Commissioned In White (Art of Love Series) Read Online Free Page A

beer bottle from him.
    “Besides,” Michael said. “You’ve been so much hassle to train, I don’t have enough energy to start over with a nicer model.”
    Grinning, he slid the door closed in front of her furious face before Carrie could say a word in rebuttal.
    “See? He’s definitely not nice,” Carrie announced, looking at her husband as he worked. “But he’s also not boring. I never saw myself as stupid, but I’m definitely dumb as a rock about that man.”
    “You two make my head hurt,” Brooke complained, rising from her chair. “Boring Barrymore is looking better after a couple hours with you and Michael. Skip Shane’s book. You two should have your own reality show. You’d make a fortune.”
    “Wish I had thought of that before we sunk a fortune into the gallery. Now I have to make it successful,” Carrie said on a laugh. “Come alone and leave with Drake. My instincts say you won’t be sorry.”
    “You’re just saying that because you think I can’t come up with a better date,” Brooke teased. “But I will keep Barrymore in mind as a backup plan. Okay?”
    “I’m telling you—you won’t be sorry,” Carrie said with a smile.
    ***
     
    “Zach and I are going to drop off the rest of the donations downtown and then I’m running him to the school for his game,” Shane said, sighing at the ever present mountain of laundry folded on the bed. “We need a better system for clothes management. I swear you spend three or four hours a day doing laundry.”
    “That’s probably true, but it won’t wash itself,” Reesa said on a laugh. “So is the garage completely cleaned out?”
    “Yes. After Dad and Jessica get moved into their new house, he’s going to come by and help me insulate the door. I think the least expensive answer to sealing out the rest of the cold is to hang large sheets on hospital track mounted to the ceiling,” Shane said.
    “I like it,” Reesa said, nodding in approval. “Are you going to be able to divide the space enough to make a work area big enough for your drafting table?”
    Shane nodded. “I think so.”
    “Next thing we tackle is the closet in here so you don’t have to keep sharing Zack’s. I need to go through my stuff and make some room. A lot of my dress clothes can be donated since I won’t need so many anymore,” Reesa said, thinking aloud even as she mentally thought about how much work it would be. Maybe she’d recruit Jillian and Chelsea to help.
    He watched Reesa finish folding the last piece of laundry then sort it by person, including his pile which she placed next to hers. Her efficiency was appealing, and so was destroying her ability to function that way when they were in bed. Love and lust mingled inside him, and over it was a layer of truly wanting to share the workload.
    “Have I just added to your responsibilities since I moved in?” he asked.
    Reesa’s head came up from her task to catch Shane’s concerned gaze. “From a work standpoint, you’re just a tiny ripple in my stream,” she said, laughing at Shane’s confusion. “Okay, bad analogy. No, you are not more work—but even if you were—you still come with way more benefits to me than anyone else in the household.”
    “Not exactly a declaration of undying devotion, but I’ll take it. Maybe I can be a bigger benefit to you tonight,” Shane said softly, walking over and leaning down to press a sweet kiss on her lips.
    “That would be nice,” Reesa answered, stretching up to kiss him back, straining when he stroked a hand down her back and palmed her backside to lift her slightly against him.
    “Hey, I’m ready—oh shoot. Sorry,” Zach said, skidding to a halt in the bedroom door and running a hand through his dark hair.
    Reesa laughed and dropped down from her toes to stand flat and grounded on the floor again. “It’s okay. Shane was just kissing me goodbye. Thanks for helping with the garage, Zach. I know some of that stuff belonged to your parents. I