Artful Love: A Short Summer Love Story (new adult/contemporary romance)

by Jillian Leeson

  “We could get married.”

  It had come out on impulse, without any thought to the consequences of what I’d just offered. “We’ll get married on the ship and then we’ll go to New York.”

  Roberto’s dark, sensual eyes widened in astonishment, rendering him momentarily speechless.

  “Baby, are you sure? Are you really sure you want to do this?”

  Flashing him a sultry smile, I pushed him in the middle of his chest with my finger. “Hey, I thought you said you loved me.”

  “I do. I do love you.”

  “So, what do you say?”

  Roberto furrowed his thick eyebrows. “I want to say yes, but shouldn’t we think this over? It’s only been two days. Are you sure you’re ready to spend the rest of your life with me?”

  “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think I was ready.” I threaded my fingers through his thick hair.

  Roberto dropped his chin to his chest. “Oh Jess, I wish I had something more to offer you. I don’t want to see you suffer, married to a poor artist like me. You’re so beautiful, you’ll easily find a man to marry you, someone with a well-paying job, someone who will provide for you.”

  “I don’t want anyone else. It’s you I want, and only you.” I left a tender kiss on his forehead.

  “But how will we survive? We don’t even have jobs.”

  “We’ll worry about that later. Love conquers all, isn’t that what they say? So, for the last time, will you marry me?”

  My mouth felt dry as Roberto gazed deeply into my eyes.

  “This is crazy, but yes. I’ll marry you. I’ll spend the rest of my life with you. And I’ll make love to you like this every night.”

  The thought made my pulse take a crazy leap. “Is that a promise?”

  “I promise.” Roberto pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips against mine, his tongue ravishing my mouth. I returned in kind until our tongues were deeply entwined in a dance of passion.

  As his hands skimmed the curves of my body, waves of pleasure started to flood my system. But I willed myself to break our kiss, rolled him over and pushed his chest down into the mattress. He lay there, hot and hunky, with eyes full of yearning. With my arm stretched, I found a condom on the nightstand and rolled it down his shaft. The moment it was in place, I climbed on top of him, straddling him with parted thighs. I lowered myself slowly, stretching open my folds to accommodate his hardness. I sank in deeper and deeper, savoring the sense of fullness.

  His hands found my breasts—palming them, kneading them; his thumbs brushing my nipples to unbearable tightness. As I rode him, lifting and sinking, each stroke fanned the fire within me. Within minutes, I felt my body tighten and my flesh convulse around him. My spasms triggered his release, and gripping my hips, he thrust into me a final time before soaring into ecstasy.

  Later, as I gazed at Roberto asleep with his arms around me, utter happiness filled my whole being—something I’d never felt before. I would wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life. It felt so good, so right.

  Cradling myself against him, I drifted off to sleep.

  The captain’s door was open; I didn’t even have to knock. He was at his desk, leafing through a pile of papers, and looked up with a smile when I entered.

  “Jessica, it’s good to see you. Can I help you with anything?”

  I came right to the point. “Do you remember the artist who did my portrait on the wharf? In the past two days, we’ve been spending a lot of time together and we’ve fallen in love. We want to spend the rest of our lives together. So I wanted to ask if you could marry us.”

  The captain’s smile turned into a scowl. “Marry you? But you hardly know the man.”

  “I know how crazy it sounds. We’ve just met, we’ve spent—what, a couple of days together. It’s hard to explain how I feel, and I don’t expect you to understand. But have you ever felt in your heart that something is right, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense?”

  The captain let out a sigh. “Jessica, you obviously haven’t thought this through. This is marriage we’re talking about, a lifetime commitment. Do you really think it’s wise to make such a life-changing decision based on a two-day fling?”

  “Yes, I realize it’s sudden, but I’m sure about this. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. This is different. I can feel it. He’s the one.” Saying these words produced a warmth inside my chest. Roberto was mine, all mine. The thought made my head spin.

