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And now his father. I make my way to him, and he takes both of my hands into his and kisses my cheek.
“I’m upset with Kyle for not letting me in on this secret until the last minute,” he says. “I’d have loved to have a private viewing.”
I can’t believe how perfect the evening is turning out to be. I want to cry from sheer joy, and it’s not because it looks like we might sell all the paintings in one day. No.
It’s because Kyle is here.
***
“That was a roaring success,” Kyle says to me.
We are in his car on the way home. He offered me a ride, and I said yes. Anything to spend more time with him.
“Thank you. Greg told me everything you did to ensure that it was a success,” I tell him.
He waves a dismissive hand. “Your work did all the work. From tomorrow, everyone in the art world will know your name.”
A few months ago, such a thought would have had me running for the hills. Now I’m comfortable with my work being known. It makes me feel proud of myself, something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Too soon, we get home, and Ethan brings the car to a stop.
“I bought a bottle of champagne for this occasion,” Kyle says. “May I come up and celebrate with you?”
Relief surges through me. “I’d like that.”
We get out of the car and make our way to the entrance of my apartment building. This reminds me of the very first time that I brought Kyle home. When he’d still been Jack. It seems such a long time ago. We’re quiet on the ride up the elevator to my floor. My hands tremble as I insert the key into the lock, but I finally get it open.
“I’ll get some flutes,” I tell him and go to the kitchen.
When I return to the living room, he has the champagne already opened, and he pours us each a glass.
“A toast,” Kyle says, raising his glass. “To many more successful shows and a wonderful career as an artist.”
Gratitude comes over me as we clink glasses. I can’t believe that Kyle is here. In my house. I’ve missed him with every fiber of my being. I love him more than I ever thought it was possible to love a man. He feels like a part of me.
Kyle takes a sip of his champagne and starts to chuckle.
“What?” I say.
“I’m remembering the very first time I came here. You were very adamant about letting me in that it was the first time you’d ever had a one-night stand.”
I laugh at the memory. “I remember standing at the window and watching you walk down the street. I thought you’d asked a friend to pick you up.”
“After we made love that night, I knew I was in trouble,” Kyle says in a husky voice.
My body heats up and pools at my center. I remember every minute of that night. It was the first time I experienced being under the hands of an expert lover. A man who knew his way around a female body.
“Me too. You made me feel things I’d never felt before,” I tell him. The high of the night is making me braver, or maybe it’s knowing that I’d lost him, and I can’t bear to lose him again.
Warm, sweet attraction hums through me.
“I’m sorry,” Kyle says, his eyes burning into mine. “I should have trusted you.”
I inhale deeply. “I’m sorry too. I should have understood where you were coming from. You’d been betrayed before. By your parents and by your ex. You had every reason to mistrust me.”
“No, I knew you. You do not have a greedy bone in your body,” Kyle says. “Can you ever forgive me?”
I smile. “I already have. As long as you promise always to ask me and not jump to conclusions.”
“I promise.” He closes the gap between us, takes the glass from my hand, and together with his, places them on the table. Then he pulls me into his arms and fuses his lips to mine.
I moan into his mouth as his tongue captures mine. His mouth is hot, and it tastes of champagne and a taste that is simply Kyle. I run my hands frantically over his jacket-clad shoulders, a part of me frightened this is not real, and I might wake up and find myself alone in bed as I’ve done for the last several days.
We sway against each other as we kiss deeply and explore each other, reacquainting ourselves with each other’s bodies. Kyle pulls away from me, but before I can protest, he slips his hands under my hips, easily lifts me, and carries me to my bedroom.
He lays me gently on the bed and proceeds to undress me. I’m in a dress, and it takes just a few seconds to get it off. I lie on the bed in a bra and panties, watching Kyle as he undresses.
