Portrait of Jealousy (The Art Models Club Book 2) Page 3

  Stooping beside the tub, Hunter picked up plastic pitcher.

  “First I'm going to wash your hair,” he said, his voice husky.

  Amber simply nodded.

  After wetting her hair with several pitchers of water from the tub, Hunter lathered her hair, leaning close to nuzzle her neck as his fingertips massaged her neck. Once he was finished, he carefully rinsed each lock of hair.

  Next he picked up a bar of soap and rubbed until his hands were lathered and foamy. With his rough fingers, he moved his attention to her arms. He moved agonizingly slowly, massaging her from fingertips to shoulders until each arm had been meticulously washed and rinsed.

  “The soap is killing the bubbles,” Amber murmured.

  She looked down to observe the white foam around slowly disappearing.

  “Is it?”

  Hunter grinned slyly.

  “Huh!”

  Suddenly, he stood and stretched. He waited until Amber's eyes were drawn to his bulging crotch. Then he casually and smoothly bent to remove his briefs.

  Amber shifted in the tub, wanting to be closer to him.

  “What is it, Baby?” Hunter asked innocently.

  “Aren't you getting in the tub?”

  “Are you sure?” Hunter sounded puzzled.

  “Are you crazy? Get in the damn tub!” Amber shouted in frustration.

  Chapter 4

  Hunter shrugged and stepped in, sliding to one side. He held onto the sides of the tub.

  “This is really nice. Would you like me to wash your legs now?”

  Amber wanted Hunter to be touching other parts of her body at the moment. But obviously Hunter was fulfilling some sort of fantasy for himself. She just wondered if she could handle it. She was aching for Hunter's body at the moment.

  Still, she lifted first one leg and then the other for Hunter to lather with rough hands. Hmm . . .he wasn't as in control as before, she thought with a growing sense of satisfaction.

  “Your breasts next?” Hunter asked.

  He was clearly breathing more heavily now.

  Amber nodded. There was just a faint line of bubbles remaining in the bath water, but still she arched her back so that her breasts jutted at Hunter. She tried to watch his face but his soapy hands made her head fall back. She clenched her pelvis and moaned.

  “Now, one more area left,” Hunter said, his voice uneven.

  “Shall I wash there as well?”

  In response, Amber slid closer to Hunter, lifting her pelvis slightly. As soon as he slipped his fingers over her, she moaned in frustration. He increased his pressure but seemed content to just methodically and rhythmically touch her. At the least sign of her moving against him, he would stop and wait for her body to still.

  When it was clear that Hunter was not going to make the next move, Amber grew desperate. She slid forward and raised her hips above his.

  “Are you sure?”

  Why the hell did he keep asking her that? Couldn't he tell that she was so worked up that she couldn't even think straight?

  In response, Amber looked him directly in the eyes and reached below to guide him as she lowered herself. She moaned with relief as she finally felt him inside her. Those mesmerizing eyes held her as she lost control of herself, letting her body rock relentlessly against Hunter's, desperate to release all of her pent up desire. She heard herself groaning loudly, her cries blending with his and echoing off the bathroom walls.

  Finally, she fell against Hunter's chest, spent. When she pulled away at last, he groaned and pulled her closer.

  “Well, that was different,” Amber finally said.

  She grinned up at Hunter.

  “Best fun we've ever had,” Hunter agreed.

  He was smiling victoriously.

  “Why are you acting weird?”

  Amber stared at him curiously.

  “Like you just won something.”

  Suddenly she clasped her hands over her mouth.

  “Was this all about earlier?” she shrieked.

  She sloshed in the tub, trying to get out but getting tangled in Hunter's legs.

  Hunter was laughing openly now.

  “You really should be glad that wasn't a real bet, Baby!”

  He reached up to grab Amber as she tried to escape the tub.

  “You fiend!” she shouted.

  “Oh, don't be sore, Gorgeous!” Hunter called after her.

  “Come back!”

