Painting Her

by Natalie Knight

  “We need to talk.”

  I huff. Talk? What a dick. “Piss off.” I snarl and fold both arms. Someone once told me to ward off negative energy other people give off, you should fold your arms in front of your body. It’s worth a shot.

  “Kath, please. Babe.”

  I hate the way he shortens my name. And he has the nerve to call me babe. Argh. How dare he?

  “What do you want Dale?” I realize I won’t get rid of him unless I talk to him. Un-friending him from social media sites and erasing his number was obviously not enough.

  He follows me into my apartment.

  “Writing again?”

  I want to tell him it’s none of his fucking business, but I don’t. Instead, I shrug because I really shouldn’t be so angry, and in fact, I should be thankful. If it had not been for Dale screwing someone else I would never have met Blake, nor would I have had the best sex ever.

  At the thought of sex with Blake, a wave of desire washes over me.

  “Babe, look,” Dale takes two or three steps toward me. He puts his left hand on my shoulder. With his right hand he strokes my cheek.

  His scent of cheap aftershave is almost overpowering. Had I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with him? I must have been deluded.

  I cringe at the touch and push his hand away. It simply does not compare to the way Blake touched me. My mind threatens to go off on a frolic of its own. I force myself to focus.

  “Get to the point Dale. I’m busy.”

  Dale’s expression changes to the hurt puppy look.

  “Babe I just want us to give it another go.” Again his hand reaches for me.

  This time he pulls me close and before I really know what is happening his lips are on top of mine. I feel his tongue forcing its way into my mouth. He holds me tight with both of his hands now.

  I can’t escape the forcefulness of his kiss. He pushes me against the wall of my apartment. My breathing increases. I feel his right hand reach for my breast, squeeze it and then move downward. In no time his hand is under my skirt, pushing my slip aside.

  A noise escapes my lips. Dale now presses hard into me and there is no mistaking what he wants. I can feel his erection.

  With one hand between my legs, Dale uses his other one to reach for my breast.

  This is my moment. I use all my will power to push Dale away. He stumbles.

  With lightening speed I put distance between the two of us. I reach for the closest object, a pair of scissors.

  “Don’t do that again,” I hiss and pull my skirt down.

  I’m surprised at my own reaction. I felt nothing but disgust when Dale groped me. To think a few weeks ago I was dreaming of having children with this man.

  “Bitch.” Dale is breathing hard.

  “I think you should leave.”

  Dale glares. He does not move.

  “You know why I had to have all those affairs?” I feel his spit land on my cheek.

  Pain shoots through me. Had he just admitted to multiple affairs? How stupid and naïve I had been. I had thought the peroxide bimbo had been the only one.

  “I don’t care.” And I really don’t. He cheated on me. Would knowing why really make any it better? I don’t think so. “I had all those other women because you’re frigid. You don’t know how to have great sex.”

  Now tears do well up and I clench my fists. Arrogant prick.

  “I pity the next man you date.”

  It takes all my effort not to scream at Dale’s face what a loser he is, and throw the closest thing within my reach, the only one of any real value in my apartment, my great grandmother’s porcelain vase.

  “Well, for your information I think you were the problem. You don’t know how to satisfy a woman. I pity the women who have sex with you.” I pause. “You probably pay them so they have no choice but to oblige and suffer through your grunting and pathetic attempt at getting a woman to have an orgasm.”

  Without another word I walk to the front door, scissors still in hand.

  “I think you better go and never come back,” I tell Dale, and then open the door for him to leave.

  When I open it I cannot believe my eyes. I know the man standing there about to knock. I wasn’t expecting him.

  Pushing Blake out of the way Dale storms past me. His parting words of ‘you won’t last long’ stay with me.

  Chapter 11

  Blake

  What the…?

  Am I hearing right? Is there an asshole inside Katherine’s apartment right now? It sure seems so.

  I can’t say I was expecting that. I drove all the way here to show her the sketch I did of her, and now there’s some random jackass to deal with it.

