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Contemporary 10,505 words

Lindsey Burke is desperate and she'll do whatever it takes to take care of her ailing husband and keep them from starving through the winter. She answers an ad in the newspaper to be the subject of a painting and loses more than her dignity in the process. She loses her heart. Gabriel Winters is a solitary man. He lives and works alone, losing himself in the world's he creates on canvas. That all changes when he meets Lindsey. She captivates him moments after meeting her and he soon realizes he wants her for more than just his paintings. He wants her forever Published: October 2006 Available Formats: eBook - FREE Read To read this book, join my Yahoo!Group!

Excerpt

The building looked old and worn as Lindsey stared up at it. She glanced down at the slip of paper in her hand where the address was written. The numbers matched with those on the door and she inhaled deeply to try and calm her nerves. She couldn't believe she was doing this and wondered what Charles would think. Hopefully he would never have to find out.

She'd found the ad in the paper and hated the thoughts of doing it, but did she really have a choice? If she didn't do something soon, she and Charles would be out on the street.

Of course, no one could ever know. It would disgrace Charles if they did. Looking at the building he called a studio she had to wonder if that wasn't a mistake.

The outer door creaked on its hinges when she pulled it open, and she hesitantly stuck her head inside. She looked around before stepping over the threshold. The interior was as bland as the outside and there was nothing to be seen but a hallway leading into the depths of the building and a staircase along the right hand wall. A sign with the initials G.W. hung by the stairs, and Lindsey closed the door behind her before slowly making her way to the steps.

Climbing the stairs had her stomach in knots, and she hoped no one had seen her enter the building. Reaching the top of the stairs, Lindsey stopped and read the name on the gold plaque hanging on the door. Gabriel Winters was spelled out in elegant script and she stared at the door before looking down and smoothing the wrinkles out of her skirt.

This is it, she thought before she raised her hand and knocked. A loud voice from inside yelled, "Come in," and she stood frozen in place, wondering what to do. If she walked in that door and someone found out, she'd never live down the fact she'd been in the company of a strange man alone. "Maybe this was a mistake," she said quietly to herself.

She could hear footsteps on the other side of the door and a loud crash of something falling before a string of what she assumed were curses echoed off the walls. Whoever was inside seemed very upset, and Lindsey wondered what was happening. The voice seemed to get louder, and she took a step back and prepared to turn as the door was yanked open.

He was young, maybe a few years older than her nineteen years. He stood at least six-foot tall, and a mass of dark brown curls hung to his shoulders. His eyes were the brightest blue she'd ever seen, and his thin face held sharp features that were almost mesmerizing.

Wide shoulders led to a broad torso that tapered at his waist. He wore a shirt of white, with dots of paint splattered across the fabric. Long sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and black pants hugged his legs. The laces on the front of the shirt were untied, and Lindsey blushed at the sight of his chest peeking out from behind the material before she looked away.

"You must be Mrs. Burke," he said before stepping back from the door. "Come in."

Lindsey watched as his feet disappeared from her view before she lifted her head. The room looked vacant from where she was standing, and she could hear the rattle of things inside the loft being shifted and moved. Her heart was racing at the thought of entering, and her mind wasn't faring much better.

Lindsey knew she and Charles couldn't survive much longer without any means of income. Their small savings was dwindling fast. If she didn't do something to help out, everyone would know of Charles' illness. She couldn't let him suffer that disgrace. Sighing heavily, she took a hesitant step forward.

She could see the shadows of the man inside float across the floor as she stepped over the threshold and entered the room. It was much larger than she'd expected. In fact, the space was almost the size of the whole building. Small sections of it were set up as living space. A kitchen area sat directly across from the door, and art supplies lined the left hand wall. Canvases were propped up against the wall under a row of windows. Most of them were covered but a few unfinished paintings showed the soft sweep of pastels.

A large, multi-section screen made of plain tan wicker stood in the right hand corner of the room, and Lindsey could see the corner of a bed behind it. The floors were wood and in desperate need of cleaning. The windows were frosted from the winter wind blowing against them, and the light in the room was already getting dim from the growing clouds outside. The man who opened the door for her came into view, and she lowered her head when he stopped and looked at her.

"Close the door. If we don't get started soon, we'll be here all night."

Lindsey nodded her head at him before completely entering the room. She hesitated for a few seconds before pushing the door closed. She thought for the third time since she arrived that she shouldn't be here alone. Would she look foolish if she left now?

"You can put your things over there."

Lindsey looked at the table he pointed at before making her way to it. Her heels made a loud pop against the wooden floors, and she kept one eye on the man across the room. Reaching the table and laying her purse down, her nervousness about the situation doubled.

She removed her hat and gloves, watching him intently before clearing her throat.

"You're Gabriel Winters, I presume," she said.

"That would be me. Are you ready to get started?"

Lindsey nodded while he boldly looked at her. She felt herself blush at his open stare as his eyes traveled over her, and she felt the heat on her cheeks run down her neck before she glanced away.

"Good," Gabriel said before he turned to the table by the windows and picked up a blank canvas.

Lindsey watched him set it on the easel before he turned back to the table and fussed with small jars she assumed were his paints. He was perfectly quiet while preparing, and her nervousness grew in the silence.

She took in her surroundings to keep her mind busy and smiled to herself at the state of the loft. The sparse furnishings were old and worn, dust particles danced in the air through the beam of light coming from the windows, and she could see a mound of dirty dishes littering the cabinets in the small kitchenette.

"If you'd like, you can change behind the screen."

Lindsey's attention was drawn back to him when he spoke and, when her mind finally registered what he'd said, her eyes widened. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

At the small squeak in her voice, Gabriel smiled for the first time since she'd entered the loft and leaned his hip against the side of the table while looking at her. "Take off your clothes. You can use the sheet on the bed to cover yourself if it'll make you feel more comfortable."

"I sorry," Lindsey laughed nervously before shaking her head. Take off her clothes! Surely she'd misheard him - twice. "Did you say - take off my clothes?"

He smiled at her and her cheeks only grew hotter. He studied her for a few minutes before nodding his head and saying, "On second thought, I think you'll look much nicer in red."