skimming her brush over an area already filled with a different color. But for once, a mistake didn’t matter. She noticed her arm shaking as she faced him. “W-what did you say?”
“I said, I think you’re special, too.” His scowl conflicted with what he said. Was it so difficult for him to speak those words?
Chloe’s pulse thundered in her ears, making her wonder if she’d heard him correctly. “You do?” Again she bit her lip, but this time, she did so to keep the smile from her face. Bracing herself, she struggled against the joy urging her to run into his arms.
He was next to her before she could take another breath. “You heard me.”
She couldn’t suppress her grin any longer. Leaning against him, she saw the confirmation of his words lighting his eyes. “When did that happen?”
“Dunno.”
“Well, I dunno either.” Figures. Just when she had him opening up, he reverted to one-word answers. “So what do we do now?”
His mouth drew closer to hers and she held her breath, waiting for him to kiss her. Looking at his lips, she parted hers and waited. Please, oh please. Kiss me.
She was lucky he held onto her when he pulled away or she might have fallen over. Shaken, she searched for an answer in his stoic expression. Finding none, she lowered her gaze to the wet line of paint marring his shirt.
“Oops. I think my brush slipped. I can try to get the paint out if you want.”
“Chloe?”
“Yeah?”
“Get back to your painting.”
No. Her refusal stayed in her mind, never saying it out loud. “Are you sure?”
Didn’t he want her as much as she wanted him?
“Yeah.” His intensity tore into her.
She quivered with delight. He does want me.
“Work now.” His eyes flashed with unconcealed heat. “Play later.”
Two hours later, she was still working. But Conan didn’t care. He’d settled back, content to watch the emotions mixing with the ever-present concentration she gave her work. Neither one of them had spoken since they’d admitted their feelings and he couldn’t imagine disturbing her. Had, in fact, enjoyed the easy silence between them. The sun had worked its way across the sky, and although the area was partly shaded, the heat of the day filtered into him, making the cool water next to her all the more enticing.
Chloe wiped her neck with a rag, then lowered her brush and sent Conan a soft smile, a contented smile. “Would you like to take a peek? I mean, it’s not finished, but it’ll give you an idea.” She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow in a playful manner. “But you have to promise not to try and take it from me.”
He liked her spunk and her humor. Still, when she turned the painting around for him to see, he had to resist the urge to ask to keep it. She’d captured the idyllic scene around them better than he could have imagined. The blue of the water was perfect, and somehow she’d managed to take the soft haze of the waterfall’s spray and place it on the blank canvas. She’d even included the path of moss-covered rocks that led from the water’s edge inward to the small patch of exposed land in the center of the blue pool. The green of the surrounding forest wasn’t complete, but he could tell that once her work was finished, the painting would be even more amazing.
“Exquisite.”
A pleased expression brightened her face, and the corners of her mouth tipped higher. “Wow. Coming from anyone, but especially from an art connoisseur like you, that means a lot.”
“I’m not joking, Chloe. It’s incredible.”
Her blush was intoxicating. She tucked her head and answered in a tone too soft for human ears to hear. But he heard her.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Standing and stretching, he nodded toward the water. “Follow me.” He didn’t bother removing his shoes, but stepped on the first rock in the stone path serving as a bridge to the center island. Taking the rocks two at a time, he jumped the final yard onto the
“I said, I think you’re special, too.” His scowl conflicted with what he said. Was it so difficult for him to speak those words?
Chloe’s pulse thundered in her ears, making her wonder if she’d heard him correctly. “You do?” Again she bit her lip, but this time, she did so to keep the smile from her face. Bracing herself, she struggled against the joy urging her to run into his arms.
He was next to her before she could take another breath. “You heard me.”
She couldn’t suppress her grin any longer. Leaning against him, she saw the confirmation of his words lighting his eyes. “When did that happen?”
“Dunno.”
“Well, I dunno either.” Figures. Just when she had him opening up, he reverted to one-word answers. “So what do we do now?”
His mouth drew closer to hers and she held her breath, waiting for him to kiss her. Looking at his lips, she parted hers and waited. Please, oh please. Kiss me.
She was lucky he held onto her when he pulled away or she might have fallen over. Shaken, she searched for an answer in his stoic expression. Finding none, she lowered her gaze to the wet line of paint marring his shirt.
“Oops. I think my brush slipped. I can try to get the paint out if you want.”
“Chloe?”
“Yeah?”
“Get back to your painting.”
No. Her refusal stayed in her mind, never saying it out loud. “Are you sure?”
Didn’t he want her as much as she wanted him?
“Yeah.” His intensity tore into her.
She quivered with delight. He does want me.
“Work now.” His eyes flashed with unconcealed heat. “Play later.”
Two hours later, she was still working. But Conan didn’t care. He’d settled back, content to watch the emotions mixing with the ever-present concentration she gave her work. Neither one of them had spoken since they’d admitted their feelings and he couldn’t imagine disturbing her. Had, in fact, enjoyed the easy silence between them. The sun had worked its way across the sky, and although the area was partly shaded, the heat of the day filtered into him, making the cool water next to her all the more enticing.
Chloe wiped her neck with a rag, then lowered her brush and sent Conan a soft smile, a contented smile. “Would you like to take a peek? I mean, it’s not finished, but it’ll give you an idea.” She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow in a playful manner. “But you have to promise not to try and take it from me.”
He liked her spunk and her humor. Still, when she turned the painting around for him to see, he had to resist the urge to ask to keep it. She’d captured the idyllic scene around them better than he could have imagined. The blue of the water was perfect, and somehow she’d managed to take the soft haze of the waterfall’s spray and place it on the blank canvas. She’d even included the path of moss-covered rocks that led from the water’s edge inward to the small patch of exposed land in the center of the blue pool. The green of the surrounding forest wasn’t complete, but he could tell that once her work was finished, the painting would be even more amazing.
“Exquisite.”
A pleased expression brightened her face, and the corners of her mouth tipped higher. “Wow. Coming from anyone, but especially from an art connoisseur like you, that means a lot.”
“I’m not joking, Chloe. It’s incredible.”
Her blush was intoxicating. She tucked her head and answered in a tone too soft for human ears to hear. But he heard her.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Standing and stretching, he nodded toward the water. “Follow me.” He didn’t bother removing his shoes, but stepped on the first rock in the stone path serving as a bridge to the center island. Taking the rocks two at a time, he jumped the final yard onto the
Similar Books
