Page 33 of Naughty Nicky

“I’m not painting you naked.”

This time it’s my jaw that drops. “That’s not what I meant.” But that does give me ideas.

His cheeks turn a shade of pink that gives me butterflies. I don’t know what it is about this man that the stupidest things make my crush hit harder than it ever did in high school. Maybe because he is finally giving me the time of day.

“Sorry, I—I just thought since you saw that one picture that—”

“No, that wasn’t what I was thinking,” I cut him off. Which is the truth. I didn’t think he only painted nudes. But does he? “You just said you were trying to paint more, and I thought you could like paint me on the couch reading a book or something. You don’t need to draw me like one of your French girls.”

“Like one of my what?”

I stare at him in disbelief. “I want you to paint me wearing this, wearing only this.’ That doesn’t ring a bell?”

“Uh, no.”

“Jack and Rose?”

He shakes his head.

“How the hell have you not seen one of the greatest cinematic films of a generation? I mean I know it came out the year you were born, but I wasn’t even alive. And I’ve seen the movie well over ten times.”

“What movie?”

“Titanic!” I shout.

“Hmm.” He shrugs. “Never heard of it.”

I want to throttle him. “How have you never heard of—” I pause when he starts silently laughing at me. “Asshole,” I mutter. “You knew what I was talking about the entire time.”

He smiles at me. “I just wanted to hear all about your love for such an epic love story.”

“So, you agree? It’s one of the best movies of all time?”

He shakes his head. “Not at all. But I’ll let you live in your little fantasy.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “So does that mean you’ll paint me?”

He runs his hands through his hair. “If that’s what you really want to do, sure. But it’s going to be boring for you, you know. You just have to sit still.”

“I’m sure I’ll survive,” I say. Because I don’t mind doing that at all if I get to watch his mind in action. I don’t know why, but for some reason seeing him think turns me on.

He sighs. “Well let me grab what I need.”

The smile I’m sporting takes up my entire face. “I’m going to change.”

“Change?”

“Yeah, I don’t want you to paint me in your oversized clothing. Besides, I finished the laundry while you were outside. So I can put my clothes back on that fit me better.”

A look of disappointment crosses his face for a split second. If I blinked, I would have missed it. That look sure made me thinkhe prefers seeing me in his clothes. I shake the thought from my head. That is definitely not what he was thinking at all.

I head to the bedroom where I left the folded clothes both mine and Nick’s since I’m not a heathen and finished his laundry too.

I strip off his clothes reluctantly, knowing I’m going to miss smelling like him. I throw on my underwear and grab my leggings when I notice the Santa suit on the floor in his closet.

And oh boy do, I get an idea.

9

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