Jake pulled out her chair and helped her get seated in a gentlemanly way that Cass found she really liked, although she was an avowed feminist.
Despite promising herself she would stop thinking of her boyfriend, she couldn’t help playing the contrast and compare game yet again.
When she was out with Brandon he never held doors for her or pulled out chairs or anything like that. Cass was honestly fine with that—she’d never missed such outdated gestures. But Jake had a courtly, old-world charm she found utterly well…charming. He was chivalrous—that was the word. From rescuing her from the soul-sucker, to taking the pain she had earned on himself in Judge StoneThroat’s courtroom, to making her supper, he did everything he could to make her feel safe and comfortable and cared for.
Careful, Cass or you’re going to start falling for him, whispered a little voice in her head. In fact, I think you already have.
Cass tried to push the thought aside and concentrate on the meal.
“This looks delicious,” she told Jake as he ladled some stew into her bowl.
“It’s a recipe my mother taught me—Halla broth with yarrow root and larrin flowers.”
“Flowers?” Cass looked down at her bowl in surprise. Sure enough, there were many tiny deep red blossoms floating in the pale blue broth. It looked like some kind of dessert soup you might encounter at a fancy restaurant but when she tasted it, the flavor was savory and spicy and delicious. The tiny blossoms were like sparks of heat that melted on her tongue and the broth was silky and smooth.
“This is wonderful,” Cass nearly moaned. “You’re an amazing cook!”
“Well, we all have our talents, I suppose. I’m glad you like it.” Jake smiled at her.
“Why did you cook it on the stove, though?” Cass asked, taking another sip. “Why not just poof it into existence with your magic?”
“I could if I wanted to,” Jake said. “But it wouldn’t taste the same. Remember I told you that much of elf magic is about creating? You can use your magical abilities for instant gain—I often do in the course of my workday—but the result is seldom as pleasing or gratifying as creating by hand. The true magic lies in the way things are crafted—stroke by stroke in the case of your paintings or ingredient by ingredient, in the case of my recipe.”
“That’s beautiful.” Cass shook her head wonderingly. “I mean, I’m not usually much for philosophy but I feel like you just said something out loud that I’ve been feeling for a long time—I just didn’t have words for it.”
“Oh?” Jake poured some pale blue, sparkling wine into her fluted glass and arched an eyebrow at her. “How do you mean?”
“It’s like…” She groped for words. “Like this art show I’m preparing for—the one I need a special painting to be the center of. I need to do the show because this one specific art critic is going to be there and if she likes my work, everyone else will too and it might launch me to the next level. But once I get there, I’m sure I’ll have to make sure other people like my art and want to buy it and so on and so on.”
“So you’re always creating for others, never for you,” Jake said quietly.
Cass nodded excitedly—he understood her.
“Exactly! I’m always making art to please other people. When what I really want is to create for the joy of creating—I want to make art for myself just because I love to do it. Not because I hope someone will buy it so I can have enough money to move out of Nana’s house or buy groceries that week. I just want to paint.”
“Your frustration is understandable,” Jake remarked. “The idea of art for art’s sake—purely for the joy of creating—is well known where I come from. But it is absent from most of the larger fae population and I have not noticed much of it in the human realm either.”
“So you come from a place where people can be artists full time without scrambling and scratching to make a living?” Cass couldn’t keep the envy out of her voice.
“I do.” He nodded. “In the elvish lands, artists are revered and the creative impulse is nurtured in children. Those that show true talent are given a monthly stipend and allowed to create as much as they wish for as long as they wish.”
“Ohhh,” Cass sighed longingly. “That sounds amazing. Why would you ever leave someplace like that to go to work in that awful freaky, fairy courthouse where you can be flogged at any time?”
Then she realized how her words must sound.
“Oh, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to insult you or question your choice of profession,” she said quickly. “You’re a wonderful lawyer—er, Counselor. And I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for me and my sisters. It’s just…your home town or wherever the elvish lands are sound so amazing.”
Jake gave her a wry smile.
“Don’t worry about questioning my professional choices—I’ve been doing that some myself lately.” He sighed. “I should have been the next Spell-Singer of our land but I quarreled with my father, the current Spell-Singer, when I was younger and decided to make my own way in the Realm instead.”
Cass thought of the two older people she had seen on the U-News—Jake’s parents who were still hoping he might come home.
“Have you ever thought of going back?” she asked quietly.
“Not until recently.” Jake caught and held her eyes, looking at her intently. “I would need a reason to go back—a good one.”
Cass wasn’t sure what he was saying but as she stared into his pale green eyes, her heart started pounding and her palms grew damp. She went to take another spoonful of soup and realized she had somehow finished it all while they were talking. She took a sip of the fizzy, pale, blue wine instead and felt it going straight to her head. Her stomach felt all fluttery and it was hard to get a deep enough breath. God, what was wrong with her?
“I’d really like to paint you now,” she blurted, not knowing what else to say and desperate to break the intense silence that had fallen between them.
“What—before you have dessert?” One corner of Jake’s sensual mouth quirked up. “I have a dark chocolate mousse prepared that I think you’ll really like.”
