“That was some reunion.”
“It sure was,” she spoke as her finger ran across my chest.
“Tell me more about you.”
“What do you want to know?” She looked up at me.
“Everything. How are you going to tell the guy you’re seeing that you fucked another man?”
She laughed. “You know damn well I’m not seeing anyone.”
“I know. I just wanted to hear you say it. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?”
She got up from the couch. “I’ll be right back.”
A few moments later, she returned, wearing a black satin short robe.
“I’m going to grab us some wine before I get into that story.” She smiled.
Getting up from the couch, I pulled on my underwear and my pants. When she emerged from the kitchen, she handed me a glass of wine and took a seat next to me.
“When I arrived in London, my boyfriend back in California and I had been broken up for two weeks. We had dated for nine months. He took me to a fancy restaurant, where I was sure he was going to ask me to move in with him, but instead, he told me he was gay.”
“Are you serious?” I asked in shock.
“Yep. One hundred percent. But we’re really close friends now. He’s a great guy and besides Sienna, he’s one of my best friends.”
“Well, that’s good that you remained friends with him. I didn’t know you lived in California.”
“Yeah. I actually just moved back here a couple of months ago. I worked at the other gallery that Connor and Ellery own in Los Angeles. I started out here as an intern for them and he moved me there as an assistant curator. Then, he moved me back here when he offered me the managing job at the new gallery.”
“Remind me to thank him the next time I see him.”
“How about you? Your parents must be very proud of your accomplishments.”
I took in a sharp breath. Discussing my past wasn’t an option. Not even with her.
“Of course they are. Listen, I better get going. I have to fly out to Minneapolis tomorrow for a meeting.”
“On a Sunday?” she asked as she looked up at me.
Reaching down, my lips gently brushed against hers.
“Yes, on a Sunday. Unfortunately, my work is seven days a week.”
She sat up and took a sip of her wine as I got up from the couch and finished getting dressed.
“Can I have your phone number?” I asked with a smile.
“Sure.” She grinned as she rattled it off to me. “Can I have yours?” She stood up.
Running the back of my hand down her cheek, I spoke, “You’ll have it when I either call you or text you.”
“Oh, okay.” She frowned.
After I kissed her lips one last time, she walked me to the door.
“Have a safe trip to Minneapolis.”
“I will. I’ll see you soon.”
Climbing into the limo, I shut the door and stared at the brownstone as Eli drove away.
“How did it go?” he asked as he looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“It went good, really good.” I continued to stare out the window.
Meeting her parents was the last thing I wanted to do. I’d never met a woman’s parents before. That was totally unexpected and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I could sense trouble where Chloe Kane was concerned; trouble for me. I could tell she was very family oriented and that didn’t sit well with me.
Chapter 11
Chloe
“Morning.” Sienna kissed my cheek as she strutted into my apartment. “I brought bagels.”
“Morning. I tried calling you last night and you didn’t answer.” I frowned.
“Sorry. I was a bit tied up.” She winked.
Rolling my eyes, I poured us each a cup of coffee. “Who tied you up this time?”
“Billy James.” She grinned.
Shaking my head, I grabbed a plate for the bagels and set it on the table.
“I thought you weren’t seeing him anymore.”
“We aren’t. We ran into each other at Starbucks last night and we got to talking, reminiscing about the great sex we used to have, and one thing led to another,” she spoke as she took the bagels from the brown bag and walked over to the trashcan. “What the fuck, Chloe?!” she exclaimed as she held up the condom from last night.
“Put that down! You’re nasty.”
“You have five seconds to tell me what happened here last night and with whom. And you better not say it was with Sebastian because you specifically told me that you wouldn’t and couldn’t.”
As I cut into my bagel, I sat there with a smile on my face.
“Five...four...three...two...”
“Okay. Sebastian just happened to show up here right before my parents did and my mom invited him to stay for dinner. They left. He stayed and we had sex.”
Her jaw dropped as she took the seat across from me. “But—”
“I couldn’t help it. He was so charming, sexy, and irresistible. It’s those damn brown eyes.”
She sighed as she bit into her bagel. “So now what?”
“I don’t know. I like him. I know that much.”
“Where is he? Didn’t he stay the night or was he gone again before you woke up?”
“He left last night. He had to fly to Minneapolis this morning for a meeting.”
“Hmm. So he got what he wanted and left? Sounds like me and that’s not a good thing.”
I shrugged. “He asked for my phone number, so I’m sure he’ll call me later.”
“Did you get his?”
“He said that I’ll have it when he calls or texts me.”
“And you don’t think that’s strange?”
“Whatever. If he wants to play games, he can. You know how I am about playing games.”
“Good girl. Keep your head held high. I have a strange feeling about Mr. Bennett.”
“What do you mean? You haven’t even met him yet.”
“I know I haven’t, but something tells me he’s a very complicated man.”
