by Davis, Dee
Honestly, she wanted to scream. “Well?” she demanded, forcing her voice to remain calm and steady.
"Of course I'll sketch you," he said. He met her eyes, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. "In fact, at the moment I can think of only one thing I'd like to do more."
"Oh." She knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help herself. "What's that?"
One beat, then another. Her heart pounded in her chest, the rhythm so intense she was certain everyone in the bar could hear it.
And then, just when she was certain he wasn't going to answer, he traced the curve of her cheekbone with his thumb, then leaned close. She closed her eyes as his lips brushed her hair, and his voice was a whisper against her ear, sending shivers trilling down her spine. "The only thing I want more than to sketch you," he murmured, "is to paint you."
Lila exhaled, her eyes still closed, her body burning from the remnants of his breath caressing her skin. That hadn't been the response she'd expected. But somehow his words were all the more erotic, holding a promise of things more decadent and revealing than mere sex.
"Shall I?" he asked.
And then, opening her eyes to look at him, she nodded.
He grinned and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket to produce a stick of charcoal.
She lifted an eyebrow and he shrugged. "Accountants carry calculators," he said. "It's not that surprising."
"Do you have a pad in there, too?"
He drew the napkin closer. "No need. Now sit quietly," he directed. "And watch me."
He cupped her face, tilting her head just slightly, then urged her hand up until she found herself resting her chin on her fist, watching him from this posed position. And watching the image of herself come to life on the tiny cocktail napkin.
He started with a sweep of the charcoal. One line that seemed to have no connection to her at all. No connection, that is, except for the smoldering way that he looked at her. A smoky gaze that seemed reflected in the smudged charcoal image emerging on the paper.
The curve of her jaw. Then the line of her neck. A flick of his wrist and the tendrils of her hair seemed to materialize from so many lines on the paper. And then, most miraculously of all, he caught the expression in her eyes. And, seeing that, she knew that he could never doubt that she'd agree to be painted. Because her expression was rapturous. And she knew the truth of what he'd sketched. Because with every piercing look—with every sure stroke of the charcoal—Lila realized that she couldn't walk away without letting him paint her. His scrutiny made her feel both alive and unique. And even if she never did another bit of modeling, the portrait he'd create would fulfill her fantasies. More, Nicholas Velnias would be giving her the chance at immortality. And, really, what girl could say no to that?
Check out these books by Dee Davis:
Romantic Suspense:
Last Chance Series:
Endgame
Enigma
Exposure
Liar’s Game Series (coming in 2014):
Eye Of The Storm
Chain Reaction
Still of the Night
Women’s Fiction:
The Matchmaker Chronicles:
A Match Made on Madison
Set Up In SoHo
Paranormal:
Time Travel Trilogy:
Everything In Its Time
Wild Highland Rose
The Promise
Devil May Care Series:
Hell Fire
Hell’s Fury
About Dee Davis
Bestselling author Dee Davis worked in association management before turning her hand to writing. Her highly acclaimed first novel, Everything In Its Time, was published in July 2000. Since then, among others, she's won the Booksellers Best, Golden Leaf, Texas Gold and Prism awards, and been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Holt and three RT Reviewers Choice Awards. To date, she is the author of twenty-two books and five novellas. When not sitting at the computer, Dee spends time in her 1802 farmhouse with her husband and cardigan welsh corgi.
Visit Dee at http://www.deedavis.com or catch up with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/deedavis1 or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/deesdavis
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Photo: Marti Corn