  Ah, fuck it.

  Raising my fist, I’m about to rap my knuckles against her door when it suddenly swings open. My eyes meet Katherine’s right away, and I can’t help but enjoy the surprise on her face. She wasn’t expecting to see me here.

  “You won’t last long,” the guy standing next to her mutters, stepping out the door and pushing me out of the way. I take one step back to let him through, but something in his tone of voice strikes a chord inside me.

  Before he can leave, I reach for him and grab him by the scruff of his shirt.

  “Play nice, asshole,” I tell him, turning on my heels to meet his gaze.

  Judging by the way his eyes widen as I grab him, I’d say he wasn’t expecting me to do that. No, he wasn’t. This is the kind of guy who’s used to having everything he wants at a drop of a hat.

  “I know you,” he says, looking at me with a disgusted expression on his face. “Blake,” he continues, my name leaving his mouth like a curse.

  “Well, I know you too,” I find myself saying, suddenly recognizing his smug face. This guy is the owner of some bullshit gallery where I once held an exposition. I remember the arrogant prick and the way he looked at my paintings.

  “So you’re the one fucking her, aren’t you?” he asks me, his eyes never leaving mine.

  I react without thinking. I close the distance between us, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and push him back against the wall.

  “Listen here, you fuckin’ asshole,” I growl, trying to resist the urge to introduce him to my fist. “I don’t give two shits about you, got that? But you’ll respect her,” I continue, slightly nodding toward Katherine.

  She’s standing by the doorway, looking at us both with an expression that tells me she has no idea on what to say or do.

  “You can’t—”

  I don’t even let him finish his sentence. I tighten my grip on his shirt and lean toward him.

  “I know how little shits like you enjoy treating women,” I tell him, making sure I take my time with each and every word. “But you’ve heard the lady—leave and never come back.”

  He stops for a moment, almost as if he’s trying to process the meaning behind my words, and then he finally lowers his gaze.

  Submission.

  I finally let go of his shirt and take a step back, although my gaze never leaves him. I don’t know why, but coming here and finding a man (and one like this fuckin’ asshole) inside Katherine’s apartment has my blood boiling. Besides, it doesn’t help that I overheard most of their argument.

  “Well, I guess you finally got your knight in shining armor, haven’t you?” he says, looking over my shoulder at Katherine, his beady eyes glinting with malice. “Just so you know, you’re probably just the flavor of the month for this guy. If you think I’m bad, you’re in for a surprise with him.”

  That does it for me.

  I can hear Katherine saying something, but I can’t even register her words. Flavor of the month? Who does this asshole think he is?

  Taking one step toward him, I ball my right hand into a fist. I cock my arm back, and everything around me starts moving slowly. I can see it happening before it happens—my fingers meeting his nose and that asshole tumbling back as he clutches his bloody nose.

  That’ll probably
cost me, since he’s well connected in the gallery business. But fuck it.

  “No!” I hear Katherine say, and I feel her delicate hands grabbing me by the arm. I stop the moment I hear her voice, my fist just a fraction of a second from breaking Dale’s nose.

  “Saved by the bell,” I whisper at him, and this time there’s no smart comeback. His beady eyes can’t hide the fear he’s feeling (and he should be afraid of me), and so he just turns on his heels and disappears from sight as fast as he possibly can without running.

  “Are you okay?” I ask Katherine the moment Dale leaves, turning around to meet her. My eyes meet her velvety lips at once, and my heart picks up the pace faster than I can take in her beauty. Fuck, I just want to grab her by the waist, pin her against the wall, and kiss her.

  “I am now,” she breathes out softly, and that makes me relax. “What are you doing here, Blake?”

  “I came to give you something,” I reply, suddenly realizing that I’m not sure about what I’m doing.

  I never chased someone like this. And I’m not just talking about the fact that I want Katherine; I’m saying that I never went after anyone because my art demanded it.

  But that has changed.

