Painted Memories (21 page)

“Lilly, it's not going to hurt my feeling if you don't go. Really, I understand. You spend that day like you always do. It's completely understandable.”

“No, you know what? I've done the same thing for years. What will happen if I stop this little tradition I've started?
Nothing. Eating cupcakes and watching a movie doesn’t keep his memory alive. I do that on my own every day whenever I think about him. And you know what else?” I said with confidence, as if I had to prove it to him, rather than myself. “I can eat cupcakes and watch his movie anytime I want. It's my tradition and I can change the rules if I want to.”

Drew grinned, as if proud of the revelation I managed to figure out on my own. “Rules are made to be broken, especially when they're your rules.” His smile faded to a somber expression. “I know I keep saying this, but only if you're sure. I don't want you to feel like you
have
to accompany me.”

He was so humble and caring, I wondered sometimes what planet I had to thank for sending me such a great guy.  I scooted towards him and intertwined my fingers with his. “You know, since Jesse died, I've never wanted to do anything else on that day. The first year or two, I devoted the whole day to shutting myself up and thinking about the accident and the short time we had together. As time went on, I eased out of it, but still stuck to my routine. I still thought about all the things we would never see each other do. I still think about them today, sometimes because I want to, but most times it's because my dad refuses to let me forget. So I need this. I need to do something besides the usual. But more than anything else, I'd rather be with you. Is that okay?”

Drew released one of my hands and pressed it to the side of my cheek. “Of course. I enjoy spending my time with you.”

I wasn't sure if he understood what I was trying to say. Or if he even understood how much I cared for him. I wasn't looking for any “I love you” and I wasn't about to tell him and make him feel pressured to say it back; but at the same time I wanted to know how he felt about me. I leaned into the soft warmth of his hand and smiled a little. “I know you do and it's pretty obvious that we have a great time together. Or you're really good at faking it,” I laughed.

“I can assure you I'm not faking it.”

“I know. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that this relationship we have going on...
it’s
way
more than I ever expected. I've never let anyone in like this before. You make me
want
to tell you things that I've never shared with anyone. When I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you, and anticipating when I'll see you again. I love the way you run your hand through my hair and the way you caress my skin with a simple touch, sometimes without even knowing it. Everything you do makes me want more and I've never felt anything like this.” Drew stared back at me, frozen with shock at my words. “I'm not saying any of this for you to agree with me, but I want you to know that I'm serious about our relationship.”

I didn't know if he was more surprised by my sudden admission or if he didn't feel the same and had no words to say.
His hand slid over my cheek and down my neck before he traced his fingers across my collarbone. My heart rate instantly sped up.

“Lilly, you are—”

“Don't. Don't say it. Because if you say what I want to hear, then I'm only going to second guess what you said later, and wonder if it was just to spare my feelings.”

“But I really want—”

I stopped his words when I pressed my finger to his lips. “Please don't,” I said softly. I leaned in further, my voice almost a whisper when I spoke. “If you'd still like to kiss me, I'd like you to do that now, because I don't think I can resist much longer.”

Without any hesitation, he curled his hand  around the back of my neck as his mouth came down on mine. His tongue slipped between my lips, gently exploring while pushing deeper and deeper. A heat ignited throughout me, sending a wave of butterflies fluttering from the pit of my stomach. He pulled me closer as he leaned against the piano, but I eased back slightly, tugging on his bottom lip with my teeth. His free hand gripped my waist and I couldn't help smiling when I saw his reaction.

Drew opened his eyes to look at me. They were dark and haunting. Desire lingered in the air as we sat in the dimly lit corner of the room. “You do know what that does to me, don't you?” he asked.

“Why do you think I do it all the time?” I teased.

“To drive me crazy?”

I leaned against him, letting my hands slide up his chest. “Does it bother you?” I whispered.

His hands closed around my waist as he pulled me to him.
“Never. But I'm not sure how much more I can take.”

With his hands holding me and my body pressed against his, I was perfectly willing to let him
take
whatever he wanted. Being with him felt so right in so many ways, and I was tired of the stop-start love play we’d been practicing for weeks now. I rose up and straddled his lap, placing my knees beside each of his legs. My dress hiked up slightly, revealing more skin.

His eyes widened in surprise when I leaned over him and propped my hands on the piano, caging his body between my arms. My hair draped around my face like a curtain and Drew pushed it away, cupping my cheek with his hand. I breathed in the few inches of air that separated us before meeting his lips with a small, innocent kiss. It was too soft for his appetite, and when he kissed me back, he teased me the way I did to him earlier by pulling my bottom lip into his mouth. The sensation sent a thrill down my spine and I melted against his chest, inviting his tongue to play with mine.

Drew's hands slid over my hips, then further down to the hem of my dress. His fingers touched my bare legs and lingered there as we kissed. The rhythmic dance our lips played made it impossible to keep my hands still as I reached for him, supporting his neck while my fingers pulled at the short strands of his hair. When I removed my lips from his, replacing them along his jaw and down his neck, he groaned and slid his hands up the front of my thighs. His cologne intoxicated my senses and my fingers fumbled for the buttons of his shirt. With every button I opened, I placed a kiss on his freshly exposed skin.

His hands moved up further and under my dress. I felt a low growl vibrating in his chest when his fingers moved to cup my bottom. I pulled back, his heavy breathing matched my own and I could feel my body rising and falling with every breath we shared. I was burning up inside and the more he touched me, and kissed me, the more I had to have.

