Love in Paris (The Art Models Club Book 4) (3 page)

As she started to leave the bathroom she spotted robes and slippers behind the door. Even better! The slippers were way too big for her small feet but they were so comfy that she kept them on and shuffled out of the room with the robe cinched at her waist.

“
The shower's all yours!”

Then she realized that Hunter was in the closet.

“Sorry to yell,” she said. “I thought you were still in the living room.”

“
The porter came up right after you got in the shower. I sent him down with my suit and your dress for a quick pressing.”

Hunter put away the suitcases in the corner of the closet.

“Oh, I need mine first,” she said.

Hunter stared at her. “You're things are in that drawer.”

“You unpacked my things?”

Hunter shrugged. “I had time so I unpacked everything. Don't you do the same when you travel?”

Amber thought of how she normally yanked out what she needed during a trip and shoved everything back in at the end of a trip.

“
Um . . .yeah . . .Thanks for saving me the trouble.”

Hunter chuckled.

“What?”

“
I was joking when I suggested you unpacked your things.”

Amber put her hands on her hips.

“How would you know what I do on trips?” she said, annoyed.

She knew she wasn't the most organized person on the planet but he didn't have to make fun of her.

“I'm sorry, baby,” Hunter said, trying without success to erase the smile on his face.

“
But you are one of the sloppiest persons I know.”

“
That's a terrible thing to say!”

Hunter folded his arms across his chest.

“Really? And I suppose it's nice for you and Caleb to joke together about me being a control freak?”

Ouch! Had Hunter overheard them?

“Um . . .Well, you need to be a gentleman no matter what I say,” she finally said, turning and flinging open the drawer to start getting dressed.

Damn! He had individually folded every single pair of panties. Who did that? She remembered how she had wadded all her underwear in one giant pile and crammed it into a plastic storage bag before packing it. She blushed, thinking of what Hunter must have thought when he unpacked it.

“Ah, baby, don't be sore,” Hunter murmured. “You're the most gorgeous slob in the world.”

Amber relented, looking up into those shimmering green eyes. She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“Well, I have to admit that you are the most handsome control freak in the world,” she murmured. “If we didn't have lunch with your parents and if I didn't have this bet with you, I'd show you how much I love you right now.”

Hunter flushed.

“I guess I'll be taking a cold shower before we leave then,” he said, his voice husky.

Amber glanced at the bedside clock.

“Oh, I've got to get going! I've still got to dry my hair.”

Hunter reluctantly let her go and headed for the bathroom.

Amber followed him in to get the dryer. She watched as he dropped his clothes on the floor. Ugh! Keeping herself from succumbing to sex with Hunter tonight was going to be agonizingly difficult. She fought off a sudden yawn and grinned. Hmm . . .maybe jet leg was going to work in her favor.

Still, it was hard to pull her eyes away when Hunter pulled his briefs down and then knelt to step out of them. Amber couldn't help herself. She reached over and slapped his butt cheeks.

“Hey!”

Hunter whirled around and Amber giggled as she saw that he was indeed fully aroused.

Then she bit her lips in alarm as he stepped closer. She looked up and got caught up in his mesmerizing eyes. She looked down and, well, there he was ready for action.

“
For someone who wants to win a bet, you sure are being naughty,” he said. “Maybe you've changed your mind?”

Blushing, Amber whirled around and grabbed the hairdryer from beneath the sink.

“Just take your shower,” she said hastily.

She scurried into the bedroom without looking at Hunter but she could hear him laughing.

A few moments later, though, she heard a shriek and ran back to the bathroom. She ripped open the shower curtain and saw Hunter hugging his chest. Was he having a heart attack?

“
Hunter! What is it? What's wrong?”

She reached into the shower and then snatched her arm back. The water was freezing.

“Seriously? Guys really do this?”

Hunter panted and gasped for breath. His teeth were chattering.

“It . . .it . . . works,” he muttered.

Amber glanced down.

“Well, I'll be darned,” she said. “I thought that was an old wives' tale.”

She grinned wickedly.

“What would happen if I dropped my robe right now?”

Hunter looked suitably horrified. He grabbed the shower curtain and yanked it back into place.

“Out!” he roared.

This time it was Amber who laughed as she headed back out to dry her hair. Point for me, she thought with satisfaction. She would have teased Hunter further but by the time she had finished drying her hair and dabbing on a tiny bit of makeup, it was nearly time to go.

Hunter stormed out of the bathroom in his own bathrobe and slippers without looking at her and fetched the door when the bell rang.

But once she was dressed and peering at herself anxiously in the mirror, Hunter seemed to have forgotten that he was angry with her.

“You look amazing, baby,” he said, coming behind her and kissing her neck.

“
Don't worry about mom and dad. I promise that they don't bite.”

Amber sighed. “Yes, but what if they swallow me whole?”

Hunter laughed.

“
Seriously, I told you that they're going to love you.”

“
What's their normal reaction to you bringing a girl over?” Amber asked, suddenly curious.

To Amber's surprise, Hunter flushed and turned away, starting to play with his tie.

“I think that this is on crooked. Can you check?”

Amber reached up and adjusted the tie by about a millimeter. She was going to have to win this bet if she wanted to get any information from Hunter. Why was he acting embarrassed? Had something happened with the last girl? Had the girl embarrassed herself? Used the wrong fork at dinner? Spilled dinner all over herself?

