by Lulu Pratt
We share another kiss as we walk to the car. Ed smiles and tips his hat as he reaches to open the door.
“Ms. Sinclair, it’s nice to see you again,” he says.
I smile and slide into the car with Asher right behind me.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my promise,” he says, his voice low and heavy in my ear.
“What promise is that again?” I ask, sliding my hand up his thigh. “I could have sworn you promised me a spanking.”
He puts his hand under my chin and brings my face up to meet his. “You’re right, I do owe you a spanking. I have an idea, let’s just skip the exhibit altogether and go to my place instead.”
“No,” I say, playfully slapping his thigh. “I’ve been waiting to see this exhibit ever since you told me about it, but I’ll make you a deal, if you can keep your hands to yourself for a couple of hours, I’ll let your hands explore as much as they want for as long as they want afterwards. How does that sound?”
Asher pulls me in close and sighs. “You have yourself a deal, but let me just say, I’m a reluctant participant in this deal.”
I laugh and return my hand to his thigh, drawing little circles with my fingertip. A few minutes later we arrive in front of the gallery before Ed gets out and holds the door open for us.
“Enjoy your evening,” he says, tipping his hat again.
Asher opens the door to the gallery for me and I find myself stepping into a sea of color. My mind is blown away by the mixture of colors and shapes throughout the room. The artist has created sculptures that stand tall in the middle of the room while the walls are covered in large canvases which boast as much color.
“This is beautiful,” I say as Asher moves next to me, his hand finding the small of my back.
“You’re right, but it’s not nearly as beautiful as you,” he says before planting a gentle kiss on my temple.
Together we walk over to a podium that’s off to the side with a rather severe-looking woman standing behind it. She’s tall and wiry, her long arms hanging at her sides like branches on a tree. I try to focus on her face, but the blunt-cut wig on her head is slightly askew, and completely distracting. Her skin is a milky white hue that reminds me of the Japanese geishas I saw on a documentary not too long ago.
“My name is Ta’Nelle, and I’m the sole creator of every piece you see before you tonight. Everything was birthed from the inner depths of my creative source and I’m very happy I’m able to show the world what brilliance looks like in its various stages of life. Please, take a look around, ask questions if you need, and of course purchase anything that speaks to you.”
She hands us a small info sheet with brief descriptions of each piece, and ushers us to where we should begin the artistic journey, as she calls it.
“Well, that was an interesting introduction,” I say in a hushed voice once Ta’Nelle heads back to her place behind the podium.
Asher tries to hide his smile, but fails. “Come on, beautiful, let’s see what brilliance looks like, while finding a piece that speaks to our souls.”
We snicker like a pair of middle schoolers as we make our way through the crowd, occasionally glancing at the info sheet for reference. People mill about the gallery talking in quiet voices and pointing at the different works of art covering the walls.
“Do you see anything you like?” asks Asher.
I take a moment and look around the room again. “I like a lot of the pieces in here, but I think the one in the corner called Winter’s Kiss is my favorite.”
Asher takes my hand and leads me over to the corner. “What you do like about it? It looks like a woman trapped in a snowstorm to me, and there’s not a lot of color in this one compared to some of the other pieces.”
I stare at the painting, trying to find the right words to describe the emotions it calls forth. “It’s a beautiful tragedy to me, a sort of quiet chaos, in a manner of speaking. The woman in the painting is surrounded by snow, and it’s a complete whiteout of color. She’s the only thing there that’s not covered in snow. In fact, she’s completely untouched. She’s in this beautiful setting, but not necessarily a part of it. So, when I look at it, I don’t see her, I see the snow and the purity of it all.”
“Exactly,” says Ta’Nelle coming up behind us. “Most people believe she is the focus of the piece, but in truth she’s the background. The woman, that nameless entity, is merely an accessory to the scene. The main character is the snow and the beauty of the landscape. You did an excellent job breaking down the creative intricacies of this piece. Well done.”
Asher looks at me and then at Ta’Nelle. “We want this one,” he says.
“Excellent choice,” says Ta’Nelle. “I’ll have my assistant come over and take care of the details for you.” She turns on her heels and walks over to a small woman holding a clipboard.
“Did you buy that for your house in the Hills?” I ask. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to mount such an expensive piece in your condo since your stay is only temporary.”
Asher wraps his arms around me and lowers his voice. “I bought it for you. You said it’s your favorite and I want you to have it.”
“Asher, I thought we discussed not giving gifts,” I remind him. “Plus, where am I going to put something so big? Magdalene has enough stuff on the walls to open a gallery of her own.”
He kisses my forehead and stares at me with those hypnotic gray eyes of his.
“You deserve every gift I give you plus a thousand more, remember? You can keep the painting at my place, that way you’ll always have an excuse to come over.”
I shake my head and place a soft kiss on his lips. “You didn’t have to buy a painting for me to come over to your place. You’re enough of a reason.”
Everything Asher does makes me fall for him harder, and I hope this feeling never fades.
“Give me a few moments to handle the payment and arrange a delivery time,” says Asher.
