Artist's Dream (13 page)

“Do you remember the day we met?” Luke asked quietly.

Cassie smiled. “Yes. At the festival.”

“You looked so familiar to me. I was certain that we had met before,” she said. “Then I remembered. The night of the party, I looked up, and you were watching me.”

Her voice was quiet, soft, and Cassie was entranced, wondering where this was leading.

“Just like that day on the sidewalk. I thought then that you had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.”

Cassie trembled and struggled to bring her coffee cup to her lips without spilling any. She had hoped, really hoped, that Luke would not remember that day. Cassie had been staring, yes. And when their eyes met that day, it was as if Luke were looking into her very soul.

“I’ve embarrassed you yet again,” Luke said. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” Cassie made herself look at Luke, and she ignored the flame that ignited in her body. “I was with Kim and Lisa. They

were commenting on how attractive you were.” She smiled at Luke. “And I was … looking, too,” she admitted.

“And when I caught you looking …”

“I was embarrassed,” Cassie finished for her. After all, she was supposedly straight. What business did she have staring at another woman the way she had been? What business did she have to be sitting here right now with that very same woman?

“Why were you looking at me like that?” Luke asked and she held Cassie’s eyes captive until she answered.

“I thought… I thought you were … beautiful.”” Cassie’s voice was barely a whisper. There. She had admitted it. And she apparŹently surprised Luke with her admission. Luke cocked her head to the side and raised one eyebrow, the candlelight now reflecting golden in her dark eyes. And as those eyes stared into hers, Cassie felt the fire spread quickly through her body, yet she shivered from the heat of it.

“Your eyes … turn golden … sometimes,” Cassie whispered before she could stop herself, and she was unable to pull her eyes from the golden flames.

“You told me that before.”

It was Cassie’s turn to stare, her eyebrows furrowed, questionŹing.

“When I took you home that night,” Luke explained.

“I don’t remember,” Cassie said. Then she leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees. “I woke up … naked,” she said quiŹetly, and she turned again to meet Luke’s eyes. “I don’t remember getting undressed.”

“You don’t?”

“No. Did you … undress me?” she finally dared to ask.

A slow smile appeared on Luke’s face and she nodded. “But I kept my eyes closed the whole time. Promise.”

Cassie remembered the dream, hands unbuttoning her jeans, her own hands helping to push them down. Hands unbuttoning her blouse, hands that she reached for, hands that she wanted to

touch her. She stared at Luke now, her mouth opening slightly as she realized that it had not really been a dream at all.

“It wasn’t a dream,” Cassie murmured.

Luke stared at her for so long, Cassie thought she would melt from the fire inside of her. When Luke reached out a hand to cup her face, Cassie didn’t pull away. She closed her eyes and, against her will, turned her lips into the soft palm, ignoring the warning bells sounding in her mind.

When Cassie opened her eyes again, Luke was there, mere inches away.

“I want… to kiss you,” Luke whispered.

“Yes,” Cassie breathed. “I want you to.”

Cassie could not have said no, and she watched in fascination as Luke’s mouth came toward her. But still, she was not prepared for the feel of Luke’s lips against her own. She shuddered. She didn’t know what she had expected, but she felt totally out of control as strange sensations traveled through her body. She could feel herŹself trembling, and she could not breathe. Her body felt hot, so hot, and when Luke cupped her face with both hands and brought soft lips to Cassie’s, Cassie felt her skin melting away. She heard a low moan and realized that it had come from her own lips.

Luke pulled back, but Cassie’s mouth still burned from her gentle kiss. When Cassie looked into Luke’s eyes, she saw that Luke wanted much more than just the brief kiss they had shared. With those soft lips so close to her own, Cassie realized that she, too, wanted more. Before she could stop herself, she pulled Luke to her, her lips seeking, meeting Luke’s hungry mouth.

And then she was falling, falling away, and she grabbed Luke and held on. Her fingers dug into strong arms, and she felt the soft cushŹion of carpet beneath her back, then Luke’s lips were on hers again. At the gentle push of tongue, her mouth opened fully, the groan starting low in her throat, and she cried out softly when she felt Luke’s tongue brush against her own. For one insane moment, she knew what she wanted, what she needed, and she let herself slip a litde farther into the whirlwind of passion that Luke had created. Her

mouth opened to Luke, and she kissed her back, her own tongue slipŹping shyly into Luke’s warm mouth, her groan mingling with Luke’s as they let their passion carry them, if only for a moment.

