Love in Paris (The Art Models Club Book 4) (14 page)
Read Love in Paris (The Art Models Club Book 4) Online
Authors: Amanda Meadows
In answer, Amber shifted her body and knelt over him. Then she straddled his waist. She was just as tired with foreplay and mounted him, adjusting her hips and legs so that she could be in control. He reached up to grab her hips, lifting her even higher as his pleasure increased.
They made love hard and frantically, as though it had been weeks since they had last touched each other. Amber felt herself reaching her peak first and cried out as she started to fall against him. But Hunter simply held her aloft as his own body finally began to thrust and jerk out of control. He moaned her name and then finally pulled her forward onto his chest.
She slid her oily legs down beside his but he pulled her closer when she moved so that he could pull out of her.
“I want to stay like this for a little bit,” he murmured, his face buried in her hair.
She could feel his heart still racing below her cheek. He ran his hands up and down her backside.
“I love you so much, Amber Holloway,” he said. “Please don't ever leave me.”
“
I love you, Hunter Webb,” she replied softly. “I'm not going anywhere.”
She didn't know how much longer they stayed on the bed but when she got up at last to go to the bathroom, the votive candles were nearly burnt out. She breathed on them to extinguish them and then turned on the shower. She was going to have to use a good bit of soap to get rid of the prodigious amount of oil clinging to her body.
Later that evening, Hunter took her to an intimate restaurant and she happily dug into each course set before her.
“
That's quite an appetite you've got there,” Hunter said, smirking.
“
You aren't exactly leaving your food untouched,” Amber pointed out, laughing.
By the time the main course came, however, Amber had to slow down.
As she was slowly chewing a bite of rare steak, she noticed that Hunter was uncharacteristically quiet.
“
Everything okay?”
“
I was just thinking,” Hunter said, his voice hesitant. “You asked about my grandparent's property and I was kind of rude the other day.”
Amber waved her fork. “Don't worry about it.”
Hunter ignored her. “The thing is that I have problems with loss. I had a hard time when my grandfather passed away but at least my grandmother was still there. And then she passed away as well.”
Amber put her fork down, shocked that Hunter was opening up to her. She noticed that he was pushing his food around in a big circle on his plate. This was clearly difficult for him to talk about.
“And there was . . .” Suddenly Hunter stopped and stiffened. It was as though he had hit a limit.
He bit his lip and tired to cover his nerves by taking a large swallow of wine.
“So, anyway,” he said, refocusing, “I thought maybe you could go visit with me. I think that if you were with me, it wouldn't be so sad for me.”
“
Oh, Hunter, absolutely!” Amber said. “But listen, you don't have to do anything, okay? We can take things as slow as you want.”
Hunter had been making a mountain out of his mashed potatoes and suddenly realized what he was doing. He flattened it with one firm slap of his fork.
“No, I've avoided this for a long time.” He stared at her with admiration in his eyes. “You just face up to your fears without any hesitation. I've been acting like a wimp.”
Amber took his hand. “It's okay to face things with baby steps,” she said.
Hunter laughed bitterly. “That's what the therapists used to tell me,” he said.
Therapists?
“Are you seeing anyone now?” Amber asked, suddenly alarmed she hadn't known.
Hunter smiled reassuringly. “No, that was back when I was a kid. I'm afraid I was pretty stubborn back then and didn't want to talk about my feelings.”
“No!” Amber clutched her heart.
Hunter laughed. “I was convinced that they didn't know what they were talking about. I would sit in their offices and have staring contests until my parents simply gave up.”
Then he smiled wryly. “And see what a wonderful person I turned out to be.”
Amber squeezed his hand.
“You are a great guy, Hunter Webb. And if there are ghosts in your closets, I'm going to help you open the doors so that we can face them together.”
“
I almost feel sorry for them,” Hunter said, his eyes twinkling. “You can be pretty damn scary when you're angry.”
“
Just don't forget it,” Amber said. She shoved his fork aside with her own fork and scooped up a bite of his potatoes.
