AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Faith,” I said again, even closer this time. She dug her fingers into me, a silent acknowledgment to continue. The woman would be the death of me.
My cock released itself in the back of her throat as she continued to suck me down. She swallowed every last drop of me, then took a red-painted finger and dabbed the corner of her lips.
I threaded a hand through her silky hair. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”
She sat back on her heels, a small smile teasing her lips. “I know.”
FORTY-EIGHT
FAITH
“I know, I know, I know. Fuuccck. Delilah is going to kill me if I’m late. I’m supposed to be there early, with all the other artists before the doors open.” I hopped on one foot as I attempted—badly—to put on my heel. They were sky-high and sexy as hell. My feet would hate me later, but they’d give me the confidence boost I needed to make it through the showing. My palms sweated just thinking about people seeing the artwork I created.
Sebastian and I were good—although this thing between us still felt delicate, and fragile, and something I needed to tend to with great care.
And after the gallery showing, I would do just that. This man showed up for me time and time again. That was real and something worth protecting.
“Where’s my purse?”
Sebastian pointed to the table in the entryway where, sure enough, my bag sat waiting for me.
I’d forgotten I’d put it there earlier to make sure I wouldn’t forget it.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that little nugget of irony. No, this damn shoe needed to slide on my foot and stay there.
Sebastian’s phone chimed. “That’s the car. It’s out front when we’re ready.”
I nodded like a lunatic, trying to take in his words, while also mentally rehearsing my spiel. It would help to know exactly how I wanted to tell the story of my artwork but frankly it had been so chaotic getting this all done in time that I hadn’t had much time to consider what I wanted to say about it. How much of the internal thoughts that had driven me to paint what I painted that I wanted to divulge.
I was flip flopping back and forth, weighing all the different options and having trouble focusing on any one of them let alone what was going on at the moment.
Finally, I secured the shoe on my foot. I found a mirror and did a last-minute check. Hair, fine. Make up, fine, although I’d want to touch up my lips later. I smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles from my champagne-colored dress that twinkled as the light hit its surface.
Sebastian sidled up next to me, wrapping his arm low around my waist. He planted a kiss on the top of my head. “You’re stunning.”
I leaned into his touch, relishing the comfort of him. He’d used that cologne I liked, and I could bathe in that smell, it was so soothing. “Stay close to me tonight.”
Sebastian’s eyes met mine in the mirror. “You got it, Belle.”
I rolled my eyes and hip checked him. “Let’s get out of here before I throw up.”
* * *
My nerves quelled the second the doors opened. I knew how to put on a performance, damn it, and that was what this was. A performance. Selling myself and my work and schmoozing the hell out of potential buyers.
I’d practiced all my life. Now it was time to turn it on.
Delilah and her staff wrangled the line outside, they’d even put up makeshift partitions to help block the view of the people on the street from the artwork inside. Usually you wanted people peeking in with hopes that the art would pique their interest.
Not tonight.
Tonight was an exclusive event. People had to get on a list and that list had been carefully collected and vetted.
I’d nearly gasped out loud when I saw the prices on the little placards next to my paintings. Delilah had taken it upon herself to up the prices even more than we had discussed. Certainly no one would want to dole out that much for something I made. That would be insane.
She assured me it wasn’t.
Ten minutes after the doors opened, I sold my first painting.
