Portrait of Jealousy (The Art Models Club Book 2) (6 page)

“
You're not making me feel better,” Amber moaned. “Here, help me get my bra hooked again.”

“
I don't think you need it,” Hunter said, moving to kiss a breast.

Amber gave him a gentle smack.

“Stop that! That was your one shot.”

Hunter shifted and pulled up his jeans.

“I guess I can't complain,” he said, smirking.

Amber adjusted her clothes and pawed at her hair.

“Do I look like I just had backseat car sex?” she asked anxiously.

Hunter only laughed.

“You look gorgeous as always, Baby.”

He hopped out of the car and got into the driver's seat.

Amber finished adjusting her clothes. She seriously considered staying in the backseat. But that would lead to some weird looks when she got out of the car. It would be just like the professor or her husband to be in the driveway when the got back to the apartment. Sighing, she hurried out of her side of the car and into the front passenger seat.

“
Now I feel like I can drive home safely,” Hunter announced cheerfully. “You know my motto.”

Despite her best intentions, Amber had to smile.

“I know. Safety first!”

The next several weeks passed much too quickly. Before Amber was mentally prepared, it was time for Hunter to leave. The morning of his departure, she woke in his arms, not wanting to move. She opened her eyes sleepily and found Hunter staring at her, his emerald eyes soft.

“Good morning, Gorgeous,” he whispered.

“
And  good morning to you to,” Amber whispered back.

If only she could freeze time so that she could always be lying in Hunter's arms like this.

Hunter seemed content to simply cuddle against her without speaking. The moment was only ruined after Amber's traitorous stomach rumbled and gurgled.

“
All right, all right,” Hunter said at last, laughing and kissing her belly.

“
I'll get us some food.”

Amber watched him slip on a pair of jeans. As Hunter left the room, she snuggled lazily in the covers, thankful that at least she had not been scheduled to work that day. She couldn't believe that it had only been a matter of weeks since she had moved in as a roommate. The guys had been great about making her feel welcome. Particularly Hunter, she thought with satisfaction. Although she still had her own room in the apartment, she spent most nights in his bed.

Of course, now Hunter was going away for twelve weeks. Amber groaned and reluctantly threw off the covers. She sat down, staring at Hunter's tee shirt she had thrown on in the middle of the night. It still smelled like him. An ache filled her chest. She already missed him and he wasn't even gone yet. If she didn't get away from this bed, she was going to start bawling like a baby.

Her eyes misted as she hurried through the living room.

“I'm just going to take a quick shower,” she said brightly, scurrying by Hunter before he could notice her expression.

Hunter was slicing the tops off of strawberries.

“Take your time, Baby,” he called. “There's no rush.”

Safe in her own room, Amber pulled off the tee shirt and stuffed it under her pillow. She wanted to have at least some small part of him near while she slept. She stepped into the bathroom, willing herself to keep her emotions in check. But when she checked her face in the mirror, her eyes were already a bit pink.

Damn! She didn't want Hunter to think she was emotionally unstable. She turned the shower on full blast and stepped in, not allowing the water to warm first. Maybe icy water would shock her out of her moodiness.

Bloody hell! The water was so cold that she had to suppress a yell. She gasped, not able to breathe regularly. The water was freezing. But it worked. By the time the water warmed, Amber had control of her emotions. In addition she was fully awake. She showered quickly, not wanting to waste any of her precious time with Hunter.

By the time she finished, Hunter was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine, his hair damp and a small smudge of shaving cream behind one ear. A breakfast tray rested on the leather ottoman.

“
And here I thought I was being quick in the shower.”

Amber plopped down beside Hunter and picked up a strawberry.

“If you didn't dry your hair, you could compete with my time.”

Hunter flipped his hair so that one floppy wet strand drooped over his forehead.

Amber was actually quite jealous of Hunter's thick, luxurious hair. He could simply get out of the shower and maybe run a comb through it and it looked good.

“
Oh, like that would be attractive,” Amber said. “I'm sure you would appreciate me looking like a drowned rat while my hair air dried.”

Hunter leaned over and kissed her softly.

“But you would be my little drowned rat.” 

“
Hmm . . . I don't think so.”

Amber reached for another berry. She was hungry but really didn't feel like eating at all. But she had to admit that sitting here, eating breakfast with Hunter now seemed like the most natural thing in the world. It was incredible how fast she had felt comfortable here in the apartment and how quickly she had allowed herself to forget about how dire her circumstances had been only a few months earlier.

The previous week she had watched with growing sadness and apprehension as Hunter methodically packed his luggage. Hunter's impending absence was bringing back some feelings she would have rather kept shoved in the back of her mind.

She shook her head, trying to clear it. This was supposed to be quality time with Hunter. She looked over to watch him as he chewed slowly, caught up in an article. She stared at him hard, trying to memorize every angle of his face so that she could think of him clearly while he was gone.

Suddenly he looked up, startled.

“
What, do I have something on my face?”

Amber flushed.

“Um . . .no, I was just thinking about you not wearing jeans and tee shirts for twelve weeks.” She smiled. “I'm going to need physical evidence to believe you're really wearing a suit and tie every day.”

