Painted Memories

by Flowers, Loni

  “Drew!” I swatted his arm, but laughed at his attempt to make me smile. It worked.

  Laughing, he grabbed my arm, pulling me into his side. “I’m only kidding. Sharing your feelings is never dumb. I want to know how you feel. If you don’t tell me, we’re going to be in the same situation we were a couple hours ago. And I’m not going anywhere… not unless you want me to.”

  “No, I don’t. Sorry. I’m not used to sharing my feelings.”

  “And stop apologizing,” he grinned.

  “Jeez… you sure are demanding! Any other orders?” I asked, teasing him.

  His fingers combed through my hair as he raked it behind my shoulder. “One last thing…”

  I tilted my head up, questioning him with my eyes. “Okay. Name it. “

  His thumb fingered my ear lightly while his eyes penetrated mine with an intensity I’d never seen before. “Let me kiss you again?”

  My heart raced in my chest so loudly, I was sure Drew could hear it. There was no doubt I wanted him to kiss me. I was always thinking about it, but resisted the urge to acknowledge it most of the time.

  Not anymore.

  I reached for his face, my hand cradling his jaw as I grazed over his cheek with my thumb. The stubble of his beard pricked my fingers. My own intense gaze met his when I said, “You can’t demand something I already want.” His mouth pressed against mine and I melted like putty in his hands. Drew’s lips caressed my own as they pulled and nipped on my mouth. When his tongue rubbed against mine, I moaned into his mouth, overwhelmed by the delightful sensations he created in me. I never thought kissing someone like this could feel so wonderful. If this was what I had to look forward to with Drew, he might never be allowed outside my apartment.

  Chapter 15

  During my four years in college, I watched a lot of the girls become involved in what they called “real relationships.” Nothing riled me more than to see two people finally discover one another, then act as if no one on the planet existed besides the two of them. I hated it. Or at least, I thought I did. Maybe envy was what I felt. Now, after all this time, I finally understood what they were going through and what it felt like. As much as I hated to admit it, I had become one of those girls.

  I was no different than any of those college girls who wanted to be with their new boyfriends all the time, except for one small thing: I didn’t obsess over him… okay maybe only a tiny bit. Since the moment we became officially together, we shared lunch every day and spent every night together too, even if only for an hour or less.

  All of it seemed surreal. Our relationship was growing faster than I ever imagined and it scared me a little. Not that I wanted it to be less than what it was, but because I knew I was falling hard for him. I didn’t know it then, but every moment we enjoyed together was another opportunity for him to bury himself deeper into my heart. I couldn’t help wondering if he felt as strongly for me as I did for him. For once, he dominated all of my thoughts. Gone were the innovative ideas I needed to do for class, along with wondering if my dad liked or hated me from one week to the next. For now, Drew was my life and all those other things didn’t matter anymore. When I wasn’t thinking about him, I was talking about him to Andrea. I couldn’t get the details out fast enough for her. She wanted to know everything. I told her about what happened with Drew and the fight we had almost two weeks ago. Of course, I couldn’t tell her all the private conversations we had, but I wasn’t afraid to let her know how awesome a kisser he was. I told her how every time we kissed, not once did he let it get out of hand… no matter how much I would have liked more. I had no complaints about getting a little hot and heavy every once in a while, but he was holding back, and I wasn’t sure why.

  Andrea told me she knew I’d pick Drew. She said we were too much alike for it not to be a match made in heaven. As much as I wanted to believe her, I had my doubts that it would all come crashing down somehow.

  It was nice to catch up with her over dinner the other night when Drew was somewhere helping Phillip. He was helping him almost every evening after work, in preparation for the upcoming charity event, although I still had no idea when it would happen. I kept forgetting to ask. When he wasn’t busy helping Phillip, he’d stop by the studio occasionally, to finish cleaning it up, but refused my help. He insisted on only letting me see it after it was finished and everything was set up, which, according to him, was any day now.

