My heart hurt for him and I knew there was nothing I could say to make him feel better. If I’d known he was going through that, I never would have mentioned my mother. I reached for his hand and squeezed it. We walked around the gallery in silence and over time, I could sense his mood shift. I could see in his eyes that his mother’s illness still bothered him, but he was trying to be strong. It was endearing to know he loved his mother so much.
We made it to the last exhibit and the moment I stepped in, I knew we’d found gold. The paintings were just what I was looking for. They were almost abstracts, with bold colors—lots of reds, blues, greens, and yellows. The combination was electrifying: a blast of color to fill the senses. But what made them really come to life were the images inside they represented. There were three paintings, but they were all separate. One was a female body, showing nothing but the woman’s back with her head to the side. The third was the back side of a man with his head turned in the direction of the woman, but the painting between them was one with them together, holding each other. There was sex and passion.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful,” I murmured. I let go of Jack’s hand so I could get closer. However, I couldn’t read the initials in the corner of the paintings. I waved Jack over to see if he could help. “Can you read this?”
His gaze narrowed and he shook his head. “Hard to tell, but it looks like a T and a B. Do you think they’d work in my house?”
I nodded fiercely. “I love them. I think they’d be perfect in your living room. I have other ideas planned for the other areas in your house, but these,” I said, admiring the paintings, “are just what I was looking for.”
His smile returned and he nodded. “Then it’s done. We’ll take them.”
Evelyn happened to walk in and I waved her over. “Did you find something you like?” she asked.
I pointed at the paintings. “We want these.”
“Ah yes, I’ve had several people interested in them.”
“Do you know who the artist is? Is it someone local?”
“In fact, she is local, but has asked us to keep her identity a secret.”
“Are you kidding me?” I gasped. “Why would someone not want people to know how talented she was?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “But I’m assuming she has her reasons. Would you like me to get these boxed up for you? They’re four hundred dollars apiece.” She glanced at us both, and Jack nodded.
“Please,” he said politely. We knew it would take a while, so we sat down on one of the benches and watched her take each painting away. “You really like them?”
I snorted. “You have no idea. If we weren’t getting them for your place I would’ve gotten them for mine.”
“You’re more than welcome to have them,” he offered. “I’m sure we could find something else for me.”
“Of course not—they’re yours. But I am going to ask Evelyn to call me if the artist brings any more of her work in.” Just about that time, Evelyn carried out each painting, carefully boxed up and sealed tight.
I picked up one and Jack carried the other two to the front. “How would you like to pay?” Evelyn asked.
Jack pulled out his wallet, and inside was a large amount of cash. “Cash, please,” he said. “And if you don’t mind, is there any way you can let us know if the artist brings in any more of her work?”
“Of course,” she said, passing him a piece of paper. “Just write your number down and I’ll make sure to call.” He did as she said and passed it to her.
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome,” she said sweetly.
Once he’d paid, we were ready to go. He carefully loaded the paintings into his car and we headed back to his house. “Do you always carry that much money with you?” I asked curiously.
He burst out laughing. “Hell no. I know paintings aren’t cheap, so I brought what I thought I’d need.”
“Do you like what I picked out?”
When he turned to me, there was a look on his face I couldn’t decipher. It was the same look he’d had when we first walked into the gallery. “I like them, Bristol. When we get to my house I’ll hang them up.”
“Why do you look like that?”
He laughed. “Like what?”
“Like you know something I don’t.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
We reached his house and carefully brought in the paintings. I guided their placement and watched as he hung them. Once they were up, we sat down on the couch and I couldn’t help but admire them.
“At least your room looks a lot better now,” I said. “It’ll look even better once I get done with it.”
Jack placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me toward him. “What all do you have left to do?”
“I want to get some cushions for your couch, something other than black. And then I want to add in some plants in that corner…and in that one,” I said, pointing to the other side of the room.
He traced a finger over my knee and I shivered. “What happens when you get done with my house?”
I let out a shaky breath. “I’ll work on other things.”
He pulled me closer, to where I was straddling his lap. “Do you think you’ll still have time to see me?”
“I might. It depends on what you want from me.” I thought I’d sworn off relationships, but I wanted more from him. I had to put my fear aside and open myself up again, but why was it so hard to let go of my control?
“I want you, Bristol. I don’t think I can go for long without being near you. You’ve awakened something inside of me I didn’t know was there.”
His hands lifted to the back of my neck, drawing me in closer. The second our lips connected, I felt the fire in my veins. My hips moved of their own accord and his body responded. The kiss deepened and I didn’t want it to stop. Lifting me in his arms, he turned us around and pressed me into the couch, his body thrusting against mine. I was thankful we both still had on our pants. As much as I wanted to feel him inside me, I couldn’t let it get that far. At least, not yet. It was too soon.
He moved his mouth against mine and then slowly trailed his lips down my neck. His hands massaged my breasts. I didn’t resist, but when they moved down to undo my pants, I knew I was in trouble.