Creative License (6 page)

“You paint together?”

He chuckled and half-turned. “No. We have our own work area and an unspoken agreement time-wise. We don’t come here if someone else is.”

She was glad to see the teasing light back in his green eyes.

“Besides, Monique paints nude.”

Lily froze. “She paints nudes or she paints without any clothes?”

“Not a stitch. She says they inhibit her muse.”

“I see.” She refused to ask him how he knew that and suppressed another surge of jealousy. Why should she care? He wasn’t really her husband. He wasn’t her anything.

She watched the way the muscles of his back moved under the T-shirt and her palm itched to touch them, to feel them ripple under her fingertips. Lily closed her eyes against the image only to open them and see he’d gained several steps on her, putting his firm, rounded ass right at eye level. Her blood warmed, and she had to fight the desire to reach out and touch. She swallowed. She needed to get a hold of herself. If she wasn’t careful, she'd tackle him in the hallway. She imagined their bodies intertwined, the feel of his hard muscles against her, his searching hands warm against her flesh. A rush of moisture dampened her panties.

He wouldn’t be against the idea. Not many men would. Not that she was some kind of sex goddess, but she’d seen the way he’d looked at her in the ice cream shop. Did he want her as much as she wanted him? Would it complicate matters? Yes, it would.

Did she care? That was the question.

He paused at a door and fished a key out of his pocket. His green eyes remained inscrutable as he threw open the heavy metal door and stepped aside. She passed by him and blinked. Half-way up one wall, windows angled toward the ceiling, inviting sunlight to spill into the open room. Two paint-splattered room separators stood perpendicular to the windows and a long cabinet-filled counter that ran along the entire opposite wall. The scent of oil and turpentine, acrylic and something musty filled her nostrils. A couch, table and several beanbags sat under windows opposite the counter. A tiny microwave rested on a half-sized refrigerator, next to a battered-looking cabinet containing a sizeable sink and enough space for a large shiny espresso machine and a traditional coffee pot. She glanced back at Caleb.

He followed her gaze. “We’re here at all hours. Ivan drinks espresso. I don’t know how to work the damn thing, but would you like some coffee?”

She smiled and glanced at the three work areas created by the dividers. “Sure. Which is yours?”

“Guess.”

The sound of water running preceded the scent of fresh coffee grounds. She glanced at the first area. Light illuminated an abstract in shades of green and blue leaning against a cloth covered easel. Another half-finished drawing of a nude woman rested against the cabinets. On a paper-strewn counter, brushes stood out from yellow plastic cups like feathers.

Lily glanced at Caleb now leaning against the sink watching her. His hands crossed his chest, causing his biceps to flex. Long legs crossed at the ankles. He looked like a predator at rest. Her stomach fluttered and a surge of need crashed over her body, freezing her step.

For a moment, she contemplated walking across the room to run one hand down his shoulder. The muscle would be hard beneath her touch. She’d stroke down his biceps, grab his wrists and wrap his arm around her. He nodded and broke the spell.

She stepped toward the counter over the cloth-lined floor and glanced at the drawings. Everything from a series of circles to sketches of the Golden Gate Bridge lined the paper. Faces of all shapes and sizes smiled or frowned back at her, so real she felt she knew them. Lily smiled. Whoever had drawn them was talented.

Trailing behind, Caleb followed as she made her way to the next section. A large pedestal sat in the middle of the area, a metallic object perched on top. Lily walked around it. She didn’t know much about modern art, but she supposed it had a certain asymmetry that was appealing.

“It’s not done yet.”

She glanced at Caleb. Was that pride in workmanship or just friendly information? Various sketches she recognized as the finished project had been taped to the room divider. She moved on to the last area. A large painting leaned against the wall. Smears of brightly colored paint decorated the canvas. Lily took a step closer. The shapes looked vaguely familiar. She studied the painting until she recognized a hand print and the perfect impression of a breast.

“It’s called ‘Making Love’.”

Close to her ear, Caleb’s voice sent a bolt of electricity through her spine. Her sex throbbed. She turned to find him right behind her holding a cup of coffee. Was this his work?

“Not a very original title, you have to admit, but it has a certain charm.” He captured her gaze. “Don’t you think?”

