The Muse (Interracial Mystery Romance) (Dark Art Mystery Series) (23 page)

“Definitely.”

Hex took pictures and encouraged us to talk the entire time. I couldn’t help it, but I asked the women about their lives. Some of them had battled cancer for many years and during the process they’d lost their jobs, connections with friends, family ties, and a few had broken marriages. Yet, they’d survived the cancer and all the other problems.

“Life is an expedition through triumphs, pain, and unexpected occurrences,” the darkest woman admitted. “I don’t have time to cry about what I’ve been through when I’ve been given another chance at life. Before the doctor told me I had cancer, I was just drifting along in my unhappy little marriage and walking through life like a zombie. The diagnosis changed all of that.”

A few of the other women nodded in agreement.

“All I can tell you is to live your life the best way you can. Enjoy yourself when you can, cry if you need to, love when you have the opportunity, and run fast when the situation calls for it.” She clapped her hands and laughed, which motivated Hex to snap his camera like a deranged lunatic.

“Hex!” Alvarez’s voice vibrated through the walls. He must’ve been right outside. His footsteps stomped our way. The door opened. He marched his bulky frame through the door.

“I’ve been calling you all day and not once have you answered the phone. We need to talk.”

“What do you want, Al?”

Alvarez didn’t respond. I glanced at him. Alvarez’s gaze fell on me as he opened his mouth. It seemed he lost the original goals he intended on reaching before entering the studio.

His gaze dropped to my breasts. They woke up under his attention. A shiver of desire flowed through me. There was need pooling through his eyes--unadulterated, wild need that I wasn’t even sure I could take care of. That electric sensation sparked between us. There could be no denying it. I’ll bet even the women who sat on the stage spotted it.

“Al, whatever you’re doing, stop it.” Hex’s camera flashed as he took a few more.

“You’re making Elle blush.”

“No. He’s not,” I said.

“Yes. He is.” Hex put down the camera and frowned. “I’m busy, Al. We’ll have to talk later. You’re disturbing my session.”

“This can’t wait until later.” Alvarez let his gaze linger on my face for a few more seconds before moving his attention away. I released a breath I had no idea I’d been holding.

The dark-skinned woman from earlier nudged my arm. “Are you two dating?”

“No,” I whispered.

“That’s what it looked like to me,” another woman giggled in the back.

Alvarez crossed his arms across his chest. “Hex, you have time to talk. What I have to ask you is bigger and more important than art.”

“Nothing is bigger than art.”

Alvarez moved closer to where I sat, but didn’t look my way. “What I have to say is bigger than most things.”

“I only have these models for twenty more minutes. I’ll talk to you then.” Hex kneeled right in front of me and took more pictures. “Damn it, Al. Leave the room. All of my models are blushing like damn school girls and Elle looks aroused.”

“I do not.” I tucked some of my hair behind my ear. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Your nipples weren’t all perky and erect before and now they are. This isn’t a Playboy shoot. It’s an art studio.”

“I know what it is.” I rolled my eyes.

“Stop yelling at her like that.” Alvarez did his best to avoid gazing my way, but I could’ve sworn he peeked at my very stiff nipples as they tried their best to get his attention.

“This can’t be put off. We have things to discuss.”

“I’m busy!” Hex kicked the vase in front of him. All of the women around me gasped or jumped. “I only have one rule and that’s leave me the fuck alone when I’m creating my art!”

“Calm down, Hex.” Although Alvarez said it in a low voice, he didn’t appear calm either.

All of a sudden, rage shadowed his features. In fact, they both seemed ready to go for blows.

This wasn’t the Alvarez who had kissed me goodnight or recited poetry to me in his office. This man was tired and pissed at somebody.

What happened to Alvarez since he left me last night to have him so wound up?

“Get out of my studio!” Hex kicked another can.

“This is crazy.” The woman behind me rose and put on her robe. The others followed

suit.

“Now look what you’ve done.” Hex pointed to the stage. “You ended my session before it was time. Do I bother you when you’re working?”

“Yes. All of the time with your exploits and ignorant little bouts with art critics.” Alvarez got in front of Hex and towered over him. “Since your session is over, we have time to talk.”

