ROMAN (Lane Brothers Book 5) Read online

  I start laughing, hard, when I realize I’m about to tell him that his choice of décor is one-dimensional. Oh my God, I must be a color snob or something to think that I can judge a person of their color preferences. The irony, something I’ve learned a lot about lately, makes me bust a gut hard enough that by the time I stop laughing he’s looking at me curiously.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just that I was about to tell you that your colors are one dimensional, and…I can’t believe I’d ever say that to anyone after the criticism I get for my choices.”

  His lips twitch a little, and I smile back, feeling the tension drain away to be replaced by need and anticipation.

  An easel and clean canvas sit a few feet from the foot of the bed, the stool lined in padded velvet that I am strangely grateful for. An artist’s ass takes as much of a beating as the arms do, you know.

  “Right. I’m going to go take a shower while you get naked and get your supplies ready. I’ll be out in a moment.”

  “You want me to paint you? Now?”

  We’re in the bedroom, for goodness’s sake. He’s just spent an agonizing few minutes getting me wet and aroused, and he wants me to paint him?

  A small smile curves his mouth, and he nods, patiently.

  “Now.”

  “Naked?”

  I croak the question and feel my eyes bug when he simply nods and walks away, pausing at the bathroom door.

  “You didn’t seriously think I’d be the only naked one? You want equality? You want me to respect your independence? We’ll start here. Get undressed and set up. Unless you’d like to join me, of course? For just a shower.”

  God, I can’t take another half-make out session right now if he has no intention of fucking me tonight. I’m just one woman, with needs.

  I scuttle to the easel and grimace when the door closes with a click, his deep, husky chuckle echoing around me.

  He wants me to paint naked, in the nude, totally unclothed and on display while — but wait. I grin wickedly and throw my bag to the floor, stripping quickly until I am left in nothing but a pair of tiny black bikini panties that only cover half of my ass.

  He’s right, fair’s fair, and if I have to spend the next few hours tortured by the sight of his naked body, he can damn well get through watching my breasts bob and sway while I sketch him.

  By the time he comes out, his hips draped in a low riding towel that does nothing to hide his erection, I am sitting calmly, ready and—

  “God Almighty.”

  Now I know why he said my proportions were off. His chest is a lot more muscled than even my lascivious imagination could have dreamed up—and his ass… Lord have mercy. I know I had never painted his ass, but even if I had, it wouldn’t have been accurate.

  Vincent has a rock hard ass that bunches and flexes with every step he takes, an ass I would love to sink my teeth into just to test the firmness there.

  By the time he reaches the bed I’m so turned on I squirm in my seat and press my thighs together. My breath comes out in audible shallow pants when he turns to me and sits, reclining back against the pillows with a knowing smirk.

  “You’re cheating, dove. Panties off.”

  “But I—”

  “Need to take those panties off and spread your legs, or I put my clothes back on and you can go back to the studio to start the first portrait.”

  If anyone had ever once told me I’d be letting a man blackmail me with his body, I would have laughed right in their face and told them to get a clue. The fact that I’m not only considering it but in actual fact taking my panties off right now…I should be ashamed.

  All I feel, though, as I stand and shimmy them to the floor before kicking them away, is a thrill of excitement and heady power when his eyes land on my swaying breasts and heat before traveling down to my sex and going molten.

  I retake my seat with an inner smirk of triumph and adjust my sketchpad on the easel before looking back at him and going into my artist mode of concentration.

  I have this trick that he doesn’t know about, something that’s about to work to my advantage while he lies there in painful arousal and watches my breasts sway with every movement and my sex get wetter.

  I can tune everything out and focus on capturing the perfect line and form. In that place, where nothing exists but the subject and my pencil, I won’t be at the mercy of—

  Oh God.

  “W-what are you doing?” I croak when his right hand rubs enticingly down his abs and curls around his shaft.

  “Keeping myself occupied while you work? Spread your legs, dove, and get to work.”

