Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(74)

“It seemed fair,” she said in a distracted way, leaning close to use the side of her baby finger to add smudges to the charcoal drawing. She blew softly on the paper, then leaned back to get a different perspective. “And I don’t mind you looking.” She flashed him a quick smile. “I’m not super modest or anything.”

“No reason you should be.” She had a cute, sexy little body, all soft curves and satiny skin. Her breasts were moderate, her waist tiny and that heart-shaped ass... He loved holding on to those firm cheeks while driving into her.

And if he didn’t curb those thoughts, he’d get a boner and ruin the picture. “I wish I had your talent.”

Absently, she asked, “Why’s that?”

“I’d draw you too. Just as you are right now.” Her body bare, expression focused, looking like the perfect wet dream. “With the candlelight on your skin and that particular concentrated expression on your face.” He saw her smile and added, “You’re beautiful, Cat.”

She paused in her sketching. Bit her lip. Then turned to him. “You really think so?”

God. How could she not know? He took in the sight of her soft nipples, her smooth belly, the neat patch of downy pubic hair. “Yeah,” he promised, his voice brusque. “I look at you and I want you.”

“Even though we just had sex?”

“That was...” He glanced at the clock. “An hour and a half ago.”

The smile played with her lips before she turned away again. “Thank you. I’ve never really minded how I look. I mean, for the most part, I don’t think about it that much. I have what I have and there’s no changing it. I know I’m short and far from stacked, but it’s not like I can somehow make myself taller. I’m not an ogre, and I have my health, so...” Her shoulders lifted. “It’s nice to hear that you’re not disappointed.”

“Far from disappointed.” She finished up and, with coal-blackened fingers held out to her sides, stepped back from the sketch. “What do you think?”

Leese sat up to see the large drawing. Bemused, he draped his forearms over his knees and couldn’t resist smiling. He felt a little self-conscious, a lot complimented and pretty damned turned on.

They were both naked, after all.

Cat had drawn him in the bed, a smirk on his face as he stared right at her. She’d caught the sexual interest in his gaze, the tolerant amusement on his mouth. It was a novel thing to be with a woman who saw him so much better than he saw himself. “I think you’re too talented to just teach art.”

Casual as you please, she strode to the dresser and picked up a damp cloth to clean her hands. “You’re sweet, but I’m not good enough to make a living off my art, and I like eating too much to go the starving artist route. So I teach, and that’s okay, because I love kids.”

With her hands now free of charcoal, she returned to him. On hands and knees, she crawled over the bed and sat on his abs. “Drawing you seems like a good reason to keep you naked.”

Laughing, Leese automatically put his hands on her thighs, coasted them up to her hips, then around to that lush bottom he appreciated so much. “Ever thought about having kids of your own?”

“Sure. Someday I’d love that.” She continually touched him, occasionally pressed a kiss to his chest or throat. “I’ve just never met the right guy.” Her gaze strayed away. “You?”

“Met the right guy? No.” He jumped when she tweaked his chest hair. “Ouch, hey.” Laughing, he caught her wrist and freed her fingers before she got him again. “Take it easy.”

Eyes narrowed, she said, “I will—if you don’t dodge my question.”

She looked so serious, Leese knew she asked out of more than idle conversation. So did she care? He thought so. Cat didn’t try to hide her feelings. But was the caring based on gratitude, lust...or more?

She scowled. “You’re taking an awful long time to think about it.” In a huff, she tried to move off him. “Forget I asked.”

“I thought I was in love once.”

That stilled her. “Really?” Slowly she settled back onto him, that sweet ass snuggling his groin, her beautiful breasts right there for him to see. To touch.

Taste again...

As if to soothe, she stroked his shoulder. “It didn’t work out?”

Leese had to laugh at himself. He’d gotten quickly mired in sexual need, and she wanted to chat about past relationships. “For good reason, it never really got started.”

“She was a horrible person?”

There was no way to hold in his humor. Catalina’s faith in him was both humbling and amusing. It forced him to own up to his own disreputable past. “Why do you assume it was an issue with her?”

Stretching out over him, Cat tucked her face under his chin and stated, “Because you’re so perfect.”

She’d said that too many times; he had to set her straight. “You’re delusional, honey.”

“I don’t think so.”

Damn, he hated making confessions, but Cat deserved to know. He couldn’t let her go on thinking he was some damned paragon of virtue, when the reality was nowhere near that.

He folded his arms around her, breathed in the scent of her hair and admitted, “I used to be a real ass.”