Chapter 6
Leo
“Oh my god, I neverknew this place was here!” Atlanta hisses, trying to keep her voice down.
There’s a tiny bit of a squeal in her throat as we walk in through the front doors of the gallery.
I can barely keep my eyes off her, or stop thinking about what almost happened at breakfast this morning. I was this close to throwing her plate of food on the floor and taking her right then and there, forcing her up against the bedroom wall and getting inside her. Maybe planting myself so deep a little life started to grow.
But I knew I had to resist.
I had to resist because God is giving me a second chance with her, a shot at redemption. He’s showing me there’s another way. Or maybe there is no God and it’s just her, maybe she’s the only divine thing in this world. I’ve certainly never been religious until I saw her standing there like a walking epiphany.
All I know is, I have to prove myself to her. I have to show her that there’s more here than just an infatuation, more than just sex. I have to show her that I want to build a life. Together. Her and me.
And this art gallery is the first step.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
“Wow, look at the colors in that photograph,” she says, grabbing my hand in hers, making me feel like a king as she glances all around, walking between white walls and marble plinths. Photographs, sculptures, paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor. “I’ve never seen...What?” Her voice hisses in her throat. “That’s an originalGeorgiana La’Fey! I have a print of this hanging on my dorm room wall!”
I follow happily as she leads me over to a huge oil painting on some sort of hard board. The dark colors depict a whirling dancer, her hair flying out to the sides as blurred observers watch from the shadows behind.
All I’m watching is Atlanta’s ass, shimmying underneath the black ankle-length satin dress she picked out from the dozens I bought her. She almost couldn’t decide which one she wanted to wear after her shower, so the rest are hanging in the wardrobe back at the penthouse. They’re all for her, and I’ll buy her more. She insisted that I watch her while she tried them on—she said to give my opinion, although I think it was also part of her teasing. And it worked, too. Right now I can’t help the way my mind is picturing the little green lace boy shorts and almost see-through bra I know she has on underneath.
“Georgiana is an amazing woman,” she whispers as if it’s a secret. There’s nobody else in the gallery, as I knew there wouldn’t be. I called ahead. “She started off as a ballet dancer, she’s also written songs before building her career as an artist. She’s a total recluse...” she says, turning and meeting my eyes, then falling silent as her gaze drifts to something behind me.
Or someone.
“Leopold.” The voice is soft and feminine but clinical, still with a hint of an English accent even after all these years.
I turn and smile. “Jaime. How long has it been?”
“Longer than it should.” She frowns admonishingly. “You were in town and didn’t even bother to call? We could have met up for drinks.”
“I didn’t know how long I’d be here,” I say by way of explanation.
It’s true but it’s not the real reason I didn’t call. The truth is, I thought the part of me that used to have friends like Jaime, friends who had no association with my business at all, had been put aside a long time ago. I didn’t know if I’d ever get it back.
Until now.
I turn and pull Atlanta forward.
“I’d like to introduce you to Atlanta Smoke. Atlanta, this is—”
“Jaime Knowles.” Atlanta sounds starstruck. “It’s an...an honor to meet you. I can’t... You two know each other?”
“Leopold and I were at Yale together. Many years ago.” Jaime smiles wistfully. “And how are you two acquainted?”
“My dad—”
I wrap my arm around Atlanta’s shoulders and pull her in close, kissing the top of her head. “She’s the center of my world,” I say, simply, and see the genuine smile spread over Jaime’s red lips.
“Ah. Then you must be very special indeed, Atlanta. Leo doesn’t say something like that lightly.”
“Actually, this isn’t just a social visit,” I tell her.
“Really? You do surprise me.” The hint of sarcasm in Jaime’s voice isn’t hidden at all, but all it does is make me laugh. She hasn’t changed a bit.