by Andrew Grey
“That will be part of the auction,” Dieter said, rising. “Dante pulled it from his personal collection to donate it. He said he had two examples and wanted the one he donated to create a splash and some special interest.” Dieter stood right next to me. His heat wafted over me, as did his scent, deep and rich, tinged with a touch of outdoor freshness and maybe a hint of horse. Not that it mattered. It smelled like heaven to me, and I gingerly set the piece down before turning to face him.
“It’s a very generous donation.” The first-run editions, numbers in the single digits for each design, went for a lot of money.
Dieter stepped closer, and I stilled. His gaze met mine and then he wound his arms around me. He moved slowly, but I had no intention of telling him to stop. He was a magnet and I was steel, the compulsion too enticing to think of stopping. Dieter finally pulled me against him, his firm muscles encircling me, and when he kissed me, I began shaking, the desire too great to hold back.
I moaned softly, and Dieter kissed me harder, his tongue possessing my mouth. I curled my hands around to his back, then roamed upward and, doing what I’d longed to do for days, ran my fingers through his hair. God, it was so soft, an almost surreal experience, the hair sliding erotically across my fingers. I wondered what it would feel like against my skin.
“Dieter… we….” My eyes crossed as I pulled air into my lungs. “We’re at Dante and Beau’s.” This was so inappropriate, and yet I could think of little else with him this close to me.
Dieter blinked and seemed to remember where he was. He smiled and touched my forehead with his. “You make me forget myself, where I am.” His smile was radiant, and it took my breath away. “I think you could make me forget my name if I wasn’t careful.”
“Me?” I sighed softly. “How do I manage that?”
“You just do. And I have it on good authority that you shouldn’t question things like that. You just accept them and be grateful.” Dieter smiled wickedly.
“And whose authority is that?” I asked, surprised that I was standing like this with Dieter and not blushing like the virgin I was.
“Mine,” Dieter said.
I pulled back, laughing softly. I should have known. “You’re a little silly. You know that.”
“I’d rather be silly than dull as dirt.” Dieter straightened his clothes and motioned to the chairs. “Do you want anything to drink? There are cookies, and it seems Beau put out everything possible for an afternoon nip.”
“Something simple and not too strong.” I had no idea what to get, so Dieter mixed up a drink and handed me a martini glass with pink liquid inside.
“It’s a cosmopolitan. I had one in New York and liked it. They’re a little tangy and a touch sweet. I didn’t make you a full glass.” Dieter sat down next to me on the leather sofa, clinking glasses. “Try it.”
I took a sip and then another. “I love the lime.” It was good, and I drank most of it before I realized just how much alcohol was in it. Warmth spread through me, and I set the glass on a coaster on the table. I ate a few crackers. “I guess I forgot I haven’t eaten in a while.” I was such a lightweight, always had been.
Dieter got me a glass of water, and I drank that and felt better with some food and something else to drink.
“What else do you do for fun?”
“Well.” I slid forward on the seat. “There’s Ocean City. It’s a few hours away on the Atlantic Coast. There’s the beach, rides, restaurants, the boardwalk—all that sort of stuff. It’s real touristy, but it can be a lot of fun. Though I don’t recommend going on the weekends—it gets rather busy and kind of nuts sometimes. Farther down in Virginia is Chincoteague Island. It’s a quieter beach community, and there’s wild ponies down there that you can see from the road, beaches, even a lighthouse. It’s a great place to go hiking. My stepdad used to take us there in the summer sometimes. It was always a long day….” I sat back, getting comfortable. “We’d get up early, and my stepdad would drive down to get us there before lunch. We always walked through town and had lunch at the Sand Shack, a sandwich kiosk in town. Then we’d head to the beach. Isabella played in the sand, and I used to make a big sandcastle with a moat filled from the waves. Jeremy would spend all his time over talking to any of the girls he could find. Course, he’s a few years older than me, so he started that sort of thing first.”
“And when you figured it out, you were interested in the boys?” Dieter supplied.
