Portrait of Jealousy (The Art Models Club Book 2) (11 page)

“Now, Lucy, just calm down!

Frank used his forearm to block a whack on his chest.

“I told you that I just needed to have a little chat with Hannah about school and . . . Ow! Give me that before you really hurt someone.”

Frank finally wrestled the yardstick out of Lucy's hands.

“This is going in the trash.”

Hannah, who had danced out of danger at the very beginning, laughed.

“Oh, Dad, you know she'll just get another one. I think they give them to her for free at the fabric store.”

She suddenly noticed Amber standing in the hallway.

“Sweetie! I've been dying to see you!”

She ran over and gave her a hug.

“I'm so glad you came!”

Later, after dinner was eaten and gifts had been exchanged, Hannah tried to talk Amber into staying until the next day.

But Amber had already promised Caleb the Range Rover by nine o'clock that evening so that he could pick up his mom up for a Christmas Eve service. Although she lived just one town over, she had recently had surgery and couldn't drive herself.

“
Oh, come on, just have him take a cab,” Hannah whispered in the kitchen. “Dad confiscated my keys and I'm supposed to meet John later tonight.”

Amber sighed with exasperation.

“So have John pick you up. And for the record, I'm not making Caleb take a cab back and forth from one town over. Do you know how much that would cost? And the poor woman just had surgery.”

Hannah gripped Amber's shoulders, her blue eyes intense and disturbingly glazed.

“Amber, I'm asking as your
friend
,” she said, her voice like a hiss.

Amber thought back to her first glimpse of Caleb, sweating and panting from running up three stories to her apartment after Hunter asked him to bring her food. That, she realized was what a friend did. A friend did not ask someone to do something like this. In fact, this was something that Hannah would have never asked of her in the past.

“Are you in trouble, Hannah?” she asked gingerly.

Hannah jerked her head back, seeing if her parents had heard.

“I'm fine,” she said, her voice seething.

“
But I need transportation and I need it tonight.”

“
I'm sorry,” Amber said.

“
In more ways than you can imagine. But I'm leaving right now.”

Amber turned away from Hannah's shocked expression. Raising her voice, she called out her goodbyes to Lucy and Frank who came over to hug her once more. Hannah stalked off to her room.

Pulling out of the driveway, Amber felt weird. She was sad about Hannah but also proud that she had stood up for herself. After seeing Hannah's condition, she was worried that her friend was dabbling in drugs. Maybe a few days home would help sober her up.

When Amber got home, an hour earlier than she had planned, she took Caleb up on his offer to attend the Christmas Eve service with his mom. Mrs. Hanson was a sweet woman but on this night she hounded poor Caleb as he drove to the service.

“You need to settle down with one nice girl like Amber. Stop flitting around from girl to girl like you're some worker bee gathering nectar from a million different flowers.”

Amber suppressed her laughter with her hand as she caught Caleb's desperate looks in the rear view mirror.

“Aw, mom, can we talk about this later?”

Once they got to the church, Mrs. Hanson finally dropped the subject.

The church was beautiful with tiny candles and huge garlands of greenery that draped the stained glass windows and the pews. Although they had arrived early, the pews filled up quickly. So Amber wasn't surprised when a subdued voice asked her if the spot next to her was taken.

Absorbed in reading the service bulletin, she only glimpsed an expensive business suit and black dress shoes out of the corner of her eye.

She was shocked, though, when the person grabbed her hand. She looked up, gasping, and then found herself staring into brilliant green eyes. And not just anybody's green eyes.

“
Hunter . . .How . . . When?” she sputtered, trying to keep her shocked voice low.

Hunter leaned over, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I'll explain later,” he whispered, his lips tantalizingly close to her ears.

Finally, he lifted his eyes and looked over Amber's shoulders where Caleb sat with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“You knew,” Amber whispered, her mouth open.

“
Whew!” Mrs. Hanson said, suddenly reaching down and pulling off the big brace on her leg.

“
That was getting a little uncomfortable.”

She reached across Caleb's lap and patted Amber's arm.

“We all knew but Hunter wanted it to be a Christmas surprise.”

Awestruck, Amber blinked back tears.

“It's okay, Baby,” Hunter said.

“
You can't cry when I'm your Christmas present!”

“
Tears of joy,” Amber mumbled, squeezing his hand.

“
I'm just a little overwhelmed.”

Hunter moved even closer and she could barely hear his whisper.

“Oh, Baby, you're going to be really overwhelmed a bit later tonight.”

He shifted away, crossing his legs and opening up his own bulletin.

Amber couldn't look at him the whole service. Fortunately, the service itself was so beautiful that she forgot everything but the present. It was only when they stood to leave, and Hunter put a hand on the curve of her back that she began to think about the rest of the evening.

After they had all piled into the car, Hunter drove Caleb and his mom home. Apparently, the whole visit was part of the ploy. Amber gave both Caleb and Mrs. Hanson giant hugs before they left.

And then, before she knew it, she was all alone with Hunter and he was kissing her face and laughing and swirling her around. Finally, he hustled her into the car.

“
I can't wait to get you home,” he said, grinning.

“
Are you sure you can control yourself?” she asked slyly.

“
Maybe I should drive back. You know, safety first!”

Hunter laughed.

“Nice try! But I miss driving.”

Then Hunter paused and ran his fingers through her hair.