“
It's such a damn shame to waste these delicious potatoes. I'm not too ashamed to steal your food in a five star restaurant.”
Hunter tried not to smile. “Go ahead, I won't report you.”
Amber hesitated until she noticed the elderly woman glaring at her from the next table. Really? Amber smiled sweetly at the woman, turned her head and flagrantly ate several bites from Hunter's plate. More than irritating the snoopy old lady, Amber knew that Hunter needed the diversion. He seemed almost fragile this evening.
She watched with a satisfied smile as Hunter held his napkin over his mouth to hide his laughter. The offended woman began speaking in rapid French to her husband. But the husband, a kindly looking gentleman with snow white hair, merely smiled charmingly in Amber's direction.
Hunter was still chuckling when they got back into the car to return to the hotel.
“
That poor guy is probably going to have to sleep on the sofa tonight for showing you sympathy.”
Amber smiled. “It was her fault. She shouldn't have looked at me like I was a naughty child. It made me want to prove her right.”
Hunter pulled her close to snuggle. “Baby, I love it when you get naughty.”
“
Ah, but you only say that when it isn't you I'm defying,” she corrected him.
“
True, but at least I have my two days of obedience coming up soon.”
“
I was kind of hoping you were going to forget about that,” Amber murmured, kissing his neck.
“
Me? Forget about two days you've agreed to do what I ask when I ask it?”
Hunter laughed.
“A girl can dream,” Amber said, yawning.
Today had been such an emotional roller coaster day and she was starting to feel its affects.
“If I could, I would even be in charge of your dreams,” Hunter said, grinning slyly. “I would be in every single one.”
“
And that is why we are going to work on your control freak nature,” Amber said. “Especially if I don't have the same power to control you.”
Hunter was quiet as they arrived at the hotel and took the elevator back up to their room.
Amber didn't want to interrupt his thoughts but she couldn't put off the question that had been on her mind most of the evening.
“
So where do we go from here? I mean with the whole Ross family situation.”
“
That depends,” Hunter said, with a hint of a smile. “Do you want to help catch a thief?”
“
You mean you'll let me help? Are you feverish?” She reached up and touched his forehead with mock alarm.
Hunter regarded her sternly. “Only if you follow every single thing I ask you to do,” he said. “With no questions allowed, no matter if it seems like the right thing to you or not.”
“Yes! Yes!” Amber agreed.
“
I'm serious, Amber. I don't want you in any situation that could get out of control.”
“
Fine. Hunter, I'm so proud of you!”
Hunter grimaced. “Why am I already regretting this?”
Amber kissed him on the mouth.
“
I'll be a good girl,” she said. “That will be your reward for letting me in on things.”
Hunter groaned.
“I know that you have good intentions now. I'm just not sure what happens when you suddenly develop your independent streak.”
Amber laughed and tugged him into the room, no longer sleepy. Whatever happened with Kayla and her messed up family, she was finally starting to believe that she and Hunter might have a chance at a long term relationship.
Would Hunter be able to confront the childhood trauma that still affected him now? Could she allow herself to be vulnerable and fully trust him no matter what? Bloody hell, she was going to try her best to make this happen. But all of that was going to have to wait at least until the morning.
“
Come to bed, Hunter,” she said. “Let me show you just what a good girl I can be.”
# # #
Thank you for taking the time to read Love in Paris. Please consider leaving a review! - xoxo, Amanda
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Amanda has a literary soul and has been in love with books since her early childhood. Some of the first books she ever read were from her aunt's collection of romance novels. The library was a special place for Amanda where she'd escape into the many worlds created by authors. Today, there is always a stack of books on her bedside table and loaded onto her Kindle.
Amanda loves the arts and has been writing stories for almost as long as she has been reading. She has taken many creative writing courses and has published numerous works in children's and young adult fiction, nonfiction, and now setting on her journey writing contemporary romance. Art courses that Amanda took in college provide the inspiration for creating a world of new adult romance in The Art Models Club series. Amanda lives in Texas with her husband, son, and their family dog.