Second Chances (20 page)

Kristin cleared her throat. “Well, your gallery typically doesn’t cater to the lesser known local artists, usually dealing only with the larger names, so I was curious. Are you taking newer artists now?”

The woman inhaled deeply. “No we’re not. But in this instance we had a great opportunity. One of our largest patrons, Dorothy Miller, brought him too us. Apparently, her daughter found him and decided his work was worth the consideration of Hayward Gallery. You might know her—Sophie Miller, the actress?”

Her gut twisted with annoyance and hot fury. Oh, she knew Sophie all right. “Thank you very much for your time.” Kristin hung up the phone slowly. Well, there it was. Now at least she had some concrete proof Sophie had a hand in some of the things going on with Haven. And she would bet money that Sophie was even more involved.

Kristin breathed deeply in an attempt to keep calm and focused. “I’m just trying to do some research on different prints and the services they offer to larger galleries. You know, get a jump on the competition and all. It would help to know how the other places run parts of their business.”

“Well, if you do business with us, you’re heading in the right direction. Hayward Gallery happens to be our largest client.”

“Thank you.” Kristin stared at the phone in her hand for an instant, before she slammed it back into its home.

If Sophie could threaten her and David so easily, the woman could more than likely threaten a business to make things difficult for the gallery as well. The woman really had to be completely unhinged.

Blood throbbed through Kristin’s head and the pressure rushed into her ears.
Brilliant
. What she really needed right now was a headache. Especially since she had to make it through the rest of her day at the gallery.

Sophie Miller was a woman obsessed. She was not pretending with David. If the actress wasn’t so cold and calculating, Kristin would almost believe the woman still loved him, and was desperate to keep him in her life. But these actions were ones of obsession and ownership, not love.

