by Skye, Autumn
We spent a good hour in the gallery. I watched her stop at the displays, gazing deeply at them, asking the occasional question about its origin or where it was found. I answered her questions the best I could. Somewhere, in a file that was part of my father’s will, there was a document itemizing the history and estimated worth of each piece, but I hadn’t looked at it since the day of the reading and had never cared enough to memorize any of the data. The money the collection would net didn’t matter if I never intended to sell a single piece.
“Would you mind if we got started on the portrait?” I asked.
“Oh, sure, that’s why I came,” she answered, compliant, yet unable to hide her disappointment. I got the impression she would gladly have spent the entire day in the gallery if I didn’t object.
I had another plan, however. I wanted her to paint a very special, very intimate portrait of me. After I secured the lock on the gallery we went back up to the main floor and she followed me into the studio I had set up just for the project. It was stripped down to the bare essentials, with a French style easel for her to set up her canvas and a Cleopatra red velvet sofa for me to lie on in pose.
“Go ahead and get set up. I’m going to change,” I told her.
I went up to my room and slipped out of my clothes, including my bra and panties. When I returned to her I was wearing nothing but a rose-colored silk robe. Her innocent look of surprise was priceless, and I could help but smirk at her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Um-nothing. That’s a pretty robe. The color looks good on you. It will look great on canvas.”
“Oh, I’m no posing in this.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I had more of a natural portrait in mind.” I untied the robe and let it fall to the floor.
“Oh, I can see that,” she said in a shy tone.
“Don’t look so shocked, Katrina. We’re past that, I think.”
“Of course, we are. I just wasn’t expecting- I mean, you didn’t say it was going to be a nude portrait.”
“I’m full of surprises. The more you get to know me, the more you’ll learn to expect the unexpected.”
“I’ve never done a nude before.”
“Then I’m honored to be your first. So, tell me, how do you want me?”
“It’s your portrait. You should decide.”
I spread the robe over the cushions and lied across them on my side, with my hands tucked under the side of my face. “How’s this?”
“Beautiful,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
“How long do you anticipate this taking before completion? We'll have to do multiple sittings, won't we?”
“Mona Lisa took four years,” she teased.
“I doubt I’m as fascinating of a subject.”
“I don’t know. You want it to be fabulous, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, great works of art take time, at least a few months.”
“I guess I should clear all of the Saturday’s on my calendar, in that case.”
“If it’s too much, there is another alternative. I could take your picture and work off that. Then you wouldn’t have to pose for me for days on end.”
“No, I want the full experience. I bet da Vinci didn’t take a photo.”
“When did I ever compare myself to him? Anyways, maybe he would have if someone had invented the digital camera before he died.”
“Regardless, I want to sit for you. Isn’t the real point of a portrait to capture the spirit of the subject? I don’t trust that you can feel my true essence by staring at a photo.”
“I’m not sure if you’re joking or not, Corrine.”
“I’m half joking, half serious. Anyway, I want to sit for you.”
“You’re the boss,” she relented.
“I think we both know I’m more than that,” I said.
“Once we get started, I need you to stay still. When you need to take a break you let me know,” she replied, ignoring my last sentiment.
“Okay, let’s begin.”
She picked up a brush and her face became a mask of concentration. She was doing better than I was. My thoughts were all over the place. I remembered how her body had quaked in my hands, responding so intensely to my every touch the night we’d spent together. In no time I felt a throbbing ache deep inside and I wondered if the fact that I was lying here in all my naked glory had any effect on her. She appeared practically oblivious to it on the outside, but I suspected she might be suffering the same empty yearning. At least I hoped she was and I had to find out, right then.
“I’m ready for my first break now,” I said.
“Already? You didn’t last long.”
“Did you honestly think I would?”
“Do you have something else on your mind, Corrine?”
“Don’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it, is there, Kat?”
She shook her head. “No, I don't suppose so.”
“Then why don’t you come over here and stop playing games?”
