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Griffin

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“So now you’re an artist?” Dylan picks up a bottle of imported beer. “When exactly did you decide to take an art class?”

I may be closer to Dylan than I am to my brother, but I’m not about to tell him that I enrolled in Piper’s class because I want a taste of her. He’ll use that information against me for the next ten years. “I’m trying to broaden my horizons.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Griffin.” He takes a healthy swig. “Did Draven put you up to this?”

My older brother has more influence over me than I’ll readily admit, but I haven’t heard from him in weeks. That’s expected. Draven runs his own home construction business. He pushes himself physically until he’s bone weary, day after day after day. “Draven has nothing to do with this. It’s not a big deal. You play basketball a couple of nights a week. I take an art class. What’s the difference?”

“No one I play basketball with looks like Piper Ellis.” He squints at me. “Did you sign up for that class because of her?”

I want him to drop the subject so we can move on to the reason we met at this restaurant in the first place. Work. It’s what we talk about ninety-nine percent of the time. “She’s interesting.”

“She’s gorgeous.” He laughs. “Did you try and pick her up and she turned you down? Is that why you’re chasing after her like a stalker?”

“She came to see me today.” I point out with a tilt of my bottle in the air. “I’m not stalking her.”

“You looked about ready to fuck her against your desk.” He raises his bottle and taps it against mine. “Cheers to my untimely arrival in your office.”

Piper wasn’t even close to kissing me when Dylan barged into my office earlier. Her resistance was melting, but she was holding back. I have no idea if that’s related to whatever the hell is going on between her and Rufus, or not. “That wouldn’t have happened. She’s been hanging out with the model from class. Rufus is the guy’s name.”

“Rufus,” he echoes. “What kind of class are you taking?”

I look down at the table. If I don’t tell him, he’ll be on his phone in a minute flat looking up Piper’s name. He’ll find the class, and the non-stop ribbing will commence. I can’t win this. “Human figure drawing. We draw nudes with charcoal.”

He freezes in place with the bottle of beer resting against his bottom lip. “Repeat that.”

“You’re an asshole.” I finish my beer. “You heard me.”

He puts his bottle on the table. “Let me get this straight. You signed up for an art class in order to fuck a woman, but now you’re drawing her boyfriend’s dick?”

“Jesus.” I shake my head as I laugh. “It sounds fucked up when you put it that way.”

“It is fucked up.” He leans back when the server places our meals on the table. “I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, Griffin, but old wounds can take years to heal. Don’t fuck yourself over just to get a woman into bed.”

I don’t need the reminder of my past. “Thanks for the advice, but I’m good. I came here for a breakdown of the Johnson case. If you’re serious about me taking it over, I need to get up to speed.”

Dylan can read between the lines. He knows I’m telling him to back the hell off.  He picks up his fork and knife. “Understood. Let’s eat and then it’s all business.”

***

“What’s that thing on his nose?” Brenda points at the paper in front of me. “Is that a wart? Did you draw a wart on his nose?”

I was going to draw it on the side of his dick, but I’m not a jealous teenager with a warped sense of humor. I’m a professional who has no problem controlling his temper in a court of law, yet I can’t push back the irritation I feel every time I glance at Rufus to see his eyes pinned to Piper’s body.

The white pants she’s wearing make her ass look like a ripe peach. The blue top she has on is clinging to her tits. Every guy in this class has to be rocking a hard-on tonight.

Rufus sure as fuck is. I’m guilty of it too.

To that end, I adjust my pants and move my ass on the hard wooden stool. Brenda’s gaze drops to my lap.

“I’m free after class.” Her hand lands on my thigh. “I’m eager to please if you know what I mean.”

I look over at her as I grab her hand to lift it off my leg. Her lips curve into a wide-mouthed ‘O’ before her tongue trails over them. She’s offering to blow me. Again, I take it as a compliment since she’s been staring at Rufus’s dick all night.  “I’m busy, Brenda.”

“I’m not against a threesome.” She looks at my lap again. “I swing both ways so I’ll do whoever you’re doing.”

“I swing one way,” I clarify. “I like women.”

She gestures toward Rufus. “I thought you were into him considering you’ve been hard since class started.”

“His dick does nothing for me.” I go back to looking at my drawing. It’s crap. I know it. Piper knows it. She made a point of not mentioning my sketch when she cruised past Brenda and me ten minutes ago. She tossed a compliment to Brenda but didn’t say a word to me. 

“It does something for me,” she says quietly. “I get off after every class thinking about Rufus.”

For fuck’s sake. I need to get the hell out of here.

“That’s it for tonight.” Piper moves to stand at the front of the studio. “I hope you’ll take some time this coming weekend to visit the Sem Jansen exhibit at Origin Hall in SoHo. It opens on Saturday afternoon. His focus is the nude male form. I find his work inspiring. We can discuss it next week.”

I’d rather cut off my left big toe than spend another second staring at more dicks.

“I take it you’re not going to that?” Brenda closes her sketchpad before turning to face me. “I was going to suggest we check it out and then head back to my place.”

“Thanks, but no.” I stand. “You’re on your own.”

“Do you think Rufus would go with me?” She watches as he wraps a white towel around his waist. “I’m obviously not your type. Maybe I’m his.”

“It doesn’t hurt to ask.” I should warn her that Rufus is hooking up with Piper, but she’ll figure that out on her own soon enough. 

I watch as she rounds her easel and marches toward Rufus. Brenda’s cute, but she’s no match for our teacher. I glance at Piper as she speaks to two female students. Her gaze volleys between their faces and the scene playing out five feet away from her.

As subtle as she thinks she is, there’s no mistaking that she’s interested in what’s going on between Rufus and Brenda. Maybe I misjudged what she feels for the model. If she didn’t give a shit about him, she wouldn’t keep glancing his way while he charms a giggle out of Brenda.

The muscles in my jaw tick as I approach Piper when the two women standing next to her take off in the direction of the studio door.

“He only has eyes for you,” I whisper into her ear from behind.

Turning, she faces me, her shoulders squaring. “They’re talking about the exhibit in SoHo. Brenda wants to tag along with Rufus and me when we go on Saturday afternoon.”

Brenda wants to a lot more than to be the third wheel on their mid-day date. “Sounds like a treat.”

“It wouldn’t hurt you to go, Griffin.” Her lips thin as she lets out a breathy sigh. “You could use some inspiration.”

I clear my throat, pushing back the urge to tell her that I want her to come home with me. No, I fucking need her to come home with me.

The shape of her lips, the emerald green of her eyes and the sweet scent of her skin is all the inspiration I need to fuck her senseless which was my goal when I signed up for this class. “Inspiration is everywhere. I’m heading out to find some now.”

I step away as Rufus and Brenda walk toward us. The cocky grin on Rufus’s face says it all. He knows I want Piper. He may have won this round, but I’m just getting started.