Dark Masterpiece (Serendipity Series 3)

by Brieanna Robertson

  Evie shrieked as an enormous splash attacked her and Traevyn emerged coughing and sputtering, his hair clinging to his face, as well as Seth’s.

  Seth swatted at the wet strands, trying to remove them. One was coiled around his throat and he snorted. “Dude, this is like a bad horror movie.” He shoved Traevyn’s hair aside and laughed, treading water nearby.

  Traevyn pulled his hair out of his face and shook his head. He fixed a scowl on Talis and Seth, but couldn’t maintain it for long. They were grinning like the devils they were and he chuckled. He pulled his arm back and sent a stream of water right at both of them.

  Evie shrieked again as she got some of the attack. She frowned and advanced, sending a splash of her own as Talis and Seth retaliated. The three of them had backed Traevyn into a corner and he lunged forward, hauling Seth out of the water and body slamming him back into it.

  Evie laughed as her brother went flying. She saw Traevyn turn his attention to her next and she squealed, trying to turn and escape. He was too fast. His arm was around her waist and he pulled her up to hold in front of him as Talis continued to send little, annoying splashes directly in his face.

  Traevyn laughed. “Stop! I have a hostage!” he cried.

  Talis ignored him and continued to splash.

  Evie squeezed her eyes shut as she got most of it. “Quit it!” she sputtered. “You’re going to drown me!”

  Seth attacked from behind, grabbing Traevyn around the shoulders and pulling him backward to dunk him again. Evie escaped and Traevyn emerged, shaking his head and sending water flying everywhere. “Come on, you guys,” he complained. “Three against one? Tell me how this is fair. Where’s Ash when you need him?”

  “You scared him into the next century,” Talis grumbled.

  They all laughed and continued to play, all troublesome thoughts momentarily forgotten.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Evie was taking much longer to get ready than she rightly should and she felt stupid for it, but she was technically, kinda sorta, going on a date with Traevyn, and she wanted to look magnificent. She didn’t know if she could really consider it a “date,” but she figured it was close enough, and she was going to indulge herself. She huffed in frustration and yanked her shirt off. She threw it on Talis’s bed, since she was using his room to change. Nothing was satisfying her. She wanted to look alluring and sexy, but everything she tried on made her feel short and frumpy.

  The door opened without warning and she shrieked. Seth walked in, completely unabashed. “Seth!” Evie yelled. “What are you doing? Can’t you see I’m in my bra?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.” He flopped down on the bed.

  Evie rolled her eyes.

  “Why aren’t you ready yet?” he asked. “Traevyn’s only been waiting for you for about a million years. He does have reservations, you know.”

  She scowled and tried on another shirt. “I can’t decide what to wear. How does this look?” She turned to show Seth the bright yellow shirt she had donned.

  He made a face. “You look like a giant banana.”

  She let out a frustrated growl and yanked the shirt off again. “It’s hopeless!” she cried.

  Seth sighed and laid back to stare up at the ceiling. “You’re being dumb, Evie. Just put something on.”

  She rummaged through her suitcase until she found a V-neck, rose colored shirt and a pair of black slacks. She put them on and turned to face Seth, still feeling rather boring. “Look, this is the last outfit I have and it’s just as dull as all the others.”

  He blinked. “Well, that shirt gives you a nice cleavage shot.”

  She looked down at how much the V-neckline revealed and she blushed.

  “Look, who cares?” Seth asked. “You don’t want to act like a stupid middle-schooler. Besides, Traevyn’s seen you in your pajamas and after you’ve cleaned his house. I don’t think you really have to worry about impressing him.” He stood up and went around behind her to give her a shove. “Just go.”

  “But—”

  He placed his hands firmly on her back and started pushing her toward the door. “Go!”

  Evie grumbled something incoherent as she stumbled out the door and into the living room. Traevyn waited patiently on the couch. He smiled when she came in.

  “Ready?” he questioned.

  She gave him a cheesy grin which meant she was nowhere near ready, but no longer had a choice in the matter.

  Traevyn chuckled. “I made reservations for us at this nice Italian restaurant. I hope you’re not sick of Italian.”

  “Are you kidding?” she asked. “I could eat Italian food every night of my life.”

  He smiled and they headed out to Talis’s car. They had spent a nice day wandering around downtown Sedona with Talis and Ash earlier. It was cute and touristy and Evie had found several things to take home as souvenirs. They had found many beautiful art galleries and Talis had taken them to a few nice scenic areas where Evie had exhausted her poor camera.

  She didn’t know if she’d just been reading too much into everything, but it seemed to her that Traevyn had been much more attentive to her than usual. It seemed that he’d been standing closer, and had gone out of his way to be near her. Her heart beat a little faster at the possibility of his earlier actions.

  They were at the restaurant soon and Evie was impressed with how gorgeous it was. It was high class and elegant with beautiful paintings and decorations, but even though it was apparent that she was in a very upscale place, the fine décor didn’t compare to the way Traevyn had transformed his living room for her. That would always be the best as far as she was concerned.

  Traevyn watched Evie quietly as they waited for their food. She was reading the wine list, but felt his eyes on her. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt his fingers brush against hers and she looked up to see him smiling.

  “Tell me, Evie,” he said softly. “You have been my apprentice for two months now. Have you really even learned anything?” He chuckled.

  “Of course I have! I’ve learned how to clean a Gothic mansion, cook a different meal every night, and entertain a dark, brooding, beautiful man.”

  A faint flush touched his cheeks and he looked down at the table. “Beautiful, you say?”

  She blushed at her own forwardness and nodded.

  He smiled at her flattering words and he brought her fingers to his lips. “Well, that’s all well and good,” he said, “but have you learned anything about art?”

  “Of course I have,” she said with a smile. “I’m not intimidated to paint anymore. I’ve learned how to better choose colors to express my feelings, to use my heart and emotions to create more than logic and thought.” She met his eyes. “You have always inspired me, Traevyn. You do more so now that I know you.”

  “Evie, you inspire me every day of my life,” he murmured.

  She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. Her heart felt like it was going to burst.

  “How do you like Arizona so far?” he questioned.

  “It’s beautiful. At least what I’ve seen is.” She frowned in thought. “Where does your other brother live?”

  “Julian? He lives in South Lake Tahoe, California.”

  “But you were all born and raised in Portland, right?”

  He nodded.

  “How old are your brothers, and how did you end up in such different places?”

  “What is this, an interview?” he asked with a chuckle.

  Evie blushed. “Sorry, but there is no information about you on the internet. I had to do a report on you and I’m surprised I even got a grade.”

  “Yes, I like to keep my private life private. How long did this report of yours have to be?”

  “Five pages,” she grumbled, “and three fourths of it was BS. Although it must have been good BS because I think it’s what got me chosen as your apprentice.”

  “So you’d like me to fill in the blanks for you?” He grinned. “I would think y
ou’d already know way too much information about me.”

  She held his gaze. “I think I could live my whole life and never know enough.” It came out before she could stop it, and she wanted to kick herself. Stupid brain! Couldn’t it ever sensor itself?

  He caressed his thumb across the back of her hand and gave a soft sigh. “Well, Julian is twenty-three. He went to school in Portland, but moved to South Lake Tahoe when he got a job offer to be a veterinary assistant. Someone he went to school with hooked him up with the connection. He’s finishing up school at UNR in Reno, Nevada, which is only an hour drive from where he lives. Talis is twenty.”

  Evie frowned. She was older than Talis? She never would have guessed that, but the Whitelaw brothers seemed to have a way of coming off more mature than their age would suggest. She could bet Julian was the same way.

  “Talis has always been a free spirit,” he continued. “He never went to college. A friend of his he knew in high school moved to Sedona after graduation and started his tattoo business. He asked Talis if he wanted to come out with him after he graduated, so he did. Just because he could. He’s always been a good artist. He learned the trade and that was that… And he’s always loved medieval history. It’s no surprise to me that he does what he does.”