I smile and wait patiently by the front door, giving the gallery one last look. I wonder if being an artist is similar to being a chef, especially since both must reach inside themselves and find that special part that allows them to create. Each dish I create is a carefully crafted masterpiece and I consider it to be a work of art. I should open a gallery showcasing food as art, where people get to taste each exhibit and purchase the recipe of their favorites.
“All right, everything is taken care of, so let’s head back to my place and relax,” he says, holding the door open for me.
“You and I both know that very little relaxing is going to take place,” I whisper playfully.
“You are absolutely right,” he says. “Relaxing is the last thing on my mind right now.”
Asher twirls me around to face him and we wait there in front of the building with our arms wrapped around one another. I stand on my tiptoes to reach his lips and our tongues welcome each other like old friends. It’s not until Ed coughs loudly for the second time that we notice he’s standing with the car door open. We slide in and settle back into each other’s arms.
“Now, where should we put your painting?”
“My painting? I think it’s more fair to call it our painting, since you are the one who paid for it,” I say.
“No, ma’am, that painting didn’t speak to me, it spoke to you, so it’s definitely yours. We could hang it in my telescope room on the wall facing your building, that way if you look hard enough you can see it from your room.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Seriously, Asher? That’s the only place you can think to hang it? You just want me to stare into your room so you can accuse me of peeping into your place. I’m onto your little game, Mr. Jordan.”
He grabs my chin and plants a passionate kiss on my lips. “You’ve figured out most of my plans, Ms. Sinclair, but now I’m dying to get you home so I can give you that spanking.”
Chapter 22
ASHER
I make good on my promise to keep my hands off her long enough to get ba
ck to my place. We pause outside the front door as I struggle to retrieve the keys from my pocket before I press myself against the back of her and plant kisses along the nape of her neck. The soft scent of her perfume invades my senses and all I can think about is getting her clothes off.
“Are we going inside or are we going to give your neighbors a show?” she asks.
I hand her the keys and slide my hands down her perfect little body. “I don’t think I can get the door open under the current circumstances. I’m a little occupied now, and what I’m focused on is a lot more fun,” I say softly before kissing her neck while my hands continue to roam freely.
Jade fumbles with the lock for a few seconds, but she manages to eventually get the door open. We barely make it over the threshold before she turns on her heels to face me and wrap her arms around my neck. I kick the door closed and return Jade’s embrace. There’s absolutely nothing better than the feel of her skin against mine. We kiss and suddenly the need to have her body beneath mine is overwhelming.
What I really want is to watch her body writhe in complete ecstasy from the pleasure overload I have in store. There’s something about the way her eyes flutter, and the arch in her back when she climaxes that drives me completely wild.
She breaks away from the kiss long enough to kick off her shoes and drop her purse to the floor.
“Bedroom?” she asks, panting as if she wants me as bad as I want her.
I answer by scooping her up in my arms and carrying her to the master suite, where I gently place her in the middle of the bed. She sits there, her long hair tossed over one shoulder, staring at me with those piercing blue eyes. Even though we’re still completely dressed, I feel naked as she stares me down. For a moment, I feel like she can see my soul and all the hidden parts of me. The feeling is both erotic and scary at the same time, because I’ve never felt so exposed before.
I reach over and help lift her dress over her head. She’s completely nude underneath the skintight dress and I use my finger to trace a line down her body, from her lips to her navel. I love being with Jade. Every time feels like the first time, because I never know what to expect. She’s filled with some many little surprises and revealing each one is exciting to me.
“You made the job of getting you undressed a lot easier tonight,” I say. “If I would have known you had nothing on under the dress, I wouldn’t have been able to keep that promise.”
Jade smiles as she leans over to unbutton my shirt. “The dress was tight, and I didn’t want panty lines ruining the view.”
“I’ll be honest with you,” I say with a smile.
Jade’s eyes widen a little.
“I can’t bring myself to spank such a perfect ass. An ass like yours should be stroked, not spanked.”
Jade bites her lip to stop herself from smiling.
I shrug out of my shirt and slide out of my pants and boxers in one fell swoop. No need to unnecessarily prolong the process of getting undressed. My dick is harder than granite, throbbing to feel her, and waiting longer is completely out of the question.
“Lie back,” I order softly.
She obediently follows my directions and I move to position myself over her. Her legs automatically part, allowing me plenty of space. I start at her lips, and commence to kissing and licking my way down her body. My dick aches after every moan and deep breath she takes in. Every sound coming from her small lips is orgasmic and I don’t want it to stop there. I want to give her that physical release, and I want her to have it until she can take no more.
My tongue travels down her body, leaving a wet trail in its wake. I have one destination in mind, but I want to savor every part of her before I get there.
“You’re so soft,” I marvel at her body. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
I go back to my mission of kissing a trail down her body until I finally reach the crest between her thighs and close my mouth over her clit. It throbs rhythmically underneath the pressure of my tongue as I lick and suck her while she quivers. Jade inhales sharply before grabbing the back of my head, grinding my face into her body. I roll my tongue in tiny waves to the rhythm of her squirming hips. Not only does she smell sweet, but she tastes like honey. I want to devour the very essence of her being.
