And the buyer would frown and nod sympathetically, all the while thinking about this amazing bargain, and how they could one-up the Smiths at the next garden party.
I'd never sold an actual work by an actual master in my life, but the pieces I had passed held an equal appeal, at least to the eye if not to the investment portfolio.
But this painting before me put all the others I'd dealt with to shame. It was the view of a woman from behind. She was seated on the edge of a fountain, so that from the artist's perspective she was seen through shimmering beads of water that seemed to form a living curtain. A kind of barrier between her and the world. It gave the illusion that she was a creature of pure innocence, and yet that was not an asset. Instead, her innocence rendered her untouchable, even though it was clear that all anyone had to do was slip through the water to reach her.
The angle of view was such that her hips were not visible. Instead we saw only the curve of her waist, the unblemished skin of her back, and her blond hair that fell in damp curls that ended near her shoulder blades.
There was something familiar about her. Something magnetic. And for the life of me, I had no clue what it was.
"It's one of my favorites."
The familiar deep voice pulled me from my trance. Flustered, I turned to face Cole, then immediately wished I hadn't. I should have taken a moment to prepare myself first, because I heard my own gasp as I sank deep into those chocolate eyes.
"I--" I closed my mouth. Clearly I had lost all ability to think or speak or function in society. I fervently hoped the floor would just open up and swallow me, but I'd be okay with an alien abduction, too.
Neither of those things happened, though, and I found myself just sitting there staring at him while the corner of his mouth--that gorgeous, rugged, kissable mouth--twitched with what I could only assume was amusement.
"I'm sorry I slipped back here. It was getting too crowded in there for me, and I needed some air."
Concern flickered across his face. "Is something wrong, Catalina? You looked preoccupied."
"I'm fine," I said, though I trembled a bit, unnerved as always when he called me by my given name. Not that he actually knew my real name. As far as Cole and all my friends in Chicago were concerned, I was Katrina Laron. Catalina Rhodes didn't exist to them. For that matter, she didn't exist for me, either. She hadn't for a long, long time.
Sometimes, I missed her.
About eight months ago, a group of us had been having dinner together. Cole started talking about an upcoming trip to Los Angeles, and how he intended to visit Catalina Island. I don't even remember the details of the conversation, but by the end of it, my new nickname had stuck.
I'd rolled my eyes and pretended to be irritated, but the truth of it was that I liked the intimacy of hearing my birth name on his lips. It meant that we shared a secret, he and I, even if I was the only one of us who knew it.
Not that Catalina was an exclusive nickname. Cole also called me "blondie" and "baby girl," though he tended to reserve the latter for Angie, who had been a teenager when he'd met her.
Catalina was my favorite of the endearments, of course. But I wasn't picky. However Cole wanted to mark me was fine by me.
Right then, he stood to my right and frowned down at me. "I'm fine," I repeated, with a little more force this time. "Really. I was lost in thought, and you startled me. But I'm back now."
"I'm glad." His voice was smooth, almost prep-school cultured. He'd worked at it, I knew. He rarely talked about the time he'd spent in gangs, the things he'd had to overcome. Hell, he barely even talked about the two years he'd spent in Italy, studying art on scholarship. But it had all come together to make the man. And right then, in that moment, I was glad he never talked about it to the press or his clients. But I fervently wished that he would talk about it to me.
Yeah, I was a mess all right.
I stood up, then wiped my hands down the red material that clung provocatively to my thighs. I hoped it looked like I was smoothing my skirt. Instead, I was drying my sweaty palms.
"I'm going to go track down one of the girls with sushi," I said. "I didn't eat dinner and I think I'm feeling a little lightheaded." I didn't mention that he was the reason my head was spinning.
"Stay." He reached out and closed his fingers around my wrist. His hand was huge, but his grip was surprisingly tender. His skin was rough, though, and I remembered how much of the work in the gallery he'd done himself, assembling frames, hanging canvases, moving furniture. Not to mention painting his own canvases. He must spend hours holding a wooden brush, moving carefully and meticulously in order to get exactly what he wanted--color, texture, total sensuality.
