The Lonely Artist Read online

  She waved a hand to dismiss the thought.“Don’t kill the mood. It's true that they’ve confirmed my worst fears. I’ve made a laughing stock out of my father’s memory. That’s something I’ll have to deal with, soon. I have only me to blame. Even from abroad, I could have kept a closer eye on the gallery, but I didn’t. I also didn't invite you here to talk about that tonight.”

  “You didn't?” I asked, at a loss for words.

  “You know it isn’t., Katrina. You do still want to be here, don’t you?” she said scooting closer to me and putting an arm tentatively around me.

  I still couldn’t seem to find my voice, but there were better ways to communicate. I had absolutely no doubt that I wanted this. I reached up and put my arm around her neck, hoping she’d get the hint and take it from there, which she promptly did.

  She kissed my lips and I moaned into her mouth, pulling her closer to me until she got up on her knees and swung a leg over to hover over my lap facing me, hesitating as though waiting to see if I'd push her away. My arms slid around her waist. She took my face in her hands and gave me another one of her heated stares, a sultry smile curving the corners of her mouth. Her face was flushed and I could see a glint of lust in her eyes just before her lips softly grazed mine again.

  I couldn’t deny the ripples of excitement that coursed through my belly and culminated into a wetness between my legs. She did that to me and regardless of how fast this was happening, I had no desire for it to stop whatsoever, and by then I was sure we both knew it.

  “You know what? We should go upstairs to my room where we’ll be more comfortable. Hmm?” she asked, rising to her feet and holding out a hand to me, her expression both questioning and inviting.

  We both forgot our drinks and walked hand in hand up the staircase, taking each step slowly, and then picking up speed until we were running towards the landing.

  Once we reached the top of the winding staircase we stepped into her room straight ahead. From what I knew of her so far she didn’t like to waste time when she knew what she wanted and she was no different now. She had her dress off in an instant. She was quite brazen about it, not showing the slightest hint of modesty. I stood still and let my eyes take in her amazing body, lean and taut with a warm skin tone that made the green in her eyes shine and gave her dark mane of silky locks a glossy sheen . I’d never met a woman so seemingly flawless.

  “Your turn. Let me see you,” she said, unfastening her bra so that her firm, abundant breasts sprang free.

  I took off my dress and walked towards her, sliding my arms around her again and pressing close. I knew body could come close to as tempting as hers. My legs were not long and my curves were what I thought to be a little too ample, but her eyes seemed to appreciate them. A hand came up and her fingers grazed my nipple as her lips laid a trail of kisses down my neck.

  “Why don’t you get on the bed?” she whispered in my ear.

  I sat on the edge of the bed and slid myself towards the middle, lying across the soft royal blue comforter. She joined me, kneeling at my side and lowering her head to my breast, running her tongue over each of my puckered hard nipples. Her hand roamed over my thigh and caressed it with a maddening light touch, making me squirm, silently asking for more, before finding it’s way between my legs, which I eagerly parted for her.

  “Ooh, Corrine,” I gasped as her fingertips moved over my clit, sending waves of pleasure over me.

  Her mouth opened and closed over one of my breast, taking in as much as she could while her thumb rolled over my nub, apply the perfect amount of pressure to make me writhe with wet, shameless need.

  “I want to taste you,” she said, her finger gliding gently inside me, massaging my walls which were trembling with the desire for a long overdue release.

  “Yes, yes!” My words came out as a gasp of greedy anticipation.

  She knelt between my legs and let her free hand trail from my tits down to my stomach as her fingers were still embedded inside me. Her head lowered and went between my legs. I could feel the heat of her breath on me just before her tongue swiped over my swollen nub. I let out an ecstatic moan, prompting her to repeat the action. I quivered as she slowly licked the glaze of my juices from my slit and engulf my clit between her hungry lips.

  “Mmm, you taste so sweet. I knew you would,” she murmured into my folds.

