A few days after movie night at Riley’s, they met for date number seven—because he’d refused to count theirlastdate as number seven, a point she still had a beef with. As of today, she’d now gone ten days without having sex. She didn’t count the orgasm he’d given her Friday, because they hadn’t been naked. She was going stark raving mad, her need for him growing by the second.
She counted the time between his calls, and his texts brought warmth to the places inside her that were normally cold. He frustrated the hell out of her, because she wanted more from him than just sex, and even that was out-of-this-world incredible.
God, they really were a couple. He seemed to have no problem with it. Riley and Ann thought Maya was the luckiest girl in the world for having nabbed Dex, and Maya still couldn’t be sure how she’d done that or if she really had. He confused her, kept her on her toes and constantly challenged her to meet him halfway.
They spent almost all of their free time together, unless sleeping, and she wanted more. Her nights had become lonely, and not even time spent with her girlfriends filled the void his absence left.
She finished looking over her latest pieces and put them in her damp room for drying. In a few days they’d be ready for firing, then more firing and cooling so she could glaze them. For her upcoming show, she had some pieces she’d already glazed and put into the kiln for one last firing. She had to balance a constant ratio of creativity to output in order to earn a living. Ahead of schedule for once, she felt free to concentrate on Dex. Their seventh date would be spent in his studio, now open for business. He kept nagging her about taking some portraits, and she’d finally agreed to pose for him.
She parked outside his storefront, thankfully after hours. The local police loved nothing better than to ticket anyone who lingered over the two-hour limit during the workday. Muttering under her breath about the tickets she’d accrued over the years, she went to let herself into his studio and found the door locked. The blinds had been tugged down as well, making her wonder if he’d said to meet him at his work or home.
Frowning, she knocked. He opened the door and tugged her inside, then locked it again. “Hey, baby. I’m closed to the public. This is my Maya time.” He winked at her, and she relaxed.
“Hey yourself.” She walked around, noting the scattered magazines on the table in the front waiting area, the many signatures on his sign-in sheet at the appointment desk. She followed him into the studio, seeing the sectioned-off areas where different props had been used. A large beach ball, a stuffed dinosaur. A dark background, some old-style clothing.
She fingered a woman’s lace dress. “Whathaveyou been up to?”
He saw the garment and laughed. “That belongs to a friend of Anson’s. She had her whole family photographed in an old-fashioned wardrobe. It was fun.”
She looked around. “You’ve taken pictures of lions and tigers, been in places like Paris and Russia, taken pictures in war zones. Now you’re snapping shots of kids with stuffed animals and families in weird clothing. Isn’t this…boring for you?”
He shrugged. “It’s different for sure, but I’m happy. This place is mine. I have roots here now. Hell, I have a girlfriend.” He winked at her, but she didn’t wink back.
“Maya?”
She couldn’t put a finger on her unease. “Don’t you think you’ll get tired of Bend?”Tired of me?
His slow smile, when it came, had her heart racing. God he was beautiful, inside and out. “I could never get tired here. You won’t let me.” He gave her a soft kiss, nothing carnal about it, yet he aroused her nonetheless.
“But, Dex, you—”
“Uh-uh. This is date number seven. I get to shoot you—with a camera, Miss Melodrama. I don’t think a bullet would penetrate that hard-ass attitude. Relax already, would you?”
She lost her worry and smiled. “Good to know.”
“I want to get these shots right. I left something for you to put on. If you do it right, you get a dinner out of it. I tend to be a little demanding with a camera. I’m just warning you, we could be a while.”
“Fine, fine. I respect a man who knows his art.”
“And his subject,” Dex murmured, knowing he had to capture her tonight. For his peace of mind, if not his mental well-being. She remained just out of reach, and he had to tug her back. To make his mark before she could drum up some excuse to leave him behind.
She wiggled her brows. “Where’s my getup? And just so you know, there’d better not be leather and a whip involved.”
“No, that’s for later in bed.”
She tripped on her way to the back and glared at him over her shoulder. “Funny.”
“I left you instructions with your costume.” He held in his laughter until she disappeared into the changing room. He moved into the back, where he’d set up his lighting and props. A black silk sheet draped over a red velvet divan. The lighting was soft, romantic, and the candelabra on a table nearby added to the ambience.
When Maya entered wearing a sheer white sleeveless dress that ended at mid-thigh, he suddenly found it hard to swallow. She’d left her hair down, but she wore the turquoise comb he’d left for her, pulling the hair back from the side of her face. She’d applied some makeup as well, and he felt as if he was looking at art come to life. The perfect woman, both seductress and soul mate. And all his.
“No undergarments, eh, Dex? Kinky.” She smiled at him.
When she walked, the dress showed off her nipples and thighs. He could see right through the fabric, and he congratulated himself on choosing something that enhanced her skin tone. Fuck, she was gorgeous.
“Good.” He had to clear his throat. “Now lay down on the divan.”
“Oh, adivan. Fancy.” She smirked at him, but he couldn’t see past the wondrous depths of her eyes. Then he traced her features and was mesmerized by her plump, rose-red lips. She walked with a natural sensuality and reclined on the divan.