“That sounds amazing,” Cass admitted. “I love chocolate—especially dark chocolate. But honestly, I’ve been dying to paint you from the first minute I laid eyes on you, Jake. Would you be offended if we put dessert off until later?”
“No, of course not. Not at all. He motioned to the dishes. “Are you finished with everything?”
“Yes, thank you,” Cass said gratefully. “Everything was delicious—you’re a phenomenal cook.”
“I am glad you enjoyed it.” He smiled at her and then said a word of power. Suddenly the table was bare and Jake was rising from his chair. “All right,” he said. “Where do you want me?”
* * *
It only took Cass a few moments to set up her gear. She often sketched or painted outdoors for the natural light—although she mostly had to do so in the early morning to avoid the Florida heat—so she was used to toting a portable easel around.
She thought about posing the big elf on the bed but though she liked the bedroom, she couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had helped Jake heal himself there and she was afraid the naughty memories would make it difficult to concentrate. She also thought about painting him out on his back deck in the light of the Evening Star, but though it was beautiful, it was also very dim and she wanted to show him more distinctly than the natural twilight would allow.
In the end, she had him stretch out on the blue leather sofa in his living room, right in front of the fireplace. The gold and blue and green flames from the fire shed an otherworldly light over the big elf, making him look like what he was—someone more than human.
But there was one thing Cass wanted to ask for…although she didn’t quite know how.
“Jake,” she said tentatively as she arranged her brushes and paints. “Would you mind taking off your shoes—I’d like a more natural look here.”
“All right.” He
did as she asked, removing shoes and socks and the sitting back on the couch. Since he had been so obliging, Cass dared to ask for a little more.
“And…would you mind taking off your shirt?” she asked, as she mixed some colors on her palate.
“As you wish.” He removed the dark green t-shirt, leaving his muscular chest and broad shoulders bare. He was gorgeous—mouthwatering, Cass thought. But still she wanted more.
Oh, what the Hell, she thought, nerving herself up for the last, big favor she wanted to ask. Might as well ask—all he can do is say no.
“Jake,” she said, trying to sound casual as she rearranged a few more items on her easel. “Would you mind, uh…”
“Taking off my trousers and all the rest of my clothes?” He raised an eyebrow at her and Cass suddenly felt like the one who was half naked.
“Well…yes. But only if you feel comfortable,” she said quickly. Getting Brandon to pose naked for her had been an almost impossible task. She’d had to beg and cajole for days and the one time she’d managed to get him completely stripped, her sisters had broken in on her at the studio and ruined everything. So she was prepared if the big elf didn’t want to get nude for his portrait.
But to her surprise, Jake simply got up from the couch where he had been sitting, stripped off the rest of his clothes, folded them neatly, and resumed his seat on the couch.
“Is this all right?” he asked, gesturing to himself.
Cass looked at him—really looked—and sucked in a breath.
“More than all right,” she breathed. He looked more than human, just as she’d thought before. In fact, with his muscular physique, washboard abs and long legs, her court-appointed elf was definitely verging into Greek God territory.
“And…how do you want me?” Jake asked causally. He apparently had no self-image problems or body issues. Not like he needs to have any, he’s freaking perfect, whispered a little voice in her head. He seemed perfectly content to lounge around naked in any pose she desired.
And since he was being so obliging about the whole thing, Cass couldn’t resist the urge to get a really good up-close look.
“Turn around some,” she directed. “Let me see you from all angles, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t,” he said simply. Rising again, he held out his hands, palm-up, and turned in a slow, complete circle, letting Cass see that his ass was every bit as tight and muscular as it looked in those devastatingly sexy three-piece suits he usually wore.
Not to mention his package—he’s really packing a monster down there! God, he looks delicious, moaned a lustful little voice in her head.
Cass pushed it away and tried to concentrate on how best to pose her model. Finally she decided she wanted him in repose on the couch, but she wanted more contrast than she would get with the blue leather.
Luckily, there was a deep red throw lying along the back of the couch, obviously in case anyone got cold. Pulling it open, she draped it over the leather and gestured to Jake.
“Would you mind lying down—like you’re taking a nap?”
“Hmm—I thought you’d want me to do something more athletic,” he remarked, smiling a little. “But napping works too.”
He lay on his back, his hands behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles looking completely relaxed in a way Brandon never had. He had constantly been jumping at every little noise and asking nervously if she was sure the door was locked. With Jake, there was none of that. In fact, he almost appeared to really go to sleep, he was so comfortable with the situation.
This was shaping up to be the best session Cass had ever had. Her model was relaxed, not to mention gorgeous. He held still as a stone for her instead of jumping up every five minutes to stretch or “take a break” and the lighting was exactly perfect.
She knew many artists that could take days or weeks or even months to complete a painting. Of course, a lot of that depended on the size of the canvas and the mediums they used. Oil paints, which Cass was using, did take a bit longer to dry but they gave a much more realistic effect than water-based paints like acrylics, which dried much too quickly.