I nodded. “Yeah. But I kept that to myself at first. I think my stepdad knew, and he tried to make things easier for me. I really miss him. I know Isabella does every single day. She was fourteen when he died, and I thought she was going to fall completely to pieces. My mother wasn’t helpful because everything is always about what she wants, and Isabella needed someone to be there for her. I didn’t get it at the time either, and it took Isabella a long time to start coming out of her grief. If I knew then what I know now, I’d have taken her to Beau. She really needed his help, or at least someone like him.” I drank some more of my water. “I didn’t mean to get off topic like that.” I blinked to get the wetness out of my eyes. “Maybe if you have time, we could go down?” I was so nervous, my stomach did little flips and my heart raced. I’d never asked a guy out before.
“Maybe,” Dieter said. “I’m not sure of my work schedule, but I can check. Will you be able to get time off during the week?”
I nodded. “I have a lot of vacation time built up. I hardly ever take any.” Dante would probably be happy that I was taking some time off. I used to take vacation at the holidays, but the last few years I hadn’t bothered. The holidays always seemed to send my mother into a depression spiral, so they weren’t the happiest time of the year for my family.
“Then let me look at my schedule.” Dieter finished his drink and shifted closer on the sofa, sliding his hand along my shoulder. The leather creaked softly under me, and I kissed Dieter once again until I heard footsteps clicking on the marble floors in the hallway. I pulled back, licking my lips as I tried not to look guilty.
“Dieter, Florian,” Dante said as he practically charged into the room. “Beau and I need to go to the Community Center right away. If you need anything, just let Roberts know and he’ll take care of everything. Harriet is making some dinner, and Beau and I should be back by then.” He checked his watch. “I hope. You two just make yourselves comfortable.”
“Dante,” Beau called, and Dante strode out of the room.
I watched, almost unable to believe what I was seeing. Dante was always in control of everything.
The outside door closed, and Dieter chuckled. “I love how Beau can keep him on his toes,” he said between bouts of laughter. “When I first met Dante, he was so serious. He rarely had fun and took everything as though it were life and death. He used to control his schedule down to the second, I swear. Now Beau has him racing to the Center for whatever reason on a Sunday, and he’s flustered and worried…. It’s a beautiful thing.”
I tried to understand what the hell he was talking about. “Why is that good?”
Dieter pressed a little closer. “Because now he has something to care about. Dante concentrated on ridiculous things instead of what was important. I always try not to do that.”
“I see.” I really didn’t, but what the hell did I say to that? I wasn’t following Dieter’s train of thought.
“No. I doubt it, because I barely do either. I spent my life doing unimportant things. Dumb things.” He took my hand, and the mood became very serious, quickly. “Things I’m not very proud of, when I look back.”
“What did you do?” My imagination went into overdrive. “It can’t be that bad.”
“I suppose not. I just made some decisions that weren’t the smartest for me or for others, and I hurt some people, as well as myself.” Dieter seemed to be fumbling over what to say, so I gave him an out.
“We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to. I mean, we only met each other a few days ago. You don’t owe me yo
ur life story or an explanation of everything that you did in your past. There’s shit I’m not proud of that I’ve done too. It happens. We don’t always make the right decisions for ourselves and each other.”
“What could you have done?” Dieter asked with a smile.
I sighed for what felt like the millionth time. “Sometimes it’s not what we’ve done that we regret, but what we didn’t do. The things we let slide because they were easy or because we didn’t want to get involved.” I could see he wasn’t understanding what I was talking about, but that was okay. “Sometimes all we can do is try to make up for what we’ve done or what we haven’t.” I sighed again and reached for the glass of water from the table. “I should probably go.”
“Wait.” Dieter put his hand on my arm. “Harriet has made dinner, and there are a couple of things I have learned for a fact. One, you don’t want to miss anything that Harriet cooks, because it’s amazing. And two, you don’t want to piss Harriet off, because then she won’t cook for you anymore.” He grinned. “Dante and Beau will probably be away for a while.”
