Tempting the Artist

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “Oh, cool. Maybe I’ll check it out too.” Christina was drawn to art like ants to sugar. She couldn’t resist sticking around to see what new piece her grandfather’s friend had found. Walter wasn’t an art broker, but he and her grandfather were art enthusiasts.

  “You don’t mind do you?” Christina whispered close to Luke’s ear.

  “Nope. Today my time belongs to you. If this is how you want to spend it, looking at art instead of making love to your man, then…” He flashed that sexy grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Ohhh. In that case, give me ten minutes and then we’re out of here.”

  “Alright, Walt, let’s make this quick,” her grandfather said by way of greeting when he opened the front door. He and Walter were the best of friends, growing up together in Arkansas before later moving to Ohio.

  “Hey Uncle, Walter.” Christina wrapped her arms around his frail shoulders. He was tall like her grandfather but seemed to get thinner as he aged.

  “Good seeing you, sweetheart.”

  Christina was pretty sure he didn’t know which granddaughter she was and always went the safe route in referring to all of them as sweetheart. She introduced him to Luke.

  “Nice meeting you young man.”

  “Same here, sir.” Luke shook Walter’s hand.

  “Okay, Walt. Show me what you have there.”

  Christina and Luke followed them into her grandfather’s office, her favorite room in the house. She always felt at home when she stepped into the room, the smell of leather and sandalwood greeting her at the door. The large space with wall-to-wall bookshelves and huge leather furniture brought back fond memories of when she and her cousins used to play in the office.

  “Steven, you have to take a look at this. I almost fell over when I found this on eBay. It cost a pretty penny, but I think when you see it, you’ll agree that this masterpiece is worth every single cent.”

  “You said it’s a landscape?” Her grandfather asked and pulled a foldaway easel from next to one of the bookshelves while Walter struggled to remove the painting out of the sheath.

  “Yes. Do you remember the creek in Arkansas where we all used to fish?” Walter asked.

  “Of course. It’s my favorite spot in the world. That’s where I asked my Katherine to marry me, right under that huge elm tree.”

  The small hairs on the back of Christina’s neck stood at attention. She unconsciously took a step back as tension spun in her gut.

  It couldn’t be.

  Chapter Nine

  As if sensing Christina’s distress, Luke moved closer, his arm slid around her waist. “You okay?” His words were quiet, meant for her ears only.

  All Christina could do was nod, her focus trained on the painting that was still covered. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but a sinking feeling lodged in her chest as she struggled to breathe.

  It was as if Walter removed the covering in slow motion and then there it was. Her first sell. The painting that had landed her an agent.

  All the air seemed to seep from the room and her knees went weak. If it weren’t for Luke holding her up, Christina was sure she would have puddled to the floor.

  Her grandfather stood opened mouth, gaping at the picture. “Who’s the artist?” he finally asked.

  “Sasha something or another.” Walter put on his glasses and pulled a sheet of paper from his wallet. “Oh, here we go. The artist is Sasha Knight.”

  How in the world did he find this?

  “Never heard of her, but if the rest of her work is anything like this …” Steven Jenkins’ voice trailed off as he continued staring at the painting and then he turned to Christina. “Do you remember when I used to tell you and your cousins stories about the creek?”

  Perspiration laced Christina’s top lip and her heart beat double time. All she could do was nod, not trusting herself to say anything.

  “I told you this was a piece that you had to see.” Walter straightened the painting on the easel as both he and her grandfather studied the art.

  “The details are unbelievable. I had a photo, but it disappeared years ago. I wish I still had it because this painting is almost identical, even down to the daffodils along the water’s edge.” Christina didn’t miss the wistfulness in her grandfather’s voice. He had always been full of stories of his childhood, but the creek held so many fond memories of his youth.

  Guilt stabbed Christina in the gut for borrowing the photo without telling him and then not returning it. That was her first landscape painting. She had entered it into a contest not thinking it would be the painting to jumpstart her career.

  She could feel Luke’s gaze on her as she tuned in and out of her grandfather and Walter’s conversation.

  “Baby, this is a perfect opportunity to tell him. I’m right here with you.”

  Of course, he was right, but …

  “Steven?” Her grandmother’s voice carried from the hallway. “You’re going to make us late,” she said walking into the room wearing a sleek navy blue dress with low heels. “Oh, hi Walter. I should have known you were the one holding him up.”

  Walter grinned and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, Katy. This old coot would have probably been down here putzing around whether I was here or not.”

  “Oh, my.” Christina’s grandmother moved closer to the painting. “This is the creek. My goodness, the picture is so lifelike. It’s like I’ve been transported back to that day in May when you asked me to marry you.” She smiled up at Steven, looping her arm through his.

  Christina couldn’t take anymore. It was as if her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

  “Grampa, Gram, we’re going to head out.” Luke dropped his arm from around her. “Take care Uncle Walter.”

  They made a hasty retreat from the house and neither she nor Luke spoke until they were safely in the car and on their way home.