Lily took the mug with numbed, but surprisingly steady, hands and sipped. The coffee was perfect. Just the way she liked it. She nodded. “But this one isn’t yours.”

“How can you tell?”

She pointed to an area on the canvass. “Your ass isn’t that big.”

Caleb laughed, a deep throaty sound. “You’re right.” He winked. “Glad you noticed. This is Monique’s work.”

Lily smiled. “Yeah, you did say she worked in the nude. You weren’t kidding. She mixes business and pleasure better than anyone I know.”

“Can you?”

“Can I what?” She sipped her coffee.

“Mix business and pleasure?” His voice had deepened to a gravelly whisper.

Swallowing the desire to step closer, she slipped by him, attempting to get some distance between them fast or she’d…what? She’d start taking her clothes off. So what? Her body screamed for relief. “The first one is yours.”

There was a pause and then she heard the muffled sound of his footsteps as he followed her.

Caleb watched the lines and movement of Lily’s body as she moved among the art. The light hit her features, framing her face and accenting the arc of her cheekbone, the line of her jaw. But his gaze lingered on her lips. Full and pink, and now pursed in concentration, he could imagine them on his skin. He smiled. Was it imagination or memory? He cursed the holes alcohol had left in his recollection of that night. What he would never forget was the look of horror on Lily’s face when she saw the ring on her finger.

“So was I right?” She’d come to rest in front of the counter and held a sketch he’d done just that week.

“Yes.”

“You’re very talented.”

Something about her in that moment seemed fragile and the urge to hold, to soothe away her fears surprised him, overpowering even the urge to take her to the floor and make love to her until she screamed his name. He set down the coffee cup and moved toward her. “You’ve told me that before.”

“I…I—” She swallowed. “Caleb.”

His name on her lips sent chills down his spine. His cock swelled against the confines of his jeans. “I’d like to paint you sometime. Would you let me?” He trailed one finger down her cheek to her full lips that so fascinated him, and gently pulled. Her eyes narrowed, but her pupils dilated.

“Is that how you seduce all your women?” She took a step back. “You bring them to your art studio, impress them with your talent and then…” She trailed off as he closed the distance again. Her eyes were wide, the pupils expanded, swallowing the pale brown iris.

“Have I impressed you with my talent?” He drank in the heady musk of woman under the light fragrance of her perfume. The heat of her body sent electric waves to his cock. “Do you want me to seduce you?” he whispered.

She opened her mouth and closed it, backing another step until her thighs pressed against the counter. A coffee cup clinked against the linoleum but he didn’t take his eyes from Lily’s face. The image of her naked on the counter while he explored her body, relearning what his skin had never forgotten, flashed through his mind and he stifled a groan.

“I’ve never brought another woman here. Why don’t you tell me how it goes?” And then his lowered his head, his lips gently teasing her mouth. She stiffened and then relaxed, her luscious lips molding to his. Her arms snaked around his neck and her lips parted, inviting his tongue. She didn’t need to ask twice. Faint traces of chocolate and coffee added depth to her already intoxicating taste. He tilted his head to gain further access. Her tongue stroked his, adding to the urgency growing in the depth of his body.

The heat of the kiss surprised him. Hot, drugging, it spun through his head and left him breathless. He roamed her slender back, cursing the damn cotton of her blouse that separated his hand from her flesh, and continued further down to the roundness of her ass. From her mouth, he trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone. The taste of her skin further enthralled him.

He brushed her nipple with his thumb and it sprang to attention under the cloth. Need overpowered reason. He needed to feed, to feel the nub and the swell of her breast in his mouth. He needed his skin next to hers.

As though she read his mind, Lily began unbuttoning her blouse. Another surge of heat traveled to his cock when she revealed the delicate pink lace bra against her pale skin.

Lily swallowed. A predatory light had come into Caleb’s green eyes. Her fingers paused on a button. What was she doing? “Caleb, I…” She breathed in as his lips brushed the skin above her collarbone. His breath warmed her flesh. Her legs trembled and she knew without his support, she’d sink to the ground. And isn’t that where she wanted to be? On the floor with Caleb thrusting inside her?