“He can be complicated all he wants. This girl won’t get tangled in his web.” I smiled as I finished off my bagel.
****
Climbing out of bed, I made a cup of coffee and took it into the bathroom to start getting ready for work. Today was the official opening day of the gallery. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I checked it to see if maybe Sebastian had sent me a text message last night. He didn’t and a small part of me was disappointed. It had been a week since our last encounter. Shrugging it off, I finished getting ready and headed out the door.
It was a busy week and one that I welcomed. New art pieces were delivered and displays were set up. As I was sitting at my desk researching some new ideas, my assistant, Gregory, stepped inside.
“Chloe, there’s someone here who would like to speak to you. He’s an artist.”
“Send him in.” I smiled.
Looking for new artists was the most exciting part of my job. As much as I loved historic art and artists, I also loved discovering the talents of individuals looking to break into the art world. If I could make that happen for someone, it made me happy.
As I got up from my desk, a young man, probably early twenties with short spikey black hair and piercings, walked in with a large black binder.
“This is Caden Rice,” Gregory spoke before walking out and shutting the door.
Extending my hand to Mr. Rice, I spoke, “It’s nice to meet you, Caden. I’m Chloe Kane. Please have a seat.”
“Thank you, Miss Kane. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for seeing me.”
“No problem and please call me Chloe. Now how can I help you?” I spoke as I took a seat behind my desk.
“I was wondering if you’d be interested in seeing some of my art? I would love to know your thoughts.”
“Of course. Is that your art portfolio there?” I pointed.
“Yes.” He set the black binder down in fro
nt of me. “I took a walk through the gallery and looked at all the art you have on display. But I did notice something you don’t have, which I feel would be a great asset to this gallery.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
“Open up my portfolio and you’ll see.” He smiled.
As I opened his portfolio and saw the first piece of art, I looked up at him with a grin.
“Contemporary Eroticism.”
“Yes.” He nodded.
“These are beautiful, Caden. Oh my.” I smiled as I turned to the page with the photographs of provocative sculptures. “You sculpt as well?”
“Yes. All the ones you see there have been done in the last six months.”
“Beautiful. I would love to have a display like this in the gallery. The human body and intimacy is a natural and beautiful thing.”
“Exactly. The problem is I can’t seem to find a gallery that will even look at my work.”
“Why’s that?” I cocked my head.
“Because the few galleries around that already have contemporary eroticism displayed aren’t accepting anything new.”
“Well, I think your work is something that should be shown, but, because of the nature, I’ll have to talk to the owners first. I don’t want to cross any lines. The other galleries Mr. Black owns don’t have anything like this. If he’s on board, we can set up a showing.”
“Thank you, Chloe. Wow. I can’t believe this.” He placed his hands on his head.
Handing him a piece of paper and a pen, I asked for his phone number.
“I’ll give Mr. Black a call and set up a meeting and then we’ll go from there.” I got up from my chair and extended my hand. “I’ll be in touch, Caden.”
“Thank you again, Chloe. Have a great day.”
“You too.” I smiled as I walked him out of my office.
Pulling my phone from my purse, I was stunned when I saw a text message from Sebastian.
“Dinner tonight. I will pick you up at seven o’clock.”
What? He doesn’t contact me for a week and then says we’re having dinner? As much as I wanted to see him again, I wasn’t going to let him do that to me.
“Nice to hear from you, Sebastian. Unfortunately, I have plans tonight so I won’t be able to join you for dinner. Maybe another time.”
After replying to his text message, I started to dial Connor when I heard his voice coming up the stairs.
“I was just about to call you.” I smiled as he walked into my office with Gregory.
“Looks like I beat you to it. I had some business to do over here, so I thought I’d drop by and check on things. Did you need something?”
“I would like to talk to you about setting up a new display. I think Ellery should be in on the meeting as well.”
“Okay. What kind of display?”
“Contemporary Eroticism.”
His brow arched as he stared at me. “Oh. Interesting. Are there specific paintings you had in mind?”
“I spoke with an artist just a bit ago and he showed me his portfolio. His work is beautiful. I was going to go look at some of the galleries around and view their displays to see if there’s any uniqueness.”
“I see. Let’s set up a meeting then.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “How about tomorrow around noon? Call the artist and have him meet us here. I’ll have Ellery drop by and we’ll discuss it.”
“Noon is good. Thank you, Connor.”
Chapter 12
Sebastian
I leaned back in my chair as I read Chloe’s text message and got the impression there was a hint of anger in her words. Maybe not so much anger, but definitely an attitude. Did she really have plans tonight? Or was she just pissed off because I hadn’t been in contact with her since our night together last week?
“Hello, Sebastian,” Eli answered.
“I need you to follow Chloe after she leaves work and find out if she goes home or somewhere else. I want to know if she’s lying to me.”
“Will do.”
Placing my phone in my pocket, I walked out of my office.
“I’m leaving the building, Mackenzie. I’ll be back later.”
