by Fawkes, Sara
of his lips, a slow sweep of his tongue. When he pulled back, he tucked a hair behind my ear.
“Yes, Emily, I will always remember your name.”
I returned his smile.
“So, I want to know more about you,” he said, “You said you are a painter?”
“Yes, I’m in art college.”
He just looked at me, wanting me to continue, but I didn’t know what else to say about it. “What
does school have to do with art?”
I laughed. “Sometimes I wonder.”
“You are either an artist, or you aren’t.”
“My instructor says I don’t have enough passion in my work.”
He touched me again, drawing a finger down my arm. “And what do you think?”
“I’m afraid he may be right.” I plucked another strawberry from a bowl and popped it into my
mouth.
“He is wrong. You have so much passion inside of you. I have seen it.”
I blushed at that.
He stood and pulled me with him. “Come and paint something for me.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now. Now is the best time to paint.”
He pulled me over to one of the empty easels. He grabbed a blank canvas and set it up in front of
me. Next, he rolled over his paint table. He pointed to the jar of brushes.
“Choose your weapon.”
I laughed, then looked through the brushes and chose one that felt right in my hand. “What should
I paint?”
“Paint me.”
Smiling, he dragged the sofa over and sat down on it. His robe came open revealing a lovely
triangle of perfect pale smooth skin that pointed down toward his crotch. Strands of his black hair
came forward over his brow and hung in his eyes. And he had this sensual arch to his eyebrow. An air
of sexy confidence and dark allure exuded from him. The image was enticing. I couldn’t allow it to
escape.
“Don’t move,” I said, as I chose the paint colors I wanted and smeared them on a palette. I mixed a
couple for the right shade for his complexion and attacked the blank canvas with a fire in my gut that
I’d never felt before.
I painted like a demon. It all came out of me like wildfire. In a hot wild rush of color and shape
and texture. My art instructor would’ve been stunned at the way I assailed the canvas. At the
ferociousness of my movements.
Xavier was a brilliant subject. He hardly moved an inch. He just stared at me while I worked. But
eventually I stopped glancing at him and just concentrated on putting paint to canvas. He was so
ingrained in my mind, I didn’t need to study how he looked, how his eyes were the darkest shade of
blue or that his cheekbones were like cut glass. I could see him through my fingers.
The brush had been moving so fast for so long, that when I finally took a step back to survey my
work, my arm and shoulder ached. My hands were paint flecked, as were my legs and feet. I’d ruined
the robe I was wearing. But it was worth it. What I’d just produced rendered me speechless and I just
gaped at it, trying to work out that yes, this had definitely come from within me. That I’d created it.
I’d painted Xavier, lounging on the sofa, all sexy and delicious, but that wasn’t the extent of it. I’d
also painted myself into the image. I was draped across the cushions, my head in Xavier’s lap, my arm
dangling off the edge, and my legs slightly open. I was naked and I stared intensely at the viewer. It
was startling to see my portrait like that. A day ago I would never have painted myself that way.
I couldn’t wait to show Xavier what I’d created. I stepped around the canvas, smiling, my heart
exploding with happiness and saw that he was asleep on the sofa. I stood over him and frowned. He
looked like he was dead.
There were no windows in the room so I couldn’t see if it was still dark out or if the sun had come
up already. I looked around for a clock. What the hell time was it? How long had I been working for?
If he was sleeping, I must’ve been painting for several hours.
I was about to find my little purse and take out my cell phone to find out, when Xavier took my
hand in his. Slowly he opened his eyes and blinked up at me.
“I apologize for this.” He yawned. “But the sun has come up and I must sleep.”
I shook my head, unsure about vampire behavior and whether this was normal or not. “It’s okay.”
“Show me what you painted.”
I picked up the canvas, turned it around and set it back down on the other side of the easel. Usually
I’d be so nervous to have someone look at my work, judge it, but not now. I knew I had created
something worthy. Something impressive.
Despite that, I was still anxious to hear what Xavier had to say about it.
“It’s good, Emily.” He smiled at me. “It’s really good.”
I grinned, I couldn’t help it. “You think so?”
“Don’t be modest. I can see it in your face. You know you have created something extraordinary.”
“I wouldn’t say extraordinary. Spectacular maybe.”
He squeezed my hand. “I would be honored if you allowed me to put it up in my next show.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes, really. Whatever it sells for you will have one hundred percent of the profits.”
I stared at him. How could this be real? Everything I’d ever hoped for or dreamed of was
materializing into reality before my eyes. It was too impossible to be true. I pinched my arm to make
sure. Yup, it hurt.
Xavier noticed what I had just done. “You are not dreaming, Meine liebe. This is as real as you
want it to be.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Xavier, for what you’ve done for me.”
He tugged me closer. “There is nothing to thank me for.” He gestured to the painting. “You did
this. This was inside you not me.”
“Yeah, but you helped get it out.”
“Perhaps.” He yawned again. “I’m sorry, Meine liebe, but I must sleep now.”
“Of course.”
“Lay here with me.” He tugged me down to him, then shuffled back to make room for me.
How could I resist?
I lay with him; he snuggled me in close to his body, wrapping an arm around my waist. “So you
can’t get away,” he said, as he nuzzled his face into the back of my neck.
I loved the feel of him behind me. A day ago, even ten hours ago, this whole scenario was
unimaginable. But here I was, snuggling with Xavier, the greatest painter to live, who also just
happened to be a vampire. No one was going to believe me. Hell, I didn’t believe me.
“I could stay like this forever.” I covered his hand at my waist with my own.
“Then stay,” he mumbled.
“What?” I turned my head slightly to see his face, to make sure I did indeed hear what I thought I
heard. “Xavier?”
Except he was out. I nudged him a little, but he was not waking up. After a few more seconds, he
even started to snore.
I settled in, and tried to relax. But it was hard, especially since I was next to a bonafied sex god,
and he’d asked me to stay. What that meant I had no idea. Did he mean, stay for another day, or week,
or month, or...?
I was being ridiculous trying to analyze what he’d said. Maybe it was just the exhausted rambling
of a man who’d been sated by great sex. I wasn’t going to lay here and torture myself thinking about
it.
Yawning, I closed my e
yes, and tried to push it from my mind. Eventually I would have my answer
and then, I could figure out what I was going to do about it.
When I woke up again, I didn’t know how many hours later, I was alone.
I sat up and looked around the room, but Xavier wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I stood and stretched,
working out the kinks from sleeping awkwardly on a sofa. There was a knock on the door and it
opened. Gunther entered.
“Xavier has instructed me to drive you back to your hotel when you are ready, Miss.”
“He didn’t say anything else? He doesn’t have a message for me?”
“No, Miss, I’m sorry, no message.” He didn’t quite look me in the eyes. “I’ll be right outside the
door, when you are ready.” He shut the door behind him.
I sat back down on the sofa and clenched my hands. I wouldn’t cry. I knew this was a one night
thing. A glorious one night, but still. I’d been foolish to even think anything else. His mumbled words
earlier, had been just ramblings of someone dead tired and nothing more.
And what about his offer to show my work? Had that been nonsense as well?
Angry, I slid off the robe and put my dress back on. But it didn’t fit as well as before because the
ties in the corset were loose, and I couldn’t do it up myself. Tears welled in my eyes. I opened the
door and looked for Gunther.
“I need your help,” I said then stepped back into the room.
Tentatively he entered. “What do you need?”
I showed him my back. “Could you tie this, please? I can’t do it myself.”
“Of course, Miss.”
He pulled and tied the corset like a man accustomed to doing so. So then I wondered how many
women he’d helped dress after a night with Xavier. Then I got mad.
Once he was done, I whirled around. “I want to speak to Xavier.”
“I’m sorry, he’s not here, Miss. He had business to conduct.”
“Business during the day? Shouldn’t he be underground or in a coffin or something.” I was being a
bitch now. But I couldn’t help it. I was hurt. And I hadn’t expected it.
Gunther just looked at me. I thought I saw a twinge of sympathy in his eyes. But it could’ve been
smugness. Through the veil of tears in my eyes, I couldn’t tell the difference.
“What about my painting? Did he say anything about that?”
“No, Miss, I’m sorry. I could crate it for you, so you could take it with you.”
I turned and looked at my creation. I didn’t want to look at it. I couldn’t imagine it on my wall
reminding me of a night that I could never have again. “No. I don’t want it.”
The drive back to the hotel was full of silence and regret. It took all I had not to sob into my hands.
Instead I bit on my lip and looked out the window at the scenery. Unfortunately the beauty of it was
lost on me. I was too hurt and angry to see anything but the gray of the clouds in the sky.
Once Gunther pulled up to the hotel doors, I got out of the car before he could open the door for
me. I nearly ran across the lobby to the elevators and went up to my room. Almost the second I opened
the door, Paige came out of their room next door.
“Oh my God,” she smiled, and punched me in the shoulder. “This is a late walk of shame. It’s
almost six.”
I tossed my purse on the bed and toed off my shoes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Her smile faded when she saw my face. She touched my arm. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m fine.” I fell back on the bed. “This is why I don’t have one night stands. I’m not built for
them.”
She sat on the bed beside me. “Was it marvelous though?”
I looked at her, tears starting to well again. “Yes. It was the most amazing night of my entire life.”
“Oh Em.” She rubbed my arm. “You’ve fallen for him.”
I sat up. “Yes! I’ve been in love with him for years.”
“The notion of him, you mean?”
“Maybe, but he was so much more than I imagined. He unraveled something in me. I’ll never be
the same person I was before being with him.”
Paige hugged me. “That’s not a bad thing though, is it? I mean, Ethan’s changed me.”
“I guess not.”
She patted my back, then looked me in the eyes. “So, was the sex good? I bet it was amazing.”
I laughed. “I can’t even describe it.” My cheeks burned just thinking about it again.
“I knew it!” She bolted to her feet. “I mean how could a man look like that and not be killer in the
sack.”
Killer in the sack. I wondered if I should tell Paige about Xavier being a vampire. She’d probably
think I was crazy. And maybe I was. So, I decided to keep that little tidbit about him to myself. It
would be my secret.
I smiled a little knowing I knew something about him that most other people didn’t. It was like
he’d given a piece of himself to me by revealing his true nature. When I thought about that, my anger
at him bled away.
“Paige?”
She spun around. “What?”
I was going to tell her about my painting, but I stopped. I knew she’d be indignant for me and
probably even go as far as driving back to Xavier’s home to retrieve it. But I didn’t want that. I’d
painted it. I’d seen what I could do, what was inside of me. And that was enough. I could duplicate it.
It wouldn’t be the last masterpiece I created. I now knew I had greatness inside of me. And I had
Xavier to thank for that. It was enough.
“Ah, when do we leave?”
“Tomorrow. We’ll catch the train to Frankfurt.”
“Sounds good.”
She hugged me again. “Now, get showered and changed and we’ll go out for a late dinner.” Then
she bounced out of the room just like she’d bounced in. The girl had more energy than I could ever
imagine having.
I took off my dress and went into the bathroom to shower. As the hot water sluiced over my body,
I thought about Xavier. His dark intense eyes, his lean body, and the way he looked at me and touched
me. Before long, my hand was between my thighs, my body burning with the need for him.
By the time I got out of the shower, the water was cool. But I was still achy and unfulfilled. I
wrapped myself up in the thick terry cloth bathrobe and went back out into the main room to get
dressed.
But I wasn’t alone.
“You’re angry with me.” Xavier lounged in one of the chairs, sipping wine from a glass.
Stunned, I gaped at him. “Ah, how did you get in here?” I went to the balcony window and looked
out. We were nine floors up, but maybe he could fly.
“Don’t worry, I don’t have those type of powers. I own the hotel,” he said in way of an
explanation.
“What are you doing here?”
“To apologize.” He poured wine into another glass and handed it to me. I took it, and he gestured
to the other chair. I sat. “I didn’t want to leave you today, but I had urgent business to attend to.”
“You could’ve left word with your man, Gunther. Instead of allowing me to believe that you didn’t
give a...that you didn’t care.”
He lifted his eyebrow. “But I do care Emily. I meant what I said about your painting. I will show it
and you will have every penny for it.”
“I’m not talking about the painting.”
He set his wine down on the table. “I meant what I s
aid about that too.”
“You want me to stay?”
“Yes. If you so wish.” He reached across the table and took my hand. “I would relish the
opportunity to get to know you better Emily Brooks.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Of course you can stay, you just have to do it.”
“I have school, my job...”
He frowned. “You don’t need these things. You know how to paint, Emily. No one needs to show
you how, or tell you how. And you can get another job. There are thousands to be had. In fact, there
are five positions open right here in this hotel.”
I leaned back in my chair and looked at him. “It’s easy for you, you’re not taking a chance or a
risk. Me, I’d be giving everything up.”
He stood, then pulled me to my feet. He cupped my face with his hands. “I risk my heart.”
Gently he pressed his lips to mine. I grabbed onto him as he deepened the kiss. And while my head
swam, all my objections fell away. I knew I had nothing to lose and a lifetime of happiness and
pleasure to gain.
If things didn’t work out, I could always go back. Back to school with arrogant instructors with no
talent, back to my old crummy job and my tiny expensive apartment in the city. But why would I ever
want to do that?
“What kind of positions?” I said after coming up for air.
He smiled. “There is a job in housekeeping.”
“Hmm, I don’t think so.”
“How about in management?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I’m qualified.”
Xavier wrapped an arm around me, and walked me over to the bed. He pressed me down onto the
mattress. “I know the perfect position for you.”
“Really?” I giggled.
“Yes, and I think you’ll love it.”
“What is it?”
He bent to my ear and whispered. And my whole body flushed with excitement. It may not have
been a promise of forever. But it didn’t need to be. We had right now. Right in this room, on this bed.
And it was good enough. For the first time in my life, I didn’t need a long term plan. One very wise
man said, while you’re busy making plans, life passes you by. I might be paraphrasing but he had it all
right. And I wasn’t going to let this life pass me by.
THE END
More books from Vivi Anna:
