Page 102 of Pining for Pierce

I’m loving every second of it, though. Especially since Harley is so supportive.

It would be different if she was against me doing this, but she’s not. She’s with me every step of the way. She says the right things at just the right times, sensing when I’m having moments of self-doubt, and she lifts me back up again, making me believe I can do this. Because I can. I know that, deep down. It’s just – like she said – it’s all happened so fast.

Yesterday was crazy.

There was no way of predicting the response we had to the gallery’s social media posts. Not even they’d seen anything like it before. That was what Abigail said when she called, asking me to go in there tomorrow for a photo shoot. A photo shoot? Me? I nearly laughed when she said that… except she was deadly serious. They’d employed a photographer, and were paying him a special rate to come in on a Sunday… so laughing wasn’t really an option.

That brought it home, maybe more than all the online comments and likes, and the followers I gained during the day. Even more have been added overnight, and I’m relieved Harley’s gonna be with me tomorrow. I dread to think how wild it’ll all be by then.

It was certainly chaotic in the store yesterday afternoon. I don’t really know how that happened. It started with someone who I didn’t recognize, asking if I was the guy who did the paintings, clarifying that by adding, “The ones that are gonna be at the Bowman Gallery in July.”

I said I was, and he asked if I took commissions. I said I did, and then a woman came in and joined our conversation. Before I knew it, there was a crowd of people, some of them talking amongst themselves, and some to me. Nate Newton appeared out of nowhere and asked if I’d spare him some time early next week.

“I wanna do a piece on you before anyone else does,” he said, giving me a smile.

“I don’t think I’m gonna be quite that popular.”

He looked around. “Are you serious?”

He had a point. The store was overflowing by then, and I shrugged my shoulders. “This is all a bit beyond me.”

“Then come and have a coffee with me next week and tell me all about it.”

“So you can publish it in your newspaper?”

“Exactly. All publicity is good publicity… or so they say.”

I nodded my head. “I guess… although I honestly don’t know what I’m doing next week. Can I call you on Monday?”

“Sure. You know where I am.”

He left, probably relieved to get out of the crush, and to be honest, I’d have gone with him, if I could.

I was relieved when Harley appeared, and that most people saw her arrival as a signal to leave, which was our chance toescape… so we did. Straight into the bedroom. Making love with her was just what I needed. It was a reminder that there are more important things in life than all this madness, and that without her, none of it means a damn thing.

She’s still asleep, although I won’t be able to let her stay that way for much longer. I’ve gotta take her back to her parents’ place before opening the store, so we’ll have to get up earlier than I’d like, and I lean in and kiss her forehead. She shudders, and pulls a face, which makes me smile, as I kiss the tip of her nose. She brings her hand up, brushing away the imaginary annoyance, and I kiss her lips.

She opens her eyes, kissing me back, her arms coming around my neck.

“Good morning,” she murmurs.

“Good morning, beautiful.” I let my hands wander down her back to rest on her ass. “We’ve gotta get up, but do you wanna come shower with me?”

“Of course.” She grins and I turn over, pulling her with me, so I’m on my back and she’s on top of me. “Are you sure about that shower?” she asks, grinding her hips into me.

“Positive.”

I sit up, shimmy to the edge of the bed and, holding on to her, I stand up. She wraps her legs around me, and I carry her through to the bathroom and straight into the shower. The water is set to the perfect temperature for us and I turn it on, gazing into her eyes.

“How’s your leg today?”

“A lot better.”

“Good.”

I lift her up slightly, hooking her legs over my arms, and lower her onto my cock, impaling her deeply.

“Oh… God…” She shudders in my arms, taking me deep inside her as I turn around and rest her back against the tiled wall behind her, bracing my feet on the floor.

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