The CEO Commands (manxman)**Power Tops Book 1**

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

(Corey's Art Studio------->)

 I woke up this fine Saturday morning and stretched like a cat. I let out a long suffering sigh; I was left to my own devices this weekend. Marcus had left to go out of town yesterday on business. He wasn't going to be back until late Monday afternoon. I threw back the covers and got out of bed and padded into the bathroom and I brushed my teeth and combed my hair. Going to the closet I pulled on an old pair of loose fitting jeans and a plain white shirt. I pulled my old paint stained sweat shirt over that. I was going to take some time and go to my studio. No one knew about it and I kind liked it that way. I dabbled in painting and I was very self conscious about anyone seeing them.

  After locking up my apartment, I put my satchel over my head and made my way to the studio. It was about five blocks from my apartment. I had managed to get this loft apartment over the Thai Restaurant for cheap. The only set back was all the spicy food smells that drifted upstairs always tempted me to eat like a pig. I have had the studio since my sophomore year in college, and I tended to come here when images caught my eye and I just had the urge to draw them. I wanted so much to capture Marcus on canvas. The different expressions of his eyes and his beautiful body. My fingers just itched to get started and with him not occupying me this weekend, it was a perfect time to start.

 I made it to the building and I pulled my keys from my pocket and opened the metal door leading to the stairway above the eatery. I made sure the door closed and locked behind me before making my way up the dim stairway to the loft. I unlocked the double locks on the door and the smell of paint and turpentine slapped me in the face, and I smiled at the familiar scents. I closed the door and locked it. Walking over to the dull hardwood floor I dropped my satchel on the sofa and made my way over to the huge windows. I wrestled with the ancient locks and managed to flip them open. The windows were the reason I got this place. They were huge and were almost floor to ceiling. I meticulously kept them clean so that the bright light from outside filled the small loft. It was a two room affair. One large room sectioned of into the living and kitchen area, and another room for the minuscule bathroom. Before landing the job at Roche Marketing I lived here for a few weeks until I was able to get my apartment, I didn't mind it in the least and if anything where to go wrong I could do so again, but I shook those morbid thoughts away. Marcus and I were fine and we were discreet in public, so nothing was going to go wrong.

 I puttered around and moved some canvases then I selected a blank one in the size I wanted to do Marcus's portrait on. This one I just wanted his face and maybe upper shoulders. I was really going for his eyes. That smoldering intensity he gets right before he goes all Dom. Shivers racked my body at just the thought of that commanding look. I was selecting my supplies from the cabinet when my phone started to ring. I hurried over to my bag and snatched from the side pocket and answered.

 "Coorreeyy, watcha' doin?" Came Gavin's sing song voice on the end of the connection. I had to smile. He was so adorable.

 "Nuthin' much Gav, what's up?" I replied as I walked back over to the shelves with all my paints and pencils and such on them.

 Gavin sighed dramatically and responded. "Damien is taking care of things at the club, deliveries and such, and Joe is spending the day with his sister. I am bored, let's go shopping or something."

 I thought it over for a minute and I don't know why I did it, maybe it was Gavin's interest in art that prompted me, but I said. "I am planning to spend the day capturing some stuff on canvas. I am on 3rd Street above the Thai Kitchen, come over and we can maybe do some stuff together." I said and then I had to hold the phone from my ear at his excited squeal. When he was done he said he was on the way and he would call when he got there and hung up. I just shook my head and wheeled my supply table to my easel. I made myself comfortable on the padded stool and started the outline of my painting. I had most of the Marcus's face outlined when my phone chirped again a while later. It was Corey downstairs. I laid down my graphite pencil and made my way out the door and down the stairs. I opened the outer door and there was Gavin already bouncing out of his skin with a sack of Thai food and sodas.