The Nicci Beauvoir Collection: The Complete Nicci Beauvoir Series Read online

  “Ah, yes,” David cleared his throat. “Nicci is my model.”

  “Model, hell. If my ex-husband painted me like that, we’d never got divorced. I might even had a lot more kids than I did.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Ms. Dickerson,” I asserted.

  “You just call me Cora, sweetheart. I’m glad to see there’s a face behind them pictures. I was startin’ to wonder ‘bout this boy’s mind.”

  “Cora is my landlady and my second mother,” David began. “She worries about me all the time.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

  Cora howled with delight. “Hell, boy, I ain’t so sure I want to be your mama. Comin’ and goin’ at all hours like ya do.” She slapped his arm playfully. “You watch out for this boy. If he gives ya any trouble, I’ll come over and set him straight. He’s too smart for his own britches.” She winked at me.

  “Thanks for the candles,” David said dryly.

  “I’ll be goin’. I know when I ain’t wanted.” She winked at David and then turned to go. “You two jus’ hollar if ya need anythin’.”

  I waited, as David showed her to the door. She turned and looked at me one more time before she walked outside. David must have whispered something to her because she slapped his arm and told him to behave.

  I stood by the sofa, as David closed and secured the front door. The light from the candles around us illuminated the room with a warm glow. David turned back to me, grinning.

  I ignored him and returned to my seat on the sofa. “She seems like a nice lady.”

  “She is. She has a big heart and likes to take care of everyone. Including me.”

  “Has Sammy met Cora?” I pressed, knowing the question would irk him.

  “Sammy never came here. But that’s all over now.”

  “So you told me. Is that permanent or just a temporary thing?” I waited as he took his seat on the sofa, and then moved a little closer to me.

  “Sammy and I are over. That’s all there is to it,” he avowed with great seriousness in his voice.

  “What prompted your sudden change of heart?” I inquired, smiling sweetly.

  “You, for one. I couldn’t go on seeing her when I kept thinking of you. Then there were her other affairs.”

  I raised my eyebrows inquisitively. “Other men?”

  “No, her business affairs. She’s very ruthless. She seems to enjoy ruining people.” He sat back on the sofa. “You know, she is out to capture Beauvoir Scrap for her own.”

  I snickered. “Oh, that. She’s been at it for years. She’ll never succeed.”

  “Now she might,” he coldly returned.

  I tilted my head to the side and stared at him. “How?”

  “Sammy has concocted a scheme to push your father out of business. She plans on financing it with some oil leases she acquired in Russia.”

  I sat up and leaned closer to him. “Go on.”

  “Sammy received the leases through an Egyptian businessman she knows. They were originally thought to be worthless, but some new surveys have reported that the area may be one of the richest finds in the last ten years. The engineers will release the final survey findings to the press soon, thereby increasing the price of the stock in her small drilling business. The stock is expected to increase five times in three to four weeks. Once she sells off some shares, she could have enough capital to start a price war with Beauvoir Scrap.”

  My heart rose in my throat. “Can she do that?”

  “Yes, from what I hear. It seems your uncle has caused some problems for the business by making promises he didn’t keep, and running up a large number of debts. Many of the businesses associated with your family’s scrap company are ripe for a change. Sammy wants to cut her costs and win over your father’s clients.”

  “Doesn’t Sammy have enough money?” I blurted out in disgust.

  “Enough net worth, but she’s cash poor. The drilling company she owns is too small to drill, refine, and transport all the oil she is expected to find. She’s negotiating with some of the larger oil companies to buy her out of the leases. That news will drive up her drilling company’s stock price even further. Sammy and the oil companies are just waiting for the release of the surveys to the press. Sammy already knows that the leases are worth a fortune. She’s going to make all the money she needs, and more, to break Beauvoir Scrap.”

  I sat motionless, peering down at the floor. The shock hit me like a falling building. David moved closer to me and held my hand.

