The Masterpiece (Work of Art #3)

by Ruth Clampett

  “I was inspired. So, let’s take Lizzie to Bandelier. I’ll tell her about how I proposed. It’s never too early for my girl to understand how a man should treat her.”

  “Oh, Daddy, you sure love your little girl.”

  “That I do.”

  “I’m going to make you breakfast in bed this morning.” My lips graze his shoulder. “Any requests?”

  “Whatever’s easy, as long as coffee’s involved.”

  “After, why don’t you let me pick Sweet pea up and you can have more studio time. I have to stop at the drug store anyway.”

  “That’d be great, baby. I could really use the extra couple of hours, and I’m in the mood to paint.”

  When we return home, Lizzie runs to the studio and tackle hugs her daddy. Even though she’s interrupting his work, I let her linger with him for a few minutes so she can tell him about Mary Poppins.

  “Oh, the nice nanny had her magic bag! And her friend lived in the chimney. And, Daddy, she could fly with her umbrella! And she danced with the penguins…oh, my!” The words tumble out of her mouth as fast as she can form them. She finally pauses to catch her breath, and Max smiles.

  “We’re going to go find the umbrellas now and play Mary Poppins,” I tell him.

  “Sounds like fun. I’m glad you had a great time at Grandpa’s, baby girl.”

  “We sang all the songs at breakfast, and Grandpa let me have whippy cream and chocolate chips on my waffles.”

  Max rolls his eyes at me, and I shrug my shoulders in response.

  “It could have been worse. She didn’t bring any new toys or miniature designer party dresses home.”

  As Lizzie runs to the yard to help the gardener feed the koi, I remind Max that Jess, Laura, and the boys are coming around three for a swim and early dinner barbeque.

  Brian may join us too, if he can get away from the gallery. Ever since Adam retired and started traveling all the time with Katherine, Brian’s become a workaholic, but he promised he would try. We both know there’s a good chance he’ll make it, because he loves to spend time with the boys. They call him Uncle Brian, and Jess and Laura have encouraged him to be a big part of their lives.

  “Okay, I have that interview at three-thirty, and then I can join you down at the beach,” Max says.

  I give him a kiss and start out the door when he calls me back.

  “Do me a favor, baby. Will you keep an extra eye on Pablo? I think he plays too rough with Lizzie.”

  “She’s much tougher than you realize. She can handle Pablo just fine.”

  “Tough like her mama, right?” He grins.

  “Sure, I’m tough—I handle you, don’t I?” I step in front of him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and look up into his gray blue eyes. “You can’t protect her from everything, you know.”

  “Maybe,” he admits, “but I sure can try.”

  It’s a warm night with the moon hanging low in the sky. I grab my laptop and situate myself on the chaise lounge on the bedroom balcony. I love the sound of the ocean below, the water pushing toward the shore and back, its waters dark and mysterious. I take a deep breath and peel off my shirt, twisting up my hair so that I can feel the breeze against my heated skin.

  The afternoon was non-stop action, so it’s great to stretch out and have a quiet moment. The kids had a fun time together, and I love watching Jess navigate motherhood. Of the two moms, she’s the one that jumps in and carves the moat for the boys’ sandcastle, while Laura soothes the son who’s just been hit over the head with a plastic sand shovel. Jess lets them eat their Halloween candy with abandon, and Laura monitors their Oreos intake. They balance each other out nicely, which is similar to how I think Max and I are with Lizzie.

  As for Lizzie dealing with the rough boys, Daddy really didn’t need to worry, as she had Leo and Pablo wrapped around her finger. She bossed them around one moment and ran from them squealing the next—letting them think they had the upper hand. If I had her instincts, I would’ve had much less trouble with men early on.

  I pull open my laptop, and within minutes, I’m lost in my words, only the silver from the moonlight and glow from my screen defining my surroundings under the night sky. About an hour passes before I hear his voice.

