Page 67 of The Heart of a Painter (As I Am 1)

“You’re even hotter when you boss me around.” He pressed our lips together, stealing my air and my resolve with it.

Maddened by him, Iclutched at his jacket lapels, deepening our kiss, swiping my tongue along his bottom lip.

What dinner?

Eventually, and unbelievably so, Thomas was the one who put on the brakes, smirking at my flushed cheeks. “You said we were late, right?”

Ientered the car after he held the door open for me. “You chose the worst possible moment to listen.” Ihuffed, lowering myself to my seat and looking up.

“Ialways listen, and Ialso notice things,” he said, then closed the door softly and walked around to his side.

“Notice what?”

Thomas placed afirm hand on my thigh. “That you weren’tat the studio after your internship yesterday.”

“Why would you think that?” My high-pitched voice served as avery clear tell of how Iwas evading Thomas.

“Erin.”

Hiding asurprise doesn’tequal alie, Ireminded myself.

“Yes, Thomas?”

“Let’sagree Ican recognize your scent anywhere.”

“Okay, let’s.”

“And let’salso agree that as much as you love sweets, you don’twork or live in abakery.”

Deny, deny, deny.

“Ido…not.”

“And that you smell like lavender. Most days. Not yesterday, though.”

Igasped and covered my lips.

He glimpsed at me from the side, raising an eyebrow with the smallest of grins brightening his otherwise serious expression. “You’re not the only one with sniffing issues.”

“I’mpleading the fifth.” Icrossed my arms over my chest and sucked in my lips.

He bit his lower lip, suppressing alaugh. “We’re not in acourtroom; you can’tplead the fifth.”

Sticking to my resolve, Iturned my eyes to the road.

“Look, Ireally appreciate your intentions.” He rubbed my thigh affectionately, lifting my skirt just above the knee. “Please tell me nothing huge waits for me there besides my parents.”

“No red carpet, no balloons.”

“But yes to…?”

“Cakes,” Iblurted out. “And cupcakes, maybe. Yes. Definitely. Lots of sugar comas in our future.”

“I’ll allow sugar.” He tapped his fingers on the wheel. “I’mused to it by now, eating you out every day.”

“Stop those evil thoughts!” Ihid my face with both hands, my high-pitched voice reaching even higher. “Thomas, you can’tsay things like that to me when we’re—oh!”

Thomas, unlike me, welcomed my evil thoughts by hiking my skirt higher up my thighs and cupping me over my panties. Isucked alarge gulp of air from the sudden and intense wave of pleasure, gripping the door handle.