  “Please don’t be disappointed in me,” Christina said staring out of the passenger side window of Luke’s Lexus RC350. The intimate interior of the luxury vehicle, with seats that felt as if they were hugging you, did nothing to comfort her. “I just wasn’t ready to come clean.”

  “I’m not disappointed. Surprised maybe, but definitely not disappointed in you.” He squeezed her thigh before returning his hand to the steering wheel. “I’m sure you’ll tell them when you’re ready. But…”

  “But what?”

  “I think it’s great that your family is as close as it is, but I can’t help but wonder.”

  “Wonder what?” She sat back in her seat feeling her defenses going up.

  “If you and your family are so close, don’t you think it’s time you tell them who you are? You claim they’re supportive and loving. Yet, you’re afraid of their reaction of knowing that you’re a world famous artist.”

  “I’m not world famous,” she mumbled staring out the side window watching the city pass in a blur.

  “Yet. You might not be famous yet. However with your talent, it’s only a matter of time.”

  My cheerleader. God she loved this man.

  She smiled at him even though deep down inside, she didn’t feel like smiling. She felt like a wimp, unable to have a simple conversation with the people she loved most. What was wrong with her? Lately, her reasons for not sharing that part of her life didn’t seem warranted, especially after seeing her grandparent’s reaction to one of her paintings.

  “I don’t really want to be world famous,” she said instead of responding to Luke’s original question.

  “What?” Luke stole a quick glance at her, his brows furrowed. “Are you kidding me? That’s like an author saying they don’t want to hit the New York Time’s Bestsellers list. Those words would never come out of their mouth.”

  “Let me rephrase that. I wouldn’t mind being famous, but I don’t want people all up in my business. In our business. I want privacy. Jada has told me many stories about how fans come up to Zack for autographs or interrupt their dinners to get a
photo with him. I don’t want that for myself.”

  “No offense, but I assure you your fan base will be nothing like Zack’s. He was in the public eye for years playing professional football. Big difference from being a talented artist. I’m not sure there’re many people who would recognize you walking down the street even if you are their favorite artist.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “But all of that is beside the point. You need to tell your family. It would be a shame for them to hear that you’re Sasha Knight from someone other than you.”

  Yeah, that would be awful.

  *

  No matter how Luke dissected this secret of Christina’s, he couldn’t figure out what her real problem was in telling her family about Sasha Knight. It didn’t make sense. There was a moment in her grandfather’s office that Luke had been tempted to point out that Christina was the brilliant artist behind the piece, but he couldn’t betray her trust like that. Even if it would’ve been for her own good.

  He pulled onto the expressway and headed downtown. If he learned anything from spending time this afternoon with her family, it’s that they loved and enjoyed each other’s company. Being around them made him realize what he had missed growing up. A family. People who loved you despite your choices, good or bad. And most important, people to confide in and be there when you needed them the most. Christina had all of this and as far as he was concerned, she took it for granted.

  “I need to stop by the office to pick up a file. Are you in a hurry to get home?” Luke split his attention between Christina and the road. Normally they lounged around on Sunday evenings, but he didn’t want to assume she didn’t have something else to do.

  “No. No rush.” She went back to staring out of the passenger side window.

  “Listen,” he grabbed hold of her hand again, “when you’re ready to tell your family about Sasha Knight, you’ll know. Don’t let me push you into doing something you’re not ready to do.”

  She nodded and squeezed his hand.

  A while later they pulled into the parking structure connected to the rear of the law office. Luke rarely went into the office on a Sunday, but he needed to get a head start on a case he recently acquired and had failed to put the needed file in his briefcase.

  “I can stay in the car and wait for you,” Christina said when Luke parked.

  “I don’t expect to be long, but I’d feel better if you went in with me.” His fingers sifted through her thick hair, pushing a few strands out of her face. Her normal bubbly attitude was missing and he hated seeing her so down on herself.

  “Alright. It would be nice to see where you spend so much of your time.”

  They stepped into the glass-enclosed elevator that quickly took them to the twelfth floor where Atwater, Rouse & Stevenson occupied the whole level.

  “Wow, this place is gorgeous,” Christina said when Luke unlocked the double glass doors of the suite and signaled her in. The paintings, hanging against wallpapered walls in the receptionist area, immediately caught her attention.

  “Are you familiar with the painting on the right?” Luke asked, knowing she knew her art.

  “Hmm, this is one of Damien Hirst pieces. I like his style despite some critics once saying his work was amateurish and lacked finesse.” She moved around the room and stopped in front of a charcoal drawing of the Scales of Justice before moving onto another painting near the receptionist’s desk. “Wow, something by Georges Braque. Impressive.”

  Luke waited patiently while she perused the last piece of art that would lead them to the main hallway. She commented on the artist’s brushwork and choice of colors as if Luke understood what she was talking about. When she was done, he draped his arm over her shoulder and escorted her down the hall.

  “I’m glad you’re getting a chance to see where I work. I should have invited you here long before now. So what do you think so far?”

  “It’s a beautiful space, but I am a little surprised that the fronts of some of the offices are glass walls. That doesn’t seem very private.”

  “Those offices belong to the junior partners and though you can see through them, they’re sound proof.”