  “Ava,” Max calls.

  “Out here.”

  He approaches the French doors leading to the patio and stops in his tracks to take me in, as I’m half-undressed with my hair swept up. His eyes are wide, his expression playfully curious. “What’re you doing out here looking like that?” he teases. “Are you trying to make me jealous of the moon?”

  I laugh as I look down at my lavender lace bra and white flowing skirt pushed up high on my thighs.

  “I’m still hot from all the sun today and wanted to feel the breeze on my skin. Plus, that new editor that Nick has me working with is making me crazy.”

  “Well, you’re making me crazy looking like that.”

  I scoot my legs over as he sits on the edge of my chaise lounge.

  “Here, I know how to relax you,” he says, moving my laptop to the side table. He slowly strokes my legs and massages my feet as we sit quietly and listen to the waves crashing down below.

  “Are you going to paint some more tonight?” I lean toward him and rest my head on his shoulder.

  “No, I’m done working. What I’d really like to do is play with you.” He feathers kisses at the nape of my neck and trails his paint-stained finger down between my breasts.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  He lifts up so he can swing his leg over, now straddling the chaise lounge. “Well, to start with, I want to kiss you…really kiss you, my beautiful wife.”

  I feel my cheeks flush. How does he do it? He still makes me swoon like a schoolgirl.

  I lean in closer with a quiet smile.

  His lips graze mine, ever so lightly at first, as my eyes fall closed and my hair rustles in the breeze. The next kiss brings us closer, his lips soft and warm, the passion building with each heartbeat. I moan softly and slide my hand along the nape of his neck.

  “Max,” I whisper. Every sensation of being near him unfurls the desire inside of me.

  “Hmmm?”

  “I love you.” The delicate strings of my heart wrap around him as his lips skim along my jaw and find their way back to my lips.

  In this intimate moment, I imagine we’ve always been together, sharing past lives: kisses stolen in Egyptian tombs, our footprints lightly etched in the earth of the African savannah, and fingers intertwined in carriages rolling through the English countryside. But even though I don’t doubt we’ve shared past lives, and we’ll have our future, what really matters is our glorious now.

  “I love you too.” He sighs, devotion in his eyes, as his fingers slide under my bra strap to caress my shoulder. The strap falls, and a moment later the other surrenders. He kisses me tenderly as the front of my bra is slowly eased down.

  I arch back against the chaise cushion as he takes my breasts in his hands. At first, he moves his fingers so lightly over me, circling, before his thumbs roll over my nipples.

  “Oh, when you touch me.”

  “I want to touch every part of you.” His expression is earnest, yet dark…satisfied, yet hungry.

  My arousal is flaming inside of me, impatient and wild.

  “Let’s go to bed.”

  He looks up and smiles that smile—the one that causes my breath to catch and electrifies every part of me.

  “Now…” I insist.

  He stands up and pulls me off the chaise before leading me inside. I look over at the door to the hallway, and as if reading my mind, he steps over to lock it, ensuring our privacy. Only moments later, he’s naked and on the bed.

  “Come here,” he whispers, his arms outstretched.

  I take my time removing my last bits of clothing, while he watches with an appreciative gaze. He says I’m his enchantress, the only woman he’ll ever want. We’ve made love countless times, and I nev
er get tired of feeling his hunger for me.

  I slowly lower myself over him until I’ve straddled his hips. We kiss while our hands wander, teasing us both to that state of raw desire. His gaze is smoldering as he eases me higher. Without another word, I take hold of his cock, rubbing it against my wetness until I slowly settle down over him.

  He lets out a low gasp, his hands grabbing the fleshy part of my hips, as I start to slowly rock.

  “Oh, you feel so damn good.” I moan low and deep as I rise up, then push down over him.

  His eyes roll back with pleasure.

  “Ava.”

  I lean down to kiss him, and as the heat ignites, he suddenly rolls us until I’m under him. I can see he’s on edge in his determined look—he needs to let go.

