Her body reacted as if his hands were alreadyon it, his beard scraping her skin as she tasted his salty flesh.She tried to clear her head of the erotic images filling it as shestrode over to him. Resting her hand on his arm, she led him into ashadowed corner of the gallery.
“I know I shouldn’t be here, but I wanted tosay hi,” he said.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She rose on her toesto give him a quick kiss. Nicolette was probably fuming, but herwrath was worth seeing him again. “Did you get your laundrydone?”
“I did.” He hated every second of being awayfrom her and worried about her the entire time, but he couldn’thang out at her work. “I have this for you.”
When he held his hand out to her, Aidacouldn’t make out the white thing he held until he lifted it beforeher. Aida’s mouth parted, and then her heart swelled with love whenhe revealed the origami swan he held.
Laughing, Aida took it from him and cradledit carefully in her hand. After one of the many times she fled herhouse after a nightmare, Julian brought her a swan just like this.At first, it was one of the nights where she couldn’t talk, butwhen he handed her the swan, something inside her broke.
The tears streaking her face were no longerones of anguish, but joy. At the time, everything seemed so bleakto her, but somehow the swan became a beacon of hope in her damagedworld.
It was the first time she told him some ofwhat happened to her in the basement; the first time she revealedthe true depth of her despair. Instead of running away, like she’dfeared he would, he drew her into his arms and held her while theytalked and watched the sunrise.
“Did you make this?” she asked.
“Just like last time,” he said.
It had been difficult to imagine the boycarefully folding the paper into a delicate swan; it was doublydifficult to imagine the man doing so. Her heart swelled with loveas she held the swan against her chest.
“I still have the first one you made me,” shetold him.
Julian brushed the hair back from her face ashe cupped her cheek and bent to kiss her. He shouldn’t be here,this was her life and her job, but staying away was more difficultthan he anticipated.
He’d known having sex with her would onlyamplify his need to complete the bond, but he hadn’t anticipatedhow much it would accelerate it and how much he would loathe beingseparated from her for any length of time. It was his fault. He’dstayed away from her for so long that he was pushing the boundariesof his restraint before having sex with her, and now it was only amatter of time before he lost control.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” he said.“What time will you be done?”
“Around ten.”
“I’ll come back to walk you home.”
“I’ll see you then.”
He kissed her and squeezed her hand beforereleasing her and walking away. A small hole opened in Aida’s heartas he opened the door and stepped outside. He shoved his hands inhis pockets as he strode past the plate glass windows and towardAddy’s.
Aida slipped into the storage room and setthe swan on her purse before returning to the gallery. Sheplastered on a smile when a woman approached to ask her about oneof Owen’s paintings.
•••
“There are only a couple of paintings left,” Owensaid as he examined the walls with a smile and his hands claspedbehind his back. He deserved the cat-that-ate-the-canary look onhis face; he’d proven his talent with this showing.
“Gerald bought two of them,” Nicolettesaid.
Aida turned off the lights as she walkedaround the room. “I think the rest will sell tomorrow.”
When the door opened, she looked up as Julianentered. “I’ll be outside,” he told her before retreating.
“If you decide to give him up, I’m sureGerald would be more than happy to take his place,” Nicolette said.“He was quite taken with you.”
Owen scowled at this.
“Who?” Aida asked; she was too focused onJulian to follow the conversation.
“The handsome man in a sports coat,”Nicolette said. “You spent a good deal of time showing himaround.”
It took Aida a minute to recall who she wastalking about, and then she said, “Oh, yes, I remember him.”