  I was more nervous waiting for Drew to come over than any other time we’d spent together. In only a couple of hours, we were taking our relationship to a whole new level. Meeting his father was a pretty big deal, and I felt sick, thinking about how things might go. Drew asked me on Friday at lunch if we could cancel our usual dinner date since his father was going to be in town. He didn’t even want to see him, but felt obligated to spend some time with him.

  Drew mentioned that he wouldn’t mind if I met his father, if he wasn’t such a jerk. I was excited that he cared for me enough to want to introduce me; but at the same time, I understood his reasoning had he chosen not to. I felt exactly the same way about my father. Without a doubt, my mother would love Drew, but I wasn’t ready to go there yet and bring my parents into our relationship. Drew knew that I had issues with my dad and I still wasn’t comfortable telling Drew about him.

  From our past conversations, I understood that it was several months since Drew and his dad really talked. I was surprised when he called me back later that night and asked me to go with him anyway. He told me he would feel more comfortable if I were with him, but swore that if his dad said one insulting comment about him, or either of our occupations, we were leaving. I was fine with that. All I asked was that he start tonight with an open mind and just see what happens. If I could help resurrect his relationship with his dad, his life would be that much richer by having a loving parent to support him… unlike me. As long as my dad made hateful accusations and continued using alcohol to solve his problems, I never wanted any kind of relationship with him.

  I was finishing up my hair when I heard a knock on the door. My stomach dropped, knowing I was that much closer to meeting Drew’s dad. I yelled for him to come in because I wasn’t going to meet him at the door with my head still in hot rollers. All I needed to do was take them out, give my hair a shake and I’d be ready to go. Once I heard him come in and shut the door, I yelled, “Sorry, I’m finishing up. I’ll be right out.”

  “Take your time. Do you have a vase?”

  “Ahh, you bought me flowers; you shouldn’t have,” I grinned

  I heard my cabinet doors opening and closing before he said, “Never mind, found one.”

  After twisting the last roller out of my hair and clunking it into the sink, I flipped my head over and gave it swift shake. Looking back at myself in the mirror, large soft curls framed my face and hung down my back. It was one of my best looks and even made my face sexier. It was a shame I didn’t wear my hair like this more often. Satisfied with my appearance, I flipped off the bathroom light and walked toward the kitchen to see if Drew approved. I had no idea if I was too dressed up, or not enough, since I didn’t think to ask where we were dining.

  The hardwood floor in the living room ended my stealthy approach when my high heels clicked against the floor. I smiled at Drew once I saw him, but my eyes were immediately riveted on the huge bouquet of roses I saw on the bar. “Wow, they’re beautiful,” I said, walking over to smell them. I leaned in, inhaling the rich scent as the soft, silken petals grazed my nose. I reached for his hand, and his thumb automatically rubbed across the top of mine. “They smell heavenly and you picked pink, orange, and yellow… the perfect mix, like a sunset.”

  “You like them then?” he asked.

  “I love them.” I stepped closer, my heels allowing my eyes to be level with his, and kissed him softly on the lips. “Thank you.” Drew looked at me with such an intense gaze, I wasn’t sure what it meant, having never seen it before. The smile slipped from his face and I stepped back a half
step. “What’s the matter? Is everything okay?”

  “We need to cancel dinner,” he said abruptly.

  “Why? You don’t want to go?” I asked.

  “It’s your outfit.” Drew paused as his eyes appraised me up and down.

  “Oh. Is it too much? Too dressy? I’ll go change.” I turned to walk away when his hand grasped my wrist to stop me.

  He tone was serious, concealing any emotion on his face when he asked, “Turn for me. I want to see it all.”

  I was stunned by his statement, but even more by the look that flashed across his face. His eyes were lustful and hungry, and I could feel the heat burning through me as I turned for him.

  I was going for a somewhat dressy, professional look, with the intent of giving off a great first impression when I met his dad. It didn’t occur to me when I put the dress on that it would be an issue. The white, cap-sleeve dress hung slightly off my shoulders with a sheer bodice. Thin, black, satiny bands wrapped tightly around my waist, stretching from my hips to right under my breasts. It made my torso look slim and long. The skirt was fitted to the thigh before flaring out slightly below the knee. I thought it gave my hips a smooth, sexy curve that elongated my lean legs. I chose a pair of high black heels to complement the black bands around my waist. Was I dressed too sexy? It definitely wasn’t my intention.

  Turning slowly, I asked, “Is it not acceptable for the occasion?” It was a stupid question, but I wanted to see where this little twirl was headed. There was no doubt that he liked what he saw; his gaping mouth and the quickened rise and fall of his chest told me so. I was astonished at how he could restrain himself during the many times we made out, either on his couch or mine. I began to wonder if this outfit finally tipped the scale on Drew’s willpower.

  When he still didn’t answer my question, I turned on my pencil-thin heels to go change. “Fine, I’ll put something else on.” I didn’t take two steps before I felt his hand grabbing my upper arm and I stopped in place. My breath quickened when he walked up behind me and pressed his body against my back. Drew released his hold and gently slid his hands down the back of both my arms. Goose bumps spread over my skin, yet there wasn’t a spot on me that felt cold. When his fingers reached my wrist, he let his hands travel back up. My neck tilted, on its own desire when he swept my wavy locks to the right and over my shoulder, leaving my neck and shoulder exposed. His soft lips pressed against my shoulder and I took a sharp breath of unexpected delight. Slow and gentle, his mouth moved across my shoulder and up my neck before he pulled the tip of my earlobe between his lips, teasing it with his tongue. Drew’s ministrations were almost unbearable and I felt weak in the knees.

  “Part of me can’t wait to take you out… and show you off,” he whispered in my ear. “But at the same time, I don’t want to let you out of this room. Everyone will be staring at you… and I want you all to myself.”

  Drew planted kisses down my neck again and I leaned into him, a sigh escaping me. His hand slid up the middle of my back, while his fingers followed the trail of my zipper. He stopped when he reached the top, and even though I knew it was completely the wrong time, I wanted him to pull my zipper down. I heard a frustrated sigh against my neck and knew the decision was made. Drew wouldn’t let this go any further, not now. But I wasn’t done yet, I hadn’t had enough. I turned around, his arms still encasing me and slid my hands up his chest. Higher up my hands moved until they tugged his short, sandy hair. My mouth found his instantly and I pulled on the back of his head, urging him to kiss me harder, deeper. It was hungry and passionate and his hands gripped my waist, drawing me closer against him. He groaned into my mouth and I felt his hands sliding down over my hips and back before breaking our kiss.

  “My resistance is wearing thin,” he whispered before he turned and walked away from me towards the door. He stopped and looked back, giving me a hard stare. “I have to meet Dad at seven, and if we keep this up, I guarantee we aren’t going to make it.”

  “Okay,” I said, disappointed. “Would you like me to change? I will if it’s too much?”

  He pulled the keys from his pocket. “I don’t care if we end up going to a burger joint, you’re wearing that dress.”

  I smiled, grabbed my purse from the counter, and walked out the door. I may have been disappointed for the moment, but I knew we still had the whole night ahead of us, and from the expression I saw radiating from his eyes, this was far from over.

  Chapter 16

  When we pulled up to the restaurant, we were nearly twenty minutes early. The sexual tension at the apartment instigated a few minutes of silence in the car before either one of us dared to speak. Drew kept both his hands on the wheel, but I caught his wandering eyes more than a few times trying to catch a peek at my crossed legs. I had to stare out the window to hide my smile because I rather enjoyed teasing him.

  Drew opened his car door and I watched him walk around to my side. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed his appearance sooner, like when I saw him leaning against the bar in my apartment. He wore a crisp, white, long-sleeved dress shirt, which was tucked into his neatly pressed, black slacks. He always looked professional, in a casual sort of way at school in khakis and collared shirts, but tonight was more business than casual, and he was incredibly sexy. As much as I looked forward to meeting his dad, I couldn’t wait to be alone with him again.

  He opened my door and reached for my hand to help me out of his car. “Where are we?” I asked, looking over the top of the car at the restaurant.

  “The Plantation Gardens. I hear it’s an excellent restaurant. I’m surprised Dad chose it.”

  “I’ve never even heard of it before. It’s so beautiful.” Manicured shrubbery and flowers of all different colors lined the curvy walkways to the front entrance and around the sides of it. It looked like a large house. A white porch stretched across the front with oversized, round pillars that extended from the floor to the roof. White lights twinkled from the branches of trees that were scattered throughout the yard, but night had yet to fall. Against the darkened sky lay its real beauty.

  “We still have a little while before Dad gets here. Do you want to walk through gardens with me?”

  “Gardens? Really?”

  “Yes, in the back. Come on, I’ll show you. I’ve only seen photos of it online, but they look enchanting.”

  Drew intertwined his fingers with mine and led me down a concrete path toward the right of the house. Once we entered through the vine-covered arch, it was an oasis of green shrubs, roses of every color and size, periwinkle, hibiscus, oleanders and many other flowers whose names I didn’t know. Three separate koi fish ponds with lily pads floating on top were interspersed amid small, round, stone tables that were placed randomly for patrons to enjoy the ambiance while waiting to be seated. It was all so gorgeous, and I seemed perfectly dressed for the elegant atmosphere.

  We came to a stop in front of a pond and I faced Drew. “You always take me to the best places.”

  “Oh, don’t thank me for this one. I’m not even sure why Dad picked it. I would have never thought he’d eat at a place like this; at least, not without my mother around.”

  “Maybe he’s made some changes in his life?” I said as I admired the garden.

  “Maybe so. I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said sarcastically.

  I stepped closer and hung my thumbs through the belt loops on each side of his waist. “Don’t be so quick to judge, okay?”

  He nodded and brushed a few wisps of hair from my eyes. “You’re right. I’m glad you’re here with me. Thank you for coming.”

  “Are you kidding? And miss seeing your butt in those pants?” I tugged a little on his belt loops. “I don’t think so.”

  A sly grin spread over his face, revealing mischief and desire in his eyes. “Why Miss Morgan, have you been checking me out?” he questioned with mock surprise.

  “Only as much as you have me…”

  The tip of his finger traced a line from b
elow my ear and across my jaw. He brushed the bottom of my lip with his thumb and leaned in to kiss me. I parted my lips, letting his tongue dip inside my mouth. Slowly and with longing, my hands clasped his hips as I fell deeper into his kiss. There was no way I could get enough of him, and as shy as I was about showing public affection, I didn’t care who saw us now.

  “I must have done something right,” a deep voice sounded beside us in an amused tone. Drew and I broke apart and he looked at the man standing next to me. The man extended his hand towards me and I took it hesitantly. “My son sure knows how to find a beautiful lady.”

  I looked from Drew to the man, “Thank you. You must be Drew’s father; it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He was dressed similarly to Drew: a white shirt and black slacks, but with a black suit coat and matching tie, which made him look as handsome as Drew… in an older mannish sort of way.

  Drew stepped back slightly, sliding his arm from around my waist. “Lilly, this is my father, Steven.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Mr. McGregor shook my hand firmly. “You must be Drew’s girlfriend, from what I just witnessed,” he grinned.

  I looked away briefly, embarrassed. Being all kissy with Drew wasn’t really something I wanted to explain to his father. And it definitely was not the first impression I wanted him to have. The source of Drew’s gene pool became clear to me at once. He was the spitting image of his father and I could easily see what he’d look like in about twenty-five years. “I hope it was okay to tag along. When I heard you were in town, I wanted to meet you.”

  “Well, I don’t want to disappoint you, but I must assure you, I’m quite boring,” he said.

  “Yeah, because traveling all over the United States, selling prescription medication must be really difficult,” Drew piped in sarcastically.