“Okay, Mr. Bennett.”
Stepping inside the gallery, I looked around and saw Chloe standing over by the Impressionist art display, holding up a painting against the wall. She looked so beautiful in her black short skirt and gray fitted sweater, which showed off her hourglass figure with perfection.
“Do you need help with that?” I asked as I walked up behind her.
When she turned her head, her narrowing eyes locked with mine. Fuck, she was making my cock go wild.
“No. What are you doing here, Sebastian?” she asked as she set the painting down.
“I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d drop by and say hi, since you declined my dinner invitation.”
“I’m sorry, but I have plans for tonight and I’m not cancelling because you want to have dinner. We’ll have dinner together when I’m available,” she spoke as she walked away.
“And what if I’m not available when you’re available?” I followed her as she walked up the stairs.
“Then we’ll have to get our calendars out and schedule a night we’re both available.”
“You’re pissed off at me. I can tell.”
“No, I’m not. Why would I be pissed?” she asked as we walked into her office.
“Because I didn’t call or text you all week.”
“Then you don’t know me very well, Mr. Bennett.” She smiled.
“No. Actually, I don’t. The only real thing I know about you is how incredible you are to have sex with. That’s why I want to have dinner with you. To get to know you better.” I winked.
“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or not by that comment.”
“Believe me, you should be.”
Walking closer to her, I placed my hands on her hips and stared into her gorgeous green eyes.
“I need to kiss you.”
“You need to or you want to?”
“Both. You look very sexy in that outfit.” My hand left her hip and roamed up her skirt, pushing the crotch of her panties to the side. “You’re wet.” My tongue swept over my lips.
“Sebastian, please.”
“Please what?” I whispered as my lips softly touched hers and my finger dipped inside her.
“We can’t.”
“I’m not going to fuck you, Chloe. I’m just going to give you an orgasm so you’ll think about me when you’re out tonight.” My finger moved in and out of her.
“Oh God.” She threw her head back and moaned as I dipped another finger inside.
My tongue trailed down the front of her neck, gliding across her soft skin. Pressing my thumb against her clit, I began to rub it in small circles, sending her body into a state of frenzy.
“That’s right, baby. Come for me,” I whispered as my mouth met hers.
I could feel the rapid beating of her heart against me and the soft subtle noises that escaped her as she orgasmed, satisfied my needs for now. Removing my fingers, I let go of her and placed one hand in my pocket. Before reaching the door, I turned and looked at her.
“Enjoy your evening tonight, Miss Kane.” I winked as I walked out.
****
Chloe
I needed to sit down in order to catch my breath, not to mention the fact that my wobbly knees were ready to give out on me. Taking a seat behind my desk, I could still feel his touch.
“Are you okay, Chloe?” Gregory asked as he stepped inside my office.
“Oh yeah. I’m—I’m good.” My lips gave way to a smile.
“Here are the invoices from the last shipment.”
“Thank you. If everything is under control here, I’m going to a couple of art galleries and then I’m heading home.”
“Enjoy the rest of your day, Chloe.” He smiled. “We’ll call you if anything comes up.”
Getting up from my seat, I grabbed my phon
e and purse and headed to a couple of local art galleries to check out their displays of contemporary eroticism. When I finished and made it home, I changed my clothes and hailed a cab to Porter House New York where I was meeting Sienna and Sam for dinner.
“Well, hello there, beautiful.” Sam smiled as he stood up from his seat and gave me a hug. “Long time no see.”
“How are you, Sam?” I gave a small grin.
“I’m great now that I’m here with two of the most beautiful women in New York.” He winked.
I looked down at Sienna, whose ass was firmly planted in the chair, only to catch her narrowing eyes looking up at me. She knew something happened today. Damn her. She always knew.
“How was your day, Chloe?” she slyly asked.
“Busy. Very busy.” My eyes directed themselves to Sam. “How was your flight?” I asked to distract myself from the stand I was going to be put on, having to solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That would have to wait, since I was not discussing the events of today in front of her English boy toy.
“The flight was good. Slept most of it. Needed to make sure I got my rest in before tonight.” He winked at Sienna as she gave him a small smile.
“And how long are you in New York?”
“A week. But somehow, I think a week isn’t long enough with this beauty.” He took hold of Sienna’s hand and brought it up to his lips.
“Aw, aren’t you two just so freaking adorable.” I shrugged my shoulders and wrinkled my nose.
Chapter 13
Sebastian
“I don’t know why you’re doing this, Sebastian,” Eli commented as he pulled in front of the Time Warner Center.
“What do you mean? I’m meeting Damien for dinner.”
“Of all the places in New York City, you have to dine at the same restaurant that Miss Kane is dining at?”
“Pure coincidence, my friend.” I smiled as I climbed out and saw Damien waiting for me in front of the building.
We took the stairs up to the third level, and when we reached the restaurant, my eyes did a quick scan for Chloe.