  Seething, Amber grabbed a robe. She couldn't believe that he had toyed with her like that. She wanted to smash something over that arrogant head of his. She heard splashing as Hunter exited the tub. She heard him stumble and looked back. Would serve him right if he banged his knee or toe on something.

  Then she couldn't pull her eyes away. How was it even possible for him to have an erection again already? Her head told her to just turn and march into her room. She could regain what little bit of dignity she had. But her eyes made the mistake of looking into his. She felt herself pinned in place. Damn those green eyes. She swallowed, paralyzed as he moved closer.

  “I'm sorry, Baby.”

  He bent and kissed her, long and deeply until she swooned against him. When she pulled away to breathe, he took her hand and led her to the bed.

  “You are just so damn alluring when you get mad. I can't help myself.”

  Reaching down, he unfastened the belt around her robe. When it fell open, he bent and began kissing her breasts. Amber fell back against the bed. She arched her back as Hunter knelt over her, kissing and touching her greedily. Then he reached for a pillow and propped it under her bottom.

  Climbing onto the bed, he lowered his head to hers and kissed her again before breaking away to slide his tongue along her lips. Then he moved lower, licking her neck, between her breasts and inching his way downward. When he reached her belly button, Amber was already squirming against him, unable to control her body. But Hunter didn't stop there. He moved lower, licking and kissing until she cried out. Only then did he grab her legs and yank her body to the edge of the bed.

  Once again he entered her, but this time keeping his own rhythm, rocking her until she screamed. Even then he continued for another minute, jerking against her as her body thrashed beneath his. When he finally collapsed against her, they were both sweating.

  After several minutes, Hunter got up and pulled the covers down so that they could crawl under the sheets.

  “I would never do anything to hurt you, Baby,” Hunter said, his voice tender but serious.

  “You enjoyed tormenting me!”

  Amber flung a pillow at his head.

  “Are you saying that you didn't enjoy the experience?”

  Hunter suddenly looked mortified.

  “That's not the point,” Amber relented. “I enjoyed every second. Just don't rub it in.”

  “Rub it where?” Hunter asked with a smirk.

  Amber had to laugh. And then her stomach, now that it wasn't silenced, began to growl.

  Hunter got up, grabbed a clean pair of briefs from his drawer. He put those on and then slid on a worn pairs of jeans.

  “I'm going to go order dinner. Stay put if you want.”

  Amber stretched and got up, no longer willing to stay in bed alone. Knowing that Caleb was gone on a weekend photography trip with some friends, she padded naked through the living room.

  Hunter was in the middle of ordering and tripped over his words.

  Amber giggled and waved at him, then wiggled her hips in his direction before going into her own room to find clean clothes. When she returned she was surprised to see Hunter pulling out a couple of wine glasses.

  “I didn't know that you even drank.”

  Hunter shrugged and pulled out a bottle from the fridge.

  “Mostly just for celebrations. I thought it might be nice to have a glass of wine with dinner.”

  He poured two glasses and brought them over.

  “To us!”

  He raised his glass.

 
“To us,” Amber repeated, raising her own glass and clinking it against Hunter's.

  Once the food arrived, Hunter and Amber ate side by side on the sofa. But when they finished, Hunter reached behind one of the cushions and casually dropped a small box in her lap.

  “What's this?”

  Oh, wow. She hadn't gotten him anything at all.

  “It's okay, Amber,” Hunter said, as though he could read her thoughts.

  “You are my gift. I wanted to give you a little something, though.”

  Amber opened the box and began to laugh. Inside, resting on delicate pieces of pink tissue, were three plastic vials of glucose pills.

  “I don't want you to pass out at work if you don't have time to eat.”

  Hunter reached over and picked up one of the containers.

  “Here, try one now and see how it tastes. Supposedly, it's like candy.”

  Amber giggled.

  “That's okay. I'll just stick them in my purse.”

  “No, I insist.”

