The Emperor

moved to the right. “Is this better?"

"Perfect,” he said then arranged her hair until part of it spilled down her back. She took his breath away. “I know it's difficult, but try not to fidget too much."

"How long will it take?"

He went behind his easel and started arranging things. “Not long."

"Why did you want my profile?"

"It allows me to see your curves better."

She shrugged. “You're the artist with all the millions."

He laughed. “And you're my sexy model with the legs that could stop traffic."

She didn't respond, but the pleasure in her eyes was enough. She liked his compliments.

A few minutes passed and she said, “It seems as if I've been sitting here for hours. My knees are getting stiff. How much longer?"

Gideon tsked. “You've only been sitting for fifteen minutes, love. Have some patience."

For some reason, the use of the endearment seemed appropriate. He'd never called a woman that before. It was too intimate. Somehow it fit Lori.

Long minutes passed and Gideon was having a difficult time keeping his mind on the task. Her curves and shadows fascinated him, and she was an easy woman to sketch. To recreate such beauty with his own two hands was pure delight. But his thoughts kept straying into sexual territory.

It was obvious Lori didn't think she had sex appeal, but she was way wrong. She could make a monk sit up and take notice. With a body like hers men probably went weak in the knees all the time, she just wasn't aware of it. Her sexy cat eyes and full round breasts made his mouth water. He wasn't even going to think about her legs. Christ, they seemed to go on for miles. Legs that led up to a delicious ass.

He needed to get his mind off sex. There'd be time later for all he had in mind. As his gaze locked on hers, he realized she'd been looking him over. He was tempted to slip inside her head, but he refrained. He wasn't used to holding himself in check, and he realized he'd become spoiled with his ability to read her so easily.

"You're very focused. The room could be set ablaze and you wouldn't notice."

If she only knew how easily she'd distracted him. “You're easy to sketch, and you're being very patient. That helps my concentration a lot."

"Thank you."

Her shy response to a simple compliment made him angry. Hadn't anyone ever praised this woman? Her ex-fiancé was a fool. She deserved so much better.

Watching her now, fairly quivering with excitement, Gideon knew he'd enjoy spending days pampering her. He ached to show her what a treasure she was. As her eyes slid over his upper body, the only part of him visible, he had to wonder if she was getting as worked up as he. Were her breasts tingling at the idea of his hands paying avid attention to them instead of the sketch? Was she thinking of his fingers plying her nipples instead of a pencil? God, he badly wanted to drop the pencil.

When Lori licked her lips and fidgeted on the stool, he knew she was on edge. Hell, a man didn't have to read a woman's mind to know if she was ready and aching. When it came down to it, if it weren't for the easel hiding the lower half of his own body, she'd know just how eager he was as well. Looking at her was a delight, but it was pure hell not being able to touch.

Time to take his mind off what lay just beyond his reach.

"So, tell me more about yourself, Lori. What do you do for a living?” Surely talking about her job was safe territory.

"I'm a teacher at Sunbury North.” Lori smiled. “My students would never believe what I'm doing right now. They all see me as mundanely settled and far too serious. Ha! Wouldn't they be surprised?"

"Will you tell them?"

She shook her head. “I don't usually share too much about my private life with them."

"I never imagined you a school teacher.” He thought of Mrs. Frasier again and laughed. “I went to Sunbury East, and I don't ever remember having a teacher that looked as delectable as you. Clearly, I went to the wrong Sunbury."

She laughed. “I don't think any of my students have ever called me delectable."

He stroked the graphite pencil over the canvas and said, “I would've."

"I think flirting with your teacher could get you a detention."