“I truly think you are what I’ve been searching for myentire life.” I watch her closely, loving the way her smile grows and cheeks get darker. “You are not only my muse, but the missing part of my heart.”
She leans closer again. “And you, my artist, are the missing part tomine.”
My heart soars as our lips meet again, my hands caressing her legs gently. I never thought it would be possible to fall in love so quickly, but this world has shown me the wonderful reality of experiencing impossible things.
I love her more than I love art itself. The question is, how to tell her?
Chapter Sixteen
WHAT WILL TOMORROW BRING?
ORIE
A FEW WEEKS LATER
My heart races as the sun begins to set—it’s almost time for the surprise I set up for Carson.
While he was out talking to some of the local shop owners about the option of consignment, I’ve been takingallof his art supplies to a stunning part of the conservation area.
I know he wants to paint the area live, but it’s too much work for a human to haul all of those supplies through the woods. That’s where I come in. I can take the load off his shoulders.
Something I’m more than happy to do.
Now, I stand in his cabin—which is looking rather empty without all of his supplies—waiting for him toreturn. I feel his presence growing closer, the sensation now manageable.
All of my urges, and the involuntary tracking, haven’t necessarily lessened…but they’re now a welcome part of my day-to-day life. They don’t consume my every thought. They don’t overwhelm me.
They exist in harmony with me only since actually spending time with Carson.
Orian has been surprisingly less smug than I thought he would be, only saying, “I told you so”once or twice. And he’s actually a good worker, which hurts me to admit but makes me relieved.
He’s settling into a life here rather well. I know I haven’t seen him in many years, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so relaxed and, well,happy, as I have since he got here.
The door to the cabin creaks open, and I smile at Carson as he enters. My tail whips behind me as he scans the room, his eyes wide.
“Hello beautiful,” he greets, his hands sliding up my arms as he plants a kiss on my lips. “Not that I’m not over the moon to see you, but…where are my art supplies?”
I wiggle my eyebrows. “Remember a few weeks ago when you mentioned you’d love to paint in the woods?”
His lips part and his eyes widen, the pupils growing wider as he searches my eyes. “You didn’t.”
“I did.” I nod, feeling rather giddy that my surprise is in fact surprising him. “Want to go?”
He tilts his head downward, his glasses sliding down his nose slightly. “Is that even a question?”
Slipping out of his arms, I walk over to the light switch,keeping my eyes on him. As I plunge us into darkness, my eyes quickly adjust. I know his don’t, though, as he quickly loses focus on where I was.
I sneak behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He doesn’t jump at my touch, just relaxes into it. Before I begin the shadow travel, I plant a kiss in the center of his back, over his t-shirt.
After a minute, we’ve traveled to our destination, and I release him from my hug. He takes a step forward, inhaling deeply at the setting.
His easel and a blank canvas are set up next to a tree stump, which I’ve used as a makeshift table for all his paints and brushes. The trees are dense in this area, but the clearing above the natural pool we’re next to lets in ample moonlight.
There’s a lot of stuff around that would be great for his paintings. Mushrooms growing on trees, lush shrubbery, and the water is crystal clear and so blue.
It’s only one of the many, many hidden gems within the conservation area.
“This is so perfect,” he says, turning to face me. “You are so perfect.”
