A Masterpiece Of Our Love (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 1) by Nikki Lynn Barrett Page B
Authors: Nikki Lynn Barrett
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it. Oranges and reds swirled along the white of the sink. She held the brush under the water and spread the bristles with her fingers until the water ran perfectly clear. Satisfied, she flicked her wrists and set the brush on the counter.
Vince had settled himself in the beige chair near the window. His gaze traveled from her painting to her face. "You really should just come home with me tonight," he said briskly.
"I don't think so Vince. This is my time. I'd like to finish my vacation." Without you hovering. Of course, she didn't dare say that out loud. He always found a way to get under her skin, and not in a good way. She couldn't marry a man like Vince. It just wouldn't ever work. Not that he was a bad man, but she didn't find him attractive, nor did she feel any sort of romantic feelings for him.
Did he honestly feel something for her, or was it all for show because of her grandparents? She'd never know.
The tension between them was so strong, she thought she'd be pulled right back if she moved. What now? She couldn't just run from him. He'd probably stay in the room until she returned. How could she get him to go home and just let her be for a while? Becca suppressed a sigh.
"I'll admit it's a beautiful island, but why do you need to come back year after year?" He shot to his feet and moved toward her, taking her hand in his.
"I feel close to my family here. It's my way of honoring their memory," Becca said firmly. She squared her shoulders. Vince's hardened expression softened just a bit as understanding filled his eyes.
"I guess I can see that. Still..."
"No still. This is something I need and want to do, and I shouldn't have to explain myself to anyone."
"Becca, I-"
Someone knocked on her door once again. Oh dear, if that was Hunter, things were about to become even more interesting. She had to keep from running to answer the door. Instead, she took quick steps, trying to not appear as if she were anxious to get away from Vince. She pulled open the door and peered out. Sure enough, Hunter stood on the other side. "Hey." She gave him a half smile.
"How are you feeling? Everything seems to be going well back home. Want to do anything?" Hunter returned her smile. Did he always have that little crease every time he smiled? She'd never noticed before.
"Who is this?" Vince pulled the door open a little more from behind her, forcing Becca to move out of the way. What was his deal? He'd only been here fifteen minutes and already she wanted to knock some sense into him.
Hunter's eyes widened. He shot Becca a questioning look.
"Vince, I'd like you to meet Hunter. Hunter, this is Vince." She mouthed an "I'm sorry" to Hunter as Vince stepped forward. He held out a hand to Hunter.
"Hunter. I've heard so much about you." Becca could tell Vince found it difficult to be polite to him. Was he jealous? His voice was cold, even while being polite. Hunter shook his hand, looking uncomfortable all the while.
"Nice to meet you." Hunter used the same strained, unsure-what-to-say voice as Vince. "I had no idea you'd be joining Becca down here."
"Neither did I, but she has a tendency to not answer her phone and that had me worried."
Becca rolled her eyes at Vince's back. Hunter caught it and stifled a laugh. She shouldn't act so childish, but sometimes Vince pushed all the wrong buttons. "I still stick to the fact that you wasted a trip down here," she said stiffly.
Vince whirled on her. "No future wife of mine is going to run off and hide every summer!" His face reddened. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his nostrils flared.
"Future wife? Vince, I never agreed to marry you, so you shouldn't go around telling anyone that I'm your future wife." Becca pursed her lips and bit her tongue before she said other things she really didn't want to say here or now. "Secondly, I'm not 'running and hiding'. If you'd listen to what I have to say every once in a while, you might actually get it! Instead, you brush off everything as
Vince had settled himself in the beige chair near the window. His gaze traveled from her painting to her face. "You really should just come home with me tonight," he said briskly.
"I don't think so Vince. This is my time. I'd like to finish my vacation." Without you hovering. Of course, she didn't dare say that out loud. He always found a way to get under her skin, and not in a good way. She couldn't marry a man like Vince. It just wouldn't ever work. Not that he was a bad man, but she didn't find him attractive, nor did she feel any sort of romantic feelings for him.
Did he honestly feel something for her, or was it all for show because of her grandparents? She'd never know.
The tension between them was so strong, she thought she'd be pulled right back if she moved. What now? She couldn't just run from him. He'd probably stay in the room until she returned. How could she get him to go home and just let her be for a while? Becca suppressed a sigh.
"I'll admit it's a beautiful island, but why do you need to come back year after year?" He shot to his feet and moved toward her, taking her hand in his.
"I feel close to my family here. It's my way of honoring their memory," Becca said firmly. She squared her shoulders. Vince's hardened expression softened just a bit as understanding filled his eyes.
"I guess I can see that. Still..."
"No still. This is something I need and want to do, and I shouldn't have to explain myself to anyone."
"Becca, I-"
Someone knocked on her door once again. Oh dear, if that was Hunter, things were about to become even more interesting. She had to keep from running to answer the door. Instead, she took quick steps, trying to not appear as if she were anxious to get away from Vince. She pulled open the door and peered out. Sure enough, Hunter stood on the other side. "Hey." She gave him a half smile.
"How are you feeling? Everything seems to be going well back home. Want to do anything?" Hunter returned her smile. Did he always have that little crease every time he smiled? She'd never noticed before.
"Who is this?" Vince pulled the door open a little more from behind her, forcing Becca to move out of the way. What was his deal? He'd only been here fifteen minutes and already she wanted to knock some sense into him.
Hunter's eyes widened. He shot Becca a questioning look.
"Vince, I'd like you to meet Hunter. Hunter, this is Vince." She mouthed an "I'm sorry" to Hunter as Vince stepped forward. He held out a hand to Hunter.
"Hunter. I've heard so much about you." Becca could tell Vince found it difficult to be polite to him. Was he jealous? His voice was cold, even while being polite. Hunter shook his hand, looking uncomfortable all the while.
"Nice to meet you." Hunter used the same strained, unsure-what-to-say voice as Vince. "I had no idea you'd be joining Becca down here."
"Neither did I, but she has a tendency to not answer her phone and that had me worried."
Becca rolled her eyes at Vince's back. Hunter caught it and stifled a laugh. She shouldn't act so childish, but sometimes Vince pushed all the wrong buttons. "I still stick to the fact that you wasted a trip down here," she said stiffly.
Vince whirled on her. "No future wife of mine is going to run off and hide every summer!" His face reddened. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his nostrils flared.
"Future wife? Vince, I never agreed to marry you, so you shouldn't go around telling anyone that I'm your future wife." Becca pursed her lips and bit her tongue before she said other things she really didn't want to say here or now. "Secondly, I'm not 'running and hiding'. If you'd listen to what I have to say every once in a while, you might actually get it! Instead, you brush off everything as
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