“Breathe, Amber,” Hunter said, taking her hand.

Leaning down he kissed her gently on the lips.

“I'm glad you look so natural,” he said. “Mom will be impressed. She doesn't like heavy makeup.”

Amber forced herself to take a deep breath. She needed a yoga session right now. Breathe in. Breathe out. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax. When she opened her eyes again, Hunter was watching and waiting silently.

“Okay, Monsieur Webb,” she said with confidence she didn't quite feel. “Let's do this!”

As they walked to the elevator Hunter talked to her about some of the specifics of the company. She was surprised to learn that Hunter's mother was starting a foundation for underprivileged girls to have greater access to learning the arts.

“Wow, that's really incredible,” Amber said.

Hunter looked embarrassed for a moment.

“What?” Amber asked in alarm.

“
Okay, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but my mom wants to talk to you about maybe working for the company part-time.”

Amber beamed. “Really? That would be great!”

Hunter looked relieved. “I just didn't want you to think she was asking because of . . . um . . .your past.”

The elevator stopped and Amber waited until they stepped out to confront Hunter.

“
Is
she asking because of my past?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“
No!” Hunter said with a fierceness that startled her. “I told her that I thought that you were incredibly smart and might have some good ideas.”

Amber studied him for a full minute, watching his posture. She had never known Hunter to outright lie. Keep stuff from her? Yes. But he had never lied to her and she was sure he was being honest now.

“Well, then Monsieur Webb,” she said, linking her arm in his. “Let's not keep the parents waiting on us.”

Amber was glad to see that the hotel restaurant was quite private and that nearly half the tables remained empty. At least she wouldn't have to worry about hearing over loud conversations. As they were shown to their table, Amber tried to squelch her nerves. Fortunately, both Hunter's mom and dad had big smiles on their faces as they stood to greet them.

Amber was amused to see Mrs. Webb give her son a kiss on each cheek before engulfing him in a hug. She was further impressed when Mr. Webb gave his son an equally big hug. Obviously this was a warm and loving family. She waited, hoping that her palms were not too sweaty. There was no way she could wipe them on this dress.

“
Mom and Dad, this is Amber,” Hunter said, beaming at her. “Amber, this is my mom and dad.”

“
It's a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Webb,” Amber said, her throat dry.

“
The pleasure is all ours, Amber,” Mrs. Webb said warmly taking Amber's hand in both of hers.

Mrs. Webb was slender with long, gray hair fashioned into a low bun behind her head. Her face was clean and fresh. If she was wearing makeup, Amber couldn't see it. She wore a simple navy sheath dress that accented her long legs. Only her heels were surprisingly high. Other than her ring, a delicate watch, and tiny diamond studded earrings, she wore no jewelry. She exuded simple elegance. Her skin was a warm honey. Hunter obviously got his exotic skin tone from his mother.

“Yes, Amber,” Mr. Webb echoed, also extending a hand. His light brown hair was cropped short and he had streaks of gray around his temples. Although he was dressed in an expensive suit, his manner was warm and laid back. If Amber had to describe him in just a few words she would have said that he was “a distinguished proper gentleman.”

Amber breathed easier as they all sat down. Soon, she was in a deep conversation with Mrs. Webb about her foundation. Apparently, Hunter wasn't kidding when he said that his mom wanted to offer her a position.

“I have great ideas,” Mrs. Web confessed. “But I just don't know young people that well.”

She leaned in as though a conspirator.

“You might have noticed that Hunter is . . .shall we say years ahead of his chronological age.”

Hunter paused in his conversation with his dad and arched an eyebrow at his mother.

“Really, mom, I can hear you. I'm only about a foot away.”

Mrs. Webb simply laughed and Amber had to smile.

“So Hunter has always been responsible and level headed?” she asked with a grin.

Mrs. Webb raised her salad fork for emphasis. “He came out of the womb, shook his little finger at the doctor in charge, and demanded to know how long he had been practicing and where he got his degree.”

Amber could tell that Hunter heard by his blush but he chose to ignore them.

Mrs. Webb winked. “I love Hunter with all my heart but I dare say that things have changed so much since I was raising him. Today's kids have moms who must work all day and can't give the same kind of attention I could to him.”

“I would love to help but I'm not sure how I can be of benefit,” Amber said, trying to be honest. She would much rather things not work out now than have to explain herself later.

Mrs. Webb smiled. “You just gave me a reason,” she said. “Not many job candidates would be honest enough to say that they didn't know if they were qualified for a position. That's a rare commodity these days.”

She leaned closer. “I need someone to help me plan things. Someone who isn't afraid to tell me if an idea is quite horrible. Do you think you could do that, dear?”

Amber grinned. “Your mom is asking me if I can be totally honest and give my true feelings,” she couldn't resist saying to Hunter.

Hunter laughed. “Unless she is only being mean to me, I'd say Amber pretty much always lets me know what she thinks.”

He grimaced. “Sometimes even when I don't want to hear it.”

“How refreshing!” Mr. Webb declared. “Finally, someone who stands up to Hunter.”

“
Aw, come on! Is this bash your son day?”

Hunter stabbed his salad viciously with his fork.

“Oh, sweetie, you know we love you! We just want to make Amber feel at home.” Mrs. Webb turned to Amber.

“
What a lovely girl you are! I'm glad that we've finally gotten a chance to meet you!”