As if reading my mind, Drew sat forward and lifted me up. I straightened my legs out and sat directly in his lap, facing him. His hands slid up my back to the base of my neck. Suddenly, cool air hit my skin as he pulled my zipper down and kissed my mouth hard. I unbuttoned a few more buttons and slipped my hands inside his shirt. When his lips moved from my mouth down the side of my neck, I arched my head back, encouraging him to go further.  Drew's lips continued over my shoulder and slowly, he eased the sleeve of my dress down my arm, kissing every inch of exposed skin on the way.

I wanted to help speed things up and throw my dress to the ground, but grew still when I heard knocking. Drew continued kissing my shoulder and I didn't realize I was nearly frozen in place while listening for it again.

“Hello? Drew? Are you in here?” I heard a woman's voice calling from the front door.

I pushed Drew away from me with the palms of my hands. “Drew! Someone's here. Stop and zip me back up.” He looked at me, surprised, and then at the door. We were more or less hidden in the back corner, and unless she walked right
in here, she'd never see us.

I knew she came in when I heard the clicking of her heels on the hardwood floor as she continued calling his name. I looked up and quietly questioned him. “Who is that? And why is she here so late?”

He pulled the zipper up on the back of my dress while I quickly tried to rebutton his shirt. “Shit, it’s Victoria. What the hell is she doing here so late?”

So late?
What did
that
mean? Had she been here before?

I moved off Drew, adjusted my dress, and pressed my hair down with my hands. I could only imagine how wild it looked from having Drew's hands in it. Sitting on the edge of the piano bench, I watched Victoria as she walked around in a small circle, her eyes gazing at the walls. She had a look of satisfaction rather than amazement, like
I
had when I first saw the room. Staring at the wall to the right, she started to turn in my direction, but stopped and walked towards the far wall.

“Stay here. I'll take care of this,” Drew whispered before he left my side and walked up behind her. “Victoria? What brings you here so late?” Drew questioned from behind her.

She spun around at the sound of his voice and hugged him. “Oh Drew, I love how it all came together. I'm thrilled to see you decided to go with the honey-colored floors that I suggested.”

Her style seemed classy, with her nude-colored dress that fell to her feet. But her class turned to trash when she looked my direction. The split up the front of her dress showed her entire leg all the way up to mid-thigh, exposing her matching stiletto heels, which made her nearly a foot taller than Drew. Her plunging neckline dropped well past her breasts, forcing anyone with a pair of eyes to look there, and I was sure Drew was no exception. Appearance aside, I definitely didn't like how close she was standing next to him, or how her hands brushed over his neck when they hugged. And she still hadn't answered his question. What
was
she doing here so late?

I didn't care what her reason was, I didn't like her.

“Yep, the honey color was clearly the best option. What brings you by so late?” he asked again.

“Oh, well, I had this
thing
to go to earlier, and I figured since I was in the area, I could swing by and tell you I was able to get Olivia to donate a whole day to spend on interior remodeling with her design firm and her as one of the prizes for your event.”

“That was very nice of you to convince her.”

“Yes, she was very generous indeed. She
is
the best of the best, in my opinion.”

Drew took a step back and glanced in my direction. “But you really didn't need to come all this way. You could have called Phillip; he's in charge of this whole thing, you know.”

“Well, as
you
know,” she said, taking a step forward, “true talent really appeals to me.”

Oh no! I wasn't going to sit in this darkened corner while she hit on my boyfriend right in front of me. Straightening out my dress, I flipped my hair back and let the click of my heels hit the floor harder than necessary.

“I couldn't agree more,” I called out, coming closer. Drew's eyes widened as he watched me strut across the floor. If he thought I was going to sit back and wait for him to get rid of her, he had another thing coming. I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “The piano was certainly a nice touch and the bench is definitely more comfortable
and
accommodating than the last one.” I couldn't help myself. I knew Victoria didn't have a clue what I was referring to, but I had to let it slip, if only to see Drew's cheeks redden instantly.

Victoria’s eyes moved back and forth between the piano, Drew, and me, looking completely confused as to where I'd come from. “Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in. And you are?” she asked.

“Oh, I've been here a while. Drew was giving me the full tour. Up close and personal, you know, before he opens to the public.” She stared back at me without saying a word, but I continued. “Name's Lilly Morgan,” I said, extending my hand. “And you are?”

She pulled her shoulders back and shook my hand. “Victoria Hunt,” she said with pressed lips. Stepping back and walking around Drew, she glanced briefly at the walls. “Well, I'll let you continue your
tour
,” she said in a sarcastic tone as she ran her hand across the back of his shoulders. “Fine work as always, Drew.” She stopped in front of him, her body inches from his when she wiped a smudge of lipstick with her thumb from his collar. A smirk crossed her lips. “Don't forget about my offer. Your studio is nice, but you know I can give you so much more.”

Drew looked back at her with no expression. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, let alone why he was letting another woman talk to him the way she was. Was there some history there? And what exactly did she mean by
more
?

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Victoria,” he said, eyeing the door. She glared at me before leaving the building without another word.

Drew came up beside me and intertwined his fingers with mine. “I'm sorry for the interruption. I should have locked the door.”

“I don't know, Drew, maybe it's a good thing she came up.
What was that about anyway? She walked in here like she owned the place. Who is she
exactly
?”

“She's the owner of a very popular art gallery about forty-five minutes from here. She's a lost cause, but seems determined to get me to work for her. She’s nobody to worry about, so please don’t.”