Kevin needs a nude, male model to finish an art project. Aden
is the last person he expects to knock on his door. Handsome,
charming, and a little dangerous, it's lust at first sight for
Kevin. But this lust has the potential to grow into something
much more powerful.
Excerpt
A loud, insistent pounding on the door pulled Kevin from a
deep sleep. He sat straight up, wiping his face as he tried
to figure out who would be knocking on his door at…
“What time is it?” he muttered, reaching for his
discarded watch. Who the fuck was knocking his door at six in
the morning? Somebody with a death wish. He considered ignoring
the visitor, opting instead to go back to sleep, but whoever
was outside his door would not be ignored.
“Fine! I’m coming!” he shouted. “Just…stop.
Please.”
The knocking ceased immediately. Kevin said a quick prayer
of thanks, cradling his throbbing forehead in his hand as he
searched for a shirt. He found the clothes he had tossed aside
the night before…no, mere hours before. Two hours before,
if he remembered correctly.
Decent, if not presentable, Kevin opened the door, expecting
to see a Jehovah’s Witness or some brat selling magazine
subscriptions, but the man standing in front of him was neither.
Despite his throbbing head and now rolling stomach, Kevin did
not miss the stranger’s handsome face, or his tight, trim
body. The white t-shirt he wore hugged his chest, and his jeans
hung low on his hips.
“What?” Kevin snapped, squinting to protect his eyes
from the hallway’s harsh fluorescent lights.
“I’m here about the ad. The one for the porn,”
he said, flashing a newspaper.
“The ad about the porn?” Kevin shook his head. “I
have no idea what you’re talking about. You must have the
wrong address.”
“This is 1620 Woodside Avenue, apartment nineteen, right?”
Kevin nodded.
“Then I’ve got the right place. See? Right here.”
He thrust the Coffee Bean, the local underground newspaper,
into Kevin’s face, and waited for Kevin to read the circled
want ad.
Wanted: Nude model. Will pay.
“That’s your ad, isn’t it?”
Kevin nodded. “It is, but it has nothing to do with pornography.”
“Look, can I come in?”
“What? No. You should have called. What if I’d already
found a model?” Kevin asked, though a part of him really
wanted to invite the stranger inside.
“Have you?”
“No,” Kevin admitted.
The stranger smiled and leaned against the doorjamb. “Then
there you go.”
That smile was pure sin, exuding ease, charm and something
more…something sly, even dangerous. Just the thought of
exploring what it offered sent a small quiver to Kevin’s
stomach.
Kevin’s head felt foggy, but that had nothing to do with
the previous night’s festivities.
“What’s your name?”
“Aden Scott.” He offered his hand.
Kevin sighed. “Well, Aden, would you like a cup of coffee?”
Aden’s smile widened. “Thought you’d never ask.
Though it looks like you could use more then a cup. Have a good
time?”
Kevin waved his hand vaguely. “I’m never touching
tequila again.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“No, I mean it this time.”
Aden stepped into the apartment. “They all say that, too.”
“Make yourself comfortable,” Kevin invited before
shuffling to the coffeemaker.
Kevin’s apartment wasn’t large, but it was on the
upper corner of the two-story building, affording him relative
silence and fabulous light from the picture windows and the
skylight. Sketches, pencils, erasers, and wads of paper lined
the floor and furniture. Aden pushed aside a pile of garbage
at the end of the couch and settled there.
When Kevin stepped out of the kitchen, two mugs of black, hot
coffee in hand, he was struck by how at home Aden looked. Like
he belonged there. Kevin wouldn’t be surprised if Aden
always seemed at ease and in control, regardless of where he
went. He didn’t seem like the type to be surprised by anything.
“So,” Aden said, taking a mug from Kevin, “why
don’t we talk about the job?”
“I just need a model for…”
Aden waved his hand, brushing away Kevin’s words. “No,
I mean, the compensation part. How much are you paying?”
“Fifteen an hour,” Kevin answered.
“Fifteen? How many hours?”
Kevin shrugged. “It depends. Could be five. Could be more.”
Aden shook his head, standing up. “Sorry, I need a bit
more cash than that. Sorry for wasting your time…”
Kevin lunged forward and grabbed Aden’s arm, forgetting
the coffee in his hand. The searing liquid splashed on his chest
and bare arm, but he barely noticed it, his attention focused
on keeping Aden in his apartment for a few minutes longer. “Wait.
I…I might be able to offer more money.”
Aden looked down at the fingers curled around his bicep. His
gaze slid up Kevin’s body, and was smoldering by the time
he met Kevin’s. Surprised by the intensity in Aden’s
blue eyes, Kevin released him and stepped back, finally noticing
the sting of pain from the coffee.
“You’d better take care of that,” Aden said,
nodding towards the stain.
“Yes, yes, I’ll be right back,” Kevin murmured,
confused. He didn’t have any more money to offer a model,
and he knew from experience that if Aden walked out his door,
another young man would be there to replace him before lunch.
He was hardly in a desperate position, but he was terrified
to let Aden leave.
Kevin changed into fresh clothes quickly, now wide awake. He
listened closely for the sound of the front door opening, afraid
that Aden would slip out while Kevin was dressing. Of course,
that fear was ridiculous. Why should he care if Aden left?
When he returned to the living room, he found Aden staring
at a large portrait hanging on the wall. It was the first—and
so far only—portrait Kevin had been commissioned to paint.
He knew it was his best work, but he still saw flaws every time
he looked at it. His critical eye couldn’t be soothed,
even with several reassurances from the buyer that she really
loved it.
“Did you paint this?” Aden asked.
“Yeah. Just finished it, actually. The woman who bought
it will be coming by this week to pick it up.”
Aden turned to face him, his eyes still smoldering. Nobody
had ever looked at Kevin like that before, and he didn’t
know what to make of it.
“Fifteen will do,” he said.
“You sure?” Kevin asked.
“Yes. When can we start?”
Kevin blinked, looking around the room. “I…uh…I
really hadn’t planned to start so soon…”
“I’m free today,” Aden said, “and tomorrow.”
“Oh. Um…look, I need to buy some things and stretch
the canvas. Would after lunch work for you?” Kevin asked.
“I’ll be here at one.” Aden extended his hand
to seal the deal. Kevin inhaled sharply as Aden’s long,
thin fingers wrapped around his wrist. For a moment, Kevin could
see Aden pulling him forward until their chests touched…
