Chapter 2

2.

Only after following him did I realize he was a private artist hiring me exclusively.

Landon led me to the studio at the very end of the hall. The moment we stepped inside, a heavy, musky scent hung in the air.

I looked at him and noticed a faint, flushed warmth across his handsome face.

The faintly intoxicating scent in the room felt strangely familiar.

My heart beat faster.

He stopped, turning to look at me with intense eyes. “You’re mine for the whole day. This is my private workspace, so no one else will interrupt us. I have an exhibition coming up, and I’m missing my centerpiece.”

He raked his gaze over my body from head to toe, nodding in clear approval. “You have an incredible figure.”

Hearing his compliment made my blush deepen.

He even offered to add another hundred dollars to my pay, and I nodded shyly.

Still, being alone in a locked room with an attractive man was a first for me.

My pulse pounded wildly against my ribs.

Just then, he gave me a mysterious smile.

“Go ahead and take off your clothes.”

What?

I instantly froze. “You... what did you say? Take them off?”

I glanced down at my outfit, knowing full well I was wearing sheer lacy lingerie underneath.

I swallowed hard.

Judging by his serious expression, he definitely wasn’t joking.

I quickly crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly nervous.

“Isn’t that... a bit much?”

He tilted his head and smiled warmly. “Sweetheart, you can’t expect me to paint a masterpiece while you’re bundled up in your street clothes, can you?”

With that, he tossed a bundle of fabric into my hands.

I paused, realizing he had a point.

The outfit he handed me was scandalously skimpy, and I hesitated.

“Don’t worry,” he said smoothly. “I don’t bite. Art requires a little vulnerability.”

Thinking about it, what he said made sense.

He turned his back, and I nervously changed into the dress he provided.

Calling it a dress was generous―it was sheer, whisper-thin mesh.

When I finished, he turned around and stopped dead in his tracks, visibly mesmerized. “Stunning. Absolutely stunning.”

He walked over and guided me to the center of the room. “Sit right here. I’ll help you pose. It might take a while, can you handle that?”

Flushed and flustered, I nodded. “Of... of course I can.”

He flashed a sly grin as I took my seat, lifting his charcoal to measure my proportions.

I looked down at the paper-thin fabric. Luckily, I had pasties on, otherwise...

Still, the top was cut so low that most of my cleavage spilled out into the open air.

I swallowed hard, my mind drifting to wild fantasies.

Suddenly, he walked back over and rested his warm hand on my bare shoulder. “Stay still. Let me adjust you.”

My skin felt scorching hot, and as I gave a soft nod, his palm slid slowly down my spine...