  But the captain’s cold voice quickly brought me back to reality. “I don’t know if I can allow you to get married. I can’t allow you to throw your life away based on a few moments of lust. Trust me, when you look back on this later on, you’ll realize I only have your best interests at heart.”

  Anger started welling up inside me. Who was he to judge me? Who was he to control my life? I spat, “You can’t just refuse to marry us.”

  “I can, and I will. I have the right to protect my passengers. Jess, listen to me. Don’t you see what he’s doing? It’s an age-old trick. He only wants to marry you to get into the United States. Once he’s got his green card, he’ll divorce you in a flash. Can’t you see that?”

  “I don’t believe that. He told me he loved me. He said he’d never met anyone like me before. We are meant to be together.”

  “That’s what he’s led you to believe. A smooth operator like him knows exactly how to play women like you—pretty, single, American. He’ll say anything to ensnare you.”

  I looked down, avoiding his gaze. “I—I don’t think he’d do that to me. He sounded genuine to me. I don’t believe he could do something like that.”

  “You have no idea what men do when they’re desperate. I’m sorry, Jessica, truly. But you’re only one of thousands of innocent victims of this game. If only you’d stayed with me that day.”

  I shook my head. It couldn’t possibly be true. Could it?

  “I can’t—I can’t think straight right now. I need some time to think about this. I’ll talk to you about it later.”

  I raced back to my cabin. The door slamming behind me, I threw myself on the bed and buried my head in the pillow.

  Roberto… could it be true what the captain had said about him? I really believed him when he said he loved me. His eyes looked so sincere when he said it. He couldn’t have lied, could he? Was he just that: a liar and a cheat?

  He must think I was such an idiot to fall for his spiel. Hell, I was an idiot. Who in their right mind would believe that he could really, truly love me after only two days? Only a moron like me.

  And the worst thing was, I was still in love with him, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself. For me, it hadn’t been a simple fling, a silly crush. Lord knows, I was no stranger to those. But with Roberto, I had felt love like I had never felt before.

  When I had proposed, it had felt so right. But now, I wasn’t at all sure any more. The captain’s words kept on echoing in my mind, “A smooth operator like him knows exactly how to play women like you.” Visions of Roberto came swimming in front of my eyes: his passionate kisses, his tender lovemaking, his sincere-sounding words of love. I couldn’t deny it any longer. It was an act, that’s all it was: he’d played me.

  A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. “Room service.”

  I sat up. “Come in, please.”

  A cabin stewardess came in, carrying a box with a blue ribbon around it. “I have a parcel for you, Miss.” She placed the box on the bed.

  I opened it, and inside sat a shiny silver bridal tiara adorned with pearls and crystals.

  The stewardess covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh Miss, isn’t that beautiful?”

  I found a folded note at the bottom of the box. It said:

  Dearest Jess,

  This belonged to my Mom. It’s all I have left of her. I can’t wait to see you wear it.

  Missing you,

  Roberto

  I felt a hot anger welling up. How could he? To thin
k that he would keep up the pretense, even up to the end. Was this his way of making sure I went through with it? It was a cheap trick if ever I saw one.

  “What does it say, Miss?” The stewardess was eagerly leaning forward to catch the contents of the note, but I quickly folded it and tossed it back in the box.

  “It’s nothing. You can go now. I’ll be alright.”

  I walked to the door and opened it, smiling at the stewardess. “Thank you for all your help.”

  After I shut the door, I sank into the couch. I couldn’t bear to be anywhere near the dreaded box. The nerve of the man—sending me his ‘mother’s’ tiara. Most likely, he’d bought it for a handful of Bolivars at one of the local pawn shops.