  “How long?” I demanded. “How long until all this happens?”

  “I heard Sammy on the phone saying three months.”

  “You need to tell my father all of this. Would you do that?”

  “I was hoping you would say that. I didn’t want to stand by and watch Sammy destroy your family. That’s a big reason why I left her.”

  My heart sank with the realization of what his disclosure meant to my family. If Sammy could get her hands on Beauvoir Scrap, my father and uncle would be ruined. It was all they had. It was all they knew how to do. I couldn’t picture my father going to apply for a job in another firm or business. He would be lost.

  “I have to get home,” I murmured.

  “You can’t go now. Your clothes are soaked and you can’t go out in this.” He pointed to the door and the near hurricane still blowing outside.

  I sat back down and listened to the relentless rain pounding against the cottage rooftop. A crash of thunder almost stopped my heart and I bolted from the sofa.

  He stood up beside me. “Hey, easy there. It’s just thunder.”

  His arm slipped around my shoulders and I jerked away from him. “This is a bad idea. I should never have come.”

  David took my hand and encouraged me back to the sofa. “We should talk about this.”

  “No!” I emphatically stated.

  “Okay,” he cooed, “we won’t talk.” He went to the candle closest to the front door and blew it out. I watched as he stepped over to another candle he had placed by the end table and blew that one out, too.

  “Why are you blowing out the candles?” My voice trembled as I spoke.

  He extinguished another candle on the coffee table. “We don’t need all of these extra candles.”

  “I think we do. How in hell do you expect to play scrabble or anything like that?”

  He stood before the last of the candles. “I don’t have a scrabble game.”

  “Checkers?”

  “Nope.” He had the last candle in his hand and was bringing it to his lips.

  “Cards?” I pleaded.

  “Sorry. The game I want to play, we play in the dark.” He snuffed out the last candle and my heart came to a standstill.

  I forgot about my father, about Sammy, and about the business. My every thought was of David, and his dance of seduction around the room. I felt shaky and nervous. Butterflies leaped in my stomach. I was simultaneously excited and terrified.

  “It sounds like it’s getting worse out there. It could go on all night.” His voice was right in front of me. His breath was warm on my face. “The roads are probably flooding by now. You’d better stay here with me.”

  I could barely make out the outline of his face, hovering above me. “We can’t do this, David.”

  He put his fingers to my lips. “In this game there is no talking.” He sighed into my cheek. “I’ve painted you every day for weeks. I’ve dreamed about you every night for over a month.” He tenderly kissed my chin. “I’ve waited so long for you.” His teeth grazed my neck. “I’m not used to waiting for anyone.”

  His lips traveled down to the tender nape of my neck, then his teeth sank into my flesh. I closed my eyes, wanting so badly to hand myself over to him. He eased the robe off my right shoulder, his lips nuzzling my skin. Hanging on to the last vestiges of my willpower, I pushed him away with both hands.

  “No, this is wrong. I need to get the hell out of here.”

  I tried to stand up, but pulled me
back to the sofa. “I have been yours since that day I first saw you running across that stupid lawn to stop Eddie.”

  His mouth came down ruthlessly on mine. His lips were merciless, filling me with an unknown sensation. I had never felt such hunger from any man. My lips trembled, at first, and then I gave into him. He encouraged me with his tongue, tempting me, tantalizing me. No one had ever kissed me like this. My need for him began to take over, and I deepened my kiss, anxious for more.

  Before I knew what was happening, he swept me up and into his arms, carrying me toward the back of the apartment.

  I beat my fist against his chest, protesting. “I can walk, you know.”

  He promptly deposited me on the floor. “You won’t run away?”

  “No,” I whispered, tugging at the robe.

  “I forgot you are not the sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of girl.” He shook his head and laughed. “So much for romance. Here, take my hand. I lead. You follow. Deal?”

