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"I'm afraid to ask what it is."
I sighed and ran my fingers down his shoulders to his hands, which I took in mine. "It's really not that important. Sefton deVilliers is coming along on the safari."
"What?" He glanced away and then turned his gaze to me, his eyes on mine. "This is too much, Kate. I could tolerate him being in your class because he's an instructor, but this?"
I frowned. "It's one of the few art safaris in the area. I can't control whether he goes or not."
"There's no doubt he's going in the hopes that he can seduce you while you're alone out on the savannah."
"The way Sam tries to get you drunk so she can take advantage of you?"
Drake frowned at that.
"Drake, he has a girlfriend. Besides, if he is hoping to seduce me, he's going to be sorely disappointed, since I have absolutely no interest in him."
He exhaled loudly and pulled me into his arms. "Christ, and here I thought the safari would be a great chance for you to get away from it all, enjoy yourself when I'd be busy all weekend. Now, I don't want you to go but I also don't want you to cancel because of a buffoon."
"Maybe I should cancel. I can make up an excuse about being sick, or something," I said, unhappy at the thought of canceling but unhappy about Drake being unhappy.
Drake hesitated, and I could see him struggle with his words. "I don't like the thought of him being there, and I'm not there to get in between you two," he said and stroked my cheek.
"I know," I said and laid my head on his shoulder. "I feel that way about Sam." We stood like that for a few moments.
Finally, I looked up at him. "I have to live my life, Drake. I can't hide from people I don't like. I don't enjoy the idea that Sefton is going to be there, but he's more of an annoyance than anything else. He's not a threat to me or to us."
&n
bsp; Drake nodded, but his expression was dark. He ran his hand over my hair and then forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "He's a jerk. I'm glad you told me about this. I would have been upset if you hadn't told me."
"I learned my lesson with Kurt. I'll tell you everything, and you'll tell me everything, right?"
"Yes," Drake said. "Perfect honesty and openness. If you feel something, you tell me. I need to know how you feel, and you need to know how I feel."
I hugged him more closely. I felt as if Drake was starting to trust me more completely and I him, but he was so busy with his work and teaching that I felt as if we were rarely together for very long. We rarely discussed anything or had time to be a couple.
Wednesday was overcast, the sky filled with ominous clouds. Drake woke me before he left. He was already showered, dressed and ready to go, and I was still almost completely covered by the sheets, my face in the pillows.
"Hey, sleepyhead, I'm going."
He kissed my cheek, and then my shoulder. I rolled onto my back, the sheets pulling back to reveal my naked breasts.
"Mmm," he said, nuzzling first one and then the other. "How can I go to work when you're so warm and delicious looking?"
"I wish you could stay in bed with me all day, but I have my class."
"That bastard deVilliers gets to see you longer than I do. It makes me very jealous, Kate."
"You don't need to be," I said. "I tolerate him because he's a good artist and I can learn from him."
He frowned at that, but kissed my cheek, my forehead and my chin. "I don't want him teaching you anything."
"Drake…"
"I'm serious, Kate. Please stay away from him. Ignore him."
I looked in his eyes. "What if he has something helpful to tell me about my work?"
He shook his head slowly, as if fighting with himself.