She headed towards me and I slung my legs over the edge of the sofa and sat up. She stood before me and rested her hands on my shoulders, smiling down at me. I ran a hand up the back of her leg and over the curve of her beautiful ass. She let out a small grunt of excitement which made me want to tear the clothes off her luscious body and take her right there and then. It took all my restraint not to do it, but I also wanted to go slow, take my time and relish every moment I had with her. The last time had been good, but too fast. We had all day and night, and even the next after if she wanted to stay.
I put a hand between her legs and ran it over the crotch of her jeans. Even through the thick denim the heat radiated off her mound. She sighed, a carnal sound, thick with lust. I raised the hem of her t-shirt and kissed the soft skin of her taut belly above the waistband of her jeans. She reacted by lifting her shirt over her head and letting it fall to the floor at her feet. I took a moment to watch her chest heave with the heavy breath of anticipation before reaching up and behind her to unhook her pink laced bra and freeing her buxom breasts. Running a palm over one of them, I relished the feel of her flesh.
I unfastened and unzipped her jeans, pushing them down over her hips and shuddering at the sight of her white cotton panties, which were stained with moisture. I let my tongue flicker over the wet spot until she moaned and thrust her hips forward. I responded by pressing my tongue more firmly against the hard bundle of nerves there, caressing her nub through the thin material. Her fingers curled around my hair, pulling my face closer and grinding her crotch into it. From the way she trembled I sensed that she was only seconds away from climax. I forced myself to pull back despite her whimpers of protest.
“We should slow down. Sometimes, the wait is the best part,” I said. That was a lie. It wasn’t the best part, but I was tempted by the idea of having her quivering in my hands, begging me for a release that only I could give her.
“I want you,” she whispered.
“Come, sit,” I said, giving my leg a pat.
She lowered herself to sit across my lap. I put an arm around her and buried my head in her cleavage, breathing in her scent. My hand went up to caress her cheek. She surprised me by taking it into hers and pulling it down insistently to rest between her legs.
“Make me come,” she said.
I let my fingers lightly trail over her mound, but didn’t slip them inside her panties. “No, not yet,” I teased.
My plan was to take her to the brink of release again and again, so that when she did come it would be the most intense pleasure she’d ever felt. It was a good plan, but I had to keep my own eagerness in check. It wasn’t easy to refrain. My own juices were flowing out of me, making my bare thighs slick.
She pressed her lips against mine, whimpering into my mouth, a plea for me to finish what I’d started and free her from what I knew must be an exquisite blend of torture and
pleasure, but I was determined not to give in too fast.
I cupped one of her breasts in my hand and took the puckered nipple into my mouth. She responded by squirming in my lap again. As I sucked with a hunger I hadn't felt in a long while, she soon began to move her hips more urgently, grinding to my lap, creating a friction as a way of satisfying herself. I looked up and saw that her eyes were closed, her face a picture of euphoric rapture.
“Oh, no, you don't,” I said, my voice husky as I struggled with my own excitement.
She gave a frustrated sigh when my hands clutched her waist until she was still.
“I'm going to make you come my own way, when I'm ready. Trust me. Slow is better,” I reminded her again.
She gave me a mildly vexed look. “You play too many games.”
“You don't fool me. You like my games. You like this game, anyway,” I replied with a devilish grin.
She didn't bother to deny it, but instead leaned in to give me a long, deep, relenting kiss.
“We should go upstairs. I have something for you.”
“A present?”
“Perhaps it's not the kind of present you're thinking of, but you might enjoy it all the same. I bought it with you in mind. Do you want to go up?”
She rose to her feet and held out a hand to me. I took it and that's how we ran up the staircase, hand in hand, giggling like teenagers. I hadn't felt so vigorous since-well, since the last time we'd headed up to my room.
Once in the room we fell onto the bed together and lied sideways facing each other, stroking each other’s bodies until we were both breathing heavily again.
