SW NOVELS
Chapter 277
Chapter 277
The artist’s studio of the Chadwick family’s villa was messy
Gwendolyn stirred awake, groggy and nursing a throbbing headache on the plush carpet that had substituted for her bed. The aftermath of last night’s revelry hit her like a freight train–every inch of her body ached as she propped herself up on shaking arms.
Tired. Sore. All over
Rubbing her bleary eyes, she arched her back in a languid stretch, and the knitted throw blanket slipped down, revealing her bare upper body.
She blinked in confusion. Why was she undressed?
Scattered around the floor were her sundress and undergarments, alongside a few scraps of tom fabric.
She nearly screamed.
Her body was responding in ways that spelled out a night of drunken debauchery. Had she really succumbed to a night of passion with Howard after too many glasses of wine?
Her memory was a foggy vold
Then her gaze caught the canvas on the easel, and she was thunderstruck.
Cheeks flaming, her whole body flushed with warmth.
What on earth was this?
The paper held the sketch of a woman, unclothed and spread out over the carpet, steeped in sleep. Every single detail was striking. from her facial features down to the more private aspects of her physique.
It was her!
This drawing was bolder, more realistic, and more charged with emotion than the previous portrait of Selina.
Even with her limited knowledge of art, Gwendolyn could tell that this was not the work of the same hand that had painted Selina.
Could this be the extent of Mr. Chadwick’s talent?
Embarrassed, she bit her lip as she continued to stare at the drawing, waves of heat coursing through her at the sight.
To add insult to injury, there was a small turtle doodled on the woman’s butt!
Gwendolyn twisted around to look at her own butt
There it was, a simple sketch of a turtle with a flourish of a signature beside it.
“Howard Chadwick” was scrawled in bold letters, impossible to miss
Gwendolyn wished she could sink into the floor mortified beyond belief. Unable to don the tattered remains of her dress, she wrapped the blanket around herself and slipped out of the studio
She tiptoed down the hallway, eager to return to her room for a shower and a change of clothes.
However, she bumped into a warm embrace.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Howard steadied her by the shoulders, his voice laced with amusement.
Seeing him, Gwendolyn’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.
“Nowhere special. Mr. Chadwick, I reek of booze and need to freshen up.”
Howard gave her a knowing, teasing look. “You don’t remember, do you? What a predicament, you took full advantage of me!”
Gwendolyn steeled herself, suspecting the unspeakable had indeed occurred.
And frustratingly, she had no recollection of this man’s conquest over her body.
“Mr. Chadwick, I’m sorry. I’ll take responsibility,” she said, flushed with embarrassment.
“How will you do
you do that?” Howard asked, an edge of playfulness to his voice, fully aware she had misunderstood yet not comecting her.
Stranded in her own swirl of confusigh and guilt, she stammered, “I… l leave it to you to decide my punishment.”
Howard chuckled lightly. “So agreeable? Last night, you were quite the opposite–stripping down and demanding my attention.”
Every word sent Gwendolyn’s head lower in shame
Howard leaned in and whispered, “You undressed yourself and insisted I draw on you. It was cute. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t touch a drunk, even if she did a strip dance for me..”
09:35
His bravado wasn’t just talk
And he certainly wasn’t the one who ended up in the cold last night.
Feeling like she was about to combust, Gwendolyn placed her hand over Howard’s lips,
“Please, don’t say any more.
Any more, and sheld wish to vanish into thin air.
Howard’s voice was soft by her ear. “I’ve never painted for any other woman. Since you seem to cherish my work so much, meet me in the studio after work today”
He wanted to see her in her sober state, surely even more enchanting.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.