  I nodded and let him guide me to the bedroom in the back of the house. He directed me to a bed set against the far wall of the room. Outside, lightening flashed, but I could only hear the thunder of my heart when I sat down on the cool comforter. My hands were shaking as he sat down next to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when his hand rested on my shoulder.

  “It’s all right, Nicci. Don’t be frightened.”

  He worked the robe down my body. First, one shoulder was exposed, and then the other. I sat very still, keeping my eyes closed, almost afraid of what was coming, but wanting it at the same time.

  I tried once more to protest. “I don’t think—”

  “You think too much.” His lips grazed my neck.

  His hands traveled down the front of the robe to the knot I had tied. He struggled with it for a few minutes, all the while teasing my neck and shoulders with kisses. After a while, I started to laugh at his vain attempt at freeing me.

  “You tied it on so bloody tight I can’t get this damn robe off.” There was a hint of real frustration in his voice.

  “Can I go home now?” I joked.

  “No.” He stood from the bed. “Stay there.”

  I could hear him pulling out kitchen drawers one by one, cursing profusely. The more he cursed, the more I laughed. When he returned, he plopped down on the bed next to me.

  “I’ve got you now,” he said, triumphantly.

  Within seconds the belt was off and thrown to the floor. Slowly, the front of the robe opened, and the cool air rushed against my skin, making me shiver. David’s hands began gently caressing my shoulders, and then traveled down to my breasts. He traced my erect nipples with his thumbs, and I gasped with delight. The robe discarded, he pulled my naked body to his. The hard muscles of his chest pressed against the soft recesses of my skin. He kissed my neck as his hands explored my back, migrating all the way down to my butt.

  “I’ll never let you get away from me again,” he whispered, squeezing my butt cheeks.

  Kissing my chest, he pulled at my right nipple with his teeth while his hands ravenously glided over every inch of me. His lips slowly continued their journey down my stomach, hips, and to the tops of my thighs.

  Suddenly, the kisses stopped and I opened my eyes. His face was hovering just above my belly button, as his hands gently pried my legs apart.

  “It’s time we explore my other talents,” he purred, kissing my stomach.

  His lips roamed temptingly down from my belly while his fingers spread my folds open. When his mouth settled over my sensitive nub, I fell back against the bed.

  “David,” I moaned, lost in the ecstasy of his kiss.

  Chapter 9

  It was some time later that night when the lights came back on. I was lying naked with David’s head resting against my stomach. The light from the kitchen startled me and he stirred from his sleep. Running my hands through his thick wavy hair, I turned my head and listened as the refrigerator began humming and the heater in the bathroom clicked on.

  He moaned with pleasure. “I like that. I could lay here naked with you for years.”

  The robe and his jeans were lying in a heap on the floor. The scissors he had used to free me had been tossed to the side, and now gleamed in the dim light. I smiled, remembering the frenzied moments we had shared in the darkness of this room. I began to wonder how long we had been lying there together. Curious about the time, I sat up.

  David pushed me back down into the bed. “You are not free to leave this bed,” he teased, holding my hands down over my head.

  He gazed longingly into my eyes and then he kissed me. I felt the surge of desire for him swell inside of me. Just as I was about to give myself over to him again, my stomach growled. He stopped kissing me and immediately broke out in a fit of laughter.

  “Trying to tell me something? We better get you some food.” He let go of me and rolled out of the bed. Picking up the robe from the floor, he put it on.

  Unexpectedly, he reached for the lamp on the bedside table. I didn’t have time to cover my body before the light filled the room. I grabbed for the sheet and tried to hide behind it, but he held my hand and stopped me.

  “You are beautiful,” he proclaimed, standing over me. “I want to paint you like this.”

  I could feel the blush rising on my cheeks. “Are you insane? It’s hard enough for me to lie here and have you scrutinize every nook and cranny. Do you think I could sit still and have you paint everything?” I wrapped the sheet around me and climbed from the bed.

  “Why are woman so ashamed of their bodies? I like all your nooks and crannies. I’d like to explore them in detail. Map them out, so to speak.”