But the warning bells clamored to be heard and with great difŹficulty Cassie pulled away from Luke, knowing she was extremely close to losing complete control. Her chest heaved as if she’d been running, and Luke, too, was having a difficult time catching her breath.

The tears came without warning, and Cassie covered her mouth, her insides feeling like they would burst at any moment.

“Shhh, no … I’m so sorry,” Luke whispered urgently. She pulled Cassie into a sitting position and wrapped both arms around her. Cassie’s tears turned to sobs and she buried her face against Luke’s neck, letting her tears fall as they may.

“Please don’t cry,” Luke urged. “I’m so sorry, Cass.”

Cassie tried to stop. She squeezed her eyes shut and took deep breaths, but the explosion of emotion was too much. It was as if a dam had broken and she again buried her head, feeling Luke’s hands in her hair as she tried to calm her.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Luke murmured. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

Cassie shook her head. Luke thought it was her fault, thought Cassie was crying because she’d kissed her. How could she explain her tears to Luke when she could barely understand them herself?

“I’m sorry,” she finally whispered, her voice hoarse.

When she raised her head, Luke brushed lightly at the remainŹing tears, her eyes cloudy with worry.

“No, I’m the one who should apologize, Cass
ie.
I never should have…”

“You don’t understand,” Cassie said, stopping Luke’s apology with a soft finger on her lips. “I’ve lied to myself for so long, told myself that I could never have feelings for a woman.” Cassie swalŹlowed hard and reached out a hand that trembled only slightly as she touched Luke’s soft face. “It was just too much,” she said quiŹetly. “I felt like I was going to explode,” she admitted.

“I still shouldn’t have pushed you,” Luke insisted.

A small smile touched Cassie’s lips. “I wanted you to kiss me.”

Luke entwined her fingers with Cassie’s, then brought Cassie’s hand to her lips.

“So … you want to … pretend this never happened?” Luke asked, her eyes searching Cassie’s. “Or maybe … see where it goes?” she asked shyly, finally looking away.

Cassie shook her head. “From the moment I saw you on that sidewalk, I knew if I was to get to know you, you’d be the one that could break down all the walls I’ve built around myself. I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen,” she said. “But where it’ll take us, I don’t know. It’s taken me years to work up to a kiss.”

Luke smiled and nodded her understanding.

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve wanted to get to know someone, since I’ve wanted to be around someone,” Luke said. “I don’t want to let this pass us by, Cass. I can be as patient as you need me to be.”

“You may regret those words,” Cassie murmured.

“No, I won’t.”

Luke pulled her gently into her arms, and they sat together with their backs against the sofa and watched the candles flicker as the piano music played on around them. Luke was apparendy conŹtent just having Cassie near, so Cassie settled deeper into her embrace, her mind still filled with a hundred questions. But right now, she didn’t want to think. She just wanted this … closeness, something she’d never had with anyone.

Later, as Cassie settled into her own bed, alone, she allowed her thoughts to return to the evening. Panic had set in as she drove home, and she’d nearly convinced herself that she shouldn’t see Luke anymore, that she should go back to her safe, solitary, lonely life. Luke had left it up her, simply telling Cassie to call her when she wanted to talk.

She really didn’t know why she was shocked by what had occurred. Hadn’t she known this would happen? Hadn’t she felt desire from die moment she looked at Luke that day on the side-

walk? Hadn’t she known that if anyone were to bring her around, it would be Luke?

She rolled over and faced the wall, willing the desire to go away. She didn’t need it, she told herself. She was perfectly happy with her life the way it was. Safe and boring and lonely. She squeezed her eyes closed and tried to shut out her father’s booming voice.

“Living here with them, thick as thieves. You’d think you’re one of them, the way you flock to them. It’s unnatural, I tell you!”

Cassie smiled at the family as they looked over her pieces, then scowled at the little boy as he picked up a squirrel and shoved it at his sister.

