“How much homework have you done for Art Class?” he asked.
“Homework? Now?” Amber was incredulous.
“I'm serious, Amber. Ben checks homework on Thursdays. He's fanatic about it being completed on time.”
“Then I'm in trouble,” Amber sighed. “Because all I've managed so far are some sketches of my hand.”
“Then let's get going,” Hunter announced cheerfully. “I'll be your model.”
Chapter 11
Amber followed Hunter into his room with a pounding heart. Surely he was just going to be posing with his clothes on. So why was she sweating and blushing?
Hunter's bare feet padded across the dark wooden floor. For the first time, Amber noticed paint flecks spattered across the broad wood planks. Well, that explained the lack of carpet in his room.
Hunter stopped in front of an easel and clipped on a blank sheet of drawing paper. From a nearby workbench she hadn't noticed before, he opened a drawer and pulled out a box of charcoal pencils. He walked over to a closet and pulled out a large skeleton that hung from a pole.
“Mr. Bones?” Amber said, with a giggle.
“What? Oh, no. This is his cousin, Bob,” Hunter said, trying to frown but not quite succeeding. “I can't believe you would mix them up. You've probably hurt his feelings.”
“My apologies, Bob,” Amber said, trying to keep a straight face. “You're much more handsome than Mr. Bones.”
Hunter unhooked Bob from the pole and placed him on the floor.
Amber watched, amused, as Hunter pulled over some cushions and small boxes and began to drape Bob over them. When he finished, Bob was posing like any other model with two knees sticking up, his skull tilted to the side and arms flung behind his head.
Hunter stepped back, eyed his work, and then approached Bob to make some minor adjustments. When he was finished, he looked back at Amber and winked. “Bob and I have a special relationship,” he said, grinning.
“I see that,” Amber said. “I certainly hope Bob isn't jealous of me,” she added cheekily.
Hunter paused and she watched his eyes light up. “You know, Bob's been wanting to get out into the world and see more things,” he said carefully. “If the right opportunity came up, I think he'd love to take up residence at college. Pal around with his cousin, you know?”
“Sometimes moving out of your comfort zone is a good thing,” Amber said, aware that she was suddenly referring to herself.
Hunter grinned and then turned to the easel, suddenly all business. “Okay, so I want to have a little lesson on proportions with the assistance of Bob. Watch as I use simple shapes to get started. As he spoke he quickly sketched a series of triangles, circles, and rectangles on the page.”
Amber stood close as he held up his pencil at several intervals and then made small markers on the page. Once he was done, he drew thicker lines to make the shapes flow together into the human form. He wasn't drawing the skeleton, but rather an imagined human form.
When Hunter was done, he removed his own drawing. He helped Amber clip her own sketchbook into place and then went back to the workbench to get a timer. “Sketch for ten minutes. I'll let you know when time is up.”
Mimicking his instruction, Amber concentrated on getting shapes drawn in appropriate proportion. A couple of times, Hunter stepped up with a comment or suggestion, but for the most part he allowed her to work in silence. When he called time, he had her switch easels so that she could work from another angle. Finally, he called time again.
“Much better,” he said with approval. “You learn quickly.”
“Thanks,” Amber said shyly. “You are really a good teacher. You know I've been meaning to apologize for what I said about your job,” she added hesitantly. “I was just angry and I didn't mean it.”
“Apology accepted,” Hunter said. He had a wicked look in his eyes. “Now, keep your mind on your art. Bob's a good model, but let's face it, he can be a little stiff.”
“Oh,” Amber said, feeling herself flush.
She watched as Hunter quickly removed his shirt, revealing his lean chest and taut stomach. He threw the shirt carelessly over his head. Then he casually unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped them and pulled them down with one fluid motion. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. His white briefs molded to his body and she realized she was staring. She struggled to pull her gaze back to his face. He paused for a moment and Amber realized that he was muttering something beneath his breath. It took her a few moments to discover he was reciting the multiplication tables. She started for a minute and then swallowed hard. Oh, he was probably trying not to get an erection.
Hmm . . .She hadn't considered that before. Obviously, a male model would have to try to keep sex out of his thoughts in order to pose in front of a large group of people. As Hunter finally yanked down his briefs she saw he was successful, for the moment at least. For his first pose, he simply held both hands out to the side.
Biting her lip, Amber started to draw before her thoughts got away from her. She started with an inverted triangle to capture his wide shoulders and narrow hips. After a few seconds she felt herself relax as she focused on his body simply as a form. He called time and then switched his pose. Finally, he called time and stooped to grab his briefs.
Amber stepped back to look at her work. She thought she had done a good job but she was anxious to see what Hunter thought. When she glanced back at him, he was wearing jeans again and approaching her with a small grin.
But when he looked at the drawing he was professional once more, making suggestions in his serious instructor's voice.
“It would be a lot easier to pay attention if you had your shirt on,” Amber said at last, unable to concentrate with his bare chest inches away.
Hunter reached up and cupped her face. “Was I really the first nude model you've ever seen?” he asked, his eyes intense.
Amber flushed. “I knew you were eavesdropping!”