  I pull my legs apart, and when our gaze connects, there’s fire in his eyes.

  “You ready, baby?” he whispers—his voice ragged with hunger.

  I nod and he fills me with a gasp. My legs fall wide open.

  Part of me wants him to be tender, but the other part knows I’m tough and can take everything he needs to give.

  Each deep, hard thrust pushes me closer to my peak. As I float away, I feel his lips on my neck and his hand grasping my breast.

  We are creatures, lovers, savages, and saints. I watch him rise to his knees, his hands on my hips, gazing at me with wild eyes as he drives into me.

  I embrace every raw nerve that cries out for our release, and when I start to climax, I quiver under his powerful hold. He follows me, and it’s a thing to behold, as he arches his back and fills me. My heart is fluttering and my lips bruised, but he could kiss me a thousand times more and it would never be enough.

  I have the vague sensation, as we settle, of time passing and I realize that Max is unusually quiet as he holds me in his arms.

  My eyelids are heavy, but when I look up and see something curiously sad in his eyes, I’m suddenly wide awake.

  I trail my fingers across his chest. “What, Max?”

  A look of apprehension lingers in his expression as he pulls me closer. He starts to say something, then hesitates. Why is he hesitant to tell me what he’s thinking about?

  “What?” I ask gently, cupping his cheek with my hand. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “It’s just that I want another baby so much, Ava. I know I promised a while back to give you more time. But time is slipping by. Now you’re talking about taking some time off. Wouldn’t this be a good time?”

  “You think so?”

  When he nods, his energy is buzzing. I can feel how intensely he wants another baby, both for Lizzie and for us. His hand moves gently over my hips. “Besides, don’t forget I’m going to be an old man.”

  “So old,” I tease.

  He groans. “Really old.”

  “Max,” I whisper, “I’m glad you want another baby.”

  He turns to face me and kisses me tenderly.

  “Does that mean you’ll consider it?”

  I rest my hand on his chest, right over his heart.

  “Have you noticed how much I’ve wanted you lately?…Or that I’m insatiable, and we’ve been getting wild whenever we can get enough time alone?”

  He smiles contentedly. “I’ve been having too much fun to question why.”

  I take his hand and pull it over my breast, and his fingers gently caress me.

  “My breasts are so full and tender.”

  His fingers pause.

  “And I’m sleeping all the time.”

  Suddenly he freezes, and then shifts so quickly that I’m suddenly under him with his face just above mine.

  “Ava?”

  My heart’s full as I nod.

  “Lizzie’s going to have a little brother or sister.”

  His expression is full of joy as he takes me in his arms. Instead of words, he kisses me gently across my face, trailing down across my breasts, and finally he kisses my belly. The warmth and contentment radiates through me until I’m sure the baby is feeling it too.

  “How long have you known?”

  “Well, I’ve suspected for days, but I’ve been wrong before. I took the test a few minutes before you came to find me. I’d just figured out on my laptop calendar when we’re due. I was about to come get you.”

  “And?”

  “We can expect our baby in February.”

  He gives me a tender kiss, then another and another… “I’m so happy. God, I love you, Ava.”

  “I’m happy too.” I wrap my legs around him, pulling him close. “So, let’s celebrate.”

  “And I know how to start.” He moans as he settles between my legs and pulls me into his embrace.

  Sometime, in the middle of the night, I feel a little hand pulling on my fingers.

  “Mommy?”

  I immediately wake. Thank goodness Max remembered to unlock our door, and we put sleepwear on. “Lizzie, what are you doing out of bed? Are you okay, baby?”

  “I had a bad dream,” she says softly. “Can I get in bed with you?”

  I’m tempted, but I know we should help her get over her fears, not succumb to them. We need to soothe her in her own bed.

  I hear Max rustle next to me.

  “What is it?” he asks with his sleep soaked voice.