“Stevie, stop that,” the mother said. She threw a glance at Cass
ie.
“I’m sorry. He knows better,” she apologized.

Sure he does, Cassie thought, as she reached for the deer he had just picked up. “They’re breakable, Stevie,” she muttered under her breath.

She was irritable, she knew. She shouldn’t be. The fair was going well, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. People packed the fairgrounds and she knew she would be nearly out of her small carvings by the end of the weekend. That is, if this brat didn’t break them first.

“Stevie! Put it down,” the mother said. She turned to her husŹband with pleading eyes. “Please take him somewhere. I really want to look at these carvings.” She turned to Cassie again. “Sorry. He has abundant energy today,” she apologized again.

And I hope you have him on some sort of medication, Cassie thought. But she smiled sweetly. “Look all you want,” she said.

“These are how much?”

“The smaller ones are seventy-five. The larger ones go up to one twenty-five.”

“How much are the big ones?” she asked, pointing to the giant carvings.

Cassie followed her eyes to the eagle. “They vary. Anywhere from two to four thousand. Except the seal and the beaver. They are both five.”

“Oh, my,” she said. “Out of my range.” She picked up the deer Stevie had been holding and turned it in her hands. “Seventy-five is reasonable,” she murmured.

“There you are!”

Cassie turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and frowned.

“Cassandra Parker, right?”

“Yes,” Cassie nodded. She guessed him to be in his late fifties, although his skin was nearly wrinkle-free. Perhaps it was his shiny bald head that aged him, she thought, but she didn’t have a clue as to who he was.

He smiled and stuck out his hand. “I’m Weldon Arnold. A dear friend of mine has a couple of your carvings. You do exquisite work, and I’m in the market,” he said quickly, his eyes darting to her carvings.

Cassie let her hand fall after Weldon Arnold had given it a gentle squeeze. She motioned to the wood carvings behind her. “You’re welcome to come back here for a closer look,” she offered.

“Oh, my,” he said, his hand going to his throat. “Luke said you did much more than eagles.”

Luke? Just the name sent shivers across her skin, and she folded her arms at her sides. One week. One week since Luke had kissed her, and she could still feel her, taste her as if it were only minutes ago. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, trying in vain to block out the images that she knew would come. Butterflies slammed against the walls of her stomach, and she took a deep

breath, swallowing hard before turning back to the woman holdŹing her deer.

“Sorry,” Cassie apologized. “Do you like it?”

“Yes. I think I want this one. Checks okay?”

“Of course,” Cassie said.

“Ms. Parker?”

Cassie turned back to Weldon Arnold. “Yes?”

“I really like the beaver for the patio. You even have flakes of wood chips here where he’s chewed the log,” he said. “It will make a great conversation piece. Will it weather?”

“Yes, it’s been finished for the outdoors,” Cassie said. “Most of the larger ones have, except the smaller eagle there.”

“Great, great,” he murmured. “I love it.” He turned back to the eagle.

Cassie took the woman’s check and hurriedly wrapped the deer. A seventy-five dollar sale could not compare to the beaver. “Thanks,” she said. “And tell Stevie to be careful with it,” she added.

She turned back to Weldon Arnold as he studied one of the eagles. It was similar to the one that Luke bought that first day, just smaller, and she could tell Weldon wanted it very badly.

“You like the eagle?” she coaxed.

“I offered Luke fifteen thousand for the one she has on her patio, the eagle in flight,” he said.

Cassie’s mouth dropped open. Fifteen?

“She wouldn’t even consider it,” he said. “I don’t suppose you have another like that?”

Cassie shook her head. “No. That was definitely one of a kind.”

He smiled. “Oh, well. I probably shouldn’t, but I can’t leave this beauty behind. I’ll take them both,” he said.

“Both?” Cassie asked, and he laughed at her shocked expresŹsion.

“Yes, both. You don’t have a limit, do you?” he asked lightly.

“Of course not. The eagle won’t weather,” she explained. “I can put a finish on for you if you plan to keep it outdoors.”

“Thank you but that won’t be necessary. I’ve got a spot for her by the fireplace.”

She smiled broadly at him, trying to keep the excitement from her voice. The two pieces totaled nine thousand dollars. “Well, Mr. Arnold, you’ve made two excellent choices.”