Page 26 of North
“Okay, so I’ve been thinking about this ever since I walked into your gallery.”
“Remember when I told you that your paintings made me think of my dad?” She didn’t give me half a second to answer. She paused long enough to take a breath then continue. “I want to commission you to do four paintings for me. One of them would be of my dad, one of my cat, one of the Telluride mountains, and one of me.”
I blinked at her trying to find the words. Four commissioned paintings would cost a pretty penny and I didn’t want her to commission them just to spend time with me. Art was my life and my passion. I didn’t create pieces solely for monetary benefit. I liked to make sure it was feeding my soul and the customer’s soul.
I shoved an agitated hand through my hair and said, “Melanie, four paintings will cost a lot of money. Are you sure you want the paintings or are you looking for something else?” I hoped she read between the lines because I didn’t want to sound like a fucking douche suggesting she only wanted me to work for her so we’d spend extra time together.
“I want the paintings and maybe something else too,” She said sitting beside me. Her smile oozed sex and so did her fingertips as they skated up my thigh. I put my hand over hers and chuckled. I wasn’t in the mood for flirting after what happened between North and me in the truck.
All I could concentrate on were her big blue eyes and pouty mouth sucking and licking my thumb. God, my dick was starting to stand and I knew Melanie would think it was for her.
It wasn’t.
My hard dick was only for North.
Goddammit, I was so fucked in the head. I was sitting beside a beautiful woman and all I could think of was my daughter. All I could concentrate on were her plush lips as my thumb skated over them. I wondered what my dick would feel like sliding in and out of her mouth with those pretty lips wrapped around it.
I had to stop thinking about her. I couldn’t hear a damn thing Melanie was saying and she was mistaking my hard-on as something she prompted. Her parted lips and hungry eyes told me I led her to believe the wrong thing.
I gripped her wrist and shook my head before she tried to unbutton my jeans. “Melanie, listen…I don’t mind doing work for you but I don’t mix business with pleasure. I also want you to make sure you really want these pieces and work out a budget first.”
“Money isn’t an object, Kane.” She eyed the thick bulge in my pants and licked her lips. “And I don’t know how we’re supposed to maintain a professional relationship when there’s clearly tension between us.”
Melanie had no idea what tension felt like.
The electricity that popped and sparked between North and me? That was tension. That was anticipation and agony. It was the tight feeling in my chest. The look of wanting and apprehension in her eyes every time we were in the same room. The tension between us was pulled so tightly that we could strum our own song of longing and passion on the strings like playing a guitar. Melanie and I didn’t have anything close to that. I thought she was beautiful but she didn’t make me feel anything.
North made me feeleverything.
“If you want these pieces, we’ll have to be professional,” I said, clearing my throat. “Like I said, go home and think about what you want and what your budget is. We’ll discuss the details later.”
“So will you do it or am I on your long waiting list?” Her words were a double-edged sword that I was careful to maneuver around.
“My waiting list isn’t long. It’s non-existent.”
“Seems like you’re busy every time I try to get close enough to ask.” She shrugged one shoulder then batted her lashes at me.
“No, I’m usually busy with work or handing something with North.” Saying her name caused her gorgeous face to flash in my head. Those freckles draped across her high, proud cheekbones. Cheekbones that could’ve been on a model walking a runway in Milan somewhere.
“You pour so much into your daughter, Kane. You should do something for yourself. North is a big girl. She’ll be fine.”
I stood to my feet with furled brows and arms folded across the width of my chest. “North just lost her mother so I’ll pour everything I have into her until she feels better.”
Melanie held her palms out to me with a smile on her face. “Kane, I was only saying she’s practically grown. She doesn’t need Daddy doting on her every second.” I was done with the conversation between Melanie and I.
“Let me know what your budget is and we’ll talk. I’m done addressing anything outside of work.” I left her sitting on the break room couch while I went back to the main gallery floor.
North was nowhere to be found. Elijah pulled his eyes to mine and gave me a sympathetic smile. “I guess you pissed her off. She left the minute you went back there with Melanie.” I pretended not to be bothered by her leaving but I was. I needed to talk to her and explain why the way we were behaving was fucked up.
I spent the rest of my day on autopilot waiting to go home. The only time I breathed a sigh of relief before clocking out was when Melanie finally left.
“You have to get that chick under control, man,” Elijah said as I locked the gallery down for the night.
“Tell me about it. She’s driving me fucking insane.”
“Give her what she wants. Maybe she’ll back the fuck off.”
“I don’t have an ounce of interest in Melanie. She’s starting to annoy the fuck out of me.”
