Venus in Love (23 page)

“That sounds way better.” Morgan squeezed Lee’s hand and smiled.

“I’m not sure I have anything for dessert though.”

“Oh, you do, but we will have to heat it up first.” Morgan winked.

“Mmm, so dessert first then?” They both laughed.

*

Morgan wandered around the apartment while Lee gathered miscellaneous ingredients in the kitchen. Morgan could make meatloaf, pasta sauce, and homemade chili; anything else required a recipe and preferably a dinner guest with a sense of adventure and an iron stomach. She wasn’t bad, but her degree definitely didn’t cover the culinary arts. Morgan meandered back to the kitchen where Lee stood in front of the stove working away. Morgan slipped her arms around Lee’s waist and her stomach growled.

“Me hungry.” Morgan gave her best caveman impression.

Lee laughed. “Almost done.” She put a cover on the pan and turned in Morgan’s arms.

“It smells wonderful. What is it?”

“Lemon and caper chicken,” Lee said before she planted a kiss on Morgan’s lips.

“Me more hungry now.” Morgan laughed before she finished the sentence.

Lee laughed with her and pointed to the cabinets. “Can you get the plates and such out while I finish this? Because the sooner we eat the sooner we can have dessert.” Lee dipped her head, this time kissing Morgan slowly and deeply, nearly melting her to the floor.

“Dessert plates. On it!” Morgan joked when Lee let her go.

They ate dinner quickly out of a two-fold hunger. After clearing plates and wiping down the counters, Morgan and Lee stood separated by the kitchen island staring at each other expectantly.

“So…shower?” Morgan asked, and before she could blink, Lee was on her side of the counter. Clearly caveman inspired, Lee grabbed her arm and practically dragged her down the hallway to the bedroom.

*

Lee started the shower for Morgan and motioned for her to get in. “Go ahead and get in. I’ll get your towels and something for you to wear.”

Morgan feigned a sad face and spoke in a Southern belle accent. “All by my lil’ lonesome? In this big ol’ shower?”

“How many voices do you have?” Lee laughed.

“Mor ’an you’ll eva wanna ’ear govnah,” Morgan said in a terrible but comical British attempt.

“Oh my.” Lee sighed and walked away as Morgan undressed and got in.

When Lee returned with the towels, she stopped in the doorway and watched Morgan through the hazy glass. There were patches of steam and condensation blurring out important parts of the image. Morgan was funny and smart and so sexy that Lee wanted to talk to her and make love to her every chance she could. There wasn’t a minute that she didn’t want Morgan to fill up in one way or another. The thought sent a flame through her body, heart, and soul.

Lee removed her clothes and stepped into the shower. Morgan’s head was back under the spray rinsing shampoo from her long hair. Lee watched as the fleeing suds ran down the front of her body like tiny rivers and streams over a luscious, curving landscape. Smooth peaks and valleys directed each flow as if laying out a pattern for Lee’s tongue to follow. Without thinking, Lee dipped her head and took one of the peaks into her mouth, turning it into a tight pebble with her tongue. Morgan moaned and weaved her fingers through Lee’s hair, pulling her closer. Lee released her breast, ran her hands up Morgan’s chest to her shoulders, and spun her around.

Lee pulled Morgan back tightly into her. Morgan instantly ground her ass into Lee’s groin making Lee groan with anticipation. She released one hand from Morgan’s waist and followed a track of water down Morgan’s belly and between her legs where she was wet from more than water. Lee dipped her fingers into Morgan and ran a firm finger back and forth over Morgan’s clitoris causing Morgan to buck and bend forward and reach for the wall in front of her. Lee continued to press and stroke Morgan as she quickly brought her to her breaking point. With quick breaths and low moans, Morgan contracted around Lee’s hand and came for her.

*

Morgan leaned back into Lee’s body, feeling lightheaded and spent from both pleasure and the relaxing heat of the steaming shower. Morgan reached back behind her to find the smooth center of the body that still held her tight. She stroked once, twice until Lee moved away. “Are you okay?” Morgan turned and asked at the sudden absence.

“Yes and no. Yes, because I am so ready for you, but no, because I have to wash my hair first.”

“Oh.” Morgan laughed. “Well, I’ll leave you to it and see you in a few.” Morgan kissed Lee. First quickly but then returning for a longer and deeper one, making sure Lee knew what was in store when she finished her shower.

Morgan dried off but instead of putting on the T-shirt Lee had laid out for her. She pulled back the covers and slid under the cool sheets to wait for Lee. She watched the doorway to the bathroom waiting for a glimpse of Lee’s wet body. When it appeared, she couldn’t contain a deep moan of appreciation. She’d always loved the body of a woman both in art and in life, but there was something about Lee’s that lit her own body into a blazing bonfire.

Lee made her way to the bed after placing her towel on its rightful hook, and Morgan stared up at her. “Are you coming willfully, or am I going to have to force you?” Morgan asked as she threw back the covers exposing her naked body.

“You could force me to do anything that way,” Lee said as she slid into bed next to Morgan.

“Wait till I show you what else I can make you do.” Morgan moved in close, settled the length of her body against Lee’s, and teased a nipple between her fingers.

Lee groaned, wrapped both arms around Morgan, and rolled until Morgan’s whole body pressed down on top of hers. Morgan brushed her lips over Lees. “Now what?” she whispered before running her tongue along Lee’s bottom lip.

Lee opened her mouth and touched her tongue to Morgan’s. Lee cupped Morgan’s face and pulled her down for a full, passionate, and hungry kiss that fueled the fire burning between Morgan’s thighs.