  I grabbed a cushion and was just about to bury my face in it, when my eye fell on the cover of a travel brochure on the coffee table. It showed a picture of a beach that looked exactly like the one that had been our carefree playground for the day. I picked up the brochure and leafed through it, smiling as memories were flooding back of the many places we had visited: the fort, the museum, the lagoon, the—

  My body stiffened in shock. It was Roberto’s painting of the storm, at the bottom of the page, in a small advertisement for a local art gallery. Despite its size, the powerful image still touched me to the core. The picture once again reminded me how talented Roberto really was. His paintings weren’t like anything I—no, the world—had ever seen.

  Biting my lip, I dropped the brochure in my lap and covered my face with my hands.

  Yes, Roberto had betrayed me. But he must have been so desperate, just as the captain had said. Of course he would be; how could a man like him realize his true potential and make a name for himself through his art? Certainly not here, in a place like Margarita Island. Even in New York it wouldn’t be an easy ride. But at least he’d have a shot.

  An exceptionally talented artist like him deserved to get a chance. And now I could give him just that. Marrying him would mean he’d finally have a real shot at success. Perhaps it wasn’t all about me any more. Perhaps it was my duty to do this, for the greater good.

  Pressing my lips together, I got up and strode to my bedside table to pick up the piece of paper with the captain’s number on it.

  He picked up almost at once. “Captain Adams.”

  “It’s Jessica. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what you said. I know you’re probably right, but I’ve decided. I still want to marry him.”

  The silence that followed made me wonder if he had put the phone down.

  Then he broke it by saying, “Jessica, a bright, beautiful woman like you deserves to get married to a decent guy, start a family, and live happily ever after. I just don’t see it happening with this guy. But it’s your call. I just wouldn’t want to find out that after you get married, he goes on to ruin your life.”

  “Look, it’s my life. I have to live it, no one else. All I need from you is that you marry us.” I felt my jaw muscles tighten.

  The captain’s tone turned downright icy. “Very well. Make the arrangements with John, the purser.” The phone went dead.

  Yes, we could get married! I wanted to go back to the island right away to tell Roberto the good news in person, so I got off the ship and took a taxi to his studio. When I saw familiar warehouses come into view, my heart started beating faster. He would be so excited to hear that we could get married on the ship.

  When the taxi stopped for a red light, I looked out the window and spotted a charming little cafe with a few outdoor tables shaded by white-and-green parasols. A man who looked like Roberto was sitting at one of the tables.

  “Stop there at the kerb,” I said to the taxi driver when the light turned to green. I looked closely at the man again. It was definitely Roberto, having coffee with a beautiful long-haired Latin woman wearing a revealing, low-cut top and a short skirt that barely covered her thighs. They were having a lively discussion, punctuated with laughter, and on more than one occasion the woman touched him on the arm. They stood up to leave, and to my horror, the woman pulled Roberto into a embrace, pressing her svelte body to his. Then they walked off, his arm around her shoulders.

  I was shocked, disgusted. I couldn’t believe this was happening. The cruise captain had been right all along—Roberto had played me. Of course he had a girlfriend here on the island. How could he not have, an extremely attractive man like him? I’m sure he would have been waiting at the wharf every time the cruise ships came in, on the lookout for some innocent female tourist. Unfortunately, this time that dim-witted tourist was me.

  While these depressing thoughts were swirling in my mind, I put my head between my hands, and hot tears started to stream down my face. Only one thought gave me some comfort: the cruise ship was due to depart late that very night. I would leave and never see him again. Perhaps I was lucky that I had been saved from the disaster of marrying him, but even that couldn’t take away the hurt I was feeling, the devastating hurt of being utterly betrayed.

  “Take me back to the ship,” I whimpered to the taxi driver.

  I couldn’t wait to leave this wretched island.

  It felt strange to be back home in my apartment. I had expected the familiar space to offer me some solace, but it did little to heal the void I felt inside. I had never felt so miserable in my life. All I wanted to do is curl up in bed and bury my face in a pillow. Every night, I cried myself to sleep—a fitful sleep filled with haunting dreams of Roberto caught in a storm.

