Beginning Again: Book 1 in the Second Chances series (Crimson Romance) (7 page)

He roared with laughter.

“Not so loud. I just heard Jamie come in downstairs. He’ll hear you.”

“Who’s Jamie?”

“The guy I told you about who’s been helping me get the gallery ready. When we’re dressed, we’ll go downstairs and you can meet him.”

“In a bit. First … ” He nudged his erection against her thigh. His fingertips touched her breast, his breath feathered over her lips. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you.”

“Mmmm. Having your hands on me is one of the things I like about you.”

“What else do you like about me?” He pulled her leg up over his hip and touched her sex.

“Just about everything right now.”

A long while later, they showered and dressed. She’d chased him out of the bathroom when he wanted to make love in the shower and disentangled his arms from around her when he suggested sex in the kitchen as the best way to start the day. Saying that they’d already made love more in the last twenty-four hours than she had in the whole previous year, she asked his patience until she got used to it.

He turned serious, held her, and told her she would never again, as long as he had anything to say about it, be without someone to make love to her whenever she wanted. She bit her lip to keep tears from forming.

With the key to her apartment in his pocket, Collins left to check out of his hotel, snagging a piece of leftover coffeecake on his way out the door.

Liz poured what remained in the coffeepot into her mug and wandered into her office. Sated with sex and deficient on sleep, she didn’t trust herself to remember what needed to be done today. The master to-do list on her computer would tell her what had to be finished before she played hooky with Collins.

But even her lust-fueled brain knew something wasn’t right when she sat down at her desk. For starters, her wireless mouse was on the right side of the keyboard. She was left-handed and used it on the other side. And the art books she’d just bought from Powell’s. They were no longer on the desk, but in two piles on the floor. Looking around the room she saw other signs that someone had moved things. More books out of place. A file cabinet drawer slightly open. Who the hell had been in here?

It had to have been Jamie. He was the only other person with a key to the apartment. Well, Mason had access to it, too, but he was never here. And Collins had spent the night, but he had no reason to be in her office. It must have been Jamie. But why? She heard movement downstairs in the gallery. She’d just go find out.

He didn’t give her much time to ask about her office. “Sooo … ” he said with a smile and a sideways glance, both of which looked suspiciously leer-like. “You weren’t alone when I came in this morning, were you? I heard two people walking around upstairs and heavy footsteps coming down the back stairs a while ago.”

“Jamie, I hate to have to ask this but … ”

“Was it morning after or early morning delivery?”

She could feel her face redden. “Obviously I should think about carpeting everything upstairs.” She pushed through her embarrassment. “Look, I have to ask you something.”

“From your face and this need to change the subject it’s certainly interesting, whichever it was.”

“If you’ll let me ask what I need to, I’ll satisfy your curiosity.”

“Deal.” He held out his hand for a handshake, but she ignored it.

“Did you go up into my apartment for something yesterday while I was gone?”

His hand dropped and she could tell from his expression that she’d hurt his feelings. “Of course I didn’t. I wouldn’t go into your place without asking you beforehand. Why are you asking?”

“Stuff got moved around in my office. I just wondered if you needed access to something about the gallery and … ”

“I would never invade your space like that. I wasn’t even here yesterday. We went to a matinee of
A Chorus Line
and then dinner.” He was looking her straight in the eyes and all she saw was how hurt he was that she thought he’d do something like that.

“I don’t mean to sound distrustful. I apologize. I just can’t figure it out. You have the only other key. And the only other person around was … ” She stopped. “I’m sorry. I must have done it myself.” Shaking her head to clear the suspicions, she changed the subject. “Was it a good production of
A Chorus Line
?”

“Mason said he’d seen better but I loved it.” His indignant look had softened somewhat, but he still sounded like a hurt puppy.

She put her arm around his shoulders. “I apologize again. Forgive me?”

“I’ll think about it. If you satisfy my curiosity about your overnight guest.” That sounded more like the real Jamie.

“He’ll be back in a while and you’ll meet him.”