“Why am I getting the feeling that this is some kind of setup?” I smiled warily.
“It’s just dinner. I think Dante and Beau really did have something they needed to do at the Center. Though it might not be as spur of the moment as they let on.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked. This wasn’t making sense.
“Months ago, when Beau and Dante came to Europe on one of Dante’s regular business trips, they stayed with me for a few days, and I arranged a short trip with friends to give the two of them some time to themselves. Dante was a little on edge and Beau was tired, so I gave them a little peace and quiet so they could relax. I think they’re trying to return the favor.”
Throat-clearing followed a soft knock. “Dinner will be ready in half an hour.” Roberts stepped inside. “Would either of you like another drink?” Dieter nodded, and Roberts made a batch of cocktails and then left the room with what remained of the snacks.
“This is like a fantasy or a fairy tale.” I couldn’t believe this day. I still wasn’t entirely comfortable, but Dieter slid closer, winding an arm around my shoulders. I set the drink on the table and leaned against him, closing my eyes. His warmth and scent encircled me, and a sense of safety and comfort washed over me. At least for now, here, as long as I was with him, I didn’t have to worry about unpredictable stepmothers or self-centered brothers. All that mattered was Dieter.
I turned to look up at him, and he closed the gap between us, kissing me gently at first, then harder and with increasing fervor. Moaning softly, I pressed for more. Dieter ran his hands gently up and down my back. I groaned and kissed him harder as passion welled upward. Wherever he touched, my body seemed to come alive. I giggled a little when he tickled, but groaned again when he lightly cupped my butt, teasing as he set me on fire. I wanted him and wondered what it would be like to make one of those fantasies come true.
Dieter held me tighter, kissing me more deeply, and I forgot where I was and everything else except that Dieter was holding me, caressing me, touching me in a way no one else had. One of my fantasies was coming to life. I was in his arms. I held still when his fingers brushed along my belt, willing him to get deeper, to slide his hands in my pants and touch me. I wanted to be taken, held, to have someone other than me actually touch me.
“Dieter, I….” My eyes crossed as he circled his fingers around one of my nipples, the sensitive skin sending ripples of heated sensation running through me.
“Yes?” Dieter said softly, kissing me more gently. “We need to take our time and….” He seemed to remember where we were and sat back, gentling the touches until they faded. I smoothed my clothes back into place but didn’t move away from him until Roberts called us to dinner.
It seemed strange to have dinner in someone else’s house, but the food was so amazing that I didn’t dwell on it for long. There was a salad of mixed greens with pecans and strawberries, and then the main course, chicken stuffed with herbs, and souffléed potatoes with grilled vegetables.
I was starting to wonder if I’d been dropped into an alternate universe. “This is too much.”
Dieter reached over to take my hand. “Just enjoy it. Harriet asked me what I wanted. She is an incredible woman, and I asked her to surprise me.”
She had certainly surprised me. The fruit tarts for dessert took my breath away, and I sat back at the end of the feast, wondering just what I’d done to deserve that kind of meal. “Man….”
“I’ll be sure to tell Harriet that you liked it,” Roberts said as he cleared the dishes. “Dante and Beau just phoned that they are on their way back and will join you soon. Just go on through and help yourself to the bar.”
Dieter motioned me out of the room and led me back to where we’d sat earlier.
“I really should go soon.” It was getting dark outside, and though the afternoon had been amazing and dinner was wonderful, I had to get ready for work tomorrow, and who knows what had happened while I was gone. I knew it was stupid to worry, but I did anyway.
“Of course.” Dieter stood, and we ran into Dante and Beau as they came in the door. “I’m going to take Florian home. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Thank you for everything. This was an amazing day,” I said as I shook hands with Dante and Beau before walking out to the car with Dieter. “I had a wonderful time.”
“It was the closest I could come to having you over to my place for the evening.” Dieter tugged me to him and kissed me. “Dante and Beau were amazing to play host like that.”
