AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just saying.” I sip my coffee as she stares at me. “I’ve been told that I’m really good at it too.”
“Really?” She shrugs, turning her attention back to painting. “I wouldn’t know. You couldn’t seem to stop if the world was ending.”
I place my coffee cup on the nightstand next to her bed. “Now, darling, why don’t you come down here so we can talk.” I place my foot on the bottom rung, her head whipping around to look at me.
“Atlas,” she says, taking a step higher on the ladder. “Don’t!”
“Don’t what?” I take a step up, then another. “Remind you that you were the one begging me not to stop?”
“This is dangerous, I have paint!” she squeals.
“Then come down here and we can talk,” I say, taking another step closer to her.
Her laughter is almost uncontrollable as she tries to escape me. When I reach her, I take the paint from her, reaching around to place it on the top platform. I reach out and run my fingers over a piece of her hair that has a swatch of pink paint in it.
“Why didn’t you sleep in my bed last night?” She shrugs. “Tell me.”
“I dunno.” She pushes past me and steps down from the ladder as I follow. “I didn’t want to just assume and then intrude on your personal space. It was a little different situation when we were in Kansas since we had to share a room.”
“I understand and for what it’s worth, it wouldn’t be intruding on my personal space.”
“Good to know.” We sit on the edge of her bed like two nervous teenagers trying to decide who’s going to make the first move, my brain trying to make sense of her decision to paint this room once we were back from a very intimate few days together. Naturally, I’m convinced it’s because she wants to put space back between us. My stomach knots at the thought that I know I’m falling in love with this woman and she’s slipping through my fingers.
“On that note, I will let you get back to painting. I have another three or four solid hours of meetings so I’ll be in my office until dinner.”
“Are we eating together tonight?” Her eyes look hopeful.
“Doubtful,” I say, looking at my watch and starting to make my way toward her door. “Odds are I’ll eat in my office.” I make the mistake of catching her gaze once more before I leave, that same disappointed look back in her eyes, the one that makes me feel like a piece of shit. “I like the color you chose by the way. Looks great.”
This time I don’t look back. I head straight to my office and slam the door, sinking down into my chair to sulk. No matter how hard I try to focus on work, my thoughts are consumed with her. I close my eyes, replaying parts of what happened between us in that motel room. I know she felt what I felt. It was so much more than just sex; it felt spiritual if that’s even a thing. Like all these years I thought I knew pleasure until I looked into her eyes while I was inside her. It felt like my soul came alive and every second without her, I’m falling more and more apart.
I turn on some music, trying to drown out all thoughts of her, but it’s no use. Every song I hear reminds me of the night she sang it at the club. Every lyric pulls at my soul, like their singing the pain I’m feeling. What I thought I could once shut out is starting to take over and I’m afraid I’m completely at its mercy.
Chapter 17
Stella
Iplace a record on my player, the soft blare of Miles Davis’ trumpet filling my room. My eyes stay closed as I run my brush through my freshly washed and now dried hair a few times, enjoying the tingles on my scalp.
Dinner must be ready by now, the mouthwatering scent making its way upstairs. I slip on a sundress and make my way downstairs to find Atlas sitting alone at the end of the kitchen table.
“This is a lovely surprise.” I smile.
“Is it?” He has a strange look on his face, one I can’t place.
“Of course. I didn’t think I was going to be able to eat with you.” I notice there’s no place settings on the table, though. “What are we having? It smells so good.”
“Here,” Atlas says, patting his lap as he scoots his chair away from the table. I walk over to him and slowly take a seat on his lap.
“What’s going on?” I ask nervously.
“I think we need to have a little chat.” He pushes my hair away from my neck.
“We do?” I swallow down the nervous lump, ready for the this was a mistake that can’t happen again speech, but then I watch as he drops his hand, sliding it right up my dress to rest on my bare thigh.
“Mm-hmm. I think we need to talk about some new rules, sweetheart.” His other hand is on the back of my neck, his thumb rubbing circles at the base of my head.
“More rules?” I give him a snarky look. “Can’t we discuss them after we eat? I’m starving.”