“I'm ready for my present now,” she said.
I slipped a hand inside her soaked panties and felt the wetness coating her entire mound, the curls of her golden-brown triangle matted with it. “Yes, I believe you are, but if you're not, it's okay. You can tell me.”
I climbed off the bed and stood at the foot of it with my eyes fixed on her. I could see by the expression on her face she trusted me, though she didn't have a clue what I was talking about. She propped herself up on her elbows and gazed at me with her wide, curious, grayish blue eyes. Her tongue darted out, moistening her lips before she pursed them together as she waited for me to show her what I had in mind.
I turned my back to her and walked over to my dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out my surprise, taking a deep breath before I faced her again, unsure of what her reaction would be. I had no idea how far she'd been with any woman before me, nor did I know how far she wished me to take her. I hoped she knew I meant it when I said she could tell me if I crossed the line out of her comfort zone. I'd spent quite some time browsing online for the perfect toy. At one point, I was embarrassed at having to stop long enough to pleasure myself after my thoughts had gone too long imagining the two of us using it together.
I held up the strap on, a bright pink shaft, and asked, “Yes? No?”
“Oh, yes,” she sighed, her mouth curving upwards into an encouraging smile.
“You're sure?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she nodded.
“Have you ever?”
“No, but if there's going to be a first time I want it to be with you,” she said.
I walked to the side of the bed and stepped into the harness. She took off her panties and spread her thighs for me in silent acceptance. I knelt between them, pressing the head of the shaft against her. At the sound of her low groan, I glided smoothly into her and watched a look of rhapsody fall over her face. I knew the girth of the toy was big enough to fill her nicely. Her whimpers of delight soon turned to mews of bliss as I slowly pumped in and out of her. She threw her arms around my neck, her hips rising to meet my thrusts, which were quickening spurred on by her moans of pleasure.
I couldn't take my eyes off her beautiful face. It was flushed with desire and ecstasy, a light coat of sweat gleaming on her forehead. She was so close to climax I could feel the first trembles cascading over her body, but just before she could get there I pulled out of her and rolled over, collapsing onto my back.
“I want you to ride me,” I told her, at once demanding and pleading with her.
She groaned and threw a leg over me, straddling me, taking the shaft into her hand and guiding it into her as she lowered herself onto it. Then her own lusty greed seemed to take her over. She threw her head back and rode me hard, moving down over the shaft over and over, mewing uncontrollably as my hands alternated between clutching at her hips and kneading her breasts. I'd been afraid of scaring her off, but she'd quickly taken the helm and remained in control until she was shrieking and riding the waves of climax.
When she moved up and rolled off to sit at my side, I saw her expression was that of utter satisfaction. I got up and removed the harness before rejoining her on the bed. It was my intent to lie there with her there in my arms. As far as I was concerned, we could while away the rest of the afternoon and evening that way, snuggled close together, but she had something else in mind.
“Lie back,” she said. “I'm going to make you come now.”
“You don't have to. I'm very content for the time being,” I grinned.
“It's only fair. Anyways, I want to,” she said with an impish smile, moving to kneel between my legs.
She let her tongue glided over my slit for a moment and engulfed my clit between her lips. It didn't take long. The mere sounds of her sweet suckling were enough to send me flying over the edge. I lied there, hips thrusting up and grinding into her face as she lapped up my juices and brought me to a quick, shuddering orgasm.
“Is it just me, or is it getting darker? Shit, what time is it?”
“It's only three. I think we're supposed to get a storm and a break in the heat today.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“What?”
“Lying in bed all day and listening to the rain. What a great way to spend the day.”
“You don't want to work on the portrait some more?”
“We have time. There's no rush to finish. Stay with me?”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
“How about staying the weekend?”
“I don't have any plans. At least none that would compare,” she said.
“So, it's settled?”
“Sure, but I'll need to run back to my apartment and grab a change of clothes.”
“What makes you think you'll need clothes?” I joked.
