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"Windy day" She held out an armful of silvery fabric "But the wind is wise, don’t you think?"
"Full of hot air," was my only answer
He meant well, but I hadn’t left Criminy’s nest just to be bossed around by another ht
15
The shoas flawless, of course I’d long ago ceased to doubt race and confidence of a predator As Auguste ushered me back to the elephant, I smoothed my hair and patted the sweat on hts and the hot press of hundreds of drunk, lust-filled bodies The men in the audience were so rabid for ed the finale so that all the other girls forh kicks that no one dared to breach That’s right--in Sang, the first true can-can line was invented just to shield uste paused and fussed withh I didn’t kno he could see me in the darkness
"You don’t want to displease him, miss," he said, his voice low and rich like coffee When he opened the door and bowed, I went in alone,out my eyes
Froland and the few discussions I’d had in Franchia, Lenoir was an aamation of several Impressionist painters fros I remembered as the work of Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Toulouse Lautrec, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir But the man himself was said to be awho couldn’t be bought, who chose his own commissions and pursuits And now he had chosen ined it echoing against the copper as I took the winding stairs upward Was Lenoir already here, waiting for ht, when I had a few h Auguste’s brief pried by the timbre of my footsteps I was more nervous than I should have been, probably because while I had confidence in lairls, the stars, and I felt a little like a fraud But I quickly smothered that little voice of doubt in my heart and put on my best smile as I entered the cha me with the sharp eyes of a hawk
No That’s not true Hawks have kind of stupid, round, golden eyes Lenoir’s eyes were too s me for a frame His Van Dyke and hair were ink-black, with one streak of distinguished white But it didn’t lessen the man; quite the opposite There was a confident, smooth stillness about him that drew me in like a vacuum A sexy vacuu over into attack mode
Lenoir smelled of Bludman, which meant I’d finally found esture, and his s, and with that gulp of air came the full power of his scent Not Cherie, then; I had smelled his own blud
"And now you know my secret"
His voice was butter and bourbon, sipped in a lightless roolish but rich and royal He stood, his shadow-gray suit as crisp as if he’d just had it starched for the first tiles and corners as he bent at the waist and reached for love, and I shivered when his mustache and lips brushed the back of h my eyelashes "We’re all filled with secrets, monsieur But you have surprised rinned in a way that reminded ood humor lurked always behind Crier and none of the amusement that madethe ss, weren’t we?
"So you’re saying you owe me, then, mademoiselle? Fine I accept the debt I wish to paint you"
"I’m flattered, monsieur"
"Don’t be You knew I’d come for you They all do"
"All of whoirls I paint knoill come for them because that’s exactly what they want After I paint you, you’ll be i star, but I will turn you into the sun"
"Sounds hot"
His grin widened, went darker, if that was possible "Oh, little one You have no idea" He returned to the couch, taking up a sketchbook and leaning back "Stand there, one hand on the table Don’t look at "