“I’m not talking to you.”

“Oh yes, you are.”

I slipped on my robe and closed it. “Maybe you both should calm down before talking.”

“What the hell do you want to talk about anyway?” Hex set his camera down hard on the desk.

Alvarez gestured to me. “Let’s talk about this outside. Instead of arguing in front of Elle.”

“Oh, now that you’ve ruined my session, you want to decide not only when we talk but where it will be. Fuck you, Al!” Hex left the studio, slamming the door behind him.

“What? Fuck me.” Alvarez stormed that way, opened the door, and rushed after him.

“I’ve been up all day dealing with this crap that you’ve created for us! I said don’t invite models here to stay overnight. I said have them come for a short period and then leave, that it would be a hassle and too much for us to handle. What did you say? ‘Oh, I’ll take care of it all, bro.’ Well, that was bullshit because I’m the one dealing with it!”

“No one asked you to deal with it!”

I rushed to put on my slippers and dashed out after them.

“No one asked me to get involved, but there are dead girls on our property. Am I

supposed to just sit back and relax?” Alvarez formed his hands into fists.

“No. You’re supposed to leave me alone while I’m doing my art. Have some respect.”

“Respect? You’ve ignored my calls!”

The sunlight hit me as I ran outside. They’d made some good ground and were near the garden where Patricia had lain dead on the ground. Now, the soil had been covered and no evidence existed that there had ever been someone there.

Flipping away his shoes and pulling off his socks, Hex ran to a tree and began to climb it.

He latched his hands onto the trunk, jumped up so his feet planted to the sides, and raced up. I would’ve stood back and been impressed by his speed, if not for Alvarez running to him, snatching at his foot, and trying to pull him back down. Terror stabbed through my chest. If they continued, they would hurt each other.

“Get off me!” Hex kicked at Alvarez.

“Get down! You don’t get to run off this time.”

“Alvarez!” I hit his back and got his attention after three hits. “Calm down. You’re going to hurt Hex if you keep on grabbing him like that.”

He glanced over his shoulder at me and let go. “I was trying to stop the idiot from getting all the way up into the tree.”

I shrugged. “Well, it’s too late for that. He’s up there and if you had captured his leg, he might have lost his balance and fallen.”

“Then maybe that would be one less problem,” he muttered.

“You don’t mean that.”

Hex made it to the highest branch he could without breaking it, and then from there he swung his little body to another tree.

Holy cow. He could give Tarzan a run for his money.

“Fine. He’s gone. I’ll deal with Grandma and then return to him.” Alvarez rubbed both of his eyelids and blinked. Little red lines crept along the whites of his eyes. He yawned and slumped against the tree. I took in his clothes. He wore the same outfit from last night, black pants, white linen shirt, and black shoes. Except wrinkles and small stains covered them.

“Have you gotten any sleep?” I asked. “You look exhausted.”

“I am.”

“Then go to sleep.”

He checked his watch. “I just have one more thing to do.”

“How many times have you said that today?”

He formed his lips into a sort of half smile. “I’ve been saying that since I left you at your bedroom.”

I wagged my finger. “You’re a naughty boy, Alvarez.”

Another yawn left his lips. “I’m just swamped with things to do, and these two murders aren’t helping my sanity. I probably couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. I’m discovering too much about the people I care about.”

“What does that mean?”

He let out a long sigh. “Nothing.”

“It sounds like more than nothing.”

“I’ve got it handled.” He got up and walked away. “We’ll talk later, when things are less complicated.”

Disappointment plunged deep into my chest. Flirty, romantic Alvarez was gone. A

grumpy and extremely tired ogre had taken his place.

I did the best I could in my flip-flops and caught up with him. “Get some sleep.”

“I can’t.”

“I’ll bet you could.”

“I doubt it.”

“Come on.” I hooked my arm through his and unsuccessfully tried to tighten the belt on my robe so it wouldn’t open.

He stopped and stared down at me. “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking you somewhere else.”

“But I have to—”

“Talk to your grandma. I understand.” I tugged at his arm, but he refused to move.

