Page 32 of Filthy Hot Prince

I shook my head, wanting to stop all the hot images going through my head. Being there with Khalid was making me feel wild and carefree. As if the inhibitions of the real world fell apart in the old palace of the oasis. The feeling was raw and pure need.

I got out of the bath, my body smelling like musky, sweet roses as I dried myself and covered my body with a robe that was hanging in the bathroom. I was surprised that the maid had taken time to arrange the closet in the color scheme I had always preferred. Each piece of clothing was placed in the same way as it had been placed in my closet back at my house. Yet another thing Khalid was thoughtful of.

I tried not to mull too much over it as I got dressed in a sundress that was cool against my skin. I combed through my wet hair and had let it down over my shoulders when someone knocked on the door.

Someone with light feet entered when I opened the door. I knew it was not Khalid. The scent was different, too. It was the maid, asking me if I needed anything.

“Where is Khalid?”

The maid, whose name was Tamara, replied, “Prince Khalid is in his studio. He wanted to meet you before the dinner is served.”

Khalid

I looked up from the sketchbook, halting the movements of the pencil, when Valeria came into my view. She looked stunning wearing the white dress, her damp red hair piled up in a bun with few tendrils brushing her bare shoulder.

“Khalid?” her voice called out, small yet confused.

I stood up from the stool. “I am here. I wanted to try a demo sketch with you if it’s not too much to ask?”

“I wouldn’t mind having my painting made by world famous painter.” Valeria instinctively touched my arm, smiling up at me. “Are we… are we starting today?”

I didn’t miss the small whisper of her question. I had told her that I wanted to paint her naked after all. I trailed my finger on her cheek, wanting to press my lips against hers, feel them give in and taste them.

“Don’t worry, this is just a trial so you get used to it.”

Entwining my fingers with her small ones, I took her to the dark chaise lounge. Her white dress and her alabaster skin glowed against the obsidian chaise.

She looked like an angel.

“What do I have to do?”

“Look wherever you want to and be still if you can.” I kissed her cheek, walking back to the stool, and watched the angle and posture of her body. Seeing her in my studio, sitting across me, made me feel something warm in my chest.

It was clear that Valeria was tense and nervous. Her lashes kept fluttering everywhere.

“Valeria,” her eyes jumped in my direction and I tried to keep my voice even and soft. “Are you okay, sweet? We don’t have to do this now.”

I wished I could help her stay still and ease whatever was worrying her to be so tense.

A small frown etched between her brows, “I want to, but I don’t know where to look. Whether I should keep my eyes closed or open.”

It was rather a difficult thing. I had always practiced to start a figure painting or sketch from the eyes. Even the nude one when I was in university. Because if the eyes were perfect, catching the emotion in them, then the whole painting would be perfect too. But Valeria would get nervous with her eyes open and I couldn’t sketch them first.

I had always liked challenges. I would love to try and see how I would sketch her body before her eyes.

Keeping the sketchbook away, I walked back to her, her eyes following the direction of my footsteps. I cupped her face, her eyes fluttering closed when my thumb brushed over her cheekbone.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. You had a long day. Come on, let’s have dinner.”

We walked to the dining area the staff had arranged hand in hand. Valeria was quiet and I was worried that she was getting anxious regarding the painting.

“Khalid,” she whispered, looking down. “I… I am sorry to disappoint you.”

I froze. Wrapping my hand around her wrist, I pulled her small body closer and cupped her cheek. I glared down at her dainty, bare face. “You can never ever disappoint me, Valeria. Leave everything about the painting to me, and all you have to do is enjoy your time here. I don’t want you to worry, is that understood?”

Valeria

I nodded, the sound of his commanding voice making my heartbeat increase. My skin scorched with prickling heat when his thumb rubbed along the seam of my bottom lip.

He asked in his deep, low voice, “Say you understand me, my sweet one. Or I have other methods to make you understand.”

I wanted to take his thumb in my mouth and suckle on it. I wanted to know what another methods Khalid was talking about.

We both stepped back when we heard someone walking down the hallway and heard Tamara say, “Oh, Prince Khalid, Miss Valeria! I was just about to walk down to the studio to let you both know that the dinner is served.”

We thanked her and walked together, the surrounding air charged with our attraction. I leaned up to him and whispered, “I don’t understand, Khalid. Please make me understand tomorrow.”

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