“Don't get mad, Baby,” Hunter implored. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. “You know, you're the first girl I've ever had in this room. And Bob is a reliable model, but I would love to have a real model to work with for a change.”
Amber swallowed. “I've never . . .um . . .modeled before,” she blurted.
“You don't have to do it,” Hunter said immediately. “Seriously, I don't want you to ever think that I . . .”
Amber cut him off by putting her finger on his lips. “It's okay,” she whispered. “I want to model for you.”
Now Hunter was the one suddenly flushing. “Hold on a second,” he said, “let's do this the right way.” He began pushing her towards his bedroom door. “Go and change into the robe from your bathroom and meet me by my bedroom door.”
In just a few short moment, she heard Hunter firmly shutting the door behind her, leaving her standing there, heart racing.
Amber stood still, amazed that she wanted to do this. She was nervous but excited at the same time. Then, taking a deep breath she walked slowly to her room, glad that Caleb was gone for the evening. In the bathroom, she slowly peeled off her shirt, staring at herself standing there in her jeans and bra. Then she slid out of her jeans and critiqued herself. She had always been slender but now she was surprised to see she was showing way too much bone. No wonder Hunter had been so adamant about feeding her. For the first time she allowed herself to think about how dangerous she had let things get.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. She eased off first her panties and then her bra, making herself stand up straight. Swallowing hard, she practiced a few poses. With all the weight she had loss, she seemed like a bunch of hard edges. Reaching up, she unfastened her hair and let it fall onto her shoulders. There, that was a bit better. At the very least, her soft waves provided a nice contrast. Okay, I can do this, she told herself firmly. With one last glance in the mirror, she pulled on the bathrobe, yanked the belt tightly and headed for Hunter's room.
Chapter 12
>
Amber knocked on the door softly. She tried to ignore her sweaty palms. She thought of Hunter's bare chest and shivered.
When Hunter opened the door, though, he had morphed into his artist role. He was wearing his tee shirt again and his demeanor was purely professional. Giving her a warm smile, he proceeded to outline what he wanted from her.
“I'd like you to do 3 or 4 short poses to warm up with,” he said. “Those can be anything you like. Then I'll have you try some poses for about fifteen minutes. If you need to stretch or can't hold a pose, just let me know.” He paused for a moment, considering her. “Are you sure you still want to do this? I won't hold it against you if you don't.”
Amber nodded. “I want to do it,” she said firmly. “I was even considering asking you to hire me for class.” She gauged his reaction.
Hunter inhaled sharply. “I can't keep you from doing what you want,” he said carefully. “But it would break my heart for you to model for anyone but me.”
Amber grinned. She put out her hand to push Hunter through the door. “Well, let's get cracking then, shall we?”
Inside Hunter's room, Bob the skeleton had disappeared. In his place was a pile of soft cushions and a plain wooden chair. The only other difference was that the air felt a bit warmer. Hunter must have switched off the air conditioning.
Hunter pointed out large, easy to read clocks he had placed around the room. Then he stepped back and stood expectantly behind an easel.
Taking a deep breath, Amber loosened the belt of the robe and then let the entire thing slip to the floor. She couldn't look at Hunter directly so she she turned her head slightly, facing the wall. Then she twisted her torso while raising her arms. She bent her arms at the elbows and then locked her fingers together as though she was resting her head and waited, eyes on the clock. Her discomfort about being nude was soon displaced by the physical needs of her muscles. Standing still was harder than it looked. After four minutes she was glad that she had chosen this as a short pose because she already felt off-balance. As soon as the fifth minute rolled by, she quickly switched positions.
This time she shifted her hips and arched her back. She placed one hand on the hip jutting out and the other on her forehead as though she had a headache. The only thing she heard from Hunter was a furious sound of sketching. When the time came to switch poses again, she was feeling more comfortable. She tried one more standing pose with a hand resting on the back of the chair with one knee placed on the seat. She tilted her head forward so that her hair dangled over her face while she held her other arm as high as she could to lengthen her torso.
Finally, she stopped, unsure what to do next.
“Try a seated pose,” Hunter said, his voice neutral. “Something you can hold for about fifteen minutes.”
Amber considered the chair and then simply sat down on one of the cushions on the floor. Lifting her knees, she clasped them with her arms and let her hair spill down in front of her. This allowed her to comfortably rest her head on her knees. But then she realized she couldn't see the clock. “Can you let me know when time's up?” she called out.
“No problem,” Hunter said.
She could hear the sound of his pencil scratching the paper. Strangely, she felt calm and peaceful. In fact she nearly nodded off to sleep.
“Time!” Hunter announced. “How about a reclining pose?”
Amber sat back and considered. Then she grabbed a cushion to support her back and fell back against that slightly while supporting herself on her elbows. She looked off to one side, staring at one of the clocks. She listened as Hunter continued to sketch. But only a few minutes had passed when she realized she she couldn't hold her neck up any longer.
“I need to move my head,” she said. “I'm getting a cramp.”
Hunter padded over quickly. “Try this,” he said, putting another cushion behind her so that her head was supported. “Just let your head relax and try not to move anything else.”