“You’re not in the brightest mood right now. You’re just going to get in an argument with her like you did with Hex. Yesterday, you had nothing but patience for Hex. Today, you’re yelling, chasing, and trying to pull him out of a tree. Go to sleep.”

“And if I don’t?” He raised one eyebrow at me, but I could see all over his face that I’d won the battle. He peered in the direction of his grandma’s cottage and blew out air. “Maybe you’re right. I’ve already argued with her today. She’s hiding something with Hex. They’ll be stubborn even more than usual. I’ll need my strength to deal with them.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

“And where are you taking me, little bossy woman?”

“I’m not little and we’re going to your bed.”

He smirked and let his gaze travel toward my exposed cleavage. “And what will we be doing when we get there?”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, please. I’ll just be tucking you in.”

He did a big show of whining. “It’s not nice to tease me. I may not go anywhere now.”

“Yes. Actually, it is. And for your information, we’re going to climb up these stairs, march to your bedroom, and then I’m shoving you into bed so you can stop barreling around the property like a big bear, scaring people away.”

To my surprise, he didn’t fight me anymore. It took us ten minutes to get through the house and up the stairs to his room, another ten for him to take a quick shower and then lay down in bed. I should’ve left and gone back to my room, but I made an excuse that I had to make sure he actually stayed in bed.

Goodness. I thought he was big, but not this big.

He only wore pajama pants and rows of hard muscle layered his entire upper body. I had no idea how he was able to get to the gym, but knew he definitely figured out a way. Somehow he convinced me to lie down next to him. It hadn’t been a hard sell. He promised he would be a gentleman and only wanted for me to be the last thing he saw before going to sleep. Maybe it was the dread that lathered his voice from earlier. Something had happened to change his chipper mood from last night. He’d aged in a couple hours. So I remained there long after the time I should have left.

“You’re beautiful.” His deep voice drummed through my body as he rested under the

covers.

“Stop flattering me and go to sleep.”

“Will this be a repeat act of kindness from you? Can I expect to have you near me like this every time I need to get some sleep?”

I fought the grin that tried to appear on my face.

“Fine. Don’t answer me. But I should get points for being a good boy. My hands yearn to touch you everywhere.” That statement set me on fire. I closed my eyes to hide the heat he’d incited. It wasn’t lost that I only had a robe on and nothing else, but neither one of us said anything about it. I opened my eyes and met his gaze.

Quiet minutes passed.

He still didn’t fall sleep. We just stared at each other like shy little high schoolers lying alone for the first time. We spoke our attraction with our eyes—sly peeks that we hoped the other didn’t see, but did anyway, flirtatious winks, and the seductive flutter of our eyelids.

“You don’t have to lie so far away from me.” He rolled over to his side so that I could make out his entire frame. His bed was a huge king size. At least three feet lay between us. “I’m available to be an extra pillow if necessary.”

“Just go to sleep,” I murmured and closed my eyes, vowing to only rest them for a few seconds.

“I see I’m not the only one who’s exhausted.”

“Your brother got me out of bed pretty early.”

“Did you have a hangover?”

“No.”

“Good. I watered down W.H.L. You didn’t get the full tonic.”

“No wonder.” I stretched my legs, got under his comfy blanket, and sank deeper into the pillow.

“Why no wonder?”

“Because I can’t get your kiss off my mind.” I drifted away and then the ice cold reality of shock hit me.
Did I just say that out loud?
I opened my eyes.

Alvarez stared at me with a wide smile on his face. “Oh really,
mi amiga
?”

“Go to sleep.”

“But—”

“I’m not even going to discuss what I just said.”

“Then we’ll discuss it on our date.”

“If you can stump me.”

“Baby, I’m already stumping you.”

My heart sped up, but somehow I was able to calm down enough to fall into a deep sleep, as a peaceful string of unasked questions bridged between us.

Chapter 18

~Alvarez

I had the most beautiful dream.

I swam in that orange blossom scent.

Elle floated around me in a light blue dress that merged with the breeze. Her hair flew in
its own direction. She didn’t need wings. She just glided in front of me. I checked my feet to see
how I was even up there in the sky with her. I stood on a building, some discarded structure in a
deserted city far away.