by Silke Ming
Curious
Paint Me Curious Bronze
Little does Seamus Balsam realise he has met his match when he opens his door and finds Summer Knight standing there. There is instant magic between them, and although she has been hired as his housekeeper, sizzling sex-filled days and scorching steamy nights replace household drudgery.
There is however a darker side to Seamus as she soon discovers. Finding out that his wealthy benefactor Fred Podesta and his wife Lana, whom he had known for many years, are both vying for his attention, soon has Summer packing her bags, but with promises of fidelity and undying love, she forgives him. Their passion once again reaches new heights, until another skeleton falls from the closet and she leaves him again, this time for good, she thinks. Not one to give up easily, he pursues her unceasingly, until she relents and gives him another chance.
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 80,110 words
PAINT ME CURIOUS BRONZE
Curious
Silke Ming
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
PAINT ME CURIOUS BRONZE
Copyright © 2014 by Silke Ming
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-082-3
First E-book Publication: January 2014
Cover design by Christine Kirchoff
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
To all my friends who have made this publication possible.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
About the Author
PAINT ME CURIOUS BRONZE
Curious
SILKE MING
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Summer Knight jumped from her yellow beat-up Volkswagen at the kiosk, and with the motor still running, she bought a newspaper and a pack of gum and quickly slipped back behind the wheel. Tossing the newspaper onto the passenger seat, she stuck a piece of the gum in her mouth and sped away after a quick glance over her shoulder. In the small town of Whitney, surrounded by rolling hills, valleys, golf courses, and lakes, the recession had punched the citizens with a mighty blow. Holding a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s in English language meant nothing during these difficult times. It just meant accepting whatever one found available, and hoping that a more suitable opportunity would present itself sometime in the not-too-distant future. It was the difference between eating and not eating. Summer’s situation was the same and she was forced to accept the position of bartender at one of the trendy bars in the town. And so after a long night shift, all she longed for was her bed. Her eyes burned from the lack of sleep and from cigarette smoke. Tired of the unwelcome indecent proposals from intoxicated patrons, she longed to find another position, but each response brought only disappointment.
Today she wished she had somewhere else to go, since she was not in the mood to face her roommates. Three of them, all with varying personalities, were definitely too many, but with the economy the way it was, her choices were very limited. She needed all the money she could muster for the harder days which may lie ahead.
Please let them all be asleep, she prayed as she pulled the car into the parking lot.
She opened the apartment door as quietly as she could, removed her shoes, and walked barefoot into the kitchen.
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath as she saw the mess left behind by her roommates.
She turned on the coffeemaker and searched for a clean mug. Finding none, she washed those left in the sink, all the while cursing under her breath. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee now permeated throughout the apartment, bringing one of her roommates out to join her. Toby sauntered out, his robe hanging open and his blond hair flying in all directions. He presented a very dishevelled figure as he threw himself into the nearest chair.
“Hard night?” she asked.
>
“How was it at the Tree last night?” he asked, referring to the bar called the Palm Tree.
“Same as every Saturday night! The undesirables were all out in full force. My God! I think most of them crawled out from under a rock. How about you? How was your night?” she asked, bringing two hot mugs of coffee to the table.
“I didn’t go in last night. Had a date.”
She picked up the newspaper and threw the sports section in his direction.
“Who was it? Someone I know?”
“Don’t think so. Someone I met at the club. She’s still here,” he whispered.
“She? I thought we had agreed no sleepovers with so many of us living here.”
“Well, I thought I’d break the rules just once before I say good-bye to our living arrangements,” he said, smiling.
“Will she be gone soon?”
“Why?”
“Because I need a long shower and don’t want to be disturbed when I’m in the bathroom.”
“She should be gone in a couple of minutes,” he said, looking back at the bedroom door.
They sipped their coffee while he perused the sports section and she the want ads.
“This could be the chance I was waiting for,” she said.
“What?” asked Toby.
She passed the newspaper to him, and he read it aloud.
Artist seeks live-in assistant, preferably female. Light household chores and a bit of travel, in exchange for boarding and lodging and a moderate salary. For an appointment, please call 666-1766.
“What do you think?” she asked impatiently.
“Household chores? I know you want to get out of here, but this is definitely not for you. In case you didn’t understand what you just read, honey, they are looking for a glorified maid.”
“Is that all you saw? How about no rent to pay, no food to buy, and most of all, what about the travel part of it?”
“What do you have to give in return? There must be a catch.”
“Come on, Toby. Be serious. Tell me what you really think.”
“Actually, if I didn’t already have another job offer, I would compete with you for this one until something better came along, unless of course he’s Jack the Ripper.”
“It says preferably female.”
“Sure he’s not a pervert?”
“Perhaps it’s she. Let’s find out,” she said, picking up her cell phone.
She dialled the number, and it took a while before anyone picked up. A very sleepy voice came on the line, that of a male. She had expected someone older, but the voice was one of a younger man, perhaps a few years older than she was. She gave him a brief bio about herself, and arrangements were made for an interview a week later, at nine thirty in the morning at his home.
“So what does he want from you?” asked Toby.
“He’s an artist. Seamus Balsam. And like the ad says, he’s looking for an assistant, preferably female.”
“I think I’ve heard that name before. Now where did I hear it?” he asked, tapping his fingers on the table.
“I really don’t know.”
“Sure he doesn’t want more than just an assistant?” he asked, raising the index and middle fingers of both hands.