  “Oh, please, you’re going to make me come,” I whimpered.

  Her only response was to push another finger inside me, filling me up as she lapped at my slit. I bucked my hips up underneath her, unable to control my own body. I was caught up in a blissful blend of want and excitement that I hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. I honestly couldn’t remember feeling quite like this. Every muscle in my body tensed and trembled as I let go and climaxed in a blaze of white heat, my shrieks of bliss echoing in the air.

  “Yes, you enjoyed that, didn’t you? You needed that,” she murmured.

  “Oh, yeah,” I panted, trying to catch my breath.

  “I wouldn’t mind if you did the same for me.” she grinned. “It’s only fair.”

  I lied back and she moved up to straddle my chest, her slit only inches from my face, her musky scent awakening a hunger in me that was at that moment insatiable. My hands clutched at the cheeks of her round ass as I lapped at her juices and my tongue teased her nub as hers had mine. It didn’t take long before she began to mew and I felt her tense on the brink of the ecstasy she’d brought me just moments earlier. She pumped her hips back and forth so I could glean the last of her juices from her folds as she came. With head tossed back, her mews culminated into one long drawn out groan and then faded into a soft, deep sigh of satisfaction.

  When she was finally spent she climbed off me, into a sitting position with her back against the head board.

  “Come here, sit with me” she said, spreading her legs and patting the comforter to signal for me to nestle between them. I sat between her thighs and leaned back, resting my head on her shoulder. Without a word her arm came around me and her fingers once again stroked my clit.

  “Oh, fuck, yes,” I whimpered, surprised that I had anymore to give her.

  “Come for me one more time, baby. Do it for me,” her demand a hiss in my ear.

  I kissed her lips and whimpered into her open mouth as another orgasm ripped through me so quickly I hadn’t realized I was there until it overwhelmed me. When I relaxed again, this time completely spent, she put her arms around my waist and I closed my eyes. That is how I fell asleep that night, resting between her legs with my head on her shoulder. At some point in the night I must have woken up long enough to change positions, because when I opened my eyes, I was alone with the comforter and soft silk sheets covering me. My first thought was of course that I was late for work. It took a moment for the irony of that to hit me. I lied there and smiled at the humor in the situation.

  Steam was wafting out from underneath the bathroom door. A cloud of it escaped when it opened and Corrine stepped out wrapped in a fluffy white towel.

  “Come on, Kat. Up and at ‘em. We’ve got work to do. You have a vase to authenticate today.”

  No one ever called me Kat. I liked it. “Yeah, I guess I should get home and change,” I said with a yawn. “Mind if I take a quick shower?”

  “It’s all yours. I saved you some hot water.”

  “Thanks.”

  “My cleaning staff should be showing up in a few minutes. Rosalie is in charge of the kitchen. If you like, I can have her make you a fast breakfast, or at least a cup of coffee.”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “Then get showered and dressed. I’ll have the limo take you home. Try to make it to the office by ten. I don’t want to have to discipline you for tardiness your first week.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Maybe,” she shrugged.

  “It can be hard to tell with you,” I said.

  “I know. I keep it that way on purpose.”

  “If you
want to recover from the three million dollars debacle, you might want to get serious.”

  “What makes you say I don’t take my business seriously?” Her tone wasn't as sharp, but it wasn't as playful as it had been a few seconds ago, either. I feared I'd unintentionally struck a nerve.

  Oh, shit, why the hell did I say that out loud. “You do. I know you do. It’s just, like you said, we have work to do. What happened last night shouldn’t get in the way of that.”

  “It won’t. I’m well aware that I have a lot of saving face to do in the art world. That’s what I hired you for, after all, but I don’t need a lecture from you.”

  “Of course not. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “You should get going. I’ll see you in the office,” she said.

  “Okay. I’ll be there as fast as I can get there, and we’ll get down to work,” I replied.

