I have to deal with that police detective before the meeting with the Metropolitan Art Museum. He’ll need to figure out where the girl’s from so that her family can be notified and possibly paid for their loss. Not that this could be paid off with money!

A loud and exasperated breath escaped my lips. Both Hex and Elle turned to me. I covered my mouth with a fist and coughed. “So how much longer is this going to take?”

“Why are you even here?” Hex grabbed a blue sheet from the shelf and carried it to the stage. “You never care about the introductory phase with my models, or really anything when it concerns the art process.”

“Well, now I do.”

“Why?”

Who would kill that poor, young girl?

“You keep hiring women and men and bringing them here.” I leaned on the wall. “Their lives are in our care when they walk on these grounds.”

“What the hell are you talking about? We can afford them walking around here, and I’m inspired by people and the things around me.”

I held up my hand. “I understand that, but we need to limit the models.”

Hex paused. “Why?”

I ignored the question and didn’t want to discuss this any further with Elle around. “How many models are on the property now?”

“Three counting Elle.” Hex gestured for her to come to the stage. “Go ahead and take off your clothes.”

I choked on my own saliva. It was such an out of nowhere reaction that even I was shocked as well as my brother, who laughed at me while I struggled to get my breath. I never stood in the studio with him when he created his works, especially the nude sessions.

By God, naked women represented the most heightened work of art. I was a man after all, a mature one, but a man nonetheless. I could walk into a room with a bare female laid on the stage and not drool or ogle. But there were just so many minutes of staring at lush breasts adorned with erect nipples and that plump flesh between a woman’s spread thighs before I became aroused and embarrassed us both. I stayed far away from Hex’s models and all the unclothed gatherings he had with them.

“Are you okay, Al?” Hex straightened out the sheet he’d laid across a small mattress that stood in the middle of the stage. “If it would make you more comfortable, I could have her wait to take off her clothes until after you leave.”

Elle climbed up on the stage and made no move to glance my way as she brought her fingers to the spaghetti straps on her shoulders.

“How long do you plan on having Elle here?” I averted my eyes while she slipped off that lovely dress, the color of sunlight and sand right at the instance of dawn. The color was so shocking against that pale skin, yet blended flawlessly with her hair. I directed my gaze to the ground because anywhere near her would be a problem that I didn’t need right now. I had enough things to consider--like why a dead body was decomposing in a garden ripe with vegetables and the possibility of another corpse coming very soon.

How long had the dead girl been there and who the hell did it? Would there be more? Are we all in danger? The police figured it was a lover’s dispute or some freak accident until they lifted her dress. What did they see? Why wouldn’t they tell me?

“Did you hear me?” Hex waved both of his hands.

“What?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“I said she’ll be here to the end of summer at least.”

“Five months?” Fear rose in my core. “Absolutely not. That’s ridiculous. You usually only have a model stay for a week or less.”

“A week with Michael’s Archangel? You’re insane.” He motioned to her lovely form. “Do you see her?”

I risked a peek. Have mercy on my soul. She lay against the sheet with shivering fingers and her gaze planted to the ceiling. There was no doubt in my mind that she was nervous. Michael probably never shared her modeling with any other artist. I know I wouldn’t have. She’s used to people gawking at her, but not with no clothes on. Yet, with all that knowledge of her discomfort, I couldn’t turn away. Her lips parted as if beckoning me to come over and fill her mouth with a kiss. Her chest rose and fell as she took deep breaths. Her breasts rode the waves. Those pink points on top of them stiffened right before my eyes. Look away, Al. Look away. I rubbed my mouth and headed toward the back door. If I allowed my gaze to travel further down her body, I would be inching over to the stage and giving her an awkward view of the erection growing within my pants.

Tags: Kenya Wright Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net