until Ethan could enlighten him as to how he could hide a full grown human being in a city of over eight million.
The next morning when he walked into his office he was shocked to see her still at it. She’d laid one of his old sheets on the floor underneath the easel and he could see paint splattered on it from across the room.
“Good morning.” She jumped and turned to look at him when he walked in carrying a coffee cup.
“Is it morning already?” She smiled and when he walked closer to her, she reached out and took his mug and drank some of his coffee. “Mmmm, my favorite.”
Damn, he thought, he’d worked it out in his mind last night to not be attracted to her. It was all very logical in his thoughts. He’d told himself it was only natural that he’d found her attractive. After all, it had been almost half a year since he’d been with anyone, physically.
But when she licked her lips and took another sip of his coffee, he knew it was more than just attraction. He was in full-blown lust. Taking the coffee mug from her, he set it down on the small table and took a step closer to her. Her eyes were focused, her hair was pushed up in a clip he’d purchased at the clerk’s suggestion. Slowly reaching up, he let her hair down and played with a red streak that ran the entire length.
“I like this.” He smiled when he noticed her eyes cloud over. She stood with her paintbrush in one hand, down by her side, forgotten as he took one more step towards her, blocking out any space between them. He knew what he was doing, he was following his instinct as he leaned down and took her mouth.
The sweet coffee was on her tongue, her lips were softer than he remembered last night. She was softer. She was short and he wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned over to take the kiss deeper. Then she was wrapping her arms around him and pushing herself up onto her toes as he moaned and tried to stay in control of himself.
He couldn’t remember it being like this with anyone else. He didn’t think he could take much more of this without carrying her up the stairs, so he pulled back and tried for a casual smile. How could he have known that he would be shaken to the core over a simple morning kiss?
“Good morning.”
She laughed when he said this again. “Yes, it is now.”
He enjoyed her smile. Her entire face lit up and her eyes sparkled.
“Can I see your progress or are you one of those moody artists that don’t want anyone to see a painting until it’s completed?”
She shook her head, “No, I’m not moody, please.” She motioned for him to look at the canvas and stood back so he could stand in front of the easel.
He’d never seen anything like it. The colors alone drew the eye. Then he stepped closer and he could see the small circles, each one delicately placed so as a whole, they made an image that almost shocked him. He’d seen paintings of landscape before, but none as detailed and all of it made from those small circles. He wondered if her wrist and hands hurt after a full night of drawing circles. Turning, he smiled as he noticed her rubbing her hands and wrists.
“This is incredible. I can’t even begin to imagine how you do something like this.”
“Patience.” She smiled and walked over and stood next to him. “I’m not quite finished, but I think I’ll take a break and grab something to eat and maybe steal some more of your coffee.”
She smiled up at him and he knew he was in more trouble than he had previously thought.
After fixing them some scrambled eggs, he told her he had a few things he had to do today and left for his meetings before he’d be free for the next few weeks. He didn’t like lying to her, but he didn’t want her to know that he planned on going to her apartment building to see if her father and cousin were still hanging around.
He was no Ethan Knight, but he thought the simple task of
The next morning when he walked into his office he was shocked to see her still at it. She’d laid one of his old sheets on the floor underneath the easel and he could see paint splattered on it from across the room.
“Good morning.” She jumped and turned to look at him when he walked in carrying a coffee cup.
“Is it morning already?” She smiled and when he walked closer to her, she reached out and took his mug and drank some of his coffee. “Mmmm, my favorite.”
Damn, he thought, he’d worked it out in his mind last night to not be attracted to her. It was all very logical in his thoughts. He’d told himself it was only natural that he’d found her attractive. After all, it had been almost half a year since he’d been with anyone, physically.
But when she licked her lips and took another sip of his coffee, he knew it was more than just attraction. He was in full-blown lust. Taking the coffee mug from her, he set it down on the small table and took a step closer to her. Her eyes were focused, her hair was pushed up in a clip he’d purchased at the clerk’s suggestion. Slowly reaching up, he let her hair down and played with a red streak that ran the entire length.
“I like this.” He smiled when he noticed her eyes cloud over. She stood with her paintbrush in one hand, down by her side, forgotten as he took one more step towards her, blocking out any space between them. He knew what he was doing, he was following his instinct as he leaned down and took her mouth.
The sweet coffee was on her tongue, her lips were softer than he remembered last night. She was softer. She was short and he wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned over to take the kiss deeper. Then she was wrapping her arms around him and pushing herself up onto her toes as he moaned and tried to stay in control of himself.
He couldn’t remember it being like this with anyone else. He didn’t think he could take much more of this without carrying her up the stairs, so he pulled back and tried for a casual smile. How could he have known that he would be shaken to the core over a simple morning kiss?
“Good morning.”
She laughed when he said this again. “Yes, it is now.”
He enjoyed her smile. Her entire face lit up and her eyes sparkled.
“Can I see your progress or are you one of those moody artists that don’t want anyone to see a painting until it’s completed?”
She shook her head, “No, I’m not moody, please.” She motioned for him to look at the canvas and stood back so he could stand in front of the easel.
He’d never seen anything like it. The colors alone drew the eye. Then he stepped closer and he could see the small circles, each one delicately placed so as a whole, they made an image that almost shocked him. He’d seen paintings of landscape before, but none as detailed and all of it made from those small circles. He wondered if her wrist and hands hurt after a full night of drawing circles. Turning, he smiled as he noticed her rubbing her hands and wrists.
“This is incredible. I can’t even begin to imagine how you do something like this.”
“Patience.” She smiled and walked over and stood next to him. “I’m not quite finished, but I think I’ll take a break and grab something to eat and maybe steal some more of your coffee.”
She smiled up at him and he knew he was in more trouble than he had previously thought.
After fixing them some scrambled eggs, he told her he had a few things he had to do today and left for his meetings before he’d be free for the next few weeks. He didn’t like lying to her, but he didn’t want her to know that he planned on going to her apartment building to see if her father and cousin were still hanging around.
He was no Ethan Knight, but he thought the simple task of
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