Tempting the Artist by Sharon C. Cooper Read Free Book Online

eyebrow, directing her question at
Jada.
    “ Yep,” Jada said, the lie
rolling off her tongue. She knew Zack used the space as a guest
room and she was the only person who knew what Christina had on the
other side of the door.
    Christina would have to thank her
cousin later.
    She walked into her bedroom and
stopped short when her sister held a painting, her bulging eyes
revealing her shock.
    “ What is this?” Peyton
turned the canvas around to Christina.
    “ Art.”
    “ Don’t get smart. You know
what I mean. What’s gotten into you? Not even mom has naked people
hanging on the walls.” The painting in question was a Sasha Knight
original. One of the artist’s most provocative pieces and
Christina’s favorite. “I can’t believe you bought something like
this.”
    “ It’s a work of art.”
Christina took the painting, and leaned it against one of the
bedroom walls then stepped back to peruse it. Tastefully done, the
silhouette of a couple making love up against a wall with a streak
of moonlight, from the window next to them, casting a glow over
their sweat slicked bodies. Sexy without being vulgar. The contours
of their joined bodies angled just right had no private parts
exposed except for one of the man’s firm butt cheeks. The painting
reminded her of her affair with Luke and the passion they once
shared.
    “ Surely you’re not planning
to have some naked couple hanging on your walls.” Her sister’s
incredulous tone was in line with her rigid, walk-a-straight-line
attitude. “What will people think?”
    Christina turned to her sister. “I
don’t care what people think. They don’t have to come over here if
they have a problem with my art collection.” For the past few
years, her collection had grown to over twenty pieces. She barely
had enough wall space to hang half of the pieces.
    “ So you don’t have a
problem with Gramma or Grampa seeing that?” Peyton pointed to the
picture.
    Christina narrowed her eyes
at her sister and then returned her gaze to the piece of art. Okay
maybe she did have a problem with them seeing a nude painting hanging
on her wall, but they rarely stopped by for a visit.
    “ You know what? I blame
that guy, Luke, for this reckless attitude of yours. Maybe it’s
good you two broke up. He might have been a big-time New York
lawyer, but he was a bad influence on you. The piercings,” she said
referring to the tiny diamond stud in Christina’s nose, “now
paintings of naked people. Yeah, he was definitely a bad
influence.”
    “ No, he wasn’t!” Christina
said. “You can talk about me all you want, but leave him out of
this. That man was the best thing that ever happened to
me.”
    “ So what’s next tattoos?”
Peyton’s tone was judgmental, but Christina had stopped caring that
her sister didn’t approve of the way she lived her life. Especially
lately.
    “ Maybe.”
    “ Are you kidding me?” She
shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “You know
what, whatever. I’m just glad you came to your senses and broke up
with Luke. Maybe now you’ll get back to normal instead of walking
around looking like … like Lisa Bonet with the wild hair, Bohemian
clothes and—”
    “ Dang Peyton, can’t you
give it a rest?” Jada asked from the doorway.
    “ You need to stay out of
this, Jada,” Peyton said.
    “ No, you’re the one who
needs to stay out of it. You know how much CJ cared for Luke, and
you’re in here talking bad about him? What’s that all about? Maybe
if you found your own man, you could stay out of everyone else’s
love life.”
    Christina knew Jada regretted the
words the moment they left her mouth. Peyton, divorced for several
years, hadn’t dated since then. Her whole life was Jenkins &
Sons Construction. They all wanted her to get back out there and
find love, but her failed marriage or any reference to a social
life, was a sore spot with her.
    “ PJ, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t
have said that,” Jada apologized.
    “ No,