Page 26 (1/2)

"Will you take a cut, for your trouble, if I sell anything?" I finally asked

He raised a brow at ed to sound insulted with the small stateallery will at least charge for putting on the showing, right?"

He sighed "That is usually the standard procedure," he said carefully

Stephan burst out suddenly, his tone thick with exasperated annoyance "Oh, for God’s sake, Bianca! How can you say no to this? You have a rare opportunity here, and if your work sells, it sells If it doesn’t, it doesn’t What’s the hangup?"

He was using a certain tone he had, a tone that asked ‘Where’s your backbone?’ without hihten, which was the point

I nodded "Okay, I’ll do it When should we select the sa me way too passionately for anywhere but the privacy of a bedrooainst ain His hands stayed firht in his lap But his et that Stephan sat just a few feet away, but I also couldn’t keep froue stroked into asped,his rock-hard shoulders I could feel his conspicuous erection against ain, I sucked on it Thatet you fucked in a hurry, Love," he whispered, but I figured Stephan could still hear us, in such a slared at hih

Jarinned wickedly

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Mr Volatile

Lunch was a happy affair Ja more and more chummy They joked co rooht, of course The sushi was great And the selection Clark had collected was vast It was literally enough to feed ten people

I ga out a Philadelphia roll and soenerously into soy sauceus at that bar in New York again on Friday night? Sa to Ja that fa Bianca would come see ht, Love?"

I sed my mouthful of shriround he had habout it

"Yes, you could," I said si look, then went back to chatting with Stephan

After lunch, Jaain studied every piece of my art like his life depended on it He took several pictures with his phone

We stayed at Stephans until late afternoon The two reat deal to talk about, froood deal of it, si in the novelty of the twoin the world When they finished talking, atched TV

I didn’t have a television, so the only TV I did watch was at Stephan’s house We watched a few episodes of New Girl, a show Stephan had recently made me watch until I’d realized that I loved it I was behind by at least a dozen episodes, but I was always behind on TV

I laughed out loud at the show Jah he watched me more than he watched the screen He s me close to his side I loved his touch, so I didn’t protest, although the whole thing was a little surreal for me

When the third episode ended, I stood

"I need to cook dinner," I told therill sous and couscous That sound okay to everyone?" I asked I was cooking one ofto cater to Jareat! I love that blackened rilled chicken, Bee," Stephan said

"I can’t wait," Ja TV "You need any help?" he asked me

"Nah It’s an easy meal I’ll text you when it’s ready"

"I need to make some calls," Ja with his laptop "Where would it be ed "Anywhere that’s not directly in "

He set up in the dinning roo on the phone nearly constantly, taking call after call

He cursed suddenly, and I looked back, startled

"I forgot that was friday," he was saying His tone turned dry "It slipped itated "Yes, yes, set it up I know Drop it I said set it up"

He looked at me, trouble in his eyes He ended the call, then closed his eyes and cursed fluently

I went back to cooking It had been deeply ingrained in e not to pry, so I didn’t If he wanted to tellot about a charity event that I can’t ," he told me, his tone careful "I don’t have to be there until ether You can, of course, stay at my place while I attend I’ll duck out at the earliest possible opportunity"

My spine stiffened at the realization that this hat the ‘no dating’ part meant He would leave me at home like a dirty little secret while he ht," I said in a carefully neutral tone "I’d rather stay atfor ht"

"I would prefer that you not leave," he said in hisvoice "I pro"

I shot hi the chicken "If you’re leaving that night, then so am I"

He sucked in a breath

"Are you upset?" he asked, sounding alarmed