Page 80 of Exposed

“But Jacob could wake up…”

I walked back over to the door and locked it. “Take it off, Brooklyn.”

She pressed her lips together.

I reached out and unbuttoned her jeans.

“Matt, I don’t think this is a good idea.” She looked over at one of the other portraits I’d painted of her.

I pushed her jeans down over her hips. “You’re my muse, Brooklyn.”

She still didn’t move. “But I don’t look like that anymore.”

She thought I was still in love with a ghost. She thought this version of her wasn’t good enough. Was she kidding me? “Every day you were gone, I didn’t love you less. I loved you more.” I pushed her sweater up again, and this time she lifted her arms. I tossed her sweater to the side and reached behind her back to unclasp her bra.

She put her arms across her chest. She’d been shy about this 16 years ago too. And I wasn’t having it now either.

I grabbed her arms and put them to her sides. “I painted you that way because it was the only version of you I knew. Not because it was the version I preferred.” I hooked my thumbs in the waistband of her thong and pulled it down.

She stared at me like she didn’t believe me. But at least she didn’t try to hide herself from me this time.

“Is that why you freaked out when I got down on one knee earlier? Because you don’t believe I love this version of you? The real you?”

She dropped her gaze to her bare feet.

I put my fingers under her chin so she’d look at me again. “Tell me why you were upset.”

“We’re still just getting to know each other again, Matt.”

I shook my head. “I’ve been in love with you for half my life. And I think that deep down, there was a piece of you that still loved me too. So tell me the real reason why you were upset.”

She pressed her lips together as she stared at me. “Honestly?”

“Honesty is all I’m asking for.”

“I was having a hard evening before Penny and Daphne showed up. I…I miss him.”

Honesty was what I wanted. But it still hurt.

“It’s the quiet moments when I’m alone that hurt the most. But I’m so happy when you’re here with me. You’re helping me to keep going, Matt.”

That’s all I’d needed to here. That she wanted me here. “Good. Now lie down.”

She smiled. “What?”

“Right there. On that sheet. You promised to pose nude for me. And after you see this painting, you’ll know I love you at 32 just as much as I loved you at 16.”

She didn’t move, so I picked her up in my arms.

She laughed as I carried her over to the sheet on the ground. I bent down and put her where I wanted her. And maneuvered her to be posing exactly how I wanted. Leaning back, propped up on her elbows, with her back arched.

I wanted to tell her that I wished we’d stayed home on Thanksgiving all those years ago. And done this instead like I’d wanted. But I knew she didn’t regret parts of what happened. I knew she’d been happy. And I was so fucking happy for her. But it hurt to hear about it. I couldn’t stand it. It made my chest burn. But I knew I needed to hear it. All of it.

I moved her legs so that her knees were bent. One a little more than the other, giving me a view of every inch of her. I put my fingers in her hair and pulled, tilting her head back.Perfection.

I went back to my easel.

“This pose is going to be very hard to keep,” she said.

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