Free Covered In Paint: Book Five of the Art Of Love Series by Donna McDonald Page A

to chant his gratitude as he drove to campus.

Chapter 7
     
    “I don’t understand,” Drake said, rubbing his chin. “Her mother is an artist who makes glass vaginas. How can Brooke be such a prude?”
    Michael snorted. “Have you met my mother?”
    “Oh, right. I remember you telling me that was why your mother didn’t come to the gallery opening.”
    Drake rose from his chair to walk around while he thought.
    “But Brooke didn’t even flinch at any of the art. I watched her all evening. I couldn’t help myself. We went out afterward.”
    Being conservative was one thing, but Jessica Daniel’s daughter being prudish was a tough one for Drake to fathom. The concept of her being jealous of his class model was also a mind-blowing concept. The girl was barely half his age. What was Brooke thinking? Dating someone Brooke’s age—someone already a decade his junior—was about as far as he could consider for any kind of a genuine relationship. Damn. He couldn’t seem to get inside her mind well enough to even feel empathy for her reaction today.
    “What the hell am I supposed to do about this, Michael?”
    Michael shrugged. “Beats me. I’m just grateful I don’t have to deal with it myself. Look on the bright side though. At least Brooke was insanely jealous. Has to mean she cares.”
    Drake chuckled dryly and shook his head at what Michael Larson considered a plus.
    “I couldn’t even tell you what the model’s breasts looked like. They were proportionate to her body. That’s about all I recall.”
    “ I know. Dude—I tried to tell Brooke that’s how it works,” Michael exclaimed, lifting both hands to the ceiling of Drake’s office. “But if you go to talk to her about it, cover your head and your man parts. Brooke was on some feminist kick and ranting about ‘all men’ when she left. She also said she’d never gotten to any naked stuff with you and was glad.”
    Drake winced at the news Brooke had made public.
    “Well, I’m not glad. I can’t seem to get my son to leave the house and Brooke refuses to let me come home with her.” He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “Hell—what am I supposed to do? This is my job.”
    “I truthfully don’t know,” Michael said in sympathy, rising from his seat. “I just wanted you to be aware of what the crazy was all about when Brooke started dishing it out to you.”
    Drake sighed and pinched his nose. “Being with her is all I think about, Michael. My fantasies are so bad, I can barely look her mother in the eyes when I go to the gallery.”
    Michael snickered at the most honest comment he’d ever heard from the man.
    “Yeah—it would suck to have to see Carrie’s mother so often. I’m just glad my mother-in-law likes me. If she ever finds out what I do to her daughter with those yogurt bars in our freezer, she’ll never speak to me again.”
    “You really have no boundaries when it comes to talking about sex, do you?” Drake demanded, his face flushing as his imagination ran with the images Michael had planted in his brain.
    Michael laughed wickedly. “No—not a single one where my amazing wife is concerned. Carrie is the perfect woman for me. I’m going to go home and tell her again this evening for the millionth time.”
    “I guess all I can say about your bragging is damn you …and thanks for coming by,” Drake said stiffly. It was impossible not to feel envious of Michael’s life.
    “Here,” Michael said, standing up and holding out his hand. “I lost this today. Maybe when you find it, you can return it to me.”
    It was Drake’s turn to snicker when he looked at the key in his hand. It didn’t take much to figure out whose door it unlocked. Brooke probably didn’t realize Michael even had a copy of Shane’s key.
    “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t with it,” Michael ordered.
    “What wouldn’t you do?” Drake asked.
    Michael laughed loudly as he tossed up a hand and turned to leave.
    Drake was busy pondering