Hunter laughed.

“Yeah, well, I need to at least fake being a professional.”

Amber gasped.

“What? You're going to look like a real adult? How shocking!”

She clasped her hands over her mouth dramatically.

“
Yeah, I suppose it's good practice for when I graduate.”

Graduation. Amber hadn't put too much thought into that. Well, here was one more thing for her to worry about.

“Will you still be on schedule to graduate next spring?” she asked, hoping he would say no.

Hunter smiled.

“Oh, I was so busy getting things together this week that I forgot to tell you. I'm actually going to get credit for my classes after all. As long as I finish my portfolios while I'm gone, and have Isabelle write critiques, both Ben and Professor Stevens will give me credit.

Amber feigned a matching smile.

“Hey, that's wonderful!”

Inside, though, she was wondering where that left her once Hunter finished school. Perhaps a place to live if she got roommates. She couldn't even get her head around this relationship being permanent. Her secret fear was that Hunter would wake up one day and realize that he could have another girl – a girl who didn't come with a trailer park, beer drinking, welfare abusing mom.

“Hey, Baby, pay attention!” Hunter teased, tugging on a lock of her hair.

“
You look like you're a million miles away.”

“
Sorry,” Amber said, smiling up at him. “Must be hunger related. Didn't you hear my stomach rumbling a little while ago?”

“
I could have heard that little belly roar in Paris.”

Hunter laughed until he examined the breakfast tray.

“Hey, you've only eaten a couple of strawberries. No wonder you're still hungry.”

Tossing aside his magazine, he picked up a multi-grain bagel and slathered it with cream cheese.

“Open up,” he commanded sternly.

What the hell? Had Hunter actually counted the berries and bagels on the tray? But she couldn't refuse when he looked so anxiously at her like that. She obediently took a small bite and took the bagel from him.

Hunter stared at her with those hypnotizing eyes until he could have asked her anything at all and she would have complied.

“
Promise me that you'll eat properly while I'm gone.”

“
Okay, okay!” Amber said, laughing.

She put her bagel down and impulsively threw her arms around Hunter's shoulders. She put her lips to his ear.

“I get the message. Do you realize that this is the third time in two days I've had to promise you the same thing?”

Hunter reached up to cup her face in his hands.

“I'm going to miss you something fierce, Gorgeous,” he whispered, his voice husky.

“
It's going to be a long twelve weeks not being able to touch you.”

Amber tilted her head kissed him slowly on the lips.

“So, how much time do we have before the car service picks you up for the airport?”

Hunter moved the cuff of his sleeve to check his watch.

“Enough time.”

His dazzling green eyes glittered.

“But what about your tummy's demands?”

“
I bet my tummy could be persuaded to wait a little while,” Amber murmured, slipping her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and tugging at the waistband of his briefs.

“
You're not feeling faint?”Hunter asked, nuzzling her neck.

“
Oh, I'm feeling faint,” Amber said wickedly.

“
But not from lack of food.”

She stood and wriggled her hips as she moved in the direction of Hunter's bedroom. She was making her way to the bed when Hunter's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Not so fast. I want to undress you first.”

Amber grinned and started to unbutton her blouse.

“No!” Hunter said, his voice firm.

“
I
want to undress you.”

Oh, okay. Amber felt a shiver of anticipation. She stood still, waiting for him to make the first move.

Hunter stepped closer and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. Then he stepped back.

“
Um . . .I have a weird request,” he said shyly. “Obviously, you can say no.”

Intrigued, Amber simply stared into his eyes.

Hunter looked a little sheepish.

“
I was wondering if you would let me blindfold you?”

Oh! That was different! Amber found it a bit thrilling.

“Um . . .sure,” she said, her voice a bit breathless.

Hunter eagerly searched in his closet and came back with a pale blue tie.

“I really like you in this color.”

He carefully secured the silky fabric around her eyes, knotting it tightly.

Immediately, Amber felt as though her other senses were more heightened. She discovered that she was aware of both her own breathing as well as Hunter's.

“
Stay right here,” he whispered.

Amber stifled a nervous giggle. Where would she go if she couldn't see where she was walking? She heard the sound of something, perhaps the chair, being dragged across the floor. What was Hunter up to? Those noises were followed by the sound of a chain overhead. What the hell?

“Hunter?” she asked nervously.

She didn't hear his soft footsteps so she jumped when he suddenly touched her hand.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.”

Placing one hand on the small of her back and another on her elbow, Hunter guided her.

“Just a few steps over here.”

Amber clumsily walked forward, nervous she was going to crash into something.

“That's right. Just one more step. That's it. Perfect!”

“
Hunter?”

Hunter leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.

“I promise I am not going to do anything to hurt you.”

He stroked her face and hair.

“Do you trust me?”

“
Yes, but, um . . .That sounded like . . .um . . . chains. I'm not sure if I can handle something like that.”

Amber's voice was small and hesitant.

“
Chains?” Hunter sounded truly confused for a moment.

“
Oh, the mirrors!”