“But if you want to take control when we get home, that would certainly be fun.”

Take control? Was he talking about in the bedroom? Oh!

She was silent on the way back.

“
Are you okay?” Hunter asked.

He sounded nervous.

Amber grinned.

“
I'm just making a few plans for when we get back.”

“
Ah, well, then. I'll be quiet and let you think, baby.”

Hunter hummed all the way home.

Amber's face was flushed as she walked up the steps with Hunter. She had always let Hunter take the lead. But now she was suddenly very excited to be the one with the power. The first thing she did was to start a steaming bubble bath in Hunter's giant claw foot tub.

She watched Hunter remove his shoes and walk around his room, studying her painting and sketches propped up on the easels. The mirrors still hung from their chains since her last session of painting.

“You've been busy,” he called out to her.

While the tub filled, Amber came and stood beside him.

“Tomorrow you can be the TA again. Tonight you're Hunter Webb, submissive lover.”

“
I like the sound of that. What do you want me to do?”

He stood still under her gaze as she put a finger on her lips and considered him.

“First, go and take off that suit and jacket and dress socks. Leave everything else on and go and sit on the chair.”

“
Yes, ma'am.”

Amber grinned. Bossing Hunter around was going to be enjoyable. She checked the tub and then headed back to the room where Hunter was waiting patiently on the chair in his button down shirt, tie, and underwear. She decided it was a good look for him. Glancing down at her own modest, calf-length skirt and turtleneck sweater, she decided she needed a change herself.

“Stay right there and don't move,” she ordered in a firm voice.

“
Yes, ma'am.”

In her own bedroom, Amber rooted in her closet until she found a simple, black, sleeveless sheath that only reached mid-thigh. She had purchased the dress a few years earlier but hardly worn it. She also changed her underwear so that she was wearing the lacy blue set that she knew Hunter loved. Then she pulled out her only pair of high heels. The heels were pretty much in mint condition because she had difficulty walking in them. But tonight they would be perfect.

She quickly took her hair out of the simple ponytail. Bending over, she shook her head, running her fingertips through the locks to make them appear fuller. She stood and admired her reflection in the mirror. She was still a bit too thin but she had certainly softened with regular meals. Oh, one last thing. She dabbed cologne on between her breasts. There! With only a slight wobble, she made her way on the ridiculous tall heels to Hunter's room.

Hunter's eyes widened as she entered.

“Damn! You are sexy as hell, baby!”

Amber only smiled, noting with satisfaction that she could see both herself and Hunter thanks to the hanging mirrors. She turned slowly in a circle, watching Hunter's reaction. Then, slowly but confidently, she reached up behind her, unzipped the sheath dress and let it fall to the ground. She stepped around it, now wearing only her bra, panties, and high heels. Oh, and of course the sparkling green bracelet. That never left her wrist except for when she showered.

Hunter shifted on the chair and she saw that he was already aroused.

Good! Turning her back to Hunter, she walked to the closet, her heels clicking loudly on the wood floor, and found a red silk tie. She walked slowly forward, making sure Hunter got an excellent view.

“Put your hands behind your back,” she commanded.

Hunter obeyed, his green eyes locked on her face.

Walking behind him, she tied his wrists firmly together.

“
Flex your hands,” she ordered, checking to see that it was snug but not too tight.

She glanced up at the mirror, watching Hunter's face. His head was tilted back slightly and his green eyes shone. She walked back around, swinging one leg over the chair so that she was straddled just above him. She adjusted herself and sat down on his lap so that she could feel him against her. She heard Hunter's gasp and smiled.

Leaning over she kissed him once on his exposed neck. Then she trailed her tongue back up and over his jaw, stopping to gently kiss his lips. As soon as he responded, though, she pulled away, teasing him. She noted with satisfaction that he was flushed. Leaning back slightly, she set to work undoing the knot of his tie.

“
Bend your head down,” she ordered once the tie was free.

She used the tie to blindfold Hunter and then pushed his head back up. She treated him to a long, lingering kiss that made him try to shift beneath her.

Amber pulled away.

“
Be still!

Hunter groaned but complied.

Amber got back to work. She slowly began to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. When they were all undone, she ran her nails down Hunter's chest and then pushed the shirt aside. Cupping Hunter's head, she began a trail of kisses that led from his forehead to his collar bone. Hmm . . .She was going to have to change positions to get to his chest.

Rising slowly, she swung her leg back over the chair. Then she knelt between his legs so that she could run her tongue down the full length of his chest.

Hunter strained and tried to free himself.

“
Stop!”

Breathing heavily, Hunter stilled his body.

Amber decided it was time to move to the next location. She stood up and removed the blindfold.

“
I'm going to untie you,” she said sternly. “But you are not to touch me in any way. Is that understood?”

Hunter's mesmerizing eyes where hazy with desire. But he simply nodded his head.

“Once I untie you, you will remove the rest of your clothes and get into the bathtub.”

Once he was free, Hunter flexed his arms and stretched. He stared directly into Amber's eyes as he finished undressing. Then, with just a hint of a smile, he walked casually to the tub and got in.

Still in her panties, bra, heels, and bracelet, Amber followed him into the bathroom. She unhooked the robe covering the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door and placed it on the counter. The she angled the door so that both of their reflections would be visible. Finally, she walked to the small cabinet by the tub and chose a bottle of shampoo.