She stiffened again and wouldn’t look him in the eye. With a sigh, he pulled her into his arms, unconcerned with the fact that she stood stiff as a board.
“We…” she started, only to sigh and lean her forehead against his chest. “And you were…!”
He felt her shoulders shudder and knew that this wasn’t just an impatient reaction caused by her admission several minutes ago. She was truly upset about something. So, instead of the meeting he needed to get to, he scooped her up and carried her over to the sofa, cradling her on his lap. She curled against him, burying her nose against his neck. He loved it when she leaned into him like this. Despite the hundred or so things that he needed to get done today, he needed to make her feel better.
“Can you talk to me, honey? I have no idea what happened. Did I hurt you?”
“No!” she gasped, pulling away so she could look into his eyes. “I know you’d never hurt me. At least, not intentionally.”
He nodded, relieved that she knew that about him. “Kolos. Then why do you look so devastated?”
She leaned back into him so that he couldn’t see her face. He didn’t care at the moment, needing to hold her. He could feel her emotions as easily as he could read them in her eyes.
“We just had sex!” she whispered hoarsely, as if someone else might hear her.
“Nai. And the problem?” he prompted.
“In your office!” she hissed, sounding horrified.
Now he understood. “And it’s the middle of the day, right? I’m at work, we’re in my office, and you were completely naked while I was dressed. Does that sum it up?” he asked, relieved that it was so simple.
Well, simple to him. He realized that she was truly horrified.
“Yes. I might think of something else to be upset about later, but that sounded like a pretty comprehensive list.” She sniffed again. “How many other women have had sex with you in your office?” she asked hesitantly, nearly choking on the question.
His arms tightened around her. “None.”
She stilled and he wondered if she would call him a liar. It was true though, he’d never had sex in his office before. But she wouldn’t know that about him. They really should have waited and talked more before they’d ventured into a more intimate relationship. They should have known each other, trusted each other. But with Lana, there was just something about her that he couldn’t seem to resist. When she’d walked into his office, all he could think about was getting her clothes off and feeling her moist heat. Feeling her shudder to a climax in his arms again.
“You’ve never had anyone else in here like…”
He laughed, hugging her gently. “Believe it or not, I generally only have sex in a bedroom. I find the bed to be more convenient than…well, anything else.”
She pulled away and peered up at him, obviously trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. “Then what happened today?” she asked, her voice revealing her insecurities.
“You walked in here. And you irritated me with the news that you weren’t going to change your last name.”
She stared for a prolonged moment. “I irritated you?” she asked, sounding a bit peeved.
“Yes. And don’t forget the walking in here part. You’re…” his eyes traveled down her figure and he shook his head. “I don’t know what it is, but you do it for me, Lana. Since that first moment in your father’s office, you’re…different. You just have to walk into a room and I want to make love to you. It doesn’t matter where or when.”
More staring, her mouth falling open slightly. “Huh!” she finally said.
“I’ll try to be more restrained in the future, if it bothers you.”
A longer stare this time, but he could see the wheels turning in her head. Finally, she said, “I don’t think I want you to hold back.”
His whole body stilled and he tried to read the truth in her eyes. And yes, there it was. Desire, hot and heavy, told him that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against hers. Softly. Back and forth. Her hand lifted, curving against his jaw and he wanted her all over again.
But instead of tilting her backwards, he kissed her again, briefly, then stood up. Setting her down on her feet, he took her hands in his. “Let’s talk over dinner tonight, okay?” he asked gently, knowing that she needed time to process what had just happened.
If the truth were told, he needed a bit of time to process as well.
A knock on the door preceded his assistant who opened the door before he could call out for her to enter. Turning around, he glared at her unprecedented intrusion.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir,” she said, looking between them, “but you’re wanted in the conference room. Everyone is there. Your meeting started five minutes ago.”
Lana pulled out of his arms and stepped way. “I apologize for interrupting your day,” she said, grabbing her purse and pulling it onto her shoulder. She turned back to Christoph and nodded. “Thank you for talking with me. I feel better about it now.”
And then she was gone, her cute butt taunting him as she left the office and went back to…wherever it was she was going. He had no idea. Probably her art studio, but he wasn’t supposed to know about that yet.
When he couldn’t see her any longer, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned to face Elana. “Do you have…?”
Before he could finish, she extended her hand, holding the files he’d need for his next meeting.
“Right,” he said, then headed for the conference room.
But as he sat in the meeting, his directors discussing the next step in each of their companies, he realized that he and Lana hadn’t finished the conversation about her changing her last name. Why was it so important to him? He’d never been the kind of man who was very possessive.
Unfortunately, all that had changed several weeks ago when he’d stepped into the office of his late competitor to find a beautiful brunette with curls flying every which way. He’d discovered her paintings last week and knew that she was beyond beautiful both inside and out.
And damn if he wasn’t in a bidding war to buy his own wife’s paintings! How outrageous was that?
Chapter 14
Lana stared at her easel. The painting she’d started this morning was staring back at her, the paint splattered across the mess she’d made.