  “Ahh, I see.” They walked to the end of the hall. “It seems that some of you work on Sundays too,” she said when they past one of Luke’s associates, Attorney Arthur, who had his door open and was on the telephone. He offered a wave and they waved back.

  “When I first moved to Cincinnati, I put in a few hours on Sundays. But now my baby keeps me busy doing other things.” Christina grinned up at him and he placed a kiss against her temple before releasing her and unlocking his office door. He liked that he didn’t have glass walls, too much of a distraction seeing people walk pass.

  “Your office is as neat as your condo and bigger than my first apartment,” Christina said when she walked in. She stood in the middle of the room. “I like that despite it being large it’s cozy and inviting in here. Not as intimidating as I would have imagined.”

  The wall-to-wall bookshelves and the woodwork in the office did give the space a warm, welcoming feel.

  Christina strolled around the office taking in the small sitting area that was comprised of a sofa against the wall with two upholstered chairs facing it and a table in the center. She stopped in front of a wall that held Luke’s law degree, certificates, and three plagues. At first, Luke was slow to display some of his accomplishments, not sure of how long he’d stay at the firm. Once he and Christina reunited, he had taken the time to hang up some of the items.

  “Okay, now I’m impressed. You have your own bathroom.” She disappeared inside, gushing about the size.

  Luke stood in the doorway. The bathroom was definitely an added benefit. If the partners ever decided to move him out of the corner office, as originally planned, the bathroom would be what he would miss most.

  “Maybe we can play around in here one day,” Christina said in a conspiratorial whisper.

  “Oh yeah. Just say when, baby.” He loved the way her mind worked.

  Christina shrieked when he suddenly lifted her into his arms, something he’d often done since he liked carrying her around. Instead of placing her on the bathroom counter, he took her back into his office.

  “Maybe we should test out my desk before we tackle the bathroom,” he said against her scented neck, turning him on more with the way she wiggled against him. He made a move to venture to the other side of her neck when he noticed some files on his desk.

  “Uh, hello?” Christina frowned when he left her side. “I know that’s not more important than what I thought we were about to do.”

  “I didn’t leave these out,” Luke said absently. He always cleared his desk and locked his drawers, as well as the office door, before leaving for the day.

  Christina jumped off the desk and stood next to him. “Is that bad? Maybe your assistant laid them out for you.”

  “She left the office before I did Friday.” He opened the top file and sifted through the first few documents, immediately recognizing notes with Gary’s scribble.

  Luke checked his desk drawers. Locked. He took a cursory glance around his office. His gaze scrutinized the bookshelves to the right of him and the curio cabinet across from the desk that held awards, a few binders, and a coffee machine.

  Nothing looked out of place, but he didn’t like people in his office, his locked office, when he wasn’t there.

  “I see you found the cases I left you,” Gary Rouse said. They hadn’t closed the office door completely, but that didn’t give him the right to push the door all the way open. His sleazy gaze roamed the length of Christina settling a little too long on her breasts before making its way back up to her face. “I didn’t expect you to start working on those cases this weekend,” he said to Luke but kept his eyes on Christina. “Tomorrow is soon enough.”

  Luke dropped the files. His hands fisted tightly at his side and fury raged through his veins as Gary approached the desk. Christina must have sensed the
tension radiating off of him. Her hand went to the center of his back, making small circles, which did nothing to tame the anger thumping inside of him.

  “So, who is this beautiful woman?” Gary extended his hand, but before Christina could reach for it, Luke placed a hand on her arm, stopping her.

  “My office was locked for a reason, Gary. You could have easily held on to these files until Monday.”

  Gary pulled his hand back and folded his arms across his chest. “I could have, but I’ll be in and out tomorrow and I wanted you to get started on them first thing in the morning.”

  “Um, maybe I should wait out there,” Christina jerked her thumb toward the door and started to move away.

  “Nah, baby, you stay right here. He’s the one leaving.”

  “Also,” Gary continued as if Luke hadn’t said anything, “I’ll need Robin’s assistance tomorrow. So hopefully you don’t have plans with her. I mean for her.” He returned his attention to Christina, his roving eyes doing another sweep of her body. “Have you met his assistant? Tall, redhead, green eyes? Like you, she’s a looker.”

  “Gary, so help me,” Luke said through gritted teeth, his breathing coming in short spurts. “You need to leave.” The thin hold he had on the anger knotted inside him was quickly unraveling.

  “Oh and since I’ll be a partner soon, you need to get used to taking on cases you might not like. I heard about how you told Mr. Hardy that you wouldn’t be taking his case. I’m not sure who you think you are, but if I give you a case, I expect…”

  Something inside of Luke snapped and he lurched over the desk at Gary, knocking the telephone and files to the floor. “Your ass is—”

  “Lucas no!” Christina screamed and grabbed him, her hands fisting in his shirt as she struggled to hold him back. “Please, baby. Let’s just go. We need to get to that … that thing we have to do.”

  “Get the hell out of my office!” Luke roared, struggling against Christina’s hold on him. He wanted to get his hands on Gary but didn’t want to hurt Christina, who had her arms securely wrapped around him.