Read Online Selling Grace: A Light Romance Novel (Art of Grace Book 1) by Samantha Westlake - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Samantha Westlake
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smiled at that comment. Settling back in his chair, he watched me through lidded eyes as I did the same behind the desk, and we sat for a few minutes in silence.
"So, how did you get in here, anyway?" I finally asked, not able to bear the silence any longer. "When I was arguing with Barry, I mean."
He looked at me like he couldn't tell if I was joking. "There's a back door in the storeroom."
"Oh." Duh. There goes my professionalism, I thought gloomily. Don't even know my own gallery. "And you have a key?"
"Yes."
Five more minutes ticked by. "What about your studio?" I tried asking next.
He looked over at me, raising his eyebrows but not saying anything.
"I mean, where is it?" God, I was stumbling over my own words, here!
"Just around the corner. I have a warehouse which I've rented out. It gives me the proper space to explore my inspirations."
I thought about Onyx's statues, how most of them, although large for the anatomy that they depicted, were easily small enough to fit on a table or a countertop. Maybe he chiseled them down from massive blocks, I considered. Or maybe he had even bigger shafts back in his warehouse, but he didn't put them on display here for fear that they'd give all the little old ladies heart attacks.
When I glanced back over at Onyx, he'd leaned forward a little to examine me, and I saw a new glint in those dark eyes. "You know, you're more than welcome to come view it, if you'd like a private showing," he suggested.
That wasn't a come-on, was it? Better test the waters before reading it the wrong way. "I'm not sure I can manage to pull myself away from my duties here," I replied, waving a hand around at the empty art gallery.
Onyx smiled at me. "Rebecca."
Oh wow, my name sounded amazing when it slipped out of his lips, almost as if he was caressing the word. Maybe I should consider having a fling with this artist, I briefly thought to myself. That would be the sort of choice that Portia would definitely approve; just look at Onyx, he practically exudes sex out of his pores. If I got him into bed, he'd probably ruin me for other men, break me forever, in the most amazing way...
I realized that I'd been staring at him with my mouth hanging slightly open, and hastily clicked my jaw back shut. "What?" I answered weakly.
"You have to describe my artwork to customers, convince them to buy." He stood up from his chair, rising up over me, reaching out for my hand. Spellbound, I let him take it, tugging me up from my chair.
Onyx led me over to where a couple of his pieces sat on display. Before, when I'd first seen them, they made me feel a bit uncomfortable, like I was running some sort of sex shop, but now he guided my hand to one of them. Mesmerized, I couldn't bring myself to break away, even as I felt the cool, smooth stone brush against my fingertips.
"You need to talk to those who enjoy my art about how I consider every line, how the grace of the whole statue impacts my choice, even in the smallest details," Onyx murmured behind and above me, his hand on mine as he kept it gently on the statue. I felt hot and sweaty inside my clothes; had the air conditioning cut off inside the gallery without my notice in the last couple minutes? I could feel his presence standing behind me, almost bumping up against me as his hand rested, warm and alive, on top of mine...
"And to understand my process, I invite you to come back to my studio, to see my work in action as it forms from the shapeless blocks I begin with," Onyx went on, as my hand moved across the smooth stone of his statue in a gesture that would probably make Barry blow a blood vessel in his nether regions if he could see it. "Let me make you a part of my process, use you for inspiration."
Holy shit. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I managed to pull my fingers off of the statue and turn around, but there Onyx stood, right behind me. By turning around, I simply pressed myself up against him, gazing up over the curves of his
"So, how did you get in here, anyway?" I finally asked, not able to bear the silence any longer. "When I was arguing with Barry, I mean."
He looked at me like he couldn't tell if I was joking. "There's a back door in the storeroom."
"Oh." Duh. There goes my professionalism, I thought gloomily. Don't even know my own gallery. "And you have a key?"
"Yes."
Five more minutes ticked by. "What about your studio?" I tried asking next.
He looked over at me, raising his eyebrows but not saying anything.
"I mean, where is it?" God, I was stumbling over my own words, here!
"Just around the corner. I have a warehouse which I've rented out. It gives me the proper space to explore my inspirations."
I thought about Onyx's statues, how most of them, although large for the anatomy that they depicted, were easily small enough to fit on a table or a countertop. Maybe he chiseled them down from massive blocks, I considered. Or maybe he had even bigger shafts back in his warehouse, but he didn't put them on display here for fear that they'd give all the little old ladies heart attacks.
When I glanced back over at Onyx, he'd leaned forward a little to examine me, and I saw a new glint in those dark eyes. "You know, you're more than welcome to come view it, if you'd like a private showing," he suggested.
That wasn't a come-on, was it? Better test the waters before reading it the wrong way. "I'm not sure I can manage to pull myself away from my duties here," I replied, waving a hand around at the empty art gallery.
Onyx smiled at me. "Rebecca."
Oh wow, my name sounded amazing when it slipped out of his lips, almost as if he was caressing the word. Maybe I should consider having a fling with this artist, I briefly thought to myself. That would be the sort of choice that Portia would definitely approve; just look at Onyx, he practically exudes sex out of his pores. If I got him into bed, he'd probably ruin me for other men, break me forever, in the most amazing way...
I realized that I'd been staring at him with my mouth hanging slightly open, and hastily clicked my jaw back shut. "What?" I answered weakly.
"You have to describe my artwork to customers, convince them to buy." He stood up from his chair, rising up over me, reaching out for my hand. Spellbound, I let him take it, tugging me up from my chair.
Onyx led me over to where a couple of his pieces sat on display. Before, when I'd first seen them, they made me feel a bit uncomfortable, like I was running some sort of sex shop, but now he guided my hand to one of them. Mesmerized, I couldn't bring myself to break away, even as I felt the cool, smooth stone brush against my fingertips.
"You need to talk to those who enjoy my art about how I consider every line, how the grace of the whole statue impacts my choice, even in the smallest details," Onyx murmured behind and above me, his hand on mine as he kept it gently on the statue. I felt hot and sweaty inside my clothes; had the air conditioning cut off inside the gallery without my notice in the last couple minutes? I could feel his presence standing behind me, almost bumping up against me as his hand rested, warm and alive, on top of mine...
"And to understand my process, I invite you to come back to my studio, to see my work in action as it forms from the shapeless blocks I begin with," Onyx went on, as my hand moved across the smooth stone of his statue in a gesture that would probably make Barry blow a blood vessel in his nether regions if he could see it. "Let me make you a part of my process, use you for inspiration."
Holy shit. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I managed to pull my fingers off of the statue and turn around, but there Onyx stood, right behind me. By turning around, I simply pressed myself up against him, gazing up over the curves of his
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