by Riona Kelly
The past two weeks had been hectic at times, with the police investigation in Portugal holding them there for another few days after their harrowing kidnapping. Her father had come unglued and threatened to fly over and bring her home immediately, but Aunt Lindy had finally calmed him down.
She and Roberto had given their statements, and he’d made his claim for the stolen paintings. While it had gone well enough. It had all taken time. On the plus side, Roberto found his paintings were worth a lot more than he’d been selling them for, although they were now known as the Pablo di Sintra Alias paintings. The story of the theft and illegal marketing of his paintings had made quite a splash in the art world.
He’d found himself the subject of a small amount of fame with interviews, television news, and a few galleries courting his work. In the meantime, he still sold some of his work from his street stall until the madness settled down when he could make some informed decisions about his future.
As for Michelle, she would be heading back home and on to college. She had a beautiful portfolio of photos taken by Roberto plus two paintings to take home. But she dreaded leaving him. So, this day together had a bittersweet feel to it.
After they finished their drinks, they walked down to the beach. Every time the scenery changed a little, whether it was the ocean or the charming café backdrops along the way, Michelle took a photo of Roberto... sometimes several when he was acting silly and making faces at her while she took them. She’d pulled out her small digital camera rather than loading up her phone with images. She didn’t have much memory in it, and she wanted tons of photos.
“Now what?” she asked Roberto as he put an arm around her shoulders while hers wrapped around his middle. “What will you do?”
“I am not sure. I have many offers to display my work in galleries, and I am already getting bids for a few of the paintings. The police say they will track down the ones sold falsely.” His eyes drifted to the Mediterranean, looking out into the distance where a cruise ship headed north toward Barcelona. “But those people were duped by Merchant, and I do not feel it is fair to take the paintings from them.”
“I agree with your point. Only it’s not fair to you that they bear another person’s signature.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps I will ask to have them returned so I can change the signature then return them.” An amused smile bloomed on his lips. “It would be good, yes?”
They turned back toward the town after about a half-mile of beach strolling and worked their way back up the hillside to a garden set on a cliff looking down on the white-washed buildings. With the deep variegated colors of the sea beyond, it was a picture-perfect spot. Here, they drew close together, arms encircling each other, and Roberto took the camera to use his longer reach to get a selfie... and another... and another, until they had one they both thought looked good.
The café served tapas, so they ordered an assortment and enjoyed sampling the various flavors of the Spanish dishes. Roberto critiqued them more than Michelle, but in the end, they decided they were quite good.
“We should come back,” Roberto pronounced then realized what he’d said. She couldn’t come back with him. “Ay. I am sorry. It has been easy to forget you are leaving tomorrow.”
Her heart had dipped when he said it, all the joy she’d felt at the moment dimming. Her lips shifted into a sad line. “It’s all right. I had almost forgotten, too. I wish we could just make this day go on and on.”
Her aunt had warned her about summer romances on foreign shores. She’d thought she had the right mindset but look at her now. A gorgeous, talented guy who cares about her, and she has to say goodbye. With over three thousand miles separating them, living on separate continents, how would she douse the fire of her feelings for him?
“I do, also. But we will remain friends, Michelle. This is not forever. We can talk on the computer, and if things work out with my art, I might one day come to America. You might come back here. We do not have to say farewell forever.” He leaned across to press a hand to the side of her face, caressing it with tenderness. “I will never forget you, carita. I do not see a future without you in it in some way.”
Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to stay so badly, to be with him for many more days. Maybe she could change her college and go to school in Madrid. At least, it would be closer.
His mouth moved towards hers, coming in for a kiss. Michelle lifted her head, ready to meet his lips, sighing as they touched. She wound her arms around his neck, diving into the depths of the kiss. Warmth spread through her, dipping toward her core, signaling her desire for so much more.
As he pulled his mouth away, he whispered, “You are so beautiful, carita. I want you so much, but I will wait for you.”
In a way, she was relieved but also disappointed. She didn’t know if she could have resisted him if he’d pressed for more, but he’d taken the decision away from her.
They left the restaurant and made their way to the garden area where they sat and gazed out toward the sea as the sun dipped behind the mountains to the southwest and cast an array of golden red shades across the sky, and they reflected in the waters. Even this far into summer, the lights lingered a long time as the young lovers sat with their knees pulled up and arms wrapped around each other to enjoy one last idyllic evening.
Michelle’s head rested on Roberto’s shoulder as his left hand rubbed at her knees in a soothing circle. This was perfection in her mind. She lifted her camera and took a selfie as he laid his head against her for the shot.
“I’ll remember this moment forever,” she whispered.
Content to just be, they didn’t move again until after the last wisps of color left the sky, and the first stars began to appear in the night sky.
As she lounged by the hotel pool, Lindy stretched her long legs out and let the sun’s rays warm her body. The pool had been a little chillier than she liked, but refreshing nonetheless. On the lounger next to her, Colin stretched out as well, a light shirt barely wrapped around his torso to help prevent sunburn. The afternoon swim had been inspired, leaving them both relaxed and a bit drowsy after the excitement of the Portuguese excursion.