Jamie put up his hand for a high-five. “It’s about time. All you’ve done since you bought this place is work. I was beginning to worry you’d forgotten how to play.”

“Then you’ll be happy to hear that I’m going to take the next couple days off. Since I won’t be here, you can stay home, too, if you’d like.”

“No, it’s perfect timing. This’ll give me the chance to set up the inventory and billing systems and update the website. We have images from all your artists now … ”

“Except for the new one. I’ll ask him for … ”

“You signed someone else? Who?”

“A metal sculptor named Collins.”

“You signed Collins? Oh my god, Liz. How did you manage? Oh my god, is that who … ?”

“You know who he is? Am I the only person in Portland who didn’t know?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You know everything about what hangs on the walls. I know more about what sits on the pedestals. Collins is one of the hottest new sculptors in the region. But you didn’t answer my question. Was that who I heard tromping down the steps?”

She shook her head, trying to find a way to avoid telling him the truth. When she realized she couldn’t, the headshake changed to a nod. “Yes, it was but … ”

“This is sensational. Wait ’til Mason hears.”

“Jamie, please. I don’t want this spread around. First of all, it may be nothing, just a one night — few nights — thing. In the second place, if people think I sleep with artists to get them to sign with me, I’ll be the laughing stock of the city.”

“I promise I won’t say a word to anyone except Mason. And he’d never do anything to damage your reputation so he’ll keep his mouth shut.”

“You both better keep your mouths shut. Now, before I can take off for that downtime you think I need, we have to get the hanging system reinstalled and some more work done on the pedestals. If you’ll drag out that ladder for me, please, I’ll work in here and you can keep painting.”

A half-hour later, Jamie was in the storage space working on display pedestals and Liz was on the ladder finishing the installation of the last section of the hanging system that would eventually display the paintings of her artists. She was about to climb up one more rung when she felt someone caress the calf of her leg.

“The logo for this gallery should be you on a ladder. It’s sexy as hell and would sell a lot of art,” Collins said as he climbed the first two rungs of the stepladder and circled her waist with his arms.

“How is it you seem to appear out of nowhere when I’m on a ladder?”

“You leave the door open for me. Now, let me get you off this. I want to kiss you.” He lifted her from the ladder and stepped to the floor with her. He was in the process of making good on his promise when a discreet cough came from behind them.

“Sorry to interrupt but, Liz, you said you wanted all the rest of the pedestals painted. Even those short ones we weren’t sure you’d need?” Jamie asked.

Liz extricated herself from Collins’s embrace. “No, not those little ones. I think I’m going to get rid of those.” She waved her hand in Jamie’s direction. “Collins, this is Jamie Bruce. He’s the reason I can even hope to be ready for the opening in October. Not only is he willing to do whatever it takes to renovate the place, but he’s a genius with websites and social media. Jamie, this is Collins.”

The younger man held his hand out to the sculptor. “I’m so excited you’re going to exhibit here. I’m a big fan of your work. That piece you have in the bank building downtown, ‘The World on a String.’ It’s fabulous.”

“Thanks. It’s one of my favorites, too. Couldn’t believe a bank would buy it. And you do websites? Really? I want one but I’ve never gotten around to putting it together.”

“I’d love to help you. You can take a look at Liz’s to see my work. Which reminds me, I need images from you so we can get them up on the site.”

“I’ll take care of that when I get back to the cabin. And, Liz, don’t get rid of any small pedestals until you see what I’m bringing for you. Smaller ones might work for a couple pieces I’ve got in mind. They might even look good in one of your windows.”

“Oh my god, that’s excellent,” Jamie said. “I’ve been worried about what we were going to put in the windows. Your work would be perfect to draw people’s attention.” And with that the two men began to plan the window displays, the website for Collins, and the fate of the universe, for all Liz knew.

At the end of the day, the hanging system was reinstalled on all the gallery walls, the pedestals were painted, the small temporary walls were erected, and the card rack and print bins placed. Jamie shook hands with Collins before he left and hugged Liz, telling her to enjoy her days off. She asked him to say hello to Mason when he got home.