His lips found hers again, possessing, demanding. A surge of heat traveled through her body, leaving an ache of hunger. She made a noise low in her throat as Caleb finished unbuttoning her shirt and dropped it to the floor. They were adults, consenting adults. Hell, they were married adults.

Caleb trailed kisses down her neck to nuzzle behind her ear. Her body sizzled from the contact. Her skin absorbed his caress, his feather light touches driving her to a fever pitch need for more. She leaned against his hard body, the length of his erection unyielding against her hip. She wanted to feel his skin, run her hands along the smooth length of him.

Caleb searched her face as she lowered her zipper and tugged her jeans down her hips. “No strings, no regrets, just me and you?”

He nodded, but something shifted in his eyes before they closed when her hand brushed his erection. In a heartbeat, she was in his arms. He carried her to the couch and laid her on the cushions.

He stared at her body for a moment. “You are so damn beautiful.”

Before she could respond, his lips descended. She opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue, knowing it was only a taste of things to come. Lily reached for his shirt, tugging it over his head, revealing his smooth, golden skin. The nerve-endings in her fingers hyper-charged as she explored hard muscle under the warm, satiny flesh. Wild, he delved deep, stroking her mouth with his tongue and fueling the desire already raging through her body. He kissed down her throat to the lace of her bra, his breath hot and moist against her skin.

With care, he unclasped the bra and released Lily’s breasts. His sharp intake of breath cooled her skin before his mouth descended, licking and kissing around her nipple but not touching it. Arching her back, she urged him to take the hardened nub in his mouth. Caleb smiled against her flesh and flicked her nipple with the tip of his tongue. A surge of moisture further dampened her panties. She threaded her fingers around the back of his head and pulled his hair free of its queue. It spilled around his face and she buried her fingers in its silky strands and guided his mouth back to her breast. Caleb took the nipple in his mouth and suckled. His hands roamed her body, leaving her skin heated and aching for more. The coil of pleasure deep inside her tightened. Lily moaned.

Caleb gently blew on the puckered nipple and shifted to the other one. His hands snaked down her stomach and he ran a finger over her moist panties. “Mmm, this seems rather uncomfortable.” His voice rumbled against her skin.

“Terribly.” The word turned into a gasp as he reached the lacy edge and ran a finger under it, down between her legs.

“Poor baby. Should I take them off for you?” Caleb’s hand disappeared further under the pink lace and his forefinger slipped inside her wet core.

She arched her hips and moaned. “Please.”

His soft gasp tickled her breast and sparked a series of involuntary shudders. She was so close. “Take them off,” Lily demanded.

Caleb kissed slowly down her stomach, lightly dragging his teeth over her hip bones, taking his time as though she weren’t about to explode beneath his touch. When his lips reached lace, he pulled them down her hips. “I live to serve.”

Lily helped wiggle out of her panties, her thighs opening of their own accord. Caleb smiled, placed his mouth over her moist curls and gently blew. Lily’s hips left the couch. With agonizing slowness, Caleb flicked her sensitive nub with his tongue. Jolts of electricity traveled her body, pulling her tighter and tighter, closer to her climax.

Her fingers tangled in his hair as he teased her slick folds, lapping at her clit and then plunging his fingers in her. Lily arched her hips, tension building to the breaking point. Caleb’s tongue assaulted her moist folds and then his fingers curved, touching deep inside of her.

Time slowed, his fingers and mouth her only reality. She no longer knew what he was doing, she just wanted him to continue. As a rainbow exploded behind her eyes, she cried out, colors shattering into a thousand pieces, her walls rhythmically squeezing Caleb’s fingers in an orgasm that seemed to go on and on.

When she opened her eyes, Caleb grinned down at her. “I think you needed that.”

Lily blinked and reached for his unbuttoned jeans. “Take these off now.”

In a heartbeat, Caleb’s clothes joined hers. Cold air washed over her body as Caleb stood, ran to Monique’s station and returned with a square packet. He shrugged. “Monique always has a drawer full.”

Lily laughed.

As Caleb opened the packet, muscles rippled under his skin. He was every inch the Adonis she remembered. She sat up and ran her fingers lightly over his sculpted abs. “Not yet.” She took the packet from his hand and set it on the coffee table.