Marchant had been apprehended trying to flee Spain with a half-dozen faked paintings. Roberto hadn’t been the only artist he’d bought work from then peddled under a different name. Some were worth even more than their budding young Picasso’s, but with Colin’s help, the real paintings were now in the capable hands of an agent who specialized in placing artworks in quality galleries for sale and display.
Lindy’s jaw still had a slight tinge of greenish color from the bruise had mostly faded. Her muscles and bones ached a little from the fight, but it was minor. Every day, she thanked her lucky stars she had met Colin on this trip. And he’d come through when she needed him. They had another couple of days together here in Marbella before he needed to get back on the job, back to scouting locations and making deals with local agencies for their use.
“Sure you don’t want to come scouting with me?” he asked for the third time as he rolled onto his stomach to let the sun dry his back. The shirt he’d put on looked soaked. “It would be fun. No kidnapping. I promise.”
She chuckled a low sultry sound. “I don’t know. One attempt in Morocco, a near success in Lisbon. I don’t think I want to tempt fate a third time.”
“You’re not saying those are my fault, are you?” He sounded indignant.
“No, of course not. But I did happen to be with you each time.”
He turned his head to her. “May I remind you, my dear, I was not the catalyst for those events. They all seemed to have stemmed from young Roberto of the golden brush.”
A laugh escaped her lips before she could stifle it. “True. From the least likely person to be caught up in one of the strangest art appropriation schemes I’ve ever seen.”
She closed her eyes. One thing still niggled at her mind- the man who’d attempted to grab her in the Kasbah. Did he fit i
nto this plot as well? She tried to picture him, but she hadn’t seen his face with enough definition. But his height and build... “Colin, I think the man in Morocco could have been the same as the man who grabbed me in Lisbon.”
“What?” He hadn’t followed her thoughts.
“The guy I called Dapper-man. He worked for Marchant’s gallery. Could they have been on to me even then?”
He lifted his head to gaze at her. “It’s possible, I guess. But he’s been arrested with the others. Either way, you’re safe.”
“I am, but I would like to have my necklace back.” She frowned and wondered if she could have the police in Lisbon check on it. She leaned back again, musing on the thought for a while.
“Well, if you aren’t coming with me, where are you heading next?” Colin asked after a minute or so of silence.
She closed her eyes and thought about it. “Mmm, Paris, I think. Then probably back to my place in Chelsea.”
Colin let out a low whistle. “You have a flat in Chelsea?”
“No. I own a home there.”
He sat up and gawked at her. “Apparently, you’re not a starving artist.”
“I never said I was,” she answered. “You just assumed it. And before you ask, I inherited the house from my great-grandmother twenty-five years ago.”
“Well, la-ti-da. Tell you what, you can buy my dinner for a change.”
Taken a little aback, Lindy grinned nonetheless. “Glad to treat a poor man to a meal.”
“Poor may be right,” he replied. “I appear to have misplaced my wallet.”
Laughing, she reached into her pool bag and pulled out the missing item. “You left it lying on the bar when you bought the drinks, love.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and took the wallet. “Well, now it appears I can buy you dinner after all.”
She shook her head. “No, let me get it tonight. I know a place.”
Three hours later, they sat down at an indoor table at an upscale restaurant on the Plaza de los Naranjos to enjoy an exquisite meal with one of the finest chefs in Spain.
“How did you swing this?” Colin asked in a loud whisper.
“I have contacts,” she answered smugly. “I keep saying you underestimate me.”
After they ordered an appetizer and drinks, they took a few moments to truly enjoy the beauty within the tastefully decorated building. High arches broke the room into separate dining areas, and colorful paintings of the city hung sparsely on the walls, so they didn’t overwhelm the room.
Colin reached across the table to catch Lindy’s left hand in his. “I really wish you’d change your mind about coming with me.”
“Colin, I appreciate the offer. Believe it or not, I have my own work to do and fabulous art studios in both Paris and London. I can’t do it out of hotel rooms while you’re working.”
With a touch of sadness in his smile, he squeezed her hand. “I guess we’re both heading in different directions, aren’t we? But we can keep in touch for now. This job I’m working will end in a month or so, and I’ll be back in London. We can get together then if you like.”
Lindy’s eyes sparked at the suggestion. “I would love it, Colin.” She’d been worried that she might not see him again. Not since a wild fling with a musician, almost ten years earlier had she found a man she wanted to be with more. She could almost imagine a future with Colin, but she wasn’t there yet.
Tomorrow, Lindy would drive her niece back to Madrid for their last night together in Spain. The next day, Michelle would board her flight home while Lindy would take the train to Paris. Both of them would be leaving behind the men who had captured their hearts for the few weeks they’d been here. Not just a summer fling with Colin, she’d found a man who would stand by her when the going got rough. He was someone worth hanging on to.
After an exceptional dinner, they strolled out onto the square, working their way through the shops and cafés, enjoying the enticing scent of the orange trees sweetening the evening air. Block by block, they worked their way to the beach. Colin wrapped an arm around her, hooking her to him as she leaned into his embrace and wrapped an arm around his waist. He took moments to drop little kisses on her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, in a drawn-out tease as they strolled.
