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Gabriel pacedthe length of his study. His muscles ached as phantom touches haunted him. With Elena’s scent still fresh in his mouth, he couldn’t close his eyes without seeing her face. Struggling to keep his irrational thoughts at bay, his mind jumped and skipped back to Elena. The way her lips turned down into a pout as tears spilled down her cheeks was quickly replaced by the way she looked at the loch on their journey to his castle. Every detail was embedded in his mind and haunted him.
Pausing at the fireplace, he looked up at the single tree he had painted. He felt as if he were that tree, bending to the winds of passions and desires. With no room for anything other than Elena, he thought of going to her. The fantasies poured through him. He could see it so clearly, him bounding the stairs, racing to get to her room.
He would throw open the door, which he knew would startle her. She would shoot up out of her bed, the thin fabric of her shift concealing little and teasing him, begging him to be torn off. He envisioned rushing to the bed and jerking the blanket off her. Elena’s milky white skin glistening in the golden light of the fireplace. She would reach for him, pull him to her.
Gabriel gasped and gulped down air as he forced the fantasy out. Although there was no doubt he wanted her, he couldn’t. Not now at least. He wasn’t ready. Never in all his planning did he expect her to come around to him so soon. A part of him suspected it would take at least a year before he would be able to lie with her. Yet, here it was only a few short weeks into their marriage, and she was eager and ready.
I thought I would have more time.
Gripping the mantel of the fireplace, he tried to focus all his thoughts on how the fire danced and licked the log. But he found no peace looking into the flames. All it did was tease him even further as he thought of Elena’s mouth on him.
I have to get my mind off her.
Gabriel turned his attention back to the painting and smiled. Rushing to the cabinet across the room, he threw open the doors. There was only one way he was going to be able to get her off his mind. Pulling the paints from the shelf and a canvas out from behind the cabinet, Gabriel got to work.
With each stroke of his pen, his vision of Elena became clearer. If he couldn’t have her in the flesh, he would create one. Only one image burned brighter than any other thought that plagued his mind. With his hand flying across the white canvass, the image quickly appeared. He stood back a moment, double-checking his proportions were correct before committing to the colors.
The darkness gave way to the morning light and as he heard the cackling of the rooster, he dropped his brush. Stepping back, he couldn’t help but admire the work he had accomplished. Although the image wasn’t as perfect as he would have liked it to be, he was pleased with his creation.
Elena’s eyes stared back at him as her white shift clung to her body, revealing just enough of her flesh to tease his imagination. Exhausted, he plopped down into his seat. With each passing moment, his eyes grew heavier and heavier until he couldn’t keep them open any longer. Sleep consumed him as visions of Elena drifted through his dreams.
“Oh, my.”
The soft female voice startled Gabriel. His eyes popped open as he sprang from his chair.
“Elena,” he gasped as his eyes shifted to the painting. Rubbing the sleep out of the corners of his eyes, panic raced through him. “What are ye doin’ in here?”
“How long did that take ye to do?” she asked, pointing to the painting. Embarrassment pushed aside his panic. His stomach dropped as he shifted in his seat. Uncertain if she was bewildered or impressed, he shrugged.
“Were ye up all night?”
“Aye,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
Gabriel studied his painting and the way the colors made the image of her in the loch pop out. He captured every stunning detail of her. From her perky breast with the shift barely masking her cherry plump nipples to her legs.
“It’s beautiful. I cannae believe ye see me like this,” she said.
“I’ll burn it,” Gabriel mumbled as he rose to his feet. His back ached from sleeping in the chair and his hand hurt from holding the brush all night. But if she wanted it gone, he would dispose of it immediately.
“Ye daenae have to,” she said, turning to him. His heart shifted as she moved closer to him. Every passion he had suppressed while painting came rushing to the surface once again.
“And where would I hang such a paintin’ that wouldnae shame ye?” he asked. Rubbing the back of his neck he had thought of a place to hang it, but she wouldn’t like it.
“Is this really how ye see me though?”
“How do ye see it?”
Elena faced the painting. Her hand stretched out as if to trace the lines of each of the brushstrokes. She tilted her head one way, then the other before exhaling.
“I really do think it is lovely,” she said with a smile playing at the corners. “I had nay idea ye were so gifted.”
Her fingers grazed over his chest causing his body to rock with tremors. It was as if she had the power to command him to do anything. He swallowed hard, refusing to move. Elena’s eyes locked in on his as she stepped ever closer. The heat rolling off her body crushed him. He didn’t need the sun so long as he had her.
“Will ye hang it in yer room?” she asked as her fingers teased him. Gabriel pulled in quick, shallow breaths. He stared into her eyes for just a moment before the world turned white-hot.
Curling his arms around her tiny body, Gabriel crushed his lips to hers. All he could feel was her body pressing against his and it sent his passions into a frenzy. He didn’t care that they were in his study or that the servants would be waking soon. All he cared about was having Elena in every possible way.
Elena’s body molded to his as her leg entwined around him. Every desire that ever stirred in him, every passion he had suppressed since he saw her came rushing to the surface.