  Hunter put the vial in her hand.

  “Open it right now!”

  Amber frowned.

  “Okay, Hunter, you have got to get over this pushy attitude.”

  She picked up the vial and started to throw it at his head. What was that noise? The vial was rattling. What the hell?

  “Hey, is something else in here?”

  She looked over at Hunter but he looked angry.

  “This better not be tampered with. Maybe I should take it back to the store.”

  He reached to take the vial from her.

  “Wait, I want to see what it could be!”

  Amber pulled away and leaped off the sofa.

  Hunter stood up, grabbing for her, but she ran behind the kitchen table, giggling.

  And then Amber popped the vial open and shook it over the table. Out fell a glittering green bracelet.

  “Oh, my gosh! Hunter, it's beautiful!”

  Amber squealed and held the bracelet up to the light so she could watch it sparkle.

  “You really had me going. I thought some nasty pills were going to fall out.”

  “Here, let me put it on you, Gorgeous.”

  Hunter took her wrist and held out his hand.

  “Green for your eyes?” Amber teased.

  She gave him a long kiss and even longer hug after he fastened the bracelet around her wrist.

  “What? Oh, no. Green for my jealous streak.”

  Hunter laughed. “You can tell any wannabe boyfriends that you are already taken.”

  “You don't need a symbol for that,” Amber whispered. “I'm all yours already.”

  Chapter 5

  Amber woke up late the following morning. Her head ached and her eyes were bloodshot. She splashed her face with water but didn't bother brushing her hair. She stumbled into the kitchen and found Hunter already up and preparing an elaborate breakfast.

  “Whoa! Are you okay?” Hunter asked, looking up from a pan of sizzling bacon.

  Amber simply narrowed her eyes at him and grunted. She couldn't explain that she had woken in the middle of the night convinced that Hunter was going to forget all about her once he got to Paris. She had spent half the night staring at the ceiling, unable to shake the feeling.

  “Ah, I probably shouldn't have given you that second glass of wine. Who knew you were such a lightweight?”

  Hunter turned off the gas burner and moved to the refrigerator.

  “Let me get you a glass of juice and some aspirin.”

  Amber slumped at the table. She swallowed the aspirin and drained the glass. She was in a fowl mood and felt like crap. Worse, she knew that she was purposely being a bitch when they only had a few short weeks together before he left.

  “Here, come sit on the sofa.”

  Hunter scooped her up and Amber felt herself relenting a little bit. Just being next to his body was like a healing balm.

  “Put your feet up here.”

  He adjusted the cushions behind her back and kissed her gently on the forehead.

  “I'm sorry, Baby,” he said. “It's my fault. I wasn't thinking.”

  He looked so contrite that she almost told him the truth. But that would only hurt him worse. If only he would say that he had made a mistake and could not live even one week without her. But that was not going to happen. She knew she was being unreasonable. After all, they had only known each other for a month. She sighed.

  Hunter went back to the kitchen and started to crack eggs in a bowl. Once he had finished preparing breakfast, he served her on the sofa. He was so damn nice that she felt even worse. She knew it was the fatigue rather than the wine that was making her head pound.

  After she ate, Amber excused herself to take a shower. As she dressed, she saw a text from her supervisor asking if she wanted more hours. Two employees were no shows that morning. Amber ignored the messages. Hopefully, Hunter would have have something fun planned for the day. She was determined to make the last few weeks pleasant.

  “I'm feeling one hundred percent better,” she announced with a smile.

  She stood behind Hunter and gave him a hug as he finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes.

  “That's great, Baby,” he said, looking relieved.

  “Um . . .I know we usually do something on Sundays but I told Ben that I would meet him for lunch. I feel terrible for deserting him in the middle of the term like this.”

  “Oh,” Amber said, feeling her stomach clench. “Actually my supervisor wants me to come in and cover for a no-show.”

  She secretly hoped that Hunter would feel bad and invite her to the lunch.

