pose in the altogether without getting goosebumps, love.”
“It’s nearly eighty degrees,” she reminded him heartlessly. The waterfall in the background should turn out very well and add to the primitive beauty of the picture. “If you weren’t so tanned, I’d worry about your getting a sunburn.”
He thought for a while. “Well, then, I think I’m much too modest to pose in the nude.” At her distinctly derisive snort he gave her a sly glance.“First, you ravish my magnificent virile body, and then you make me display my manly beauty for your lascivious pleasure.”
She looked up indignantly. “You speak as if I’m making dirty pictures. This is art!” Then as she met the mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes, she said reprovingly, “Now, if you’ve finally run out of excuses, I’d appreciate it if you’d be still. Getting me hooked again was your idea, and you’re the one who demanded a selection of paintings from which to choose. I’ve got to have a model, haven’t I?” She sighed. “You’re not much, but I guess you’ll have to do.”
“I’d better.” The grin disappeared and he growled. “Because if you think I’m going to let you leer at any other naked man, you can forget it.”
“I do not leer. I’m an artist, not a voyeur.” She scowled. “I’m almost finished. Will you just be still for another ten minutes?”
“Unless I can think of another excuse.”
She would
not
smile at him. The scamp needed only the slightest encouragement and he’d turn on the voltage that melted her resistance like hot wax. She wanted to get this sketch done.
It seemed he was actually going to let her do it, for he was quiet for the next several minutes while her pencil flew over the sketch pad. Strange how close they’d become in such a short time. She was perfectly at ease with Gideon in a thousand ways, both mental and physical. Though perhaps Gideon was right when he said they had had a head start because of the sense of belonging that had been a salient element of their relationship since the very first night together long ago.
How wonderful to have a lover who was also a friend, she thought dreamily. The passion that had seared them with its lovely flame had not precluded the warm glowing embers of companionship. Though an outrageous amount of their time together was spent experimenting with the physical delight they both found so intoxicating, there had still been time for the exploration of thoughts and personality.
“Serena?”
She didn’t look up. “Yes?”
“I’ve come up with another excuse.”
“I thought you would.” She sighed. “What is it this time?”
“I’m horny.”
She glanced up. “So you are,” she said calmly, her lips twitching. “Nice of you to provide me with additional material for my sketch. Of course, to do it justice will take another minute.”
“
One
minute.” He was rising to his feet. “That’s it! I’ve stood all I can from you, wench. First, you use me and then you insult me.” He was beside her, tumbling her to the grass and mounting her supine body with lightning swiftness. He pinned her arms above her head and gazed down at her laughing face with mock ferocity. “I think I’ll have to ask you to reassess your opinion.” He shook his head mournfully. “One minute. You really know how to hurt a guy.”
“Well, maybe, two,” she said grudgingly, trying to stop laughing. It was evident her sketching was finished for the afternoon. Then, as she felt the warm, hard length of him against her belly,her breath caught in her throat. “Yes, definitely two.”
“Thanks,” he said with irony. “But that’s not good enough. I believe drastic action is definitely called for.” His eyes were suddenly dancing with devilment. “Very drastic.” With one lithe movement he was off her, and then she was scooped up into his arms as he rose to his feet.
She clutched wildly at his shoulders. “Gideon, what are you doing?”
“We’re
“It’s nearly eighty degrees,” she reminded him heartlessly. The waterfall in the background should turn out very well and add to the primitive beauty of the picture. “If you weren’t so tanned, I’d worry about your getting a sunburn.”
He thought for a while. “Well, then, I think I’m much too modest to pose in the nude.” At her distinctly derisive snort he gave her a sly glance.“First, you ravish my magnificent virile body, and then you make me display my manly beauty for your lascivious pleasure.”
She looked up indignantly. “You speak as if I’m making dirty pictures. This is art!” Then as she met the mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes, she said reprovingly, “Now, if you’ve finally run out of excuses, I’d appreciate it if you’d be still. Getting me hooked again was your idea, and you’re the one who demanded a selection of paintings from which to choose. I’ve got to have a model, haven’t I?” She sighed. “You’re not much, but I guess you’ll have to do.”
“I’d better.” The grin disappeared and he growled. “Because if you think I’m going to let you leer at any other naked man, you can forget it.”
“I do not leer. I’m an artist, not a voyeur.” She scowled. “I’m almost finished. Will you just be still for another ten minutes?”
“Unless I can think of another excuse.”
She would
not
smile at him. The scamp needed only the slightest encouragement and he’d turn on the voltage that melted her resistance like hot wax. She wanted to get this sketch done.
It seemed he was actually going to let her do it, for he was quiet for the next several minutes while her pencil flew over the sketch pad. Strange how close they’d become in such a short time. She was perfectly at ease with Gideon in a thousand ways, both mental and physical. Though perhaps Gideon was right when he said they had had a head start because of the sense of belonging that had been a salient element of their relationship since the very first night together long ago.
How wonderful to have a lover who was also a friend, she thought dreamily. The passion that had seared them with its lovely flame had not precluded the warm glowing embers of companionship. Though an outrageous amount of their time together was spent experimenting with the physical delight they both found so intoxicating, there had still been time for the exploration of thoughts and personality.
“Serena?”
She didn’t look up. “Yes?”
“I’ve come up with another excuse.”
“I thought you would.” She sighed. “What is it this time?”
“I’m horny.”
She glanced up. “So you are,” she said calmly, her lips twitching. “Nice of you to provide me with additional material for my sketch. Of course, to do it justice will take another minute.”
“
One
minute.” He was rising to his feet. “That’s it! I’ve stood all I can from you, wench. First, you use me and then you insult me.” He was beside her, tumbling her to the grass and mounting her supine body with lightning swiftness. He pinned her arms above her head and gazed down at her laughing face with mock ferocity. “I think I’ll have to ask you to reassess your opinion.” He shook his head mournfully. “One minute. You really know how to hurt a guy.”
“Well, maybe, two,” she said grudgingly, trying to stop laughing. It was evident her sketching was finished for the afternoon. Then, as she felt the warm, hard length of him against her belly,her breath caught in her throat. “Yes, definitely two.”
“Thanks,” he said with irony. “But that’s not good enough. I believe drastic action is definitely called for.” His eyes were suddenly dancing with devilment. “Very drastic.” With one lithe movement he was off her, and then she was scooped up into his arms as he rose to his feet.
She clutched wildly at his shoulders. “Gideon, what are you doing?”
“We’re
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