Morgan pushed herself up and straddled Lee’s hips, grinding herself into where their bodies connected. Lee lifted her hips, pushing up into Morgan as she rocked her body into Lee’s. When Lee slipped her hand between them, Morgan moaned. “Oh. Yes.” She leaned back and gave Lee more room to access her fully, Morgan slipped her own hand behind her easily finding Lee hot and wet, just for her.

Morgan ran her fingers through Lee’s smooth heat and felt Lee jerk under her. She continued to stroke simultaneously with the speed and rhythm that Lee was using on her. “Oh my God. Right there. Oh yeah…. Jesus…”

Lee inserted two fingers, and Morgan tightened around her, adding two fingers of her own into Lee, giving exactly what she received. When Lee added a well-placed thumb to Morgan’s clitoris, Morgan gasped and matched the move, drawing an identical gasp from Lee.

“I’m going to come. Come with me, baby,” Morgan breathed

“I am, love. I am.”

Morgan shuddered and jolted as she collapsed onto Lee’s chest. She felt Lee’s heart beat in her chest in near perfect harmony with her own.

Morgan slid off and curled into the side of Lee’s smooth and pulsing body. She fell into a sated and dreamless sleep wrapped in the arms of a woman she was more than certain was her very own priceless masterpiece. A masterpiece that she loved more than any other in the world.

*

A few days later, chaos was in full swing at the gallery once the Veronese arrived from France. Lee watched Morgan and her staff work day and night to complete the exhibition construction. The floors were complete and the walls were nearly ready to be draped in thousands of yards of fabric. Lee fielded calls for interviews and inquiries into the project while Morgan locked herself away in the Albert Randall Gallery. Lee didn’t like not being able to see or talk to Morgan during the day, and at night she was so exhausted that she barely managed to stay awake long enough to eat dinner, let alone make love. Lee didn’t mind especially when she was content to stand silently in a corner or doorway just to watch her work.

It was during one of her quiet visits that Lee overheard the gossip for the first time. As Lee peered around the thick plastic sheeting that hung in the doorway, two employees stood tucked against the wall. Oblivious to her presence, they snickered and whispered about the many different ways Morgan had slept her way into the position. Lee’s temper boiled. She wanted to confront them for their remarks, but she had a better idea. She quickly made her way back to her office and told Alex to schedule a mandatory all-hands meeting. Lee made it after hours in order to help make her point.

After closing, every gallery employee gathered in the large open lobby. Some of them milled about and grumbled under their breath about the inconvenient and last-minute disruption to their day. Lee didn’t care in the slightest. She stepped up behind the raised docent desk and addressed the staff. “Thank you all for coming. There are a couple of announcements that I wanted to make. First, it is my pleasure to announce the rare and extraordinary acquisition of Paolo Veronese’s
Venus Disarming Cupid
. Our curator, Ms. Blake, secured this beautiful piece for the upcoming Venus: Beauty Revealed exhibition in the Albert Randall gallery.”

Most of the room clapped and congratulated Morgan, while several others with crossed arms sneered and rolled their eyes. Lee expected it, yet it still infuriated her.

“Secondly, it has come to my attention that we have a problem with gossip here at the Dencourt.” Lee scanned the faces that looked back at her. It was obvious that the guilty parties knew who they were, and it pleased her. “Unfortunately, I was witness to a very disturbing and disheartening discussion about the private lives of two of our employees.” Lee had not seen them earlier that afternoon, however, as they glanced at each other with surprise, she had confirmation. “I will tell you all this, right now. Gossip, about anyone, will not be tolerated. We are a family, and we do not spread lies or vulgarities about members of our family. Is that understood?”

Several people shook their heads or spoke in affirmation. But Lee was not content with that minimal response so she asked again, “Is that understood?” The second question elicited a loud rumble of acknowledgements from everyone. “Excellent, because I really would hate to have to fire a family member. Thank you, that’s all.”

The crowd dispersed quietly with minimal discussion with the guilty parties making their way from the room quickly. They knew who they were, and they knew that Lee did as well. She was satisfied with that.

The next morning, Lee sat in her office and reviewed several press releases regarding the upcoming Venus exhibit. She could hardly believe that only six months earlier she had made two of the biggest decisions of her life and career—hiring Morgan and green-lighting the Venus exhibit. She hoped that her father was proud of her for taking the gallery in her own direction. She trusted that Morgan knew what she was doing, and as long as she believed in that, she would survive.

Alex buzzed her, interrupting her thoughts, and asked Lee if she had time to meet with Rita. It had been a while since Rita had come to her with anything, and she was curious as to why. She said yes.

Alex opened the door and showed Rita in. She smiled cordially and sat in a chair across from Lee. “Good Morning.”

“Hi, Rita. What brings you up here?” When Rita sighed, Lee felt that she was about to drop a bomb on her. “Don’t tell me you’re resigning. Morgan needs all the help she can get to pull this exhibit off.”

Rita chuckled. “No. I’m not quitting. But I wanted to talk to you about that. The exhibit.”

“Oh, really? Is something wrong?” Lee wondered why Rita would be there to tell her instead of Morgan.

“Not technically. But I have some…some concerns.”

“Concerns?”

“Yes. I’m not sure how to go about this but basically, I think it’s a bad idea.”

Lee was shocked by Rita’s admission. “What are you talking about? What is a bad idea?”

“The whole thing. I’m just wondering if showing an entire exhibit of nudes is really a direction that the Dencourt should be moving in. I mean, singularly they can be easily digested, but as a whole, it’s really questionable. And when you add a theme aimed at exploiting sensuality in such an intimate setting, it might not…it’s just a little, well, it’s perverse.”

Lee was flabbergasted. They were weeks away from a costly and monumental opening, and there Rita was spilling her complete and utter disgust for Morgan’s project. “Rita. I think
perverse
is a bit dramatic, don’t you?”

“Not at all. Your father kept these paintings hidