Then there was the newest student, Devin.
Adele smiled as she watched him paint. She couldn’t see what he was doing since his easel was facing him, but she could see his face and his aura. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his eyes narrowed, and his mouth set in grim determination. His beard was a bit scruffier, and she wondered if it was only a few days’ growth or if it was the result of months of determination. Nevertheless, the look suited him more than it did other men. His youth was captured in the expression that came and went fleetingly when he was deep in concentration. The occasional slight raising of a quizzical eyebrow and the fleeting boyish innocence stirred restlessness within her.
He looked up at her and smiled as he caught her eye. She flushed as a flash of energy rippled through her and left as quickly as it came. She smiled back, then turned her attention to her attendance book. She pretended to write something while she caught her breath.
Animal magnetism? she wondered. No. Gus is the epitome of that. This is something deeper.
She glanced at Devin once more and was relieved to see he was back in his reverie of painting.
Soul mate connection.
She thought back to the tarot cards and the Six of Cups. That was it. The soul mate connection from the cards.
She laughed softly and covered her mouth. Hardly. Devin was just a boy. Well, a boy to her, at least. She might have had children his age if she’d ever settled down long enough to have kids.
No, there was something about Devin, but a soul mate connection was laughable. He was not the man Maggie saw in the cards, nor would he be the man Lucy and the circle would conjure.
Adele stood up, her mind clear, her teacher attitude returning, and she walked around the room. She stopped and commented on everyone’s work, helping them with their technique and showing them how to hold the brushes so their fingers and arms wouldn’t get as sore.
As she approached Devin, there was a sensation in her solar plexus chakra that felt like a wave rippling. The closer she got, the more frequently the wave undulated in her gut. The pulsing sensation ebbed through her stomach and spread down to her groin and beyond to her thighs. The warm urge that flushed through her lower regions rendered her speechless for a moment.
She stared at the painting. Any idea of suppressing the sensation was gone as she laid her eyes on another of his landscapes. This time, colorful clouds loomed in the sky. There were more shadows than in the previous one.
“I like that,” Adele said.
“Do you?”
Adele nodded thoughtfully, stroking her chin. “Although we’re painting auras today,” she reminded him.
“I know we’re supposed to do the class requirements, but I just started painting this.” Devin hung his head. “It’s not even like I wanted to. Something was forcing me to.”
“You mean a voice in your head?”
“No, not like that. More like a sensation.”
“Yes, the connection. You have tapped into it well,” Adele said.
“How?”
“There are many ways. Maybe I can give a more detailed lesson about these ideas at some point?”
“I’d like that.”
Devin continued to paint. Adele stared at his large, muscular fingers and the way he gripped his brush. The sleeves on his jean shirt were rolled up, and his forearms were firm and well-muscled. She could see the bulge of his biceps through the shirt and wondered how much he worked out at the gym. His tight, young flesh beneath her fingertips would be a refreshing change.
Adele imagined him shirtless, maybe even naked, on the Hermana beach. How warm his body would be as she slowly rubbed coconut-scented cream into his flesh. His grizzled cheek nuzzled against her, his breath hot on her neck. Strong warm hands held her...
“Is there something else I should know?” Devin asked, watching her with a strange look on his face. Adele realized she must have looked like she was in outer space.
“I’m sorry,” Adele said. “I was daydreaming. A long day.”
“The end of the day does that to people.” Devin nodded. He waited, an expectant look on his face. She knew he wanted her to talk more about his work, but she was flustered again, dormant sensations rushing forward for the first time in years, swelling her groin, pounding her heart, making her dizzy.
“Keep up the good work,” she said sharply and cringed.
What a stupid thing to say.
She mentally berated herself as she sauntered over to the next painting. For the rest of the class, her attention flitted from idea to idea, none of them connecting in any manner that made sense to anyone except for her.
As she looked at the rest of the class’s paintings, a sense of loss ebbed through her. The farther away she retreated from Devin, the more the aching tunnelled through her. When she felt she had spent enough time with the other students, she wandered back around the class. She needed to look at Devin’s painting. There was almost an urgency to looking now.
He had titled it Harmoni: Changes.
Adele stared at the painting, absorbing the mellow calmness of the lavender hills and cooling herself in the lavish grasses that grew by the brook. She yearned to fall into the painting, crawl inside it until she felt whole or different or somehow transformed.
“You’ve done a great job once again,” she said. Then her tone turned businesslike as she addressed the class. “It’s time to finish up for the day.”
The students set to work cleaning up. Adele looked at Devin’s painting again.
“I don’t know why I keep painting that place,” Devin said.
“This landscape?” Adele asked.
“Yes. I don’t know where this place is or why I keep painting it. Ever since I moved to Hermana, I’ve been painting scenes from this place. I call it Harmoni because it makes me feel good.”
“I guess you have a muse,” Adele said.
“I have more paintings. Lots more,” Devin said as he rolled his brushes up in a cloth.
“Of other things or of Harmoni?” Adele asked.
“Both. Would you like to come and see them?” he asked.
“When did you have in mind?”
“Well, if you’re not doing anything right now?” Devin said hopefully.
Adele smiled. “I’m not, actually. I’d love to come over.”
* * *
Devin’s loft was in an old warehouse on a side street, a few blocks from the school. As he and Adele climbed the stairs, Adele wondered what she was doing. She barely knew Devin and maybe she shouldn’t be going to his place by herself.
Never mind, it’s too late, she thought. What happens, happens.
Devin unlocked the door and thrust it open, stepping inside the darkness to find the lights. “Just a minute,” he said as he flicked a switch.
Adele entered his loft and looked around speechlessly. The first thing that caught her eye was a giant mural painted on one wall. The ceiling was at least ten feet high, and the painting covered the wall from it to the floor.
“Oh my,” Adele sighed as she stared at the swirling purples, reds, and yellows of the landscape she was already growing familiar with. The mural depicted a huge scene from Harmoni with the mountains, the brook and the odd-shaped trees.
“See, it’s an obsession, almost,” Devin said.
“I can see that,” Adele said. “It’s impressive and amazing. How long did it take you to paint that?”
“I guess it was about a week. When I first moved here, I started to have these strange dreams and visions, so I just kept painting, hoping they would stop. As you can see, they haven’t.”
Adele looked at the paintings that stood on easels and many more stacked against the walls. Most of them were of various scenes from the mystical Harmoni. Others were of women. Dreamy, voluptuous paintings of rounded bodies with shimmering, gauzy materials draped over their curves.
“I like painting women,” Devin said.
Adele walked over to one of a dark-haired woman with narrowed, gleaming eyes.
Her mouth was set in a firm, grim line, and the whole presence of the painting gave off a dangerous feeling.
“This one, it doesn’t have the same kind of vibe as the others,” Adele said. “Who is she?”
Devin stared at the painting and shrugged. “I have no idea. I just started to paint her and here she is,” he confessed.
“Well, you did a great job on proportion and expression. The fact that I get the chills looking at her is indicative of your talent.”
“Do you think I have talent?” Devin asked.
“Most certainly. I would have to say you’re the most talented student I’ve had in a very long time.”
Devin wandered over to his fridge and opened it, peering in. “I know I have a long way to go before my paintings are truly professional. I just wish I could stop painting Harmoni—or at least know why I’m painting it.” He shut the fridge. “I only have a couple of beers, but I do have a few bottles of wine,” he said. “Do you like wine?”
“Certainly. I’d love a glass of wine.”
“This is what I have,” Devin said as he pointed to several types of wine on his shelf. Adele studied them and finally chose a red.
“This is a nice one,” she said. “I often drink this kind.”
“Then that is the one we’ll have,” Devin said as he pulled the bottle from the shelf. “Go sit down on the couch and relax. I’ll be right there.”
Adele sat on the couch with the mural looming over her. The same wondrous sensations of peace and sensuality washed over her as she stared at it.
Devin returned with two glasses of wine. He handed her one.
“Thank you,” she said. “This is going to hit the spot.”
“Here’s to a wonderful teacher,” Devin said, lifting his glass.
They toasted and had a sip. Devin stood and set about lighting a few of the candles he had scattered around the room.
“That’s pretty,” Adele said, watching the flames flickering.
“I like candles. Of course, since my studies in Hermana, I’m learning more about the power of candles.”
He sat down on the couch. It was long and old and obviously something he had found at the local Goodwill. It was surprisingly comfortable, and Adele settled back into it.
“So what brought you to Hermana?” She asked as she sipped her wine. She studied his face, his strong jaw, his bright blue eyes. She loved the contrast of his dark hair with the vibrancy of his eyes. His aura swirled around him, bright colors with the spiralling thread of gray.
“I came to study the metaphysical stuff. Auras, tarot reading, dreams, ghosts, all those things this town is famous for.”
“Do you have an inclination toward any of the arts?”
“I’m not sure. I think I can be rather intuitive at times. I’ve just always been curious, especially with regard to my art. I’ve been painting and writing since I was a kid.”
“Writing too?” Adele asked.
“Yes, just poetry though.” He shrugged.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I know. A guy writing poetry.”
“What kind of poetry do you write?”
“All kinds. I write about moods, people, things, places.”
“Sounds like you take an interest in the world around you and you like to record it somehow.”
“I’ve been writing about Harmoni in poems too. They also just kind of come to me.” He stood and went over to a desk that had piles of papers and notebooks on it. He returned with a notebook. “All the poems in here are those Harmoni poems,” he said as he handed it to her.
“Really? I think that’s fascinating,” Adele said as opened the book. She sat quietly reading about ideas of peace and love, of a faraway place where there was endless power and endless love, endless pleasure.
She closed the book, her eyes brimming with tears.
“These are so powerful. Romantic, impressionist, dreamy,” she said. “I could really see the places and feel what you were trying to say.”
“I don’t even know what I’m trying to say with regard to those poems,” Devin said. “Like I said before, the words just fall from the pen, and when I’m done, I just look at the poem with surprise, as if someone else wrote it.”
“That’s the power of creativity,” Adele said. “We go into trances, and when we’re done, it’s amazing.”
“Well, not everything is perfect and readable. I’ve thrown out quite a few clunkers,” Devin said.
“That takes courage,” Adele said. “A lot of creative types can’t let go of their work.”
“I can. I left all my paintings behind when I came here. Sure some are in storage, but so many more, I just threw away. There’s too many of them, and what am I going to do with them?”
A pang of sadness spread through Adele. “That’s too bad,” she said. “I’m sure you’ve thrown away some interesting things I’ll never get to see.”
“It’s all right, you didn’t miss much. Just the egocentric scribbling of a young man trying to find himself.”
Adele stared at him, trying to understand all the various emotions ebbing from him. His eyes were bright as he stared back at her.
“You are a very beautiful woman, Adele,” Devin said as he edged a bit closer to her. “From the first moment I saw you...” The words hung in the air. He took her hand and pressed it against his chest.
“Yes?” Adele asked.
“The first time I saw you, I sensed something about you. Something strong and vibrant, a powerful woman with great talent.”
“You see that?”
“Everyone can see that about you. It’s very exciting, meeting someone like you. Running a store, teaching classes, taking time to help people.”
“I try to keep busy. I like being busy,” Adele said.
Devin squeezed her hand. “Is it too forward to ask if you’re seeing someone?”
Adele laughed as she blushed. “Me? No. I haven’t seen anyone in quite a long time. What about you?”
“No. I don’t often meet women I find intriguing enough to take time away from my art for.”