  Once again, she’d thrown me off kilter. I didn’t know if she wanted to cuddle, or rip me a new one. I was beginning to fear I’d never know what it was that Corrine McDowan wanted from me. The question was, would that prove to be dangerous to my career or my heart, or both? What had I gotten myself into?

  Chapter Seven

  Corrine

  I’d gone and done it. I’d gotten involved with her after I’d sworn I wouldn’t. Oh, but when could I, the playgirl, the joke of Fort Worth’s high society, ever be counted on to keep a promise, even one made to myself? From the second she’d walked into my office I’d wanted her bad. Yes, that had a hand in my decision to hire her, but her resume had given me the excuse to keep her around. She was more than capable of doing the job, whether or not she knew it, and I’d intended to admire her from afar, like a beautiful ornament to brighten up my office, but my intentions rarely panned out and I should have known this was no exception. So, now, here I was, falling for another woman when I should have had my head down concentrating on my business.

  My biggest secret in life was that I was not a playgirl. It was the biggest misconception about me. I was more like a loser in love, probably because I was always looking for it in all the wrong places, and in all the wrong people. When you inherit over one billion dollars, it brings the gold diggers out of the woodwork. I was a catch, a golden goose, a cash cow, a target. It was just a fact of life I’d come to accept after many failed relationships with women who were with me for all the wrong reasons. I’d given up on love a while back, but that didn’t mean I was soulless. I was not dead inside. I had needs, but I’d learned not to become too attached to whatever companionship I found. Sharise had been the one exception and look how that had turned out. These days I was playing it safe. Whenever the inner part of me displayed the smallest hope that I might have found a woman who saw me as more than a blank check, I slapped it silly. Yet, Katrina was different. I was far more attracted to her than most of the women I’d taken company with, and worse, when she’d called me out on my lack of seriousness that morning I realized I actually cared what she thought of me. I was insulted that she’d insinuated I wasn’t focused enough on my gallery.

  I couldn’t blame her for her notion that I was a rich bitch that expected others to run my business while I frolicked on a beach in Europe, or wherever. I’d been doing exactly that for the past two years, since my father’s passing. It had hurt too much to stay in this house which my father had loved in the memory of my mother. It had been much easier to take off to another continent and let a slew of financial advisors deal with the money. All I had to do was spend it. That had worked out well for some time. Unfortunately, I’d put my mistaken trust in Greyson to handle the gallery, but I was back now, and I had a very competent assistant, so long as I didn’t let my personal desires for Katrina ruin things. It was going to be tough trying to keep my hands off her long enough to get any work done. I’d do my best, but I’d probably fail in that regard. At least she seemed grounded enough for the both of us. As for me, already I was anxious to feel her touch again and she hadn’t left my house more than fifteen minutes ago.

  My cell rang. I picked it up from the dresser. It was Ryan.

  “Hey, Corrine, you left the party without so much as a goodbye last night. What happened?”

  “I didn’t care for the company.”

  “Ouch, that stings.”

  “Don’t take it to heart. I ran into Jessica Adams and Kristen Haines.”

  “Ah, they clawed you, did they?”

  “It’s more like they gave me a much deserved tongue lashing.”

  “They do have very sharp tongues, but they mostly talk out of their asses, so I wouldn’t pay a lot of attention to anything that comes out of their mouths.”

  “If I ask you something, will you give me an honest answer?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Do you think I’m a joke?”

  “No! Hey, you’ve been out of the game a while. You took some time off to grieve for your father. It’s understandable. You just need a win.”

  “It’d have to be a big one to change public perception at this point.”

  “So, make it a big one. You can do it. Caleb taught you well. You have a new girl to help. What’s her name?”

  “Katrina Wells.”

  “I didn’t have a real chance to get acquainted with her last night, but she seems like she knows her stuff.”

  “Yeah, she’s something, all right,” I sighed.