Slowly, as if he was intentionally trying to drive me crazy, he let his eyes drift over me. I fought the urge to shiver--to close my eyes and soak in the fantasy of this deliberate caress.
Instead, I watched his face. Watched his expression grow hot, almost feral, as if he wanted nothing more in that moment than to touch me--to take me.
Do it, I thought. Right here, right now, just do it and let me have thought and reason back. Take me, dammit, and free me.
But he didn't pull me close. Didn't press his hands to my ass and grind his cock against my thighs. Didn't slam me against the wall and press his mouth to mine while one hand closed tight around my breast and the other yanked up my skirt.
He did nothing but look at me--and in looking made me feel as though he'd done all those things.
He also made me feel better about the abuse I'd put my credit card through to buy this outfit. The dress was fire engine red, had a plunging neckline, and hugged every one of my curves. And while I might sometimes think that my curves were more appropriate for a 1940s film noir wardrobe, I can't deny that I filled out the dress in a way that Cole seemed to appreciate.
I'd worn my mass of blond curls clipped up, letting a few tendrils dangle loose to frame my face. My red stilettos perfectly matched the dress and added four inches to my already ample height, putting me just about eye level with this man. If you looked up "fuck me heels" in the dictionary, a picture of these shoes would be on the page.
I wanted to stay right there, lost in the way he was looking at me.
At the same time, I wanted to run. To get away and regroup. To figure out how in hell I could manage to control a seduction when I couldn't even control myself.
Escape won out, and I tugged gently at my arm to free it.
To my surprise, his grip tightened. I frowned at him, a little confused, a whole lot hopeful.
"I'd like to hear your thoughts."
"My thoughts?"
"The painting," he said. "What do you think of it?"
"Oh." Cold disappointment washed over me. "The painting."
I gave my arm another tug and this time, to my regret, he released me.
"You like it?"
"I love it," I said, both automatically and truthfully. "But there's something--I don't know--sad about it."
His brows lifted slightly, and for a moment I thought he looked mildly amused. As if he'd understood the punch line of a joke a few moments before I did. Except I never got there at all.
"It's not sad?" I asked, turning back to look at the image.
"I don't know," he said. "Art is what you make of it. If you think it's sad, then I suppose it is."
"What is it to you?"
"Longing," he said.
I turned from the painting to him, sure that my face showed my question.
"Not sadness so much as desire," he said, as if that explained his response. "Her desires are like gemstones, and she holds them close, and each one presses sharp edges into the palm of her hand."
I thought about that as I looked back at the painting. "Do you think that way because you are an artist? Or are you an artist because you think that way?"
He chuckled, the sound both mild and engaging. "Shit, Catalina. I don't know. I don't think I could separate one from the other."
"Well, the m
ost eloquent thing I can say is that I like it. I realize it's not one of the featured pieces, but I hope you're going to show more of the artist's work. It's compelling." I leaned closer, looking for a signature on the canvas or an information card on the wall. I found neither. "Who's the artist?"
"Don't worry, blondie," Cole said, his eyes flicking quickly to the painting. "We'll keep him around." Now I was certain I heard amusement in his voice, and since I wasn't sure what the joke was, it ticked me off.
I cocked my head, feeling more in control now that he was irritating me. "Okay, tell me. What am I missing?"
He moved to step in front of me, blocking the painting. Hell, blocking everything. He filled all of my senses, making me a little drunk merely from his proximity. From the sight of him before me and the scent of his cologne, all spice and wood and male. Even the echo of his voice played in my head, those radio-quality tones making me want to shiver.
I didn't have his touch, but the sensation of his hand upon my skin still lingered, and I clung tight to the memory. And as for taste--well, a girl could only hope.