“Be realistic, Corrine. At some point we will have to get dressed.”
“All right, if you insist, but at least wait until the storm has passed.”
“Okay,” she agreed, lying her head on my shoulders and closing her eyes.
She was asleep before the first flash of lighting hit the sky. I considered waking her, but it was too good, lying there next to her, letting the warmth of her body blanket me. Soon after, I fell into the deepest, most serene sleep I'd had in what felt like ages.
Chapter Ten
Katrina
The room was pitch black when I opened my eyes. The storm had subsided, but a light breeze rustled the tree branches outside the window. Corrine was still asleep when I gently rolled over and got off the bed, careful not to wake her. I took a quick shower and when I came out of the bathroom she was still sleeping, so I found a light switch in the hall and made my way down the stairs wrapped in a towel. In the sitting room I located my clothes, which were scattered here and there across the floor. Once I dressed, I headed out to my car and started the drive home. As I waited for the guards to open the gate so I could exit onto the road, it occurred to me that I should have left a note, but I figured she'd call me if she woke to find me gone. I planned to be back within a couple of hours, after all.
Shelia was waiting for me back at the apartment, sitting in the kitchen, sipping iced tea and reading a fashion magazine when I arrived.
“There you are. How did the portrait go?”
“It's a work in progress.”
“You must have gotten a lot d
one. You've been gone all day. You deserve a break. Want to see what movies we can find to stream online, or we could get out and go to a show. I haven't been to the theater in forever. I can already smell the popcorn.”
“Um-actually, I'm spending the weekend with Corrine. I just came back to grab an overnight bag.”
“Really?”
“Please don't make a big deal out of this, Shelia.”
“But it is a big deal. You must have gotten quite comfortable with each other to spend a whole weekend together. What happened to your hard and fast rule about not sleeping with the boss lady?”
“Apparently, it wasn't all that hard or fast. It's gone out of the window.”
“Feels good to be bad, doesn't it?”
I couldn't hide my smile. “Yeah, it feels great, but that still doesn't mean there won't be repercussions further down the line. I just can't seem to help myself.”
“Or, you don't want to,” she said. “Maybe deep down you think this woman is worth the risk.”
“Maybe she is. You don’t come across a woman like Corrine every day. She's amazing.”
“And she probably thinks the same of you.”
“I don't know why she would.”
“Because it's true, silly. I think you're amazing, for what it's worth.”
“You have to think that. You're my best friend. I don't have much in common with Corrine.”
“Some people just click,” Shelia shrugged. “She obviously sees something in you. I bet not very many people get an invite to spend the weekend in that house. You have to get passed an armed guard to enter. She reminds me of the type to keep people out, not invite them in, so you must be very special to her.”
“I don't know.”
“Don't be afraid to see where this goes.”
“It might be just sex for her.”
“Nothing wrong with that, either, as long as it's good sex.” She laughed. “Is it?”
“I'm going to pack,” I said, walking towards my bedroom in order to avoid the question.
My truthful answer, had I been inclined to share, was that it was very good sex, the best I'd ever had, but it was more, too. I had a feeling there was a lot more to Corrine than I knew. For all my talk of how we lived worlds apart, I was beginning to see that we weren't that much different in some ways. She almost seemed to be a woman trapped in her world, born into it and burdened with responsibilities just because of what her father had meant to the art world. She didn't seem to have a burning desire to continue his legacy. There was only an expectation that she would. I got the impression she wasn't happy to be home, that perhaps if Jacob Greyson hadn't made his three-million-dollar blunder, she'd have happily stayed in Europe for as long as they'd have her. What was worse was that I had no way of knowing that she wouldn't run away again once she repaired the gallery's reputation. These were things I needed to keep in mind. I couldn't allow myself to get too attached to a woman who might not be around a few months from now, but knowing that didn't make resisting the pull she had on me any easier. Already, I was absolutely glowing at the thought of spending the next two nights with her. It wasn't a good sign.