  She shook her head. “I wish I could be free and spontaneous like that.”

  He smiled. “Do you think I am like my little brother?”

  Evie thought for a moment. Talis and Traevyn had the same calm intensity and they were both amazing artists. Talis’s art was just displayed on human flesh instead of canvas. She glanced up at Traevyn’s eyes. Talis’s were a different color, but they held the same gentleness. And, when Traevyn had been playing with all of them in the pool, the shadows had momentarily lifted and his eyes had sparkled like his brother’s. She smiled. “A little,” she replied.

  Talis was beautiful like Traevyn, but more modern. Traevyn seemed more like a lord of old. That was ironic considering Talis was the one who made a living every summer by pretending he was in the middle ages.

  Their food came and they both lapsed into the kind of small talk that generally accompanied stuffing your face. After their meal, Evie was surprised when a crème brulee was put on their table with a candle in it and the waitress spread rose petals across their table. “Congratulations,” she said with a grin.

  Evie frowned and Traevyn turned a confused glance up to the waitress. “I beg your pardon?”

  “On your anniversary,” she supplied. “The dessert is on us.”

  Evie’s cheeks turned hot and she looked down.

  Traevyn frowned. “I’m sorry, there must be some kind of misunderstanding. This is not our anniversary.”

  The waitress frowned. “Oh… Well, a young man just called here and told us that it was. He gave us your description and told us he was your brother.”

  Traevyn’s eyes narrowed. “Mine or hers?”

  The waitress shrugged helplessly. “He didn’t specify.”

  “Matchmaking brats,” he muttered. He gave the waitress a smile. “Thank you.”

  She nodded and left.

  Evie glanced up at Traevyn. Her face was on fire, she was sure of it.

  He chuckled. “Well, we may as well eat it,” he said, indicating the rejected crème brulee. “It’s free and all.”

  She gave him a withered smile and picked up the spoon. She ate her portion quickly and was silent as they drove to Airport Mesa. She was quite certain that she was going to murder Seth when they got back to Talis’s. Although it had been very romantic, it was also very embarrassing considering she and Traevyn weren’t even dating let alone married.

  She sighed as she thought of being Traevyn’s wife. How amazing would it be to wake up next to such a magnificent man every morning? She bet he was a really good lover. Everything about Traevyn was so intense. Her cheeks turned red at the thought of it. Had his ex-wife been absolutely out of her mind? Who would cheat on Traevyn? What a stupid, stupid woman.

  She stole a sidelong glance at him. His hair was flowing over one shoulder and she reached out impulsively to touch a strand of it. He looked over at her and smiled.

  Her heart stuttered for a moment. She would do anything, give up anything, if it meant she could keep him smiling like that. She looked down and swallowed hard. Oh man, this was so much worse than Maxim had ever been.

  Traevyn noticed that Evie had fallen silent since the restaurant. As they parked the car and made their way to the lookout point, he let himself study her. She was walking slightly in front of him so he could look his fill without her realizing it. He smiled to himself. She was so different from Amy. Amy had been tall, sultry, the kind of woman any man would have gone after. Her makeup had always been perfect, her clothing and hair perfect, every move looking like she had planned it to her advantage. She had been every man’s fantasy come to life.

  Evie was short with luscious curves. He had seen her in her pajamas with bed head. Pink, karate chopping monkey pajamas. Amy would never have been caught dead wearing something like that. She had always worn silk and satin negligees to bed. At the time, he had found it incredibly sexy, but there was something very endearing about Evie’s monkey PJ’s.

  He had seen all sides of Evie. He’d seen her look casual. He’d seen her dressed nice. He’d seen her covered in paint smudges. He’d seen her in a baggy t-shirt and ripped jeans with bright yellow gloves on as she scrubbed his bathtub. The only thing he hadn’t seen was how she looked in formalwear, which he would be seeing the next day. He had no doubt in his mind that she would be stunning.

