?”

I realize that could have been taken in a flirty way, and embarrassment floods through me. “Your food is better than most restaurants I’ve tried.”

His eyebrows lift in surprise, and I realize I’m speaking for Jera, who regularly frequents five-star establishments. Oops.

“Really?” He seems excited.

“Honestly,” I say, unable to backtrack. “You floored me yesterday.”

I decide to change the subject. “What other hobbies do you have?”

He gets a funny look on his face. “I do have one other hobby, but I’m not going to tell you what it is.”

I scoff. “Why? Is it illegal?”

He laughs. “No.”

“Then why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“It’s…embarrassing.” He shifts so he’s standing directly in front of me. I can feel the heat coming off his skin. It’s making my insides do funny things.

“How embarrassing can a hobby be? So, you collect stamps. Big deal. You write stories. Who cares? Thereisno embarrassing hobby.”

He raises one eyebrow in a challenge. “I knit.”

I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing at him. He’s totally serious, I can tell. “That’s not embarrassing,” I say, trying not to picture this big, brawny man in front of me knitting some baby booties.

Dustin shifts and stares at me, his gaze penetrating through me. “You’re trying so hard not to laugh right now.”

It’s a struggle, but I manage to keep a straight face. “Am not.”

“Liar.” He leans down so his face is only inches from mine. My pulse jumps. The urge to laugh dissipates as the mood shifts. My gaze dips to his lips and I swallow, desperately trying to remember why I can’t have a relationship with this man.

Jera. That’s why I can’t. I playfully push him away from me and force a laugh. “You’re totally playing me. You don’t knit.”

He doesn’t laugh with me. “I do.”

“Oh.” I shrug. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

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