“Much better,” she said, sinking into the cushion. She fell back into a meditative state as she watched the hands on the clock tick forward. At one point she thought she heard Hunter moving to another spot in the room but she couldn't look.
Finally, Hunter announced time again. For the next few poses, he asked her for specific movements and she obediently shifted her body into position. And then, finally, he announced that she had completed the last pose.
Standing up, she put on her robe, anxious to see the sketches. As she carefully viewed each one, she noted that Hunter was uncharacteristically nervous.
“These are wonderful,” she said, and meant it. He had taken her body and shown it as a piece of art. There was nothing sexual about his drawings. Frankly, she would have been comfortable with them being shown in public.
Hunter heaved a sigh of relief. He smiled as he put away the sketches and neatly stacked the cushions in a corner. But when he was done, he gently pulled her towards the bed.
“The TA is going off duty for the day,” he murmured, drawing her close. “As much as I like drawing you professionally, I'd like to get to know you better on a personal level.”
Amber grinned up at him. “So no timers going off at inappropriate times?” she asked coyly.
Hunter laughed. “I've already put my cell phone in the kitchen for the rest of the evening.” He sighed and pulled her close. “I've been waiting to kiss you ever since you started sketching me tonight.”
“Stop wasting time then,” Amber said, tilting her head up to his.
Hunter bent his head and pressed his lips gently against hers, sending tingles through her whole body. As she responded, his kissing grew more frenzied. He started to pull at her robe and then stopped himself with a groan. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Do you trust me?”
In response, Amber stepped out of the robe, wanting more contact with his body. She pressed against him, feeling aroused by the feel of his rough jeans against her legs and abdomen. “I want you, Hunter Webb,” she said, pulling down his head to stare into his mesmerizing eyes.
Hunter rubbed his rough artist hands over her arms, in her hair, and down her back. Keeping his lips on hers he led her to the bed and gently sat her down. Then he pulled his head back and stared at her.
“If I'm the first nude male you've seen then that means I'm also your first lover.” He stared at her as though waiting for him to contradict his statement.
Amber could only nod shyly, suddenly nervous.
“Don't worry, Baby,” he whispered. “I would never hurt you. We'll take things slow.”
Amber swallowed hard but she was already on fire for him.
Hunter took off his shirt but kept his jeans on. Then he pressed her down onto the bed. Starting with her forehead, he rained tiny soft kisses all the way down her neck, detouring along each arm and leg.
By the time he was finished, Amber was already trembling, her body squirming to touch his. “Not yet, Gorgeous,” he whispered. He ran his fingers along each breast and then bent his head to kiss each one, circling her sensitive nipples.
Beneath him, Amber groaned as the pressure in her groin intensified. She could feel the wetness between her legs and she squirmed, arching her back to get closer to him. She wasn't even thinking now. Her body was acting on its own accord, pressing against the rough jeans, wanting to feel his skin.
Hunter finally pulled away while she lay gasping and slipped off his jeans, revealing his own desire straining against his briefs. Seconds later the briefs were off as well. He reached into a side drawer to remove a condom which he tossed beside her.
Hunter lowered himself beside her again and began kissing her deeply.
Wriggling beneath him, Amber clung to him, desperate to be closer. His warm skin was driving her crazy. As she did, she felt Hunter's hand caressing her check, then slowly sliding down to gently cup her breast. Then tantalizing, the hand slid lower, sinking down until he gently touched her between the legs. The jolt of pleasure caused her to gasp. She felt him m
ove away so that one knee part her legs. His emerald eyes were cloudy with desire and need as he quickly put on the condom.
As he gently lowered himself, he carefully watched her face. “Let me know if I'm hurting you,” he whispered, his breathing jagged.
Beneath him, Amber felt nothing but desire. Hunter's slowness was further building the fire inside her. She strained against him, moaning with want. There was a brief slice of pain and Hunter stopped immediately, but as soon as it passed she thrust her pelvis against his, as intense pleasure soon replaced her discomfort. Only then did Hunter let himself go, rocking against her until they both cried out.
Afterward Amber snuggled in his arms, happy and content. At some point, Hunter got up to bring them snacks. And they talked until Amber noticed that Hunter was aroused again.
“Are you sure, Baby?” he asked, when she moved to kiss him. “You're not too sore from the first time?”
In response, Amber began kissing his chest.
The next morning, the sun was streaming in when Amber awoke to pounding on the door. She looked up to see that it was 6:30.
“Hey Hunter, your damn phone alarm is going off!” Caleb shouted.
Hunter sat upright, looking confused. Then he saw Amber and gave her a huge smile. “Thanks Caleb! Getting in the shower now!” he shouted.
“Good morning,” Amber murmured, stretching in the cool sheets.
“Good morning, Gorgeous,” Hunter said, kissing her forehead. “Guess we better get going.”
He headed for the bathroom, giving Amber a nice view of his retreating backside.
Amber got up and found her robe at the foot of the bed. She was hoping Caleb was in his room but found him sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and watching something on his phone. As quiet as she was, tiptoeing through the living room, he still saw her.
“Good morning!” he said, clearly surprised as his eyes widened. “Guess you two definitely made up.”
Lover's Muse (The Art Models Club) Page 7