The door had barely closed behind the young man when Collins said, “Mason? He knows Mason?”

“He lives with him.”

“That’s who Mason left you for? Sweetheart, you’re a helluva lot more forgiving than I would be.”

“It’s odd, I know. But when Mason suggested it, it was hard to say no. He — Mason — has been so wonderful about giving me advice, free services — he did a whole advertising campaign for me, printed the brochures, paid for the ads.”

“But didn’t it seem awkward?”

“A little, at first. But then I discovered Jamie has great taste, knows a lot more about three-dimensional art than I do, and he’s a genius with computers. That’s what he did for Mason’s company. Besides, I like him. For a while I even thought of him as the son I never had, but then the ick factor kicked in and I went back to thinking of him as the sweet-young-thing who works hard, gets along with me, and lives with my ex-husband.”

“The more I know about you, the more I like you, Liz Fairchild.”

“Which is certainly better than the opposite reaction.”

She tidied up; he got his bag from the car. When she’d finished changing clothes, they went down the street to her favorite café. He’d insisted they go out to eat, saying he knew what was in her refrigerator and it didn’t look promising.

After they’d ordered their meals, she asked, “So, what’s the real reason you wanted to eat out tonight?”

“Why would I have a reason other than your empty refrigerator?”

She raised an eyebrow and stared at him over her wineglass.

“Okay, you’re right. I want to talk about my to-do list and figured if we stayed in your apartment, we’d get distracted and never get it started.”

“You’re not serious about that, are you?”

“Of course I am. So, first, tell me five places where you’d like to have sex.”

“I can’t do that. It’s too embarrassing.”

“Yes, you can. I’m going to count to ten and then you’ll give them to me.”

“Collins … ”

He held up his fingers, one at a time. “One … two … three … four … ”

“I’m not going to … ”

“Five … six … seven … eight … ”

“This is ridiculous … ”

“Nine … ten … go.” He dropped his hand as if starting a race.

“Umm … the beach … a forest … a hot tub … someplace public.” She felt exhausted by the effort.

“That’s only four.”

“Oh, hell. I don’t know … the back seat of a car, maybe.” Breathing hard, she slumped back into her chair.

“I knew you could do it.” He rubbed the palm of his hand across his cheek. “The only one that might be a challenge is the last one. I’ll have to think about that a bit. I’m six-four and you’re six — ”

“Five-eleven.”

His smile mocked her attempt to correct him. “Like I said, I’m six-four and you’re six feet tall and in most cases the back seat of a car would be, well, uncomfortable, let’s say.” His hand reached across the table for hers. She could feel his foot rubbing up the back of her calf. “We can start on the list tomorrow. Or today. If you’re game we could check off number four right now.”

She snatched her hand back from him. “I didn’t mean this public.”

“Just trying to see where the boundaries are, babe.”

The following morning, Collins was out of bed before the alarm went off. He dressed, brought Liz coffee, and took off, telling her he had errands to run and some business to take care of before they got on with their plans. When she asked questions he pretended it was all a big secret for their two days together. The truth was, he couldn’t tell her the details of what he was doing.

His guilt about going through her office had begun to eat at him even while he was doing it and it had gotten worse over the past twenty-four hours. Not only did he like her more than he had expected to — maybe like was too weak a word, come to think of it — but the more he learned about her relationship with Mason, the more sure he was that there was nothing she would do to hurt him. Even if she could. Which he doubted.

He was beginning to believe that David’s client was a lying scumbag and Mason Fairchild was the good guy in all of this. But that was David’s problem. His was how to deal with what he’d done. He’d come up with an idea that might get him off the hook, both with Liz and with David.

All he had to do was get it sorted out before she figured it out. And sell it to David.

As soon as he was out of Liz’s apartment, he called L.A.

“So, Michael, how’s it going up in the Rose City? It’s beautiful here.” His former partner was terminally cheerful in the morning. It was one of the only things Collins disliked about him. “You going to cozy up to the old guy today? Find his books for me?”

“I told you, David, I’m through playing spy for you.”