But when Cass was inspired, she painted fast. She knew it would probably take a few days to get the background and details exactly perfect but she was sure she could get the most important parts of the painting done right now and that was what she was aiming for.
With nothing and no one to interrupt her, her paintbrush flew along the canvas, capturing the gorgeous details of the big elf’s naked body with the eerie, otherworldly green and blue and gold light from the fire playing over his tan skin.
It was magical and she lost herself completely in her painting.
Thirty-Two
It must have been hours later—though it only felt like minutes to Cass—when the big elf stirred and opened his eyes.
“Still hard at work, I see?” he murmured, watching her from half-lidded eyes. “I think I drifted off—I hope I didn’t move in my sleep.”
“No, you were perfect,” Cass told him. “Better than perfect—the best model I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you for the lovely compliment.” He smiled lazily at her. “But I’m feeling the need to get up and stretch a bit. Are you at a point where you can take a break?”
Cass looked at her canvas. Really, she’d gotten a remarkable amount done in a relatively short period of time.
“Yes,” she said, putting down her brush and palate. “Actually, I’m about ready for a break myself.”
“What about dessert, then?” Jake suggested, raising an eyebrow. “I still have that dark chocolate mousse in the cold unit.”
“Sounds perfect.” Cass smiled at him. “Lead the way. I just need to get the paint off my hands and I’ll be right behind you.”
“We don’t have to eat in the kitchen,” he pointed out. “What if I bring it here and we can eat in front of the fire?”
“Oh yes—I’d like that.” His living room was getting to be her favorite place in his house—it was so warm and the firelight from the endlessly glowing blue and green and gold flames was so beautiful and otherworldly. She felt like she was underwater at the bottom of a very comfortably furnished ocean.
“I’ll be right back,” Jack promised. Without bothering to put on any clothes, he sauntered into the kitchen, letting Cass get another good view of his gorgeous ass.
For a moment she forgot all about getting the paint off her hands as she watched the play of muscles under his smooth tan skin. God, she could do a whole series of portraits just of his backside! She was certain that Albert of the I.C.U. gallery would probably love them—he was flamboyantly gay and not shy about letting people know it.
Then she dragged herself back to reality.
Come on Cass, get with the program, she lectured herself. You’re supposed to be painting him, not drooling over him.
But the fact was, she couldn’t help doing both.
As she used a rag to get the stray smudges of paint off her fingers, she admired her work. As she’d suspected, she hadn’t had to do a thing to embellish Jake’s form as she painted him. He was a spectacular specimen and, as she’d truthfully told him, the best model she’d ever had.
“May I?” his deep voice said from behind her.
“Hmm?” Cass looked up and saw that he was standing there, naked, with two small glass cups of delectable looking dark chocolate mousse in his hands.
“May I look or would you prefer I didn’t?” he asked.
“Oh—oh, of course you can look.” Cass stepped to one side, allowing him to have a look at the half-finished canvas.
“Very life-like. I would say it looks just like me but haven’t you painted me in a rather, uh, aroused state?” He lifted an eyebrow and gestured with one of the cups to the painting’s crotch area.
“Well…I’ve seen you, uh, hard before.” Cass could feel her cheeks getting hot as she tried to explain. “And you, uh…got an erection while you were sleeping. So I just kind of went with it. Do
you mind?”
He looked thoughtful.
“No, I suppose not. It looks like I’m having a rather delightful dream, is all.”
“I guess you must have been.” Cass smiled a little. “Do you remember what it was about?”
“You, I believe.” He smiled back and went to sit down on the couch. “Would you like to join me for dessert, Cassandra?”
“I’d love to.” Her heart was pounding hard in the cage of her ribs, maybe because of his last remark or maybe because of the way he was looking at her, from half-lidded eyes. A naughty impulse seemed to take hold of her—the same one that had urged her to wear a sheer blouse with no bra underneath it earlier. “But…” She cleared her throat. “It appears I’m overdressed.”
“You know, I was thinking that exact thing.” Jake’s voice was a soft growl. “If you’d like to remove a few articles of clothing in order to meet my dress code, I certainly wouldn’t try to stop you.”
“Oh, well…” Cass bit her lower lip, feeling suddenly shy.
“But of course if it makes you uncomfortable, please don’t,” Jake finished courteously.
Cass lifted her chin. Once more she had the urge to prove to him that she wasn’t afraid—wasn’t shy. After all, he’d seen her naked before—or mostly naked, she reminded herself. The living room was warm and cozy—what harm could it do to go au natural for a while?
A whole lot of harm if things get out of hand, whispered a warning little voice in her brain but Cass chose to ignore it. Before she could talk herself out of it, she slipped off her black, sheer top and her black jeans. Her fingers hovered over the waistband of her low-slung bikini panties…but in the end, she lost her nerve and kept them on.
Turning to Jake, she held out her hands.
“Will this, uh, meet your dress code?”
“Extremely well,” he growled softly, his eyes roving over her bare breasts. “Please come have a seat, my lady. Dessert is served.”
Be Careful What You Wish For Page 29