Kristin’s finger rubbed a spot on her temple. Something had to be done and plans made before she saw David tonight.

~~~

David glanced at the clock in his car as he drove to see Kristin.

It was nine o’clock already. The night had swallowed up the day in its inky jaws. What light remained glinted in sporadic areas on the road before him, reflecting in patterns on puddles that remained from the rain earlier.

David’s day had been a long one, spent mostly with his agent. Bernard had been taken aback when he had admitted the truth about his relationship with Sophie. Bernie’s hurt clearly showed in his eyes as he refused to believe he had been fooled about it for months.

It took awhile before David finally convinced him that it was over for good, and he needed Bernard’s help to ensure everyone came out unscathed.

Over the next couple of hours, he spent time with Bernard going through the schedule, attempting to make sure there wasn’t anything that he and Sophie had been committed to as a pair. He needed to make sure Sophie couldn’t keep her threats with his career. Unfortunately, one item had been discovered.

David located a parking space and climbed out of his car. He strolled toward the building and depressed the door buzzer. “It’s me.”

Kristin buzzed him in without a word. Her day must not have been much better than his.

Taking the stairs, he walked through the open door. Kristin stood at her kitchen counter and leaned casually against it. Her black hair flowed freely, framing her face while her dark eyes peered at him. She wore blue shorts and a white tank top, her feet bare. David’s tired body snapped to attention as faint stirrings of desire travelled through him.

“Well, the gallery that lured him away happens to have one Dorothy Miller as its biggest patron. Come to find out, Sophie was the one to bring him to her mother’s attention.”

He brushed both hands through his hair. It appeared that Sophie’s deviousness had no boundaries after all.

“That’s not all,” Kristin blushed and her voice was cool compared to yesterday’s passion. “Apparently, the printer that I use for my own gallery—the one that suddenly took away my credit privileges—has that same gallery as their largest client.”

David stared at her, not sure of what he should say.

Kristin threw her hands in the air, frustration written all over her face. “Don’t you see? Sophie has been behind my problems at the gallery all along. You can’t deny her involvement anymore.”

David’s shoulders sagged. “I still don’t understand why she would go to so much trouble.”

Kristin shook her head from side to side and stared at the ceiling of the kitchen. “Because she obviously still has feelings for you, and can’t stand it that you want to be with me.”

David rubbed his head, mussing his hair. “But Sophie knows—”

Kristin held up a hand, and her eyes held only fury. “I get the feeling that what Sophie knows, doesn’t always mesh with what Sophie wants. And what she obviously wants, is you.”

Guilt washed over him. He’d had to trust Sophie for what he’d thought would be a short timeframe in order to keep up appearances for his career. He never expected to fall in love and have the situation with Sophie put his new relationship in jeopardy.

It was only after getting to know Kristin that he realized what it truly meant to start over. Her first tentative steps in the wake of her husband’s death showed his own to be meager at best.

David rolled his head in a circle attempting to dissipate the tension that had knotted the muscles in his neck. Kristin’s stance was tense as well, her shoulders rigid. “I’m sorry, Kristin. Please believe me that I never thought in a million years that Sophie would have gone after Haven.” He blew out a long breath. “If it weren’t for your involvement with me, she wouldn’t have been introduced into your life for any of this to happen.”

Her shoulders visibly relaxed a little. “At least you don’t think I’m crazy, now.”

David spanned the distance between them in one long stride and traced the line of her delicate face with his finger. “I never thought you were crazy, I just didn’t think Sophie would try to ruin your business over me.”

“I think she would actually do a whole lot more than that to keep you.”

He continued his gentle caress. “I won’t let her do anything else to hurt you. Or us.”

Kristin took his hand and peered up at him through her dark lashes. The rosy scent of her perfume invaded his senses. “At least you’re through pretending you’re a couple.”

David swallowed as his blood pumped a little faster. “Uh, about that, actually. Bernard and I discovered something in our meeting today.”

Kristin stiffened as she eyed him skeptically. “What?”

David cleared his throat while he fought to find the right words. “Well, Sophie and I are booked to host an awards ceremony together in Glasgow the day after tomorrow. I actually need to fly out tomorrow afternoon for the rehearsal.”

She jerked her hand nimbly away. “You’ve
got
to be kidding me.” Displeasure was thick in her voice.

“Please understand, actors book things months in advance, years even, in some cases. Sophie and I agreed to this months ago, before any of our troubles started.” David placed his hands gently on Kristin’s shoulders as he pled with her.

“And before I met you.” He kissed her forehead gently.

Kristin tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and crossed her arms in front of her as David’s hands remained on her shoulders. “I don’t know if I can take this, David. It was so difficult for me to take this plunge with you. You asked me for everything, even pulled it out of me by force at times, and it feels like you’re not willing to risk as much for me when you stay involved with Sophie.”

David’s chest constricted in disappointment and anger at himself. If he lost her, he would lose a part of himself. She was right about everything.

He had demanded she share everything with him, knowing full well what it took for her to do so. And here he was, telling her to stand on the sidelines one more time while he took care of his business.

David moved his hands from her shoulders to cradle her head. Her hair was silky against his skin. “You’ve shared deep places with me and I can’t even tell you what that has meant to me, lass. I only have this one last thing to do. You are my heart.” He kissed her soft cheek not wanting to break the physical contact with her.

“Bernard is working with Sophie’s agent on a statement that will be issued to the press about the breakup for later. Then, like my heart, all of me will be with you and only you.”

Kristin covered one of his hands with hers while she pressed her cheek further into the nest of his palm. “You promise? No more pretending? No more Sophie?”

Her fair skin was so soft and warm against his hand. “I promise. And, I’ll make sure she leaves Haven alone.”

Kristin sank into his arms as her soft curves melted into him. “Do you really have to leave tomorrow?” Her voice was muffled by his chest.

“Aye, I really do. But it will only be for three days or so.” David tightened his arms around her. “You could come with me.”

Her head bounced back and forth against his chest. “And watch you pretend with that woman again? I really don’t think so. Besides, I need to repair what she’s done to the gallery.”

David brushed the top of her head with his lips. He tried to memorize the scent of her rosy shampoo. “How do you want to spend the last night we’ll have together for a few days?” Images of the passion from the day before brought parts of his anatomy to attention.

David tugged on her hand and brought her body tight against him. “Or, we could…” His mouth illustrated his point while it devoured hers in a kiss.

Kristin’s soft contours molded into his body as he deepened the kiss. Her tongue twisting around his ignited a fire within him as only she could. David reluctantly released her mouth, and he nibbled along her neck to her shoulder. The taste of her skin permeated his very being making him want more of her.

His fingers fumbled with buttons and zippers while his hand slid her shirt over her skin. Exploring her curves, her smooth skin rippled under his touch.
This is what heaven must be like
.

He craved her passion and his mouth crushed hers, his tongue darting past her teeth to trace lazy circles around hers, savoring her taste.

David eased Kristin softly back onto the bed, holding his body taut above hers. His lips tasted a path over the curve of her neck to her pert breasts. He encircled each bud with his lips and tongue, pulling small whimpers of pleasure from her, the sounds driving him on further. He wanted to sample every part of her, every soft curve. He etched every touch, every taste of her into his mind forever.

When he could hold back no more, David closed his eyes and slowly sank into her moist heat.

“Oh, David,” she moaned and arched her back.

His name on her lips while he was inside of her was the most erotic thing he had ever heard. He wanted to extend her pleasure and moved inside her deliberately, excruciatingly slow, enjoying the sensation of being encased in her molten core over and over. Kristin whispered his name with each thrust, arching her back to take him deeper, though nothing would ever be deep enough. He would never have his fill of her.

David clung to her desperately, coming closer and closer to the edge of pleasure, thinking of nothing more than falling over that edge with her. With one final thrust, he cried out her name and tumbled over, his body tensing with his release. Kristin cried out as well, spasming around him. Nothing else in the world mattered, except where his body and soul was joined with hers.