“I hope you’re not all work and no play. A young, vivacious sista like yourself needs to paint the town every now and then.”
“I wish. The only painting I get to do is touching up my nails.”
We shared a laugh, and he headed off to the kitchen. I couldn’t help but notice the size of his feet. Umph, umph, umph! Let’s just say my peter heater went up about fifty degrees.
While he was gone, I took a quick survey of his place. It was a huge apartment with a loft. I immediately wondered what type of bed he had stowed away. He looked like a waterbed man to me. I was willing to bet he could make a lot of waves.
There were photographs hanging all over the walls of beautiful African-Americans: men, women, and children. I was thoroughly impressed. The walls were an eggshell hue, and they worked wonderfully in contrast to the colorful pictures. The flooring was wooden parquet, and he had expensive throw rugs scattered here and there.
His voice in my ear startled me because I didn’t hear him come back in the room, rather less walk up so close to me that I could feel his breath on the nape of my neck. “Shall we get started?”
“Fine by me,” I mumbled, not looking forward to posing for a camera. “Where would you like me to sit?”
He surveyed the room while he sipped on his java and then pointed to one of the windows with his free hand. “I think over by that window would be great. The sunlight hitting up against your beautiful skin would be perfect.”
I tried to control the blush, but it simply wasn’t happening. I l
ooked into his mesmerizing eyes. “You really think I have beautiful skin?”
He quickly responded. “I think you have beautiful everything!”
We stared at each other, and I suddenly had the urge to jump his bones. He finally broke the trance and cleared his throat before taking another swig out of his mug. He put the coffee down on an end table and then moved a crate over by the window. I watched him intensely while he covered it with a black velvet blanket. Then he held out his hand for me.
I walked over to him. The moment I took his hand, a surge of electricity shot through my entire body. I wondered if he felt it too.
“Why don’t you have a seat right here?”
“Thanks!”
He positioned my shoulders and held my chin up until he was satisfied with the pose. “Hold it right there. Don’t move.”
He quickly retrieved a camera with a long lens and squatted down a few feet in front of me. “Smile for me, beautiful.”
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t smile. I was suddenly encased by fear. I started gnawing on my bottom lip and my hands began trembling uncontrollably.
“What’s wrong, Evoni?”
I looked into Curtis’s eyes, but no answer would come to my lips. Instead, tears came to my eyes.
“I’m so ashamed!” I jumped up from the crate, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my suit. “Look, this just isn’t a good day for me. Is it alright if I schedule another appointment? Maybe for next week sometime?”
I was headed to the door, after retrieving my purse and keys off his sofa, when he grabbed me by the hand and swung me around. “What’s wrong with you, Evoni?” he reiterated. “Have I done something to upset you?”
“No, it’s not you!” I exclaimed. The last thing I wanted him to think was that he had offended me. “I know that this is silly, but—”
“But what?”
He looked so sincere, so comforting, so sexy. “I hate having my picture taken.”
He started laughing something terrible. “Is that all?” I lowered my eyes to the floor. “A lot of people get nervous about having their picture taken. Just relax.”
He let go of my hand and started caressing my shoulders. It felt so damn good. I still wasn’t relaxed enough to pose for a picture, though. I had no idea what I was going to tell my boss. I would just have to make up something. The brochure would have to go out to our clients minus my picture.
I pulled away from his embrace. “I’m sorry. I just can’t do this. You’ve been so kind to me. I’ll definitely recommend you to all of my friends. Do you have some extra business cards I can hand out?”
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. I could sense his eyes all over me, exploring my face, my body. Then it came out of nowhere. The kiss.
He took my face in his hands and lifted it until I was lost in his eyes again. He started with my forehead. Short, sweet, tender kisses. His lips moved down to the ridge of my nose and glided down slowly and methodically until they found mine. My mouth gratefully and hungrily accepted his tongue without hesitation. Before I knew it, I was totally engrossed in his arms and he in mine.