Someone called my name from across the classroom, and I found it difficult to tear my eyes away from Kate’s. This wasn’t just about the fact that she was beautiful and naked. In my profession, I was used to nudity. I’d been around countless nude models—male, female, sometimes together. But there was something different about Kate, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“I’ll be right there,” I said, finally forcing myself to move.
It didn’t matter where I was in the room, I felt myself drawn to her. I was tempted to take a picture of her with my phone just so I could try to sketch her later, but I knew it would never compare. Besides, that would be wholly disrespectful, unprofessional, and could get me fired.
“Something about this seems off,” the student next to me said, snapping my attention to her. “What do you think it is?” She blinked up at me, batting her lashes.
I ignored her advances and focused instead on the canvas before me. The shape of the hips was good, but… “Here,” I said, pointing to the juncture of Kate’s thighs on the canvas. I swallowed hard, attempting to sound detached. “The shadows on the pelvis are off.” I indicated several that weren’t quite right.
The girl gave me a coy smile. “Thank you.”
I spoke with a few other students, giving pointers as I made my way around the room. Even so, my attention remained on Kate. On her round, full breasts, her rose-colored areolas, the gentle curve of her waist. It didn’t matter what angle I viewed her from; she was perfect.
“All right,” I said, realizing it had been a little over twenty minutes. “Stretch your legs. Grab a drink of water and be back in five.”
I knelt to the ground before Kate, gathering her silk robe in my hands, wondering if her skin was just as smooth. I lingered for a moment longer than necessary, relishing the opportunity to study her up close. The small thatch of hair that was slightly darker than the blond strands on her head. The scent of her arousal, thick in the air. My dick twitched.
When I handed her the robe, our fingers brushed, and it sent a bolt of lightning racing through my hand and up my arm.What the…?
I’d never had quite that reaction to someone. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. And if I was right, Kate didn’t either since her expression mirrored my own.
I might not know what it meant, but there was one thing I knew for certain—I had to draw her.
Chapter Four
“Kate?” a deep voice rumbled from behind me as I stood in line for coffee.
Music played in the background, and the milk frother hissed under the exertion of order after order. It was a busy place, a popular place, especially with LA CAD students.
I closed my eyes and swallowed, knowing that voice.Xander.
It had been a few days since the life drawing class I’d moaned for—I meant, modeled for. A few days since I’d run out of there like my ass was on fire. I took a deep breath and then turned to face him.
“Professor Kline,” I said, opting to address him by his professional title. I needed that reminder. I needed to put that space between us, especially since we were in a coffee shop across the street from campus.
“Can I buy you a coffee?” he asked.
He was just as handsome as I’d remembered and just as tall. His dark curls were still wet from a shower, and a gray T-shirt clung to his chest.
“Actually—” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to ignore the way my body lit up when his eyes lingered on my lips. “I’m meeting someone.”
It was true, though I knew my best friend and roommate Brie wouldn’t be here for another ten minutes—at least.
“Can you come by my office later?” he asked. “I have a proposition I’d like to discuss.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes at him. “What kind of proposition?” I teased. Though, I couldn’t deny it; I was curious. What could Xander Kline possibly want from me?
He glanced around, then said, “I want you to pose for me.”
I blinked up at him owlishly as if I’d just imagined what he’d said. “You mean…model?” I tried to swallow, but the word got lodged in my throat. “For another class?”
“No.” He shook his head, his dark curls glinting in the light, tempting me to touch them. I wondered if they were as soft as they looked. “For me.”
Now I really didn’t know what to say.
“I have an exhibit coming up, and I’ve been searching for the right…inspiration. The right model.”
“And you think that’s me?” I laughed, thinking this must be some sort of prank. “It was a one-time thing. I volunteered on a whim. I didn’t even know what I was doing.” My words were getting away from me. I needed to stop before I embarrassed myself.