  They came to stand at the edge of the lookout point, gazing down at the city below and the red rocks towering around it. He lapsed back into thought as Evie took in the breathtaking scenery.

  How was it that he could find himself so attracted to Evie when she was so different from anything he had loved about Amy? Evie was not fluid, not graceful. She was loud. She was opinionated. She summoned him to dinner by crashing a gong. She threw sandals at him. She called him a caveman directly to his face and told him just where he could go when he ticked her off. She was like a chaotic storm threatening anything that dare come in her path. But…when the storm was calm, it was paradise.

  She listened to him. She understood him. Everything he loved she shared a passion for. She knew what he was feeling and he didn’t even have to say anything. She saw him. Since day one she had seen him. She saw past the barriers, past the cold walls. She saw past all the strange symbolism in his paintings and could put her finger directly on the message of his soul. She could touch him when no one else could even get close. She had been the one person he felt he could confide in, let inside. He had given her the good part of his soul, trusting implicitly that she would not destroy it. And she hadn’t. She carried it gently, protected it. Protected him.

  He sighed as the setting sun kissed her hair, glinting golden off the blonde and turning the brown into a warm amber color. He remembered her hair looking the same way the night he had gone to the beach with her and Seth. That night… That had been the turning point, the moment where he had begun to feel life and light in his heart again. The night on the anniversary of Leanna’s death. He should have felt guilty for it, but he didn’t. Leanna had been all about life. She would have wanted him to be there. He knew that now. He had done nothing wrong. He would do far better to grace his daughter’s memory by living every day instead of brooding in stoic silence. Evie had shown him that.

  Evie glanced over her shoulder at him then, frowning slightly. “What are you doing back there? Are you alive? You bring me out here just to stand back there and brood?”

  He smirked and watched as the sun began to sink down behind the mountains, making the red rocks glow in a blaze of orange and gold.

  “This is so beautiful, Traevyn,” she said as she gazed out at the breathtaking landscape. “I wish I could paint it.”

  Traevyn smiled and walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders
and pulled her close to him, close to his heart. He heard her sharp intake of breath and knew he had surprised her. He felt her pulse pounding. He closed his eyes as he soaked in the warmth she emitted, the warmth that kept his soul alive.

  He leaned his cheek against the top of Evie’s head and let his senses fill with her. She felt right in his arms, soft and welcoming, like he had come home after a long and exhausting journey. She smelled clean and sweet, probably like her shampoo. She was not dripping in artificial, perfumy fragrance. She smelled real. She felt real.

  He had never seen Amy as anything other than a goddess, and he had always felt unworthy because of the subtle arrogance such beauty had given her. The silent message that seemed to whisper, “I could have any man I want, but I chose you. Be grateful.” Well, in the end, she had chosen another.

  Amy had always seemed unreal to him, like a fantasy or a waking dream. Evie was real, complete, a real life fairy tale. He smiled and hugged her closer. “Evie,” he whispered against her ear, “do you read fairy tales?”

  She frowned. “I did when I was little.”

  “Which one was your favorite?”

  She thought for a moment. “Beauty and the Beast,” she replied simply.

  Traevyn smiled and closed his eyes. “Of course it was.” He pressed a soft kiss to the base of her neck before returning his attention to the sunset.

  Yes, Evie was real, and so were the feelings he held for her in his heart. More real, he’d say, than anything else he’d ever experienced. It was clear to him now.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Evie was, to say the least, apprehensive as she got ready for the gallery opening. She was nervous because she’d never been to one before, was afraid she was going to look like a complete idiot, and Traevyn had been acting weird all day. She had wracked her brain all night trying to figure out why he had held her against him at Airport Mesa like he never wanted to let her go again. She knew Seth thought she was stupid for doubting the fact that Traevyn had feelings for her, but he had never said anything. What if he just liked being close to her because he had been alone for so long?