The Clever Fox: Part One (The Pleasure Hound Series) (11 page)

She couldn’t finish the sentence. She knew little about love, but from what she witnessed of her sister and her cousin, she knew when you loved someone you helped them achieve their dreams. Not dash them away.

“Why would you want him to stop?” she asked. “Why wouldn’t you want him to share his talent with the world? I’ve never seen a male who could do what he does.”

Alyss would never have that opportunity to even try to achieve what Adom could do with a brush. Her artwork would never see the light of day. But Adom’s work, it had to. It was important. She didn’t know why, but she knew it was the truth. When people saw what he could do with color and lines…

“He has a chance to change the world,” Alyss continued. “The way we all see the world, and you would stop him?”

The male looked at her, dumbfounded. “Tomorrow you will go into a chamber and try to take away one of his basic rights; a basic right of all males to determine their own destiny. Yet you want to lecture me on my relationship?”

They stood outside of the door of the Chamber of Health and Sciences. If someone heard their conversation she could be thrown out of the Sisterhood. Her spot as an apprentice, her future forfeited. That thought didn’t terrify her as much as the thought of not returning to Adom’s studio. The idea of not returning to Adom this afternoon was unbearable.

“Stay away from my husband.” He walked away.

She didn’t know his name, so she couldn’t call out to him. She scurried after him and grabbed his arm. The corded muscles of the strong bicep pulsated under her fingers. He stopped, stiffened, at her touch.

“I’ll make a deal with you.” She heard the desperation in her own voice, felt her body being shoved back into the cocoon, felt her fingers suffocating.

He yanked his arm away from her.

Alyss reached into her bag. She pulled out the printed report from her Mother. His eyes widened seeing the title of the document. She knew he didn’t have access to this information. “It’s yours…”

He reached his hand towards it.

She withdrew the document at the last second. “As long as you let me see Adom.”

He put his hand away.

She placed the document between them like an offering. “If this bill is as important to you as you say it is, then the information in this report will be of great value to you. The price is a few more hours with Adom. A few colors on a canvas.”

He studied her. “Why? Why do you want to sit for my husband?”

How could she explain how Adom’s art made her feel alive? How his ropes took all the pressure away? Alyss needed it, or she would suffocate. All around her her skin was cracking and something was trying to break free from her soul. She couldn’t stop it.

“Do we have a deal?”

Want to keep reading? Part Two of “The Clever Fox” is available NOW.

The Pleasure Hound series is written with my naughty pen, but I do have a sweeter side. Just because its sweet, doesn’t mean its not hot! Check out my fairytale retelling romance series. Enter a world where single mothers get a second chance at their one true love with the Cindermama series.

Single mother Malika “Pumpkin” Tavares lost faith in fairytales after she fell for a toad. Now she believes she’s not cut from the storybook, heroine cloth and searches for Mr. Good Enough amongst the sidekicks and supporting men of the town.

Love at first sight isn’t a cliche for town royalty Armand “Manny” Charmayne. For generations the Charmaynes have spotted their soulmates by seeing a golden aura the first time they laid eyes on The One.

When Manny meets Pumpkin he sees…nothing, but sparks fly off the richter scale. The more he gets to know her the more he considers defying fate, if only he can convince her to take a chance on love again.

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