Luster by Tessa Rowan Read Free Book Online

smirk. She makes teasing her way too easy. “I know it’s distracting and all, but do I really need to put my shirt back on for you?”
    There’s that same sassy look she keeps giving me. She wants so badly to be able to say something, but she knows she’ll ruin the pose. I’m not the type of guy she’s used to working with—she makes that obvious. She’s probably used to businessmen in monkey suits who are willing to kiss her sweet ass to be a part of what she’s doing. But she knows that’s not what’s happening here, and it’s clearly outside her comfort zone.
    The very thing I’m going for, in fact.
    “You know what I mean, Matt. Why do you have the heat blazing?”
    I shrug. “Models are usually naked when I draw them so I try to be accommodating. If it’s too cold in here it makes for some crabby women with extremely hard nipples. And while I find the cooler temperature perfect for drawing the lovely female anatomy, the models don’t tend to agree with me. So I turn the heat on instead.”
    She arches an eyebrow at me, carefully choosing her wording. “You’d rather me sweat?”
    “Not really. But if it means that much to you I’ll go turn the heat off.”
    Falyn snorts and bites her bottom lip. “You know what? I think I’ve figured it out… you just want an excuse to take your own clothes off.”
    I put my hand up to my mouth. “How could you even suggest such a thing?” I say, mocking her. “I thought I already explained to you that I don’t need an excuse to get naked? It’s practically unnatural to keep all of this covered up from the human eye as it is. A crime against humanity, I’d call it.”
    This breaks her from her stoic pose and Falyn doubles over, laughter bubbling out of her. In this rare moment where she lets her guard down somewhat, I take personal inventory of her. How her eyes crinkle in the corners where her hands go when she’s laughing. That ridiculous squeaking noise she’s making as she tries to hold it back.
    It’s different to see her this way. Nice, even.
    “It’s blasphemous!” Her voice is shrill and I join in, both of us laughing over my cheesy vanity. And if I keep her around it won’t be the last time.
    Her shoulders loosen up when she sits back and I dive back into my drawing, desperately needing to catch the angles while she’s relaxed. This was what I was hoping for.
    As her laughter fades, her round eyes go soft. Even when I’m not looking at her I can feel her gaze on me, and I practically hear the cogs and the wheels going around in her brain. She’s thinking about me but not like before.
    This sets me on edge. Now I feel like I’m the one who’s being drawn.
    I want to come up with something else to say to her, to throw her off whatever path her mind is taking her on. I’ve seen that same face before—that same look. It’s the one I used to get right before Dinah and I got together. Curiosity and something else.
    I look up at Falyn and sneer. “Hold still. When you bounce your leg like that it makes you look like an impatient three year-old.”
    Immediately she tenses right up, ruining the look I was going for. I thought that maybe she’d stop trying to somehow pry into my head looking for answers, but she hasn’t. And now I’ve just pissed her off.
    “Why do you do that?” Her voice is barely above a whisper as she’s trying to keep still.
    I don’t want to answer her but my mouth starts moving against my wishes. “Do what, exactly?”
    “Act like that? Like an asshole. I get that you’re some too-cool-for-school guy, but you don’t have to be so damn rude to me.”
    I expect her to be defensive but her tone suggests she’s being more careful with what she says. Whether it’s because she’s worried I’ll just make light of whatever she says again or not, I don’t know.
    “I don’t do it on purpose,” I lie. “Guess I’m just really an asshole.”
    She rolls her eyes so hard I worry that she’s about to tear a