  “Then put her to work and the two of you will come up with something. A private auction might work, if you’ve got the right goods. Speaking of which, what do you say on that vase I sent you?”

  “That’s actually Katrina’s number one priority today. I’ll get back with you.”

  “It’s quite a find and I’m sure there’s more where that came from. I’m going back to Greece next week. I might be able to dig up some more gems for that auction idea.”

  “I’m not sure I’m in the mindset to pull that off right now, Ryan.”

  “Then get your head out of your ass, suck it up, and do it anyway, Corrine.”

  “Good advice, as usual. I’ll see what I can do,” I said.

  “Or...”

  “Or what?” I asked.

  “You did say you were thinking of changing courses, getting out from under the gallery. You might try doing your own thing.”

  My thoughts turned to Katrina again. I wasn't being fair, dangling this awesome career in front of her like a carrot made of gold, when all the while I wasn't sure there'd be a job for her six months down the line. Why hadn't I done right by her and been up front about the possibility that I might sell the gallery? The answer was obvious. I was afraid she wouldn't stick around. If we were going to start something more lasting than one night, I'd eventually have to come clean with her. Already the fact that I hadn't been completely honest and forthright with her was stirring up all sorts of guilt in me.

  “Get on the ball and good luck. I’ll keep my eyes open for you in Greece.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know about the vase as soon as Katrina gets it authenticated.”

  I had to admit he might be onto something. A private auction, a successful one, anyway, would show all the naysayers that I was back in business, whether or not I was here to stay. Another plus was that putting together something of that magnitude would require working closely with Katrina. The perfect excuse to spend long hours with her. If I handled it just right, I could manage both my obsession with my comeback and my beautiful, distracting assistant, the best of both worlds. Then if I did sell the gallery I could go out on top. What more could I ask for?

  Chapter Eight

  Katrina

  “You didn’t come home last night. I take it things went better than okay with your boss lady,” Shelia said, following me into our tiny apartment’s kitchenette and prying as soon as I got home.

  “No coffee?” I asked.

  “I’m cutting back on caffeine. I would have made a pot, but I didn’t know when to expect you back.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll gra
b a latte on my way to work. I have to get dressed anyway.”

  “Aren’t you going to spill the beans and give me details?” she badgered, trailing after me into my bedroom.

  “Details about what? The party?”

  “I was interested in something a little more juicy. It isn’t like you to stay out all night,” she taunted smugly, leaning against the wall and watching me frantically pulling a suit and pair of sandals out of my closet.

  “I don’t have time for this, Shelia,” I said, exasperated.

  “You slept with your boss, didn’t you? It’s the only answer that makes sense. Good for you.”

  “Can we talk about my sex life some other time?”

  “You bet we will. I promise to bring it up again the very next chance I get.”

  “There isn’t a lot to tell. I made a mistake, a very stupid one.”

  “How so?”

  “When does sleeping with your boss ever go well? I may have just fucked up the career opportunity of a life time. It didn't matter at the time, but you know-heat of the moment and all. I've come to my senses now and I think I fucked up.”

  “Don’t panic. You don’t know that.”

  “I don’t not know it, either.”

  “You’re good at your job. She’d be crazy to let you go over personal issues. Besides, maybe it will work out. Be an optimist for once.”

  “I always figured that optimists usually have a lot less to lose than I do, Shelia.”

  “Look, you can’t undo what’s done, so don’t dwell on it. That's my philosophy. I live by it and things always work out in the end for me.”

  “I fucked my boss, who I now have to see every day. It’s kind of hard to forget.”

  “Okay, then fuck her again.”

  “I don’t think that’s the solution,” I said, giving her glare that suggested she’d gone bat shit crazy.

  “If you’re going to get fired anyway, might as well enjoy the extra benefits while it lasts,” she laughed.

  “You are the absolute worst at giving advice. In fact, you know what, you’d probably be a far better match for Corrine than I am. You’re both such free spirits you should run away to Bora bora together.”