Dropping her purse on the floor, she moved the messed up design out of the way. She set the next blank canvas on the easel, thinking through the details of what she wanted to paint. After several moments, pondering the options, she nodded and picked up her paintbrush. Usually, she sketched out her designs, then practiced with colors and placement on a smaller canvas, trying to get everything right before she moved to the larger, more expensive canvas. But this afternoon was different. She wasn’t trying to paint anything specific. Instead, she was simply trying to work through her mixed up emotions.
This morning, she’d strained to get it right and nothing had worked. This afternoon, she couldn’t paint fast enough. And everything came out exactly how she pictured it in her mind. The background grew more powerful as she added depth and color. The orb in one corner took on the mirrored effect she’d tried so hard to get right earlier. The flower in the opposite corner, the ocean wave curling and foaming over the middle and the moon competing with the sunshine on opposite sides of the canvas…everything took shape easily.
And when she started on the image inside the globe this time, the precision was there, pulling at her gut. She knew exactly how to do each part, each particular detail. It was as if her visit with Christoph had broken the dam inside of her head and had set something free inside of her. She loved it and forgot to eat lunch, she was so focused on her work.
Chapter 15
For the next two weeks, Lana beamed her way through life. Every morning, she made sure to wake up early enough to at least talk with Christoph before he went off to work. But getting up early enough to see him meant getting up at the crack of dawn. So
instead of trying to just be with him, she woke up early enough to work out with him. She didn’t push herself nearly as hard as he did, but she enjoyed the challenge of at least attempting to keep up.
And several of those mornings, he didn’t even bother to head down to his gym. Instead, he took her into his arms and made love to her. In her mind, it was the perfect start to her day.
As much as she was winning in the work and relationship department, Lana also knew that she’d failed miserably in the “keeping her distance” area of her life with Christoph. Although, professionally, she was killing it! The painting she’d started after their return from their honeymoon took her a long time to finish, but it was also bigger and more daring than any of her previous works.
More revealing as well. As she stepped back to look at her painting when she finished, Lana realized that her heart was revealed in the images. And her heart belonged exclusively to Christoph. Anyone looking at the painting could see the love she felt for him shining through.
Of course, only she understood what the images meant. Part of her style was to create images that could be interpreted by anyone, applying their own circumstances. That made her paintings personal to the viewer.
But this…yes, she understood what it revealed.
She was in love with Christoph.
It shouldn’t be that much of a shock, she reflected as she cleaned her brushes and tidied up the studio. Lana had waited years to have an intimate relationship with a man and the one she’d chosen was larger than life. Anyone who came into contact with Christoph probably felt the power of his presence. And to have all of that power directed towards her, it was inevitable that she would fall madly in love with the man.
Sighing, she pulled out her camera and clicked several pictures of the painting, sending them off to Willow and Tamara for their opinion.
Only moments later, her phone rang and she knew who it would be.
“I know,” she said as she answered the phone.
Tam laughed. “You’re in love with him!” she exclaimed. “I knew it would happen. Christoph is such a great guy and you’re perfect for him!”
Lana laughed, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean to. I meant to just…well, have an affair.”
“Why would you go into the relationship thinking that it would be short term? You’re married to the man! Isn’t it good that you fell in love with him?”
“Not really,” she replied sadly, leaning back against the sofa and trying to view her work objectively. “He’s one of those men who hasn’t ever settled for just one woman, Tam,” she said softly.
“Yes, but, he married you.”
Lana sighed, closing her eyes as the anticipated pain she’d have to endure hit her hard. “Only to gain access to my father’s assets. It’s a business relationship.”
“Not anymore,” Tamara replied softly.
Lana thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “It is for him,” she told her friend.
They chatted about a few other things, but eventually, Lana said that she needed to get back to Christoph’s place for dinner.
Walking in that night, she spotted him on the phone, standing by one of the big windows that looked out onto the city. She stopped, thinking he was spectacular and amazing.
And hers!
Well, hers for as long as this lasted.
As soon as she thought that, the image of the beautiful blond assistant came to mind.
Before she could really give in to the jealousy stabbing at her stomach, Christoph ended the call and looked over at her. “Hello, agape mou,” he said as he bent down to kiss her.
“How was your day?” she asked when he lifted his head.
He laughed, his hands pulling her close. “It was busy. But good,” he told her, lowering his head once again to nibble along her neck.
She shivered as his lips and teeth teased the sensitive area. “Christoph, we should…”
He didn’t stop his teasing touches, his hands sliding underneath the white tee-shirt. “You have paint on your cheek, glykoula mou.” After that, his lips moved to her ear, nipping gently before soothing with his tongue.
Her sexual haze disappeared and she jerked backwards out of his arms. “What?” she gasped. She knew that the only reason that she accomplished that was because he was so surprised.
She wiped at her cheek. When her palm came away with a smudge of dark blue oil paint, she gasped. “Oh, I was just…” Her mind blanked. Christoph waited patiently for her to explain, but sudden panic left her speechless.