  “Do you paint all the women you sleep with?” I regretted the harsh words and berated myself for being so callous.

  “No,” he replied. “I just want everyone to see the beauty I see in you.” He turned away from me and went into the kitchen.

  I followed behind him, trailing my sheet on the floor. “The beauty you see in me?”

  He cupped my face in his hands. “To me there is no one more beautiful in the world than you. I only want to paint you. Clothed. Naked. Happy. Sad. I don’t care. I just want to paint you.” He kissed my forehead tenderly.

  It is a small turning point in a woman’s life to be called beautiful by a man other than her father. Like your first real kiss or losing your virginity, it marks a certain milestone. Beautiful is a word associated with princesses and fairy tales, not attributed to the common folk. It is the fulfillment of a childhood wish, because we all grow up feeling like ugly ducklings. It is at that moment you become a swan.

  David stood before the refrigerator pulling items out and placing them on the granite countertop next to him. “First, I’m going to feed you, and then I’m going to paint you. Even if I have to get you drunk to do it. Then maybe, probably, I’ll be in the mood for something else.” He turned and raised his eyebrows playfully at me.

  Eventually, we had to compromise on the pose for my nude. He wanted me stark naked sprawled out on the bed. I wanted to pose with the sheet draped all over the vital areas. He said it would interfere with the contour of my body in the painting. We settled on a bathroom nude. I was to recline in the bathtub, with only my breast showing above the water. I asked about putting bubble bath or flowers in the bathtub to hide certain anatomical features.

  “The anatomical features are what I’m supposed to be painting,” he sighed. “I better break out the champagne.”

  After six glasses of champagne, I was ready. No bubbles, no flowers, and all anatomical parts were well exposed.

  The bathtub was an old, claw-footed one. It was also very deep and I had trouble staying centered in the huge tub. Once David set up his easel by the door to the bathroom, there was not much room for anything else. He started drawing furiously. I watched as his hand dashed about the canvas.

  Feeling the warm water swirl around me, while the champagne swirled inside of me, I lay back in the tub with my head resting on the edge. M
y hair fell down around the outside toward the floor, and I reached over to splash the warm water around my neck, glancing up at David.

  “Stop, that’s it. Hold that pose,” he called.

  I held that pose for two hours. The water got so cold, I had to have David drain the tub and fill it again with hot water four times. I thought the first fifteen minutes of posing were fun. Then my arm got tired, my butt got numb, and my general appreciation for modeling increased tremendously.

  “Want to stop now?” he finally inquired. “I think I have enough.”

  I groaned with relief. “Never again!” I vowed as I stepped out of the tub. “That is torture. I prefer being a nurse.” I put the robe on and jumped about in place to warm up. “Stick to buildings.”

  In the kitchen, the clock on the microwave said it was already past nine. While David collected his materials from the bathroom, and carried the easel out into the studio, I inspected his efforts.

  At first, I was disappointed. It didn’t look like me, at all. The features were not like mine and the body was even more of an exaggeration. The breasts were much larger and the hips were wider and fuller.

  “Fantasizing just a bit there, aren’t we?” I pointed to the picture.

  He shook his head. “I was just changing a few details so no one would notice it was you, in case it ever goes on display. However, there are certain features of yours I kept. Features only someone who has seen you naked would know.”

  “Sort of like a code, so all the men I’ve slept with will be able to identify me.”

  He chuckled. “Honestly. Look here.” He gestured to the scar on my upper thigh. “I included your scar along with the birthmark on your right breast. See?”

  Like a lover, his sleek hands glided tenderly over the canvas. David had exquisite hands with long, tapering fingers. They were mesmerizing to watch when they zipped about as he painted.

  “Is it finished?” I asked, while he delicately added in touches of green to the water.

  “No, I have a lot more work to do, but the basic outline is here. More detail will appear later, as I fill in the color.”