“If he wants more, I wouldn’t know what to do with him, because it has been a very, very long time since I’ve been close to a man.”
“Trying to tell me you’re a virgin again?” Toby asked, laughing loudly.
“I’m sure I am,” she said, balling up a page from the newspaper and throwing it at him.
“Well good luck to you and be careful. I’m leaving on Monday morning, so you’ll have to call me with all the juicy news.”
“Are you leaving so soon? I will really miss you,” she said, walking away to refill her coffee mug.
“Come and visit, but let me know ahead of time.”
His bedroom door opened, and a young woman walked out fully dressed. Summer stared at Toby as the young woman walked up to him and kissed him full on the lips.
“You must be Summer,” said the girl, turning and heading out the door.
“Not a shy one,” said Summer. “How old is she? Fifteen?”
“She just looks young.”
Before she could reply, another door opened and a second roommate entered the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and joined them, and Summer, tired after a long night, excused herself to take a well-deserved shower.
* * * *
Summer looked at her image in the mirror and she liked what she saw. Dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a close-fitting emerald green top, with her hair pulled back tightly in a ponytail, she was ready for the interview. She climbed into the car, pulled her GPS out, and programmed it.
43098 Port Collier Road.
She had never been into that part of town, and after a couple right and left turns she was on the outskirts of the town of Whitney, heading for the rural forested area. As she drove along, she became less confident about the frivolous decision she had made to meet a total stranger in such a deserted area. The two-lane highway suddenly ended, and a narrow gravel road came into view. Her self-confidence ended when the wheels of the car touched the gravel. A truck was flying in her direction, which made her even more nervous. She pulled the steering wheel to the right just in time as the truck, which was swallowing the way, flew by, leaving a trail of dust behind it. It was a completely different world from that of Whitney, with its noise, pollution, traffic jams, and crowds. Instead birds tweeted, wild flowers grew alongside the hedgerows, the air was clean, and the sky was blue. These were things which she never noticed in Whitney. She changed gears and the Volkswagen started an upward climb until it reached the crescent, where she stared out at a breathtaking view. She pulled the car to the curb and climbed out. After scanning the horizon with the body of water in the background, she climbed back into the car and continued her journey. Once again the car descended into a valley, and she could smell the rawness of the ocean and the cool morning breeze on her cheeks. On the left side of the road, she came upon an empty lot and knew she must be close to the venue. Her prospective employer had made reference to an empty lot, and this was the only one she had seen on the way. Driving a little further, it suddenly came into view. A glass structure partially hidden in the middle of a pine forest! Balanced on a series of crossed metal structures, the amazing piece of architecture was supported only by a concrete platform. Giant boulders stood as decorations around the building, but the most surprising thing was the shape of the home. It had been built in the shape of a sailboat. He said it was in the shape of a boat but this she hadn’t expected. Instead of windows, she saw large portholes which afforded the dweller unobstructed views. The house seemed out of place among the many pine trees which surrounded it. It looked like a boat sailing in a forest of green instead of blue water. She turned away from the house and found she was looking straight into the ocean. She kept searching for the driveway, until she came to the next side street, turned to the left, and there it was. A dark-colored SUV was neatly parked in the narrow driveway and she and parked directly behind it. She now felt fearful for her wellbeing. No one besides Toby knew she was making the trip, and at the moment, he was many miles away from Whitney. She knew what she would do. She had either seen it in a movie or read about it in a book. She wrote the name, address, and telephone number of her prospective employer and hid it under the foot mat on the driver’s side of her car.
If I should die, at least they will know who did it.
It was nine twenty-five when she got out of the car. She could not help but stare at the view which was visible from the home, and wonder what kind of a man Seamus Balsam was. Turning around, she now got a closer look at the home. She stared at it. There was no one in sight, and even though the house was made entirely of glass, she realized she couldn’t see inside. Walking up to the door, she rang the bell. After waiting for a moment, she heard footsteps moving quickly toward the entrance.
Wow! Her
heart started to beat faster. He was six feet tall, with reddish-brown hair, eyes the color of the sea, an aquiline nose, and a pair of beautifully sculptured lips. He wore a long cream-colored apron, and from what she could see when he turned around, there was a pair of boxers underneath it.
“Come on in,” he said, his eyes darting to her cleavage. “I’m Seamus Balsam. Arabella has finally understood what I meant. I’m so tired of those flat-chested girls in their puberty that she keeps sending to me.”
“Arabella?” she asked, but he did not hear her.
“A real live Botticelli!” he said, circling her all the while and inspecting her. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-five, and I don’t know anyone called Arabella.”
He stopped and gazed at her.
“Then why are you here?” he asked abruptly.
“I have a nine thirty appointment with you.”
“Are you the young woman who applied for the assistant position?” he asked, staring at her in disbelief.
“Yes, I’m Summer Knight.”
“You don’t look like the type who would apply for the job of housekeeper.”
“Have I lost the job before I even get the interview?”
“Not at all. Please have seat,” he said, moving newspapers off the sofa so she could sit.
The inside of the house was just as interesting as the outside. Glass balconies overlooked the second and third floors. The portholes seemed much larger, and the dividing walls were made of thick cubes of glass. She had expected to see lots of paintings, but the house was minimally decorated. Looking around the living room, which was badly in need of attention, she saw what she believed to be the dining room table. It was covered with old newspapers and other paraphernalia, which totally hid the entire surface. On one of the dividing walls on the second floor, the portrait of an older man seemed to be staring down at her.