  “Lizzie got out of bed. I think it’s your turn to take her back.”

  “Please, Daddy…”

  He doesn’t even put up a fight. When he pulls her up onto the mattress, she happily crawls over between us and snuggles in.

  “You know, we swore we were going to stop doing this,” I whisper, biting my lip to keep from laughing.

  “Uh huh.” He smiles lazily as he pulls his two girls into his arms. I feel his free hand glide over me until it rests on my belly. I rest my hand over his and sigh as I sink into my pillow.

  This is my family. This is the best part of my life.

  For a brief moment, I look out the window, and in the dark sky dotted with points of light, I imagine Van Gogh’s Starry Night. His vision, swirls of stars suspended in cobalt blue, lingers as we fall into a deep sleep.

  In my dream, we’ve lassoed the moon and flown through the Starry Night. In our bed-shaped chariot, arms and legs, large and small, are intertwined.

  Together we are one, full of hope and love, brimming with the sweetest promise for what our future holds.

  Also By Ruth Clampett:

  Animate Me

  Mr. 365

  Work of Art~Book 1 The Inspiration

  Work of Art~Book 2 The Unveiling

  Many thanks to those of you

  that take a moment to leave a review

  ~it’s much appreciated.

  Animate Me:

  Mr. 365:

  Work of Art book 1

  Work of Art book 2

  Acknowledgements

  I began writing Work of Art over four years ago with a dream to one day publish it. It’s a beautiful thing to have that dream realized.

  My teenager daughter, Alex and I work and write in our family room, about ten feet apart from each other, and she’s been my cheerleader, opinion giver, and occasional eye roller through the writing and editing of this trilogy. I hope I’ve shown her by example that if you work hard, you can make your dreams come true.

  I have so much love for my dear friends, both in my real life and online one who have encouraged and supported me~ Thank you. I am forever grateful.

  Endless thanks to my editors: the amazing Angela Borda, Janine Savage and Janell Parque for making my words look good.

  Endless gratitude to my visual team, photographer/cinematographer David Johnston and designer Jada d’Lee for my stunning bookcovers and trailer. Big love to Elli Reid, Pinterest/visuals wizard and awesome proofreader.

  So much thanks to Neda Amini whose passion for Work of Art and terrific promotion skills made a pleasure, with what’s for me the toughest part of publishing. You’ve been a delight to work with. And speaking of promotion, sincere thanks to the blogg
ers who have supported my work. You give indies a voice, helping us find readers we may never have found. I’m very grateful.

  Love to dear friend Michael Senich, who is my Max, and Patricia Ashley, my Ava.

  Flavia Viotti Siqueria and Meire Dias of Bookcase Agency are a class act. Your support is always appreciated, my friends.

  Last, but far from least, is you, dear reader. Thank you for going on this grand journey with me. Your reviews and comments have endlessly inspired me as you fell in love with Max and his muse.

  I wish you all the peace and beauty of your own Starry Night, and I hope you set out every day to make your life the work of art you dream of.

  About the Author

  Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary animation director, Bob Clampett, has spent a lifetime surrounded by art and animation. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, her careers have included graphic design, photography, VP of Design for WB Stores and teaching photography at UCLA. She now runs her own studio as the fine art publisher for Warner Bros. where she’s had the opportunity to know and work with many of the greatest artists in the world of animation and comics.

  The Work of Art Trilogy is Ruth’s third publishing endeavor, following Animate Me and Mr. 365. She lives in Los Angeles and is heavily supervised by her teenage daughter, lovingly referred to as Snarky, who loves art and visiting museums as much as her mom.

  Connect with Ruth:

  RuthClampettWrites.com

  https://twitter.com/RuthyWrites

  For book stuff:

  https://www.facebook.com/RuthClampettWrites

  For a more general stuff:

  https://www.facebook.com/RuthClampett

  http://instagram.com/Ruth_Clampett