“No. He doesn’t spend much time here. And I keep it in my closet.”
Lucas pushed open the door and then went to his closet, pulling out an easel, a painting and rolling out a small cart with some paints. He set it up by the window and she could see that he was painting the skyline view from his window.
“Can I watch you?” Harriet asked, sitting on his bed.
“If you want. Not sure how exciting it is to watch paint drying, but I don’t mind.” Lucas started opening jars. Harriet got comfortable on the bed and watched as he prepared everything. He stepped to the window and looked out for a long moment, then turned and picked up a brush. It was just growing dark and the light from the window seemed to have a special sort of glow.
Lucas quickly got lost in his work. Harriet watched as he conjured up skyscrapers and high clouds, hinted at traffic and somehow captured the energy of this city that he so obviously loved. She kept her silence as he worked and it was only as he lay down the last strokes that she spoke. “You love this city, don’t you?”
“I miss it when I’m in California,” he admitted. “I’m not going to say Stanford is awful or anything, but I definitely am a New Yorker at heart. I’ll be done with school next year and Dad will get me a job with the company, somewhere near the bottom, no doubt. Might even send me to one of the overseas offices. But I’ll always come back here, I’m sure.”
Harriet smiled at him. “We moved around a bit after Dad died, so I’ve never felt particularly attached to anywhere. If I can quote Annie, ‘I think I’m gonna like it here.’”
Lucas laughed. “That seems appropriate for everything you’ve been going through. Really, I mean it though, you’re doing a lot better than I would if our positions were reversed.”
“You mean if suddenly you had no money and had to worry about making the rent?” Harriet teased.
“Something like that.” He came over and sat next to her on the bed. “I like you a lot, Harriet.”
“I know. I like you too. But there’s that pesky step siblings thing. If I’d just met you, well I’m not saying I’d get hitched in Vegas in three days, but you’re a good guy.” Harriet looked up at him.
Lucas leaned down and kissed her gently, then pulled away. “So, tomorrow,” he said, clearing his throat.
“Right,” Harriet got herself up “I’ll see you in the morning.” She started to go out, turned and gave Lucas a quick kiss, and hurried to her room.
She changed into pajamas and got into bed. Harriet lay there and stared at the ceiling. If she was smart she’d call Mom and get out of town. But she wasn’t that smart and Lucas was right, it wasn’t as if they were actually related. She rolled onto her side and looked out her window at the city night. She fell asleep thinking about the way Lucas’ brush moved across the canvas and how she could watch him paint forever.
***
Harriet woke early the next morning and stretched in bed. She got dressed and padded into the main part of the house. There wasn’t any sign of Lucas yet, so she made coffee and breakfast. Lucas finally appeared as she was finishing and gave her a sleepy smile. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you.” She handed him a mug and settled in at the table. “So slightly less adventure today, dinner and a show?”
“That’s the plan,” he said. “Figured we could go to MOMA.”
“I love hearing you talk about art. It sounds perfect to me.”
They went out after breakfast and it was as wonderful as Harriet had imagined, listening to Lucas talk about the various works and pointing out his favorites and telling her way. Art really did light him up from the inside. They returned to the apartment in the later afternoon and ended curled up together on the sofa, watching television and still talking about themselves and what they enjoyed.
When it started to get late, Lucas sent her to the room and told her to dress nicely. She met him back downstairs in a pretty green dress and took his arm. They went to a nice restaurant near the theater. Lucas gave her a few gentle corrections on how she was eating or doing things, but never made her feel like he was talking down to her. “You’ll be perfect at the next dinner party,” he said with a warm smile as they left.
“I hope so. Let’s just hope Chad isn’t there.”
“Just forget about him. He isn’t important.”
They went to a show. The seats were nearly perfect and Harriet soon found herself enthralled. It was a love story, but the music was moving and the acting nearly perfect. She wiped tears away as the show ended and applauded as much as anyone.
They caught a cab outside of the theater. Lucas got the door for her and she sat close to him as they went back to the apartment, holding his hand.
They got out and Lucas led the way back to the apartment. When they were alone in the elevator he dabbed at her makeup again. “You keep trying to make it run,” he chided gently.