  Instead, Hunter seemed relieved.

  “Oh, good. So you won't be bored all day. What time are you supposed to be there?”

  Amber forced a smile on her face.

  “Now is fine,” she said. “I'll just send my supervisor a text that I'll be there in a few minutes.”

  Well, this was not the leisurely Sunday she had imagined. Amber headed to her room for her phone and ID badge.

  The store parking lot was packed so Hunter stopped in the loading zone.

  “Later, Gorgeous.”

  He noticed her bracelet and smiled.

  “Remember, green is for jealousy!”

  He winked and she fell into those mesmerizing eyes.

  Amber softened a bit. Hunter was really trying to be super nice today. She leaned over and gave him a kiss, forcing her tongue between his lips.

  “Whoa!” Hunter pulled away, flushing. “Any more of that and you'll be late for work.”

  “Just don't want you to forget about me.”

  Amber pulled away reluctantly and grabbed her purse. She didn't trust herself to say anything else so she just hopped out of the car and blew him a kiss.

  He drove away with a small wave.

  “Amber! Oh, thanks so much for coming in,” Stacey gushed. “I'll remember this when you need some time off yourself.”

  Well at least Stacey was grateful. The truth was that Amber did want to take a few days off around Christmas break at least. She hurried to the break room to clock in.

  The store was packed and carts were jammed in the aisles. Taking a deep breath, Amber marched up to her register and punched in her access code. This was just what she needed to keep her mind off of Hunter.

  A couple of hours later, Stacey came over.

  “I'll cover your line for you,” she said. “Take a break now while you can.”

  Amber headed for the break room, wishing she had thought to bring a snack. She could always buy something but she didn't feel like waiting in one of the lines herself.

  She looked in her purse for change. At least there was a soda machine in the break room. She fished in the bottom and laughed as she pulled out one of the vials of glucose pills. Okay, so Hunter had not been entirely kidding when he purchased them. He must have dropped these in her purse this morning.

  Another employee, an older woman, was sitting at the break table when Amb
er walked in. She looked up when she saw Amber and studied her name tag.

  “I'm Sonia,” she said, in spite of having her own Identification hanging from her neck.

  “A handsome young man with dark hair asked me to put a lunch sack in the fridge for you.”

  “Oh! Well, um . . . thanks, Sonia.”

  Amber smiled at the woman and then checked the refrigerator.

  Just as Sonia said, there was a paper sack with her name on it. Amber pulled it out and saw that Hunter had packed a deli sandwich, apple slices, and a zip-lock bag with her favorite animal cookies. Underneath, he had also placed two cold bottles of water.

  “That's some boyfriend you got there,” the woman said, sounding envious.

  She turned back to her book.

  “Thanks! I think so too.”

  Amber took a large bite from her sandwich.

  Sonia was reading a romance book with a bare chested man on the front cover. While she read, she was nibbling an egg salad sandwich and washing it down with a cup of coffee. Her ring finger was conspicuously bare. Had Sonia ever known love? Was working at the grocery store and living through the lives of make-believe characters her life?

  Amber had a sudden vision of herself at Sonia's age. Had she stayed with her mom, Amber might have ended up in similar similar circumstances. Had this woman known a hard childhood as well?

  Sonia looked up suddenly, as though feeling that Amber was staring.

  “Um . . .Is that a good book?”

  Amber suddenly felt queasy.

  Sonia considered her.

  “It's a way to escape the real world. You know?”

  “I suppose,” Amber said, suddenly feeling awkward.

  She jabbed a few buttons randomly on her cell phone, embarrassed. She wanted to throw away the rest of her sandwich but felt uncomfortable doing so in front of Sonia. To be honest, only a few weeks ago, she would have been horrified to see someone throw away food as well.

  That was a sobering thought. She forced herself to finish every bite. She saved the apple slices and cookies for later. She was tempted to offer the cookies to Sonia but thought better of it. She was sure that Sonia would take it as an insult.