“They’re good people.”
“What are you blushing about?”
My cheeks heated even more. “I told you I used to have a crush on Dante,” I said. “It was a while ago. He was handsome and kind of broody and standoffish. So, I used to think that someday I’d get to meet him and I’d be the cure to his grumps and make him happy.” I shrugged. “I’m an artist with a wild imagination.” We both chuckled lightly. “In the end it was Beau who was what he needed.”
Dieter held me closer. “Are you disappointed?”
“No. He and Beau are so right for each other I think, and there’s a certain blond-haired man who seems to be more my speed.” I kissed him right there in front of Dante’s house, and I was sure they were watching us from inside. Not that I really cared. Having Dieter with me was just too exciting to worry about anything else.
“I should get you home.” Dieter held me a little longer before stepping back to open the car door. I hurried around to the passenger side and got in, and he took off to the outskirts of town.
My house looked normal as we pulled up, and I said good night to Dieter, received a kiss, and then went inside.
Mom was in front of the television and Isabella in the chair, on her computer. I smiled and walked behind her. She was watching some YouTube car crash videos with earphones on. I shook my head and wondered what was up with kids today. Mom half grunted a hello and told me there were some leftovers in the refrigerator if I wanted anything to eat. I shook my head, went up to my room, and closed the door behind me, looking around.
I got the feeling, though I couldn’t say why exactly, that someone had been in my room. I checked in the closet and under the bed, but didn’t see anything out of place. I looked to the very back of my closet where the finished paintings ready to be shipped were stored, but they seemed fine. Some things on my desk looked like they’d been moved, but I couldn’t be sure if I left them that way or not. It was annoying. But there was little I could do about it unless I wanted to make a federal case of the issue, and then there would be plenty of drama. And I’d look like an idiot.
My phone chimed, and I picked it up. Dieter had sent a text. I had a great time today.
Me too. I pressed Send, then sent a follow-up message. I liked riding and the dinner was wonderful. Please tell Dante and Beau thank you for me. It was a great day.
I had fun too.
I sat on the edge of the bed as the bars danced, indicating Dieter was typing another message.
I have to go to the city for a few days and I don’t know exactly how long I will be. I will be sure to look for you at the party. What are you coming as?
I don’t know. I have to think about it. I smiled, sending the message. A knock pulled me out of the happy cloud that surrounded me. I set the phone aside and opened the door to Isabella. “Hey.”
“She says I can’t go to the party with them on Saturday. That Jeremy can only take one.”
“Yes. That’s all he’s allowed.” I picked up my bag and pulled out my invitation. “But that’s okay,” I said softly. “You can come with me.”
She beamed, dancing into the room on imaginary music. She paused when she turned to me. “Aren’t you excited?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, it will be fine, but I don’t dance.”
She twirled and glided around the room. “It’s easy.” She smiled as she moved and swept into my arms. “There’s nothing to it.” She continued moving, and I nearly tripped over my own feet. “Okay. Maybe not for you.” Isabella smiled. “You help me with homework, so I’ll help you learn to dance. Tomorrow after work I’ll teach you.”
I readily admitted that Isabella was graceful and she moved beautifully, but I wondered if she could help me. I was many things, but coordinated and elegant certainly weren’t two of them.
“One, two, three,” she counted, slowing her steps, and I watched and then started moving along with her. “See? It’s easy.” She left the room still swaying to whatever music was playing in her head.
I closed the door as I watched her go and then figured I should paint. Images of Dieter fresh in my mind, I pulled out my latest canvas and got to work.
Chapter 5
“YOU HAVE to be kidding,” I told Isabella as she tried to get me to spin her. After three days, I could waltz—at least I had the steps—but turning still tripped me up.
“You got this,” Isabella said for the sixth time as she led me through the steps. I managed not to trip myself or her, and we danced around the backyard. “Yes. Now stop counting with your lips and hear the music in your head.”