  By the time I have three decent preliminary sketches for the canvas I am drenched in sweat, and my hands are shaking so badly I have no other option but to call it a night and set the pad down.

  Vincent, of course, has been taunting me mercilessly by stroking himself and licking his lips while looking at my sex. Controlling my rolling hips and not grinding myself into the velvet pad beneath me has not been easy, but I’m proud to say I lasted long enough to actually get something done.

  “I-I’m done for now,” I say in a breathy whisper, licking my lips nervously when he smiles and sits up, rolling to his feet with a grace I didn’t expect from a man of his size.

  “Good, then come here, dove.”

  I step shakily from my perch and go closer, my breath stalling when he closes the distance and stops with his erection kissing the skin at my navel.

  “May I kiss you, dove?”

  He asks it so earnestly and in such a quiet tone that I’m almost fooled into believing he’s asking me instead of stating a fact. I nod anyway and sigh when he bends and fuses our mouths in a soft, close-lipped kiss that is tender and sweet.

  He deepens it, flicking his tongue along the seam for entry only when I sigh. When his tongue touches mine, dueling softly, I open myself fully and lean closer, wanting a deeper connection and the feel of his skin against my own.

  He pulls back instead and smiles before pecking a kiss to the tip of my nose.

  “Get dressed, dove. I need to feed you and then drop you at home. I have a meeting I can’t miss.”

  He leaves me gaping and enters what I assume is a closet. Is he really… I stop flapping my lips and scramble into my clothes, a little mortified to be dismissed this easily considering the hard-on he’s packing.

  When he comes back out, dressed in a grey three-piece suit that does nothing to hide his tantalizing body, I am waiting, my bag held protectively against my chest and a scowl on my face.

  “Oh, dove, don’t look so put out,” he groans, pulling me into a hug. “You’re not ready for that yet, and to be honest, I’m enjoying this. I don’t usually date, and I find that I look forward to dinner and whatever it is that people do on dates. With you.”

  I can’t believe I’ve turned into the man in this scenario and am now pouting because he’s denying me sex, while he seems to be going all Rachel McAdams on me.

  This is the first time a guy has turned down sex to get to know me. The feeling is novel and so strange I can’t stop a giggle from bursting free.

  “Oh my God, this situation is so wrong I don’t even know what to say right now.”

  I feel him chuckle and hug him back, absorbing the vibrations beneath my cheek.

  “Dinner and then work for me. I’ll see you tomorrow at six?”

  I nod and allow him to pull me downstairs. I’m not really hungry or in the mood to sit across from him while I pretend to eat and not eye fuck the man, but as I expect, Vincent does not take no for an answer.

  “You’re awfully bossy for a guy who hasn’t even sealed the deal with me yet,” I point out, taking a bite of my roast lamb.

  “Haven’t I then, dove?”

  Chapter Seven

  “Tell him I don’t want it,” I snarl through clenched teeth, my fingers so tight around the phone I feel my knuckles pop.

  “Cecelia Rose Bennet, you will not hurt your daddy’s feelings by throwin
g a gift back in his face. You refused our help with college and living expenses. You will not refuse him this.”

  I groan and roll my eyes to the ceiling, knowing what’s about to come. Mama is the queen of manipulation, and when she can’t just fool you into doing what she wants, she brings out the big guns.

  Guilt.

  “You know he just about cried last month when you didn’t come home for Macy’s birthday. I don’t even want to tell you how low he was when you said you wouldn’t be here for his big Halloween shindig.”

  Another groan slips out, and I open my eyes to see Bee laughing at me from her perch on the sofa across from me. Bee loves it when my folks call, because for some unholy reason I start talking all Texas cowgirl and forget complete words.

  You know what they say: you can take the girl outta Texas…

  “I already have plans for Halloween, Mama, I told you that weeks ago. Besides, I’m not flying all the way over for just one night, it’s silly. I’ll be over for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

  “Fine, but if you can’t see fit to visit your own family more than twice a year you can at least accept your daddy’s gift without being such a brat.”

