Now You See Her Linda Howard(17)

"Wonderful. I don't have any appointments, so I'll be here. See you then."

Sweeney hung up the phone, then hugged the blanket tighter around her. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

This was it, then. She had to take some canvases in, let someone else see them. She cringed at the thought, but at least now she would know if what she was doing was awful, or salable. This uncertainty about her work was dreadful, paralyzing.

She shivered violently and swore under her breath. Damn, why couldn't she get warm?

Candra stretched to hang up the phone, then lay with her head pillowed on her arms. A large warm hand stroked her naked bottom. "No luck, huh?" Kai said. "I told you." He bent to press kisses down her spine, more interested in his libido than her financial worries.

Normally she loved having sex with Kai. He was young enough to still be obsessed with sex, but old enough to have acquired some skill. There was a certain freedom in being with him, because he was so innately self-centered she had no qualms about focusing totally on herself, which intensified her pleasure. Now, however, she felt annoyed that he couldn't seem to grasp how important it was that Richard stop being such a hard-ass about the divorce settlement. She shrugged away from his kisses and buried her face in the pillow.

He merely shifted closer, pushing the damp head of his erection against her leg. The hand on her bottom curved downward, fingers probing.,

"Stop it," she said irritably, shaking her ass to dislodge his hand. "I don't feel like doing it again. You should be worried, too," she added spitefully. "If Richard doesn't back down on the money, you'll be out of a job."



"There are other jobs," he said, so blissfully unworried she wanted to slap him. He slipped his hand back between her legs, this time sliding two fingers right in. Despite herself she couldn't stop her indrawn breath or the automatic arch of her back.

"Not at what I'm paying you."

"I'll get by." Slowly he began moving his fingers in and out, and Candra bit the pillow to hold back her moan. His ego was big enough as it was.

Because she was so irritated with him, she wriggled once more, dislodging him again. "You were staring at Sweeney yesterday, too. I thought she wasn't your type."

A slow smile curved his lush mouth. "I'm not her type. Sweeney's cool, and all that hair gives a man ideas. Besides, the way that red sweater hugged her tits was something else."

"I didn't notice," Candra said frigidly.

"That relieves me, darling." Kai leaned over and began kissing her spine again, this time down close to the twin dimples set high on her buttocks. He liked the idea of Candra being jealous, and that was what he was hearing in her voice. "But take it from me, her tits are fine." Candra went rigid with rage, and he chose that moment to push his fingers into her again, knowing her stiffness would make her less receptive, make the penetration rougher. Sometimes Candra liked being handled a little roughly. She stifled a moan, and he knew he had her.

The bedroom was silent for several minutes, except for her heavier breathing and the rustle of the sheets from their movements. Kai continued to work her with his fingers, until her thighs loosened and spread. "Do it," she ordered angrily, and immediately he moved behind her. She raised up a little on her knees, lifting her buttocks and giving him better access. His fingers were replaced by the hard, smooth thrust of his dick. She sighed and pushed her worries away to better concentrate on the physical pleasure. Kai wouldn't stay around if she went out of business, damn his shallow hide, but for now he was here, so she might as well use him while she had him.

As soon as they had finished and she got her breath back, however, all her worries returned with a rush. She had so hoped she hadn't misread Richard yesterday afternoon. If he were involved with Sweeney, he might be more amenable to meeting her terms, just to get the divorce out of the way so he could concentrate on his new relationship.

She sighed. It had been a long shot, but at this point she was desperate enough to grasp at straws.

Unfortunately, Sweeney was so oblivious to everything but her work, she probably wouldn't notice that a man was attracted to her until he took off his clothes, and even then she might think he wanted her to sketch him. Richard wasn't a man who would play second fiddle in a woman's life, not even to talent, and Sweeney was undeniably talented.

Worry gnawed at her insides. If only Richard would back down—no, there was no sense in fretting about if onlys. That was like planning your future if you won the lottery: useless.

She knew she hadn't managed her money well; she had never had to. There had always been plenty of it, first her father's money, and by the time that was gone, there had been Richard's. But she wasn't stupid, she had learned from her mistakes. With the profit from the gallery and the lump-sum alimony Richard had agreed to pay, she would be able to manage—not as well as she would like, but she could manage—if she could pay off the mountain of debt hanging over her.

That was the real problem. When she thought of what she owed, she broke out in a sweat. The amount was staggering to her now that she was on her own. After the split she had gone on a spending binge, furnishing her apartment with top-of-the-line everything, and she had taken several very expensive trips and bought new clothes. Somehow she hadn't thought Richard was serious about the divorce, and she'd spent all that money as a means of punishing him for scaring her so. But he was deadly serious about the divorce and had no intention of covering her new debts, even though he could probably pay them out of petty cash and never know the difference, if he just would.