“Well, you picked the show, she said, covering his hand with hers.
Lucas studied her eyes, smiling softly. Harriet leaned up and kissed him gently, only breaking apart as the elevator came to a stop.
They got into the apartment and Lucas drew her close, kissing her again. Harriet moaned against his mouth, licking her way inside. He groaned and broke them apart again to take her hand and tug her to his room. Harriet laughed and went with him, the laughter turning to a moan as he pressed her against the window and nibbled her throat, his hands smoothing down her arms.
“I want you, Lucas,” she admitted.
“I know. I want you too,” he panted against her skin, pulling her away from the glass just long enough to get her zipper down.
Harriet smiled at him and kissed him, undoing his shirt buttons, eager to get to skin, surprised to find how well built he was underneath the fancy clothes.
Lucas pushed up her skirt and hitched her legs around his waist, grinding against her, making her gasp with every thrust, even with their clothes still between.
“You better get me to that bed,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. He grinned and pulled her away from the window, carrying her to the bed and tumbling over her as they dropped. He kissed her again, hands going up her dress to squeeze her breasts.
Harriet moaned happily and kissed him deeply, tonguing his mouth. Lucas’ hands moved down and hooked in the band of her panties, pulling them down and off. He broke the kiss to grab a condom out of his bedside drawer and then kissed her again, fingers stroking her clit. She moaned and spread her legs for him, enjoy the sparks of pleasure going down her spine.
Lucas pulled back to watch her face as he pushed one finger inside, quickly followed by a second.
“Yes,” whispered Harriet. “I want you.” She reached up and ran a hand through his hair.
“You’re beautiful,” he muttered, blue eyes heated as he looked down at her.
“So are you, you know,” she answered leaning up to kiss him.
Lucas pulled back to shove his trousers down and roll on a condom. Harriet took advantage of the space to pull her dress over her head. Lucas grabbed her arms and rolled them so she was straddling his waist and guided her down.
Harriet moaned and rocked down his cock. Lucas pulled her down so he could undo her bra and toss it aside, fondling her breasts all over again. She started riding him in earnest, writhing a bit with the pleasure of it. He filled her up in all the right ways.
Lucas tugged her down to kiss her again, groaning at the way her breasts rubbed against his chest with every thrust. One hand reached down to hold her ass as he drove up into her, swallowing her panting breaths as they got closer and closer to orgasm.
With a loud groan, Harriet went over first. Lucas rolled them over and thrust hard into her a few more times before coming right after, moaning softly as he filled the condom.
They lay there for a long moment, looking at each other. Lucas pulled out, kissing her and going to bin the condom. Harriet curled up in his arms when he came back, not regretting it for a moment.
***
The next morning, Harriet woke in his bed, yawning and stretching. Lucas was still snoring softy. Quietly as she could she gathered her clothes and went back to her own room, taking a shower and getting dressed before going down to the kitchen.
The phone rang a few minutes later; her mother, telling her that she and Reggie would be there shortly. Harriet thanked them and was glad they hadn’t just popped in unannounced. She grabbed a cup of coffee and took it up to Lucas’ room and knocked on the door.
“The folks will be here soon, so you might want to make some effort to wake up.” She shook him.
Lucas grumbled but got out of bed. She went back downstairs and straightened things until Lucas came down to join her. A few minutes after that the front door opened and Reggie and Rachel walked in.
“Good to see you,” smiled Rachel, going to give her daughter a hug.
“You too, Mom.”
Reggie looked at them a long moment, then turned his attention to Lucas. “Do you still have those paintings in the closet?”
Lucas looked like a deer in the headlights. “Yes.”
“Good. Keep doing it. Rachel and I have talked and I know that Harriet is interested in the business. I won’t make you hold off on your dreams now that there is someone else that I can train.
“Really?” said Lucas and Harriet in unison.
Reggie put an arm around Rachel. “Really. We’d like both of you to be happy. And you can both stay here in this apartment as long as you like, but Harriet I’d like you to start coming to my office next week.”
“I can do that,” she said, excited. She smiled at Lucas, knowing that they’d both be all right.
THE END
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Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance) Page 26
