Page 19 of The Art of Loving Ellie
We both peek around the tree to make sure we haven’t been followed by the crazy crowd, and a handsome, caramel-skin-toned man walks past our line of sight, quickly catching our attention. Alex whistles, raising his brows at me in interest, and I giggle as I shift my eyes to scan the room.
I freeze my perusal of the area when I capture Tyler’s stare across the terrace. He’s leaning up against a wall with one ankle crossed in front of the other, amusement toying with his features as he watches Alex and me in our little hideout. I wonder how long he has been watching us as he slowly saunters our direction.
Alex is all but drooling after the man who passed us when I begin to smack his chest repeatedly trying to get his attention. He rubs the spot where I hit him, turning to give me a piece of his mind, but stops midsentence when he sees Tyler in all his professional styled glory. His jaw drops open, and I smirk at his reaction knowing exactly how he feels.
“Mr. Bernard, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Tyler greets him by shaking his hand and winks at me. I bite the inside of my lip trying to calm my jitters and smile. I genuinely care what Alex thinks of him, but Tyler is seemingly unfazed as he shakes the hand of one of the most influential artists in this city.
Alex is stunned for a moment before regaining his composure, looking Tyler up and down. “So you’re the boy my girl has been running around with, huh?” He’s trying to be protective, but Tyler notices the sway in his stance and looks to me curiously. I roll my eyes, and he grins.
“That’s right, sir.” My eyes go wide at the formal title. Something I’ve come to learn about Alex—he hates to be called sir.
His eyebrows scrunch together. “Exactly how old do you think I am?”
I put a hand on Alex’s bicep, “He’s just being polite—”
Tyler interrupts my attempt at calming him down, “Has Ellie told you that my grandma had one of your paintings hanging in her house? She’s passed on now, but she sure did love that woman with the red silk. It’s become a family treasure.”
I almost laugh out loud as Alex’s chest practically begins to puff up with pride. He pauses a moment to gather his thoughts before smiling. “Flattery… will get youeverywherewith me.” They share a laugh and I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Come on, let’s go for a stroll.” He slaps Tyler’s shoulder as if they’re good buddies, and drapes an arm around his neck. I smile and turn back to the party, letting them have some time to get to know one another.
I suppose the booze has warmed everyone up enough to stay out in the sculpture garden because after helping Tina with another time-consuming disaster, I enter the glass doors to go inside and find only a few people left in the area.
Leaving the exhibit, I’m tempted to escape to the elevator in front of me, but a curious sensation has me turning left and wanting to explore the space a little more. The hall I walk down is completely barren save for a few doors, and I have to stifle a scream as the door to my right opens abruptly, and I’m dragged inside.
“Shhh,” someone says in my ear, and I whip around quickly to see Tyler with eyes full of humor and mischief.
“You scared me half to death!” I’m breathing heavily as my chest moves up and down quickly, and my blood pressure attempts to regulate. The smell of citrus chemicals alerts me that we are standing in a large supply closet.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He reaches behind his back to pull his camera out of the messenger bag he has slung over his broad shoulders. “I wanted to find somewhere away from the crowd to look over some of the shots I got from tonight.”
I lean in close beside him as he pulls the pictures he captured up on the tiny screen. I try not to care that his arm is brushing mine lightly, but I’m freezing, and the heat radiating off his body is almost enough to make me moan.
Scrolling through some of the basic shots he has from the beginning of the evening, he pauses on a picture of the large brass bull I had seen earlier in the night. Behind it, the sun is just setting, causing an array of deep blues and pinks to outline the statue, accenting the sharp angles of its horns and the defensive position the animal was created to be in. The contrast of the photo is striking, and I peek up at him in awe. “You truly have an eye for this, Tyler. Consider me impressed.”
He smiles brightly, thanking me, and moves on to another series of photos. I gape at the way he highlights the cultural heritage in a woven tribal rug that hangs from a large wooden arch, and we smile together at an elderly couple dancing while clutching their champagne glasses as they stare fondly at one another.
There’s light and life in everything he captures and I’m captivated by his talent. He has somehow found a way to bring out something positive in every shot, even if it’s just how he manages to balance the lighting.
Curious about his chat with Alex, I bounce back and forth on my heels, somewhat nervous to ask him, “How was your drunken stroll with the famous Alexandre?”
He shakes his head and chuckles. “That man is quite a character. He’s very fond of you and your…work.” Shifting his eyes back to another series of photos, he doesn’t elaborate further.
The way he hesitates has me wondering what exactly he’s referring to, but I let it slide for now.
Silence fills the room for a moment as he puts his camera away, and when he turns back to me, the smile that was resting on my face slowly begins to fall. There isn’t quite enough air in this room for me to function with him staring at me the way he is.
I wring my hands nervously, hooking a thumb back toward the door. “We s—should probably get back to help finish up the party.” I don’t know what it is about this man that makes me stutter so damn much, but I grind my teeth in frustration.
He steps away, removing his bag and setting it on the ground carefully. My eyes follow every bunch of muscle in his back as they ripple with movement underneath his shirt. Making his way back over to me, he brings his body close—yet not touching me in any way, and his whiskey brown eyes capture mine. The promise to devour me from earlier has completely left his gaze, leaving behind something more intimate.
One of his hands finds its place resting on the door beside my head, partially blocking me in as he stares into my eyes, asking me in silence if I’m ready for what’s about to happen. When I don’t respond to his challenge, he brings his other hand up and gently strokes the side of my neck—so lightly, I barely feel the whisper of his touch.
“I have to say, Princess, you look incredible in blue.” My skin ripples with goose-flesh and his gaze flicks toward it with a wicked smile, knowing exactly the effect he has on me right now.
“Tyler,” his name is barely a whisper on my lips as I try, and fail, to stop what is going on between us. “I can’t.”
His beautiful eyes search mine for answers, and what he finds reflecting back at him, I’m not sure, but I certainly hope it’s something more convincing than the weak words I’ve just spoken.
“I don’t like commitment,” I say, trying to find the strength to fulfill my promise to myself, “and attachment makes you weak. It allows the other person control over you, and I… I don’t want to end up like Robert.” My eyelids shut tightly at my confession, but I prepare to stand my ground. I don’t need any more reasons to be pulled away from my work, or painting. “You’re a distraction I don’t think I can afford.”
