He was a bit right. This was crazy. But he was wrong about needing to sweeten the deal. I reached up and pressed my palm to his cheek. "Don't you know, Hunter, your love is the sweetest deal of all."
His expression looked anxious yet hopeful. "Does that mean you'll marry me?"
"Yes Hunter, I’ll marry you."
He slipped the ring on my finger and then wrapped his arms around me and spun me around. He kissed me senseless and I couldn’t remember ever being so happy.
“When did you do all this?” I asked when I finally had to take a breath.
“Yesterday.”
My brows shot up to my hairline. “Yesterday?”
“I already owned the building, but hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do with it. And yesterday, it came to me as clear as bell the moment I knew I had to fight for you and find a way to want to be with me.” His fingers traced my jawline. “I was such a fool and a jerk. I can’t believe you’ve forgiven me much less agreed to marry me.”
“We were both fools and jerks. Maybe you a little bit more.”
“I’m probably going to fuck up again and again, but you can be sure, that I’ll love you.”
“Just think of the make-up sex we’ll have.”
He laughed. “See, this is what I love about you. Your effervescence. Your humor. Your willingness to kick my ass.”
He was right. I felt like I had life back in me. Instantly, my fingers itched to paint.
I pushed him back and looked at all the beautiful art things he bought for me. "I want to paint. Now get naked."
He arched his brow. “How does painting and getting naked equate?"
"I want to paint you naked. Seriously Hunter, I’ve wanted to paint you practically since the moment I met you."
His cheeks blushed bright red as he looked around the room. “I saw the one in the article.”
It was my turn to blush. “That was from memory. I want to paint the real thing.”
He hesitated. “Most paintings of naked men, he’s not turned on. I can’t be with you and not get a woody.”
I waggled my brows. “Even better.” I looked through the paints and brushes, gathering a few along with a canvas. "We’re the only ones here and we’re on the second floor so nobody can see in. Get naked and get on the couch."
Finally, with a shake of his head and a laugh, he tugged off his T-shirt and toed off his shoes. "I can't believe I'm doing this."
He walked over towards the couch unbuttoning his jeans, hesitating again as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of his jeans.
At that moment, I remembered the story that he told me about his ex, and the way he reacted when news of us was in the media. So I walked over to him, pressing my hands on his very fine specimen of a chest. "Hunter, this is just for me. It’s not going to go in a gallery or being sold. It won’t end up online. This is just for me. I want to paint again. I want to paint you. Will you let me?"
His hands pressed over mine on his chest. "I've inspired you to paint?"
I nodded my head. "Yes."
"Then you should paint." And with that he shoved his jeans and his boxer briefs down. He stood in front of me in all his naked glory and for a moment I considered forgoing the painting and instead jumping him. But there'd be time for that, so I had him sit on the couch positioning him and nearly swooned at how beautiful and sexy he looked. Then I pulled over the easel and began to work.
I didn't complete the painting that day, but I was able to get in the full sketch of him. The shadows and the beautiful lines of his body. I was lucky that I would be able to get him here again to work on it later. I figured one way to ensure that he would pose again would be to reward him.
Over in the corner there was a sink and wash area so I went over and washed my hands deciding I would take care of the brushes and other cleanup later.
"Are you done?” he asked.
"The painting isn’t finished, but I'm done for today.”