Tempting the Artist by Sharon C. Cooper

thing to see her work
hanging on gallery walls or in her own home, but to see one of her
paintings displayed in someone else’s home excited her in a way she
hadn’t expected.
    She stood staring at the picture
trying not to zone in on any flaws, but couldn’t stop herself from
thinking she should have used a darker blue. Like most artistic
people, she had yet to look at one of her pieces and not think
about what she could have done differently.
    Feeling rested and excited, she turned
on her heels and almost did a happy dance back to Luke’s bedroom.
He had some explaining to do. She wanted to know when, where, and
how he’d found one of the first paintings she had ever
done.
    *
    Luke wasn’t sure what had awakened
him, but when he opened his eyes, Christina was standing near the
foot of the bed, leaning against one of the bedpost.
    “ I hope you don’t mind, but
I used your shower. And I gave myself a tour of your
place.”
    He lifted his head slightly. His
sleepy gaze raked lazily over her from the thick hair tumbled
around her shoulders to his dress shirt draping her body. He didn’t
have to wonder if she had anything on underneath. He knew her. She
hated clothes. It was a wonder she had bothered to put on anything.
Besides that, he could see her nipples hardened behind the light
material.
    He groaned at that realization and
dropped his head back on the pillow, throwing his forearm over his
eyes. Damn his body for reacting. This woman and her enticing body
were going to be the death of him.
    “ Make yourself at home.” He
wasn’t ready to get up. Actually, he wasn’t ready for her to get up
either. “C’mere. Come back to bed.” He held out his other arm and
heard her soft steps moving closer to the bed. When his hand met a
smooth thigh, he lifted the arm that was covering his eyes and met
her gaze.
    Not needing any encouragement, she
climbed on top of him. When he had asked her to come back to bed,
his intentions were good, but now…
    She squealed when he flipped her onto
her back, her beautiful smile a lot brighter than it had been
earlier.
    “ I hope you’re not in a
hurry to leave. I have big plans for you.” Luke pushed a strand of
hair behind her ear.
    Pulling his face to hers, Christina
kissed him with an intensity that left no doubt to what she wanted
and he was just the person to give it to her. Their tongues tangled
to a familiar rhythm, reminding him of how much he had missed her
taste, missed the feel of her nakedness beneath him. She was right
where she was supposed to be. Right there with him. For months,
Luke had wondered if he would ever have her in his arms again.
Wondered if he would ever get the chance to hold her, touch her,
love on her.
    “ I’ve missed you,” he said
when he lifted his head, caressing her cheek. Her freshly showered
scent swirled around him, awakening the ardor he had only for her.
“You have no idea how I’ve missed you.”
    She placed her hand on his jaw and
stared into his eyes. “Actually, I do. I love you so much. I
promise I never meant to hurt you. Never meant to ruin what we
had.”
    Instead of responding, he covered her
mouth with his, nipping at her lower lip, then the top one. “Sweet.
So sweet,” he mumbled. He slid his hand down the side of her body,
appreciating every curve and dip. No bra. No panties. Easy access.
Just the way he liked it.
    Luke raised up slightly, his elbow
holding his weight as he undid the top two buttons on the shirt she
wore. Though he loved it when she put on his clothes, he loved it
better when she wasn’t wearing anything.
    His hands went lower.
Smoothed, toned skin peeked from behind the twill fabric as he
undid yet another button and slowed. Opening the material, a smile
crept across his lips. “A nose ring and you have your belly-button
pierced … I like.” He fingered the diamond hanging from a gold
stud. He never knew what to expect from his little seductive vixen,
but Christina never disappointed.
    Luke