“You were painting today,” Christoph observed, his hands dropping to his sides.
Lana’s breath caught in her throat. “Painting?”
He sighed as he walked over to the liquor cabinet. “I know that you are a famous painter, Lana. I’ve even been trying to acquire some of your pieces.” He poured some scotch into a cut crystal glass, and turned to look at her as he loosened the knot on his tie. “I didn’t know that your career was supposed to be a secret from me. But the look in your eyes is…revealing.”
“I just…!”
He shook his head when she stammered again. “Actually, it isn’t all that revealing. You’re an accomplished painter, Lana. Why don’t you want me to know?”
Lana’s eyes widened, her throat tightening as she stared at him. For a long moment, she wasn’t sure what to say. The look in his eyes told her that he was hurt but…this was Christoph! He was invulnerable! He was strong and commanding and didn’t care about other people’s feelings! Only… he’d proven to care about hers.
“I paint to…” She started to explain, but that fear that never seemed to go away, that nagging terror that he would leave her eventually, wouldn’t release her words. She needed her painting to be separate, to be a private part of her life. She needed her work to be her oasis that she could return to when he grew bored with her.
Lana’s heart wrenched painfully when she saw his icy eyes close off when she failed to offer any sort of explanation.
“I see.” He sighed, staring at her for a long moment, his mood unfathomable. With a jerk, he lifted the glass to his lips and drained the scotch, carefully setting the crystal glass onto the marble countertop. “I need to get back to the office.”
He walked away.
Lana watched him go, her lips numb from the dual horror of him discovering her private love of painting as well as the pain in his eyes when she obviously didn’t want him to know.
And yet, even as he walked away, Lana couldn’t bring herself to call out to him. She desperately needed her painting. She needed to reserve a part of her that he couldn’t touch. Yes, he’d told her that he would be faithful to her. But those were just words, she thought miserably. Sinking down into the soft cushions of the sofa, she stared down at the gleaming wood floors, her thoughts a jumbled mess.
She’d hurt him. The tall, handsome, seemingly invulnerable Christoph had been…hurt! She kept repeating that in her mind, shock, guilt, and pain lashing at her heart. Lana hated that she felt so horrible at that look in his eyes. A sensation similar to nausea settled into her stomach and she wasn’t sure what to do. Should she go to him and tell him about her art? The thought of doing that was equally bad. Desperately, Lana needed to hold on to one part of her life, one part that wasn’t invaded by Christoph. Every other aspect of her life had changed. She’d moved into his penthouse and put her father’s houses on the market. She’d adjusted her work schedule so that she was home when he arrived. She attended all of the social affairs on his arm, she smiled and talked with his business and social acquaintances. And every night, she was in his arms, falling a little more in love with him every time. Every night, she slept in his arms, savoring the warmth of his touch.
But Lana knew that this was temporary. He’d never fallen in love with the women in his past. Why would she be any different? She wasn’t special. There was nothing unique or amazing about her. She was just normal. Ordinary. A regular woman who had fallen in love with a u
nique man.
Lana wasn’t aware of the tears falling until one landed on her hand. Wiping the tears away, she lifted her head and took a deep breath. “This is ridiculous!” she whispered to the empty room. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Standing up, she walked out of the living room area but…as she stood in the bedroom, Lana wasn’t sure what to do. Her fingers itched to paint, to go back to her loft and lose herself in colors and figures, in the details of her latest painting. But she wanted to be here when Christoph came back. She wanted to eat dinner with him and talk about his day. She wanted…she wanted to be with him.
“He’ll be back,” she whispered and turned to walk out of the room.
But he didn’t come back. Lana stared up at the ceiling late into the night, worried and lonely.
Chapter 16
Christoph stared at Lana as the morning sunshine spilled over her hair, making the pale beauty of her skin glow. He wanted to go to her, to make love to her. He ached to pull her into his arms and kiss every inch of her gorgeous body.
Instead, he tossed the wet towel into the laundry hamper and walked into his closet. A few minutes later, he was dressed, his suit jacket over his arm and a tie hanging around his neck, but he hadn’t bothered to knot it. Once again, his gaze was drawn to Lana. Her long lashes rested against her cheek and he knew that her skin was like soft, amazing silk. Better than silk, he corrected himself mentally. Just to torture himself, he allowed his eyes to move down over her figure. She wasn’t painfully thin like some of the women of his acquaintance. She had curves. Lana was a real woman with an appetite that was sexy as hell. He hated sitting across the table from a woman and having her pick at lettuce. Lana’s curves weren’t fashionable, but they were beautiful and just looking at her with the sheet draped over her like that and the satin nightgown shimmering over her breasts…he ached with the need to touch her, to feel her. To make love to her.
Instead, he turned on his heel and walked out the door. He’d come home late, and she’d already been asleep. The other times he’d worked late, he’d pulled her into his arms, preferring to have her snuggled up against him when he slept. But last night, he’d stayed on his side of the bed, too furious with her to touch her.
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