  I sigh and do what I knew I would ten seconds after answering the phone. I cave. My daddy has ordered me a top of the line security…thing. Tomorrow a man will come over and install a system that won’t let an ant in without authorization from the goddamned president himself.

  I hate it, but if this is what it’ll take for them to get off my ass about living in the ‘Devil’s den’, as Daddy calls it, I’ll do it without too much bother.

  “Oh good. And I’ve sent over a few things for you to wear to those fancy parties you go to.”

  “Mamaaa, I told you I don’t go to fancy parties. The closest thing to fancy I get around here is dip to go along with the potato chips and beer.”

  Bee lifts her eyebrows, and I scowl, tossing a throw pillow at her. Going out with Vincent doesn’t count, because the two times I’d accompanied him to a party he’d sent over dresses, shoes, and accessories.

  “You just stop fussing and say thank you. Now I have to go. Your father’s started riding again, and I need to go make sure the fool doesn’t bust his other leg.”

  “I love you, Mama.”

  “Love you too, baby. Be safe.”

  I hit the disconnect button and toss the phone onto the coffee table with a humph of annoyance, studiously ignoring Bee’s amusement at yet another instance of my weakness against the tidal wave that is my mama, Beatrice Bennet.

  “God, I love your mom! She’s the only person alive who can get you to do what you don’t want to. Does she have a super power?”

  We have this conversation every time Mama calls, and I have yet to ascertain whether or not the woman does indeed possess a mysterious power I have yet to uncover. All I know is that she can turn me upside down and inside out with nothing more than a look or a well-placed sigh of disappointment.

  “Oh shut up. I was here when your granny called last month. You wore a lime green poncho to work for a week just to make her happy.”

  God, I love Bee’s old grandma, but the woman has a weakness for colors that can be seen from outer space. And she loves knitting matching sets. Bee shrugs dismissively and sips a cup of coffee, considering me for a while before sighing and just getting to the point.

  “Your mama isn’t the only one who has you on a short leash lately. What’s up with your boyfriend and the clothes? Doesn’t he trust you not to show up wearing jeans and sneakers?”

  I’ve wondered the same thing for the last four days, and short of throwing a major tantrum and refusing to wear what he sends, I can’t think of anything to say about it.

  “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Really? Have you slept together?”

  “No,” I say, giving her the evil eye.

  She grins and gives me a nod. “Does he buy you nice things and call you twice a day?”

  Dammit.

  “Yeah.”

  “Then he’s your boyfriend! Eric buys me clothes all the time; it’s what boyfriends do. At least, it’s what Eric does, and that man is sooo my boyfriend. At least your boyfriend has taste.”

  I like what he gives me, and I’d be lying if I said what he chooses for me isn’t perfect and exactly what I would choose if I could afford it. Speaking of…

  “Vernon called yesterday and said my faces series seems to be quite popular. He sold three in the last four days, and some woman came in and bought the other four. Can you believe it?”

  I’m so excited I could scream. I admit, when Vern had called and told me about my newfound popularity, I’d been suspicious of Vincent right off the bat. I wouldn’t put it past the guy to buy my collection just to keep me under his controlling thumb.

  When Vern had assured me the buyer was not the great Vincent Blake, I’d been truly ecstatic and happy. I’m becoming a real artist instead of a flailing mess who throws paint at a canvas!

  With this money, and the commission I’ll earn from Vincent’s landscapes, I can afford to take that mixed media class I’ve been wanting to, and quit all my jobs. After paying off my mountain of credit card debt and remaining student loans.

  For the first time in six years I have enough money to relax and just breathe. I’m still trying not to freak out, but I have a lightness now that feels as good as it does alien.

  “I’m so happy for you, Sis. I knew you’d be a success! So, are you up for a girl’s only night?”

  “Sorry, little sister, but this gal has a date with her guy.”

  At least, I’m assuming it’s a date. I’m finally going to start putting brush to canvas tonight, and I intend for it to end with Vincent inside me and an orgasm I’ve been waiting an eternity for.

