“Yes, that as well.” She gave him a sly smile. “After all, you do taste so sweet.”
Now that definitely deserved a kiss. Lowering his head, he captured her mouth and shared his happiness with her as their tongues entwined.
When a quiet moan escaped her, he forced himself to pull away. Her studio was not the place to take his wife when a perfectly good bed was right next door.
Her blue gaze focused on him. “With this room, I think I’m going to need to paint many more portraits of you.” Her teasing light faded, and her brows lowered.
“What is it?”
She glanced toward the paintings she’d completed that were leaning against the walls in one corner, awaiting her choice of placement. She shook her head. “I don’t understand a criticism that was leveled at one of my paintings at my exhibit this past summer.”
“Criticism?” He stiffened, ready to call out whomever dared to think his wife’s work imperfect.
“Yes.” She stepped out of his arms. “Maybe you can help me pinpoint the problem.”
Before he could react, she headed for the corner and rummaged through the paintings. “Here it is.”
He walked over and lifted it from her.
“Put it on that easel, please.”
He did as requested. It looked to be after a hunt with three gentlemen talking while the dogs frolicked about. One man was almost facing front, another faced directly forward, and the third was positioned facing the first somewhat. It was a fine painting. Not nearly the caliber of what she’d done of him, but still well done.
He turned around to see what she was about, and he found her bent over the chest from her old studio.
“Here it is.” She moved toward him. “Can you move that easel next to this one?”
He did, and she promptly set her book on the tray at the bottom. It was open to a picture of a man and a woman in a similar position as the painting except they were naked. He whipped his gaze to his wife who stood back comparing the two. Was she not affected by the drawing?
“I just don’t see the flaw.” She crossed her arms. “Do you?”
Not sure what she was looking for, he walked over to stand beside her. “What flaw?”
She uncrossed one arm and pointed to the book. “I used that sketch to paint that scene.” Her finger moved to indicate the painting of the men and dogs. “I didn’t feel confident in my male figures. So with no male model, I used the next best option, a sketch of a nude. But during my exhibition, while I spoke to my very good friend, Lady Spencer, two gentlemen were viewing my painting and said in a matter-of-fact tone that the artist had obviously never seen a naked man. Then they laughed at it. But I don’t see anything wrong. Do you?”
He moved forward and studied the sketch, avoiding the female in it, and then studied the painting. There was no flaw at all. She had copied the male form perfectly, only adding clothes. A suspicion began to form. “Did these gentlemen know you were nearby?”
“Yes, but they didn’t know I was the artist.”
He tried not to smirk, but he failed. “Then I believe they were simply trying to catch your attention.”
“What? By pointing out a flaw in my work when they didn’t know I was the artist? I think not.”
Grinning, he pointed to the fall of the pantaloons she’d painted. “There is no flaw. They were simply inferring that they have a bulge here because they are well-endowed. If you had suddenly looked at them, they would have thought you an experienced woman and possibly interested in what they had to offer.”
She scowled at him before joining him at the painting. “Are you saying that they only said that to brag about what was in their pantaloons?”
He nodded, still grinning though he shouldn’t.
“You mean I didn’t need you to pose for me after all?”
At her question, he lost his grin. “What do you mean?”
She lifted her brows at him. “The conditions I set upon your abrupt proposal were meant to accomplish either one of two outcomes. Either you would say yes and model nude for me so I could paint my male figures accurately or…”
“Or you expected me to rescind my proposal.”
“Exactly.” Her eyes sparkled with pride.