Ahead the last vestiges of the golden sunset danced in the gentle waves rolling onto the beach. Pausing, they removed their shoes, and Colin rolled up his slacks, then they resumed their leisurely stroll, his head resting against hers, along the edge of the beach where the water could lick at their ankles.
As they strolled, Colin’s kisses finally landed on her lips, and the teasing touches shifted to passionate kisses demanding more. An inferno fired up in her core as they turned toward her hotel. Desire danced between her legs while her breasts tightened in anticipation as the kisses, deep and demanding offset by gentle and enticing, accompanied them all the way back and up the stairs.
They burst into the living room area, barely getting through the door before she tore at the buttons on Colin’s shirt while he slipped his hands under her blouse to push it up. Shoving his shirt back, she ran her hands over his toned muscular chest, admiring his fit torso and teasing at the dimples just where his waist met his hips. Maybe a touch of fat there, but also a bit ticklish as he sucked his stomach in and twitched back from her fingers.
But then what was he doing to her breasts? His fingers danced lightly around one as his tongue licked the other. Sucking in a breath, she moaned with the feeling she would burst at any moment. Colin lifted her into a bridal carry to take her into the bedroom. Dropping her on the bed, he fell across her, his right hand struggling to unzip her pants while he levered himself up.
In return, Lindy worked to remove his slacks, her nimbler fingers getting a grip on the zipper and yanking it down. She could feel his erection, hard and demanding, pushing against her hand as she shoved his pants, underwear and all, down his hips.
A moment later, Colin succeeded in getting her pants off also, leaving her with just her skimpy thong to guard against his assault. Now, he slowed down to a slower tease, making her squirm as he paid special attention to her breasts and allowed one finger to rub against her panties at just the right spot.
Out of habit, Lindy reached to the lamp and turned it off as she wriggled with her growing eagerness. Colin’s fingers and mouth explored her whole body, working up one leg, rubbing her thighs, then his mouth planted kisses across her abdomen, just above the thong line. She sucked her breath in with a gasp, sliding under him more. Rising up on his left arm, he reached across to turn the light back on.
“What? Why?” she asked in confusion.
“Because I want to see every beautiful inch of you, love.” His eyes gleamed as he settled back to his task. “I want to give you a night you’ll long to repeat in London.”
Slipping out of her bed the next morning, Lindy pulled on her robe and padded to the living room. She noted Michelle’s door was closed, suggesting her niece had returned at some point during the night. She stepped out onto the little balcony that faced the sea and leaned against the door frame to watch the swell of the waves caressing the shore as the first glimmer of dawn began to lighten the night sky.
Along with the exquisite thoughts of the wonderful affair she’d had with Colin, a bit of sadness touched her, making her smile seem more wistful than joyous. This holiday had been like none other she’d ever experienced.
Soft footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to face Michelle, who’d come out barefoot and in her short pajamas. She stopped by Lindy, leaning her head against her shoulder as she gazed at the sea.
“I don’t want to go.”
“I understand.” Lindy shared the melancholy Michelle felt at this moment. She slid an arm around her niece’s shoulders and hugged her. “It’s a hard parting. I assume you’ll be keeping in touch.”
“Uh-huh. Hoping our paths cross again in the future. What about Colin?”
“The same. If it’s meant to be, it
will happen, my sweet girl. No matter what, we’ve both met extraordinary men here, and we’ve had an amazing adventure linking us all together.”
“Nearly got us killed, you mean,” Michelle said with a small smile.
“There is that. But it will bond us in ways you can’t even imagine. What an amazing holiday we’ve had.” Squeezing Michelle even closer, she planted a loving kiss on her niece’s cheek.
As she turned back to the room to begin getting ready to leave, Lindy considered this the best holiday she’d ever taken in spite of the danger and intrigue. They had found an idyllic interlude in their lives along with a promising-chance at a beautiful future.
The End
Thank you for reading Signature of a Soul.
I hope you enjoyed reading the novel as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you enjoyed the book, I hope you will consider leaving your honest review at the online store where you purchased it. Reviews are important to both the writer and other readers. Whether short or long, they are deeply appreciated.
About the Author
Riona Kelly is a pen name for a pair of writers who collaborate on suspense romance novels. One of the ladies writes paranormal suspense and sci-fi fantasy under a different pen name.
The Riona side of the team hails from the southwestern United States, where she was raised until 21, then she migrated to California. She lived there for several years before moving back east all the way to Las Vegas, Nevada, and eventually moved north to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She enjoys painting, drawing, music, and living an uncomplicated life while serving the needs of her feline companions. She’s a fan of figure skating and has skated herself although not in a professional capacity. Writing is a passion so like it or not, there will be more books.
As for the Kelly girl, she came from Northern California and migrated to the same northern region of Nevada after a couple of years at college in the Golden State. She is a voracious reader, enjoys a good book, and likes to twist plots. In her spare time, she sometimes enjoys zipping down to Picasso and Wine to slap some paint on a canvas for fun, is learning the ukulele, and she enjoys Celtic and operatic music.