  If it weren’t for Kim, my wonderful roommate, the bottomless pain and grief I felt would probably have consumed me. She made me chicken soup, brought me countless cups of tea, and most importantly, lent me her shoulder to cry on.

  She sat next to me on the bed. “Jess, I hate seeing you like this. It’s been three days since you came back from the cruise, and you’ve hardly left your bed. You can’t keep this up forever.”

  “I just don’t know what to do. After all he’s done to me, I shouldn’t feel this way, but I still love him. I miss him so much.” Admitting this to Kim, and myself, I felt tears welling up yet again.

  Kim pulled me into a hug. “Listen, I have a great idea. Let’s get away for a weekend, just the two of us. Your sister sent us tickets to some prestigious New York art show held in a few weeks’ time. We could go and do some sightseeing, watch a Broadway show, visit the museums.”

  “I don’t know, Kim. I haven’t even found a new job yet. It’s going to cost us lots of money.”

  “Not necessarily. I’ve got it all worked out. We’ll drive there and stay at Jessica’s apartment. She offered. I think she’s away filming on some tropical island.”

  “I’m not sure. I just came back from the cruise.”

  “Come on, we’re going to have such a great time. And it will take your mind off things.”

  I finally relented. “Alright then. Go and organize it.”

  Maybe Kim was right: a fun girls’ getaway would make me forget him once and for all.

  From the moment we landed in New York, it felt like entering another world. I was overwhelmed by it all—the muggy heat of summer mixed with the smell of exhaust fumes and the noise of car horns and sirens. Everywhere we went it was packed with people walking at a frenetic pace. But the sizzling energy in the air was infectious. After weeks of wallowing in my misery, I finally felt alive again.

  Kim and I visited all the famous sights I’d only seen on TV and in movies: Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station. The big city was more lively, more impressive, and more spectacular than a country girl like me had ever experienced. Kim, however, had quickly adapted to city life. She was unstoppable, following her carefully formulated itinerary to the letter. After visiting all the tourist attractions, she dragged me from one outlet shop to another.

  “Jess, try this dress on. It’s going to look spectacular on you.” Kim held up a black sequin dress.

  “I don’t know. It looks awfully short and revealing.”


  “Come on. You’ve lost so much weight, you need to buy some new clothes.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Rolling my eyes, I took the dress she handed me and tried it on. Surprisingly, it fitted well and made me look rather elegant.

  Kim’s face broke into a wide smile. “It looks fantastic on you! Now let’s get some matching shoes.”

  And so it went on all afternoon, with Kim making most of the purchases. Weighed down by piles of shopping bags, we went back to the hotel to change into our new outfits and get ready for a night on the town. We had dinner in Chinatown before heading to the art show that my sister had sent us tickets for.

  It was already dark when we arrived in the streets of SoHo. It was still buzzing, with plenty of trendy people milling about. But when we stepped into the Rendezvous Art Gallery, the outside noise immediately fell away to make way for civilized classical music. The lighting was subdued, with spotlights calling attention to the artworks on the crisp white walls, which were in perfect contrast with the dark wooden floor.

  Stylish and sophisticated, the visitors to the show enjoyed flutes of champagne while talking animatedly amongst each other. I took a flute and sipped it while admiring intricate collages of recycled materials. Moving on to the next work, I noticed that a crowd had formed around an artwork at the far end of the gallery.

  Curious, I walked over to find out what held their attention. When I finally caught a glimpse of the work, my breath caught in my throat.

  On the gallery wall was an artwork I knew so well—Roberto’s painting of the storm. When I stepped closer, I found its description:

  Title: Storm at Isla de Margarita

  Artist: Roberto Ramirez

  My heart skipped a beat. How did Roberto’s painting end up in this gallery, of all places? Had some tourist bought his work and decided to put it up for sale? When I looked around the gallery, I spotted more of his paintings, and I realized that this art show was going to be his big breakthrough. Of course I was happy for him, but deep in my heart I felt something else—regret that I had not talked to him before I left, that I hadn’t even said goodbye to him.