They sat in silence, his hand holding hers tighter. His eyes stared intently into hers, and she almost gasped as he leaned forward. When his lips touched hers, Adele realized she was trembling. His lips were soft and light as they pressed against hers gently. When he drew away, he sat back and looked at her.
“Oh my,” Adele said.
“Was I too forward?”
Adele shook her head as she leaned into him again for another kiss. This time the kisses were hungrier and firmer. They wrapped their arms around each other, and his heart beat into hers. She trembled as he held her tightly, and she ran her hands along the muscular ripples of his back.
He pushed her back on the couch, hungrily tasting her lips, his hands roaming, nervously at first, touching her hair, her arms and finally her breasts.
“Mmm,” she sighed as he squeezed her large, fleshy bosom. She arched her back into his touch, her mouth exploring his. She touched his cheek, the fur of his partially grown beard soft under her fingers. She held his face to kiss him better while his hands explored her body.
“That’s so good,” she said as he slid his hand between her legs. She spread them wider for him, enjoying the firm pressure of his palm against her groin. As she kissed him some more, she looked over at the mural. It glowed, the colors more rich and vibrant than they’d been before, and she thought she could sense some kind of vibration spilling out of the wall.
She closed her eyes again, enjoying Devin’s sweet kisses and tentative touches.
He nuzzled his face into her neck and sat back to look at her. “You are so beautiful,” he said, touching her mouth with his finger. “I want to make love to you.”
Adele smiled as she unbuttoned her shirt. “Make love to me, Devin,” she said as she slipped it off. Adele stared at his face as she unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor. She slid off the couch and stood to undo her pants. She held one arm over her
stomach, hoping the sight of her naked wouldn’t kill his mood.
He stared at her as she leaned back down on the couch, ready to give herself to him. Without looking away, he pulled off his own T-shirt and slid off his pants. She studied his body, as toned and youthfully enticing as she had imagined it would be. His penis was firm and rather large.
Adele held her arms up to him. “Come to me, baby,” she cooed and he lay against her once more. His warm, smooth skin against hers made her heart race faster. She savored the feel of his nakedness as his lips sought hers out once more. It was surprising how much she had missed the arms of a man around her, and she was ready to give him anything he wanted.
He kissed her neck and worked his gentle lips down to her breasts. He held one in his hand, pulling it up to suck on her nipple. She sighed as he flicked his tongue against it. He looked at her, watching her face.
“That’s nice,” she said. “You can bite it if you want.”
Devin sucked her nipple until it was hard and firm, then bared his teeth and nipped at it. He nibbled and suckled it, then turned his attention to her other one.
“Mmm... more...”Adele sighed. She ran her hands along his strong, broad shoulders, enjoying the sight of his vibrant, blue eyes watching her. Every time his eyes met hers, another tingle surged through her, an electric connection from eyes to pussy.
He kissed his way down her body in light little touches, the brush of butterfly wings. By the time he settled his kisses between her legs, she was wet with excitement. His fingers pulled her pussy lips apart, and his tongue lightly touched her clit. She thought she would jump out of her skin.
“Oh my Lord!” she sighed. It had been so long since a man had licked her down there. She couldn’t even remember the last time. Her last couple of sexual encounters had been drunken one-night stands with no real foreplay. Just hot and nasty stolen moments with faceless young men.
His tongue lapped at her warmly and firmly. She moaned, holding her pussy lips open so his fingers were free to slip into her glistening hole.
“Yes,” she sighed. “Oh, yes, please keep doing that.”
She wriggled her hips gleefully, pushing her pussy against his mouth, trying not to overpower him but unable to contain her excitement. His tongue licked her clit, along her labia, thrust deep into her vagina, and tickled her asshole. She thought she would die when he returned to her clit and sucked on it while his fingers hooked into her G-spot.
Pisces: Teacher's Pet Page 4