I decide to kick things up a notch by slipping first one finger inside of her and then two, slowly stroking her velvety walls, adding to the pleasure.
“Asher,” says Jade, her voice barely above a whisper. She moans and rolls her hips to me even more, and I allow her to continue greedily grinding herself against my tongue.
I glance up to see her back arched and her eyes closed. She starts to moan, but stops herself by biting her bottom lip to silence the sound. I don’t want her holding back anything at all so I allow my fingers to delve deeper, finding the spot I know will drive her over the edge.
There’s no way she’ll be able to hold her moans in now.
Her eyes flutter and her mouth drops open as I roll my tongue around her clit repeatedly. The slow and steady throb it once had increases tenfold as her walls tighten around my fingers.
She rolls her hips even faster before inhaling one last time and holding the breath. Jade’s body goes stiff for a moment, and then she completely melts onto the bed, her slickness contracting desperately. She moans and pants loudly as I move to hover over her. I smile at the twisted expression still plastered on her face. She’s sated, but I’ve just begun.
“That was amazing,” she sighs, her chest rising and falling slowly. “Every part of my body is tingling. I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but…” she fades off without completing her thought, but I can make out what she meant.
I reach for a condom from the nightstand and slip it on quickly, my length is so hard. “Don’t hold back from me, Jade. If you want to moan, moan. I love the sounds you make. Roll over for me.”
She rolls over on her stomach and climbs onto all fours. I take my time positioning myself behind her, and slap her ass hard before thrusting my hips forward.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
She gasps and inhales sharply from the mix of pleasure and pain. I make the mistake of going in too deep and too fast, so I slow down the rhythm of my hips. I don’t want to come just yet, so I pause for a moment, willing myself to concentrate on something other than how good she feels. Her opening is so slick and the warmth is driving me on to a release I’ve been holding in for days.
Jade takes matters into her own hands and begins bouncing back to me, thrusting her ass into my abs as she sheaths my cock with her wetness. Her walls flex tightly around my shaft, and she looks back with a knowing smile. I close my eyes to focus as I thrust my hips forward to meet hers. The look on her face is so sexy I know I’ll come if I watch her. My hands settle on her hips, giving me some much-needed leverage. I keep stroking, going deeper and deeper inside of her until I feel that familiar tingle trying to rear its ugly head.
“Slow down, baby. You’re gonna make me come,” I say, reluctantly pulling out of her.
Jade drops down onto the bed and rolls over to face me. “Good, because I want more.”
I thrust my way back inside of her as she wraps her legs around me. Her mouth eagerly devours mine and I moan loudly unable to contain my pleasure. I reach down and slip my arm under her thigh, opening her hips wider.
“Not yet,” she says. “You still can’t come.”
My head drops to her neck and I gently bite down for a moment. “You feel too good.”
“One more position,” she says pleadingly.
Determined to give her exactly what she wants for as long as she wants it, I reposition Jade so that I’m spooning her from behind. She drops her leg back over mine, allowing me more space to not only slide back inside of her, but also giving me easy access to massage her clit too. I reach down and start rubbing little circles over her sweet spot.
My head drops to her neck again and I kiss her along her throbbing jugular vein. Jade puts her
hand on top of mine and helps guide me to the rhythm she likes.
“Yes,” she moans, “keep going just like that.”
Her breath catches as she rolls her hips back to me, her body beginning to race to another explosion. If I could control time, I’d want to freeze frame this moment. Our bodies are closer than they have ever been, Jade’s moans are driving me wild, and the warmth of her wrapped around my cock is the ultimate cherry on top.
“Now,” she says. “Come now!”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. The orgasm was at the tip of my dick begging for release, but I can’t believe how my body responds to her command. The waves flow over my body from my head down to my toes, and I briefly see little points of light before my eyes.
“Wow,” she says exhaling loudly. “I… just… wow. I want to say something else, but I don’t know what.”
I laugh and move to tighten my hold around her waist. “Trust me, you said plenty.”
I bury my face in her hair and inhale the flowery scent of her locks. “Can you stay?” I ask, after a moment of silence.
Jade rolls over, cups my face in her hands, and kisses me twice. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving any time soon,” she says. “In your bed, wrapped in your arms, is the only place I want to be right now.”
“Good,” I say. “Tonight is one of those times that I’m sure I’d have a hard time letting you go.”
We take turns getting cleaned up in the bathroom before returning to bed.
Am I really going to ruin such perfection, by revealing the secret I’ve been holding back? I live for moments like this with Jade and I can’t imagine it being destroyed.
I push back thoughts of lies, secrets and misunderstandings as I wrap my arms her soft body, pulling her in as close as possible.
I’m going to tell her, but for now, I just want to enjoy this moment as long as possible.
Jade drifts off to sleep almost immediately and after listening to her deep heavy breathing for a few minutes I fall asleep too.
Chapter 23
