Chapter 31

She tilted her head as she watched him navigate the early weekend traffic. After their big discussion two days before he’d seemed to become even more inquisitive. Questions popped up at the oddest times, in the middle of a chord progression as he worked on a final song, right in the middle of cooking. Time or place hadn’t seemed to matter. And she’d answered each question in detail. That’s what trying was all about right?

It had revved up his trying to get her into bed too. Damn the man, horny seemed to be a perpetual state of being for him, but she’d had to refuse him, repeatedly. He hadn’t liked that until she’d finally, in exasperation explained about the contract. His only response to that was to fuck the contract, he wanted her. If anything was tempting to do, it would be that, but she’d held off and gotten torment for the payment. The man simply could not keep his hands to himself. He’d finally relented somewhat, AFTER getting her to agree to at least sleep with him. Ha, she hadn’t slept for two nights thanks to that agreement. Mr. Wandering Hands in his sleep had made sure of that. Thank God they were headed back to the city. She might could get a bit of sleep and get his cover done. She was past more than ready to give in. One more day at his house? She’d be nothing but mush. She just knew it.

She turned to watch him drive, the light in his eyes and that half smirk on his lips setting fires in the pit of her belly. He seemed so relaxed for someone heading back into the heart of the Big Apple. Had simply agreeing to try done that for him? A slight smile snuck onto her lips as she leaned back, her eyes closing. He was even humming, probably some dash of inspiration that would make its way into a song once he hit the studio again.

It was amazing at how quickly life changed. She’d left New York an unattached graphic’s artist and was returning in a semi sort of kinda relationship. Exactly what kind of relationship hadn’t been worked out yet. There were still the kinks involved with being under contract, and his needing to finish all he had to finish, but she’d given her word to see where it would lead, and that she’d stick too.

She couldn’t help herself. She WANTED to see where it would all lead. He defied description in so many ways, for the everyday Jersey guy he was. Hell he wasn’t just some Jersey guy, for all his protestations, and that was probably why he’d managed to wrangle all of her secrets out that night. Her heart warmed as the words flowed through her memories. He’d ended up finding out everything, about her limitations and medical background and none of it had phased him. At least it hadn’t yet.

For now she’d agreed to see what would happen, and if that one night they’d played with fire were any indication, she was in for an interesting time. Would he want to stay at her place? Would he want her at his? She could picture him all too easily sprawled out on her bed, the wisps of fabric just hiding him from view as she painted…. Her eyes popped open as the inspiration hit. She wanted to paint him, she hadn’t wanted to pick up a brush in years, but now it was there, throbbing in her finger tips, making her palms itch. She wanted at her oils and in the worst way, she could see the paint on the canvas even now.

The change in her was amazing to see. Her finger twirled a lock of her loose hair. That in itself was impressive. The fact that she even allowed him to see that softer side of her was a step in the right direction as far as he was concerned. "You gonna let me in on the smirk?"

Her head swiveled as his voice broke into her thoughts, one brow lifting quizzically. "You wouldn't believe me or agree to it more than likely."

"Depends on how much of it includes me and naked."

One hand lifted to push her frames up into her hairline. "Well it does include you, but not naked, at least not initially."

She closed one eye in a wink, "although it might fuel a fantasy or two." Her heart double stepped and sped up as the words escaped her.

"Hmm...initially, huh?" He flashed a grin at her, then back at the road. "I'm all about keeping naked on the table--so to speak." He cleared his throat at her delighted laugh.

"Yeah, there's definite nakey in my future."

He'd offered her so much, and the more she thought of it the more it hit her that he was offering more than a few moments of pleasure on some big bed. If she were right, he'd thrown his heart into the equation. And he wanted, god she could feel it radiating off of him even now. How would he handle being asked to wait until the contract was over? Hell Alex, one thing at a time. Start with the easy stuff, don't jinx things if you don't have too.

"Well," she glanced at him a moment before turning to watch the scenery, "I have this urge to paint, haven't had that in years really, for all the reasons you learned on bet night, but I can feel it, makes my fingers tingle with the need."

She turned to watch him again, "Ever had your fingers tingle with the need to actually ....well play? Or write? Its like that for me right now, just with oils, well, I'd like to paint you."

He lifted her hand to his mouth, his tongue flicking over the fragile skin of her wrist. "You just described the best part of me. The part of me that will always keep us on even ground."

She pulled away from the maddening flicks of his tongue, her finger trailing quickly along his cheek. "I want to try at least, try to show you the real me..." she took a deep breath and plunged in as far as she could safely go, "at least, try to. I've spent so many years killing that side of me I may not be able too."

He laced their fingers together. "Anytime you stifle that side of you--the creative side--it will eventually knock you on your ass." He leaned in and nuzzled her neck. "Delectable ass as it may be," he laughed when she pushed him back and complained that he needed to watch the road. "I've showed you mine--now you show me yours."

"You've already seen mine." Eyes widened as the teasing words left her lips. She hadn't teased anyone in forever, where had that come from? " I mean, you've seen my sketches, my place," her words faded off as they started sounding more like the come up to see my etchings, than a certified offer to sit for a portrait. "What have you done to me eh?"

"I've also seen that big, white bed that says Richie," he lowered his voice. "Richie...you could drop her in the middle of that bed and not come up for air for hours." When the blush went dark, he laughed long and low. "I could breathe you in, steal your paintbrushes and see just what else we can come up with. Ever played with finger paints?"

She felt the thrill of the words as the tingle of awareness reared into full blown madness. Leaning into his ear she first took a slight taste of his ear lobe before whispering, "I hear chocolate works better than silly old finger paints."

He watched the road from the corner of his eye, latching onto her lips. At her quick intake of breath, he slid inside her mouth until he could suck on her tongue for a moment. Just enough to feel the hiccup of her breath. "Chocolate, vanilla, fuck if I care if it's butterscotch. I just want to taste all that silky skin on your inner thighs...well, at least to start."

She pushed away, her heart falling right into the floorboard as she turned his face forward again. "Eyes on the road man, I wanna live to see the city." Yeah, make it out like your afraid Alex, you know if he keeps it up you'll have him pulling over and you so can't do that.

She sucked in a breath and managed to straighten in her seat. "and don't think you can get me off subject like that. Won't work Mister. Will you sit for me or not?"

"As long as I have something to do, I can sit forever. So I guess I bring my guitar." He smirked. "You're good enough to take it out of the painting if you don't want it in there."

She exhaled slowly, knowing she didn't need him there to paint him. The painting was already fulled formed in her head, her fingers itching to mix the colors that would reveal it to the canvas. "Just the guitar?"

"Is there anything else in this life?"Hhe gripped her thigh. "I'd love to see you just wearing my guitar."

"No you don't, you wanna see me sans clothes and you know that guitar wouldn't hide anything."

"I've seen you naked. I want to see you naked every day." He cupped the back of her neck. "Don't you forget that, you're beautiful."

She shook her head and turned her gaze back to the road. "Flattery will get you... most anywhere." She wondered then if he would just go for the seeing her naked, because she wasn't about to endanger her job to give him what went along with it. The contract was due to be over soon, she already had the mock ups for the album done. Could she hold out until then?

"I aim to please, darlin'." He glanced over at her, then pitched his voice lower. "In every way possible."