  The last four days have been murder on my self-control. Vincent, the bastard, has taken great delight in teasing me at every opportunity before leaving me at my door with a chaste kiss and a promise to call the next day.

  He always calls, taking the opportunity to slip in a sly innuendo and the odd sexual tease. I’m sick of being respected. I want him to take advantage of me already, for as long as my body will allow, in every position it can contort into.

  “Are you finally going to do the deed?”

  I rise from the sofa and glare at the little bag on the coffee table.

  “Here’s to hoping. That lingerie cost a goddamned fortune.”

  I’d buckled under Bee’s advice and taken a trip to VS this morning. The little black bustier and matching thong are a last ditch effort to break Vincent’s control, and with the price tag they’d come with, I really hope it works.

  “Mama Bee will never steer you wrong, Sis. I wore something similar one time after Eric and I had a huge fight. He ended up apologizing to me, and I’m woman enough to admit I was wrong that time.”

  I grin and grab my bag, swinging it to and fro as I make my way to my bedroom, Bee hot on my heels.

  “I’m gonna help you exfoliate and get your wax job looking like a million bucks,” she says, giving me the chills. “And don’t cry so much about it this time. Beauty is pain.”

  My skin literally shrinks when she disappears into the bathroom and comes out bearing her gloves of torture and tweezers.

  This is going to be painful.

  Chapter Eight

  “You seem nervous.”

  I swallow back a snarl and shake my head, keeping my gaze trained on the traffic streaming beside us as Vincent pulls up in front of his town house.

  I am nervous, and not because I don’t look great. I really do. Bee had exfoliated and moisturized me so thoroughly my skin is literally glowing, and done something really sexy with my blonde curls that make me look like a beach goddess.

  I look and feel like a million bucks—I just wish it would give me a magical power when it comes to the whole seduction thing. I’m not exactly experienced, and the one time I’d gone all the way—the night I’d lost my virginity to Rob Green…
oh, and my epic flop with Graham, that makes two—I hadn’t exactly been a sex goddess.

  I’ve read books and watched porn and surfed the net, but I am way in over my head with a man like Vincent. His very pores exude sexy, while I feel like Cinderella with a thirty minute curfew before I turn into the pumpkin.

  “Dove, what’s the problem?” he asks after coming around and opening my door.

  “Nothing,” I say, preceding him through the front door. “I’m just a little preoccupied. I have to go over to Vern’s tomorrow, and that security thing…” I say, waving his concern away.

  He eyes me skeptically and takes my coat, whistling when he reveals the skin tight plum jersey dress I’m rocking with a pair of sky high heels.

  “That dress is—are you intending to paint in that?”

  A smile breaks free, quelling my nerves, and I raise a brow.

  “Are you saying I can keep it on tonight?” I ask cheekily, chuckling when he growls and firmly shakes his head.

  “Not on your life. Have you had dinner?”

  “Yeah, I grabbed Chinese with Bee and Eric.”

  Maybe that’s why I’m in such a funk all of a sudden. I’ve always liked Eric, but tonight I’d seen a side to the guy that gives me the willies. I now understand why he’s been lavishing Bee with clothes and shoes and every accessory money can buy. He wants to have control over everything she wears, everywhere she goes, and tonight, everything she eats.

  I feel like a royal failure as a friend that I hadn’t noticed how much weight Bee has dropped in the last couple of weeks, and now that I have, I know why.

  Eric had gone mental when she’d tried to order her own food, and I’d watched her pick at a portion that wouldn’t fill a five-year-old before finally shoving it aside.

  When I see her tomorrow I am so having a heart to heart with her about that asshole.

  “Dove, I’m trying to be patient here, but your mood is starting to worry me,” he finally sighs, making me aware of the time that’s passed while I’ve been wool gathering.

  Of course he’s annoyed. It’s not like me to ignore everything around me, especially not him. Nope, I’m usually so hyper aware of him I hang on his every breath. Like a goddamned dog waiting for a treat.