Free Naked Canvas (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) by Sadie Grey Page B

but not my body. The rational part of me knew it was the right decision, but the animal part of my brain regretted forcing him to make that promise.
     
    I was still wildly attracted to him, even though I knew that getting mixed up with him any further would cause me nothing but trouble. He was a wildfire, and I refused to get burned.
     
    I stepped up to the counter beside him and looked at the variety of food spread out before me.
     
    “Such a gentleman, making a girl lunch,” I said.
     
    He turned around and spread his hands. “It’s not much. Generally, I prefer to actually cook, but this will have to do for now. I figured you needed to recharge your batteries, after this morning.”
     
    I blushed at the memory of riding the saddle-like contraption into blissful oblivion.
     
    “What was that thing?” I asked.
     
    “It’s called a sybian. I would ask if you enjoyed it, but I think I know the answer.”

    “Is that something you just had on hand or was that a part of Cavanaugh’s shopping list?”
     
    Dominic smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his dark hair. “It was on Cavanaugh’s list.”
     
    I stifled a giggle with my hand at the thought of Cavanaugh with his starched suit and soft spoken manner trying to track down a list of sex toys throughout the city.
     
    “You’re terrible,” I said, laughing.
     
    “I know. But I didn’t do it to torture him, I promise. He offered to gather all those things for me. Although, to be fair, I don’t think he knew what he was getting himself into.”
     
    “Cause he’s not a pervert, like you,” I said, still smiling.
     
    “I prefer the term ‘open minded.’ Amazing things can happen when you open yourself up to the possibilities of the universe.”
     
    “And what possibilities will I be opening myself up to next?”
     
    “Well, for now, it’s the possibility that this Chinese food might be absolutely terrible. My regular place wasn’t open this early.”
     
    I raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring in a private chef, with all your money.”
     
    He smiled. “I promise next time I’ll have the whole thing catered.”
     
    I was about to protest that there wouldn’t be a next time, but he cut me off.
     
    “Dig in before it gets cold. I don’t know what you like so I got a bunch of different stuff. Take your pick.” He gestured at the containers lined up across the counter. It looked like he had ordered one of everything off the menu. The mixture of spicy aromas made my stomach rumble in an unladylike fashion.
     
    I grabbed a container almost at random. Some kind of chicken and veggies in a brown sauce. I sat down at the small table and tucked in. Dominic sat across from me with a paper carton of his own.
     
    We settled into a comfortable silence. For a while, it almost felt like we were a normal couple having lunch and enjoying the presence of each other’s company. The glaring red numbers on the wall caught my eye and shattered that illusion.
     
    The twenty-four hour countdown was now at 20:14. I was his obedient slave for the next twenty hours. The thought soured my stomach and all the warmth I felt towards him was gone.
     
    I sighed and pushed my food away. “What are we doing here, Dominic?”
     
    He glanced up at me, his mouth half full of noodles. “Having lunch.”
     
    “No,” I said, gesturing at the studio around us. “I mean, what are we doing here? Today? This whole arrangement?”
     
    He put his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “You’re modeling for me. Gillian interrupted us the other night—”
     
    “Don’t remind me of that bitch,” I interrupted.
     
    “Fine, but I never got a chance to finish working with you.”
     
    “And that’s it?”
     
    He shrugged. “Yeah, I’m not done with you.”
     
    “You understand that no matter what happens today, I’m done with you . I mean, you get that, right?”
     
    He shrugged. “I’m trying not to think too far past