  Because everything in me calls for her. I need to kiss her, to hold her close against me…

  And, more than that, I need to paint her.

  Chapter 12

  Katherine

  I step to the side, allowing Blake in. I close the door behind us.

  Just moments ago, it was Dale in here, and now it’s just Blake and I. Honestly, I have no idea what kind of game the universe is playing with me, but I really can’t complain about this turn of events.

  “I wasn’t expecting you,” I tell him, trying to think of what he could possibly want to give me. Maybe I forgot something back at his apartment? But no, that can’t be it; I’ve brought everything with me.

  “I just had to come.” He shrugs, smiling at me. I have to look away from him as he does it—the way his lips slightly curl into that damned smile, awakening the sleeping butterflies inside my stomach.

  Robin was right—Blake isn’t going to disappear. I can’t believe I actually thought he wouldn’t call me again. Well, he didn’t call, to be honest…he just showed up at my doorstep, ready to save the day.

  “And here you are,” I whisper, not really sure on what I should say. God, why do I always feel like an idiot who doesn’t know my way around words whenever I’m this close to Blake? “Listen…I’m sorry for Dale.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for that asshole,” Blake tells me casually, tucking one hand inside his pocket. “He’s just lucky you stopped me before I taught him some manners.”

  Now I’ve always hated violence. I can’t stand the sight of blood, and I hate when men act like peacocks and stick their chests out, ready to butt heads. But this…this was different.

  Blake didn’t want to impress him (at least I don’t think so). He just wanted to protect me.

  What a weird thought.

  I saw Blake as nothing more than an arrogant rich playboy. And now here he is, showing me that sometimes first impressions don’t really matter.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him meekly, but he just flashes me that heart-melting smile again, and I feel sweet thorns of despair wrapping themselves around my heart. What the hell’s happening to me?

  “I had to. And Dale should be the one apologizing to you,” he replies.

  I stand there in silence, shifting my weight from one foot to the other while I think of something smart to say. Of course, words fail me again.

  “What the hell are you doing with someone like him?” Blake continues. I run my tongue over my bottom lip, feeling it dry, and then I finally look into his eyes. “The guy’s a complete jerk.”

  “I know,” I manage to say, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Blake’s right (just as Robin was right about my relationship). What the hell was I doing with a guy like Dale?

  I can’t believe how stupid I was. I wanted to marry, have kids, and buy a house. I wanted to go the distance with Dale, a man I now despise more than anyone.

  Sometimes you get too comfortable in a long-term relationship. Too comfortable.

  “I don’t know how it happened, but I dated Dale for a long time,” I continue, allowing the words to pour out of me. “I always had this notion of building a family and having a man by my side… You know, stupid girl dreams.”

  “These don’t sound like stupid dreams,” he says gently, and I feel warm blood rushing to my cheeks.

  “Maybe. But I guess I wanted that so much that I didn’t even realize the man I was with. I only realized it when…when…” I have to take a deep breath to steady myself, but then I finally manage to push the words out.

  Even though I don’t care for Dale, it still pains to realize I’ve been backstabbed like that. “He cheated on me. And I caught him right in the act,” I continue.

  “Jesus,” Blake whispers. “I’m sorry.”

  At that, he reaches for me and tucks a stray lock of hair over my ear. I feel my skin prickling at his touch, and my heart starts beating faster and faster.

  “Any guy that’d cheat on you is a complete fool,” he continues, looking straight into my eyes. “A complete fool,” he repeats, his words soft and warm.

  My eyes slowly go to his lips, and I find myself needing to feel his mouth on mine. It’s more than physical, though. The pull I feel toward him goes beyond having our lips locked together or our naked bodies pressed against each other.

  More than just my body, my heart and soul need to experience Blake.

  Oh, I can’t fall for him.

  I know that men like Blake aren’t designed for romance. They just can’t do it. I can’t allow this to become more than just a fling, and I can’t allow myself down this slippery slope.

  “I’m happy you’re here,” I find myself saying, my eyes still on his lips. Oh god, why am I saying this? It’s almost as if I’m not in control of my actions and that I’ve thrown all rationality out of the window.

  “I’m happy I’m here too,” he whispers, brushing his long fingers against my cheeks. Smiling gently, he leans into me, and my eyelids slowly start to droop.

  I breath in his perfume—it reminds me of pine trees and the wintery ocean—and I realize that there’s no way I’ll ever be able to control myself around Blake.

  I part my lips slowly, and then we kiss.

  Chapter 13

  Katherine

  He stares at me for a long second, before leaning in and finally kissing me again. I open my mouth in an instant, allowing our tongues to wrestle against one another hungrily, as if we have been craving that for too long. He laces my back with his arms, pulling my body closer.

  I can’t believe I’m doing this again. I tried to convince myself that what happened between Blake and I was just a one-time thing, but I was wrong. A one-time thing? How can that be after how wonderful he was? After how wonderful it was between the two of us.

  And more than that, the way he handled Dale just now…and the things he said. There’s this air of arrogance around Blake, yes, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. Under his bad boy looks, there’s a gentle heart somewhere in there.

  And it’s that combination, his gentleness and bad boy looks, that has me hooked.

  "Come with me,” I whisper at him, running my tongue between my lips.

  He lets me guide him, no questions asked. Grabbing his hand, I take him across the living room and into my bedroom, pushing the door open with the tip of my foot.

  Blake leans into me, pressing his mouth against mine once again, his tongue darting hungrily inside my mouth.

  Then, I grab him by the hand and pull him to the edge of the bed. Slowly, I place my hands on his chest and give him a push, forcing him to lay down on the mattress as I climb over him.

  I tilt my head, my lips begging for his. Once more, he kisses me frantically. Our lips fight and embrace each
other, my shaky fingers wrestling with the buttons on his shirt, clumsily undressing him.

  I place the palms of my hands on his chest, feeling his thick ropey muscles and the cadence of his heart. I unbutton the rest of his shirt and, in a desperate motion, take it off him.

  My head nestles against his chest, my hungry lips kissing him all over. I can feel the pulse of his heart against my lips, the warmth of his skin as my kisses go down from his pectorals to his hard abs, softly descending over his belly.

  Right now, there’s only one thing I’m sure of: I’m as wet as I’ve ever been and my pussy is aching with blinding desire.

  He pulls me against him by the hips, our bodies pressed against each other. He tangles his fingers in my hair, tilting my head in a way that makes our lips a perfect match, the eagerness of both our bodies impossible to deny. I suck on his tongue, my parted lips hungry for him.

  Without allowing my gaze to wander from his eyes, I take my fingers to my shoulders and slide down the straps of my top. Blake swallows in hard as the black lace bra that cup my breasts tightly comes into view. I don´t even blink. He finishes taking my top as I’m on top of him, my knees resting on the mattress.

  Both my hands are on his face, our eyes locked as my thighs squeeze him. I can feel him hardening even more, my wetness pressing against his crotch. He rests his hands under my skirt, on my thighs, the warmth on my skin spreading through his fingers.

  He´s so hard right now. There´s a massive erection raging againt his pants and his desire is almost palpable, so heavy I can feel it in the atmosphere around us. His eyes are darting up and down my body, going down from my neck to the valley between my breasts, quickly descending over my tight black skirt and then slowing down as they reach my legs.

  I can’t help it.

  My tongue runs over my lips as my hands slide down from his shoulder blades to the hem of his pants. I move them around his waist and, finally finding his belt buckle, I open it up, then pull it off smoothly through the loops of his jeans in a single motion.

  Anxiety making my heart beat faster, I let it fall from my fingers. I go back to his pants and undo the top button, my trembling fingers then taking care of his zipper; the moment I start pulling it down, ever so slowly, his cock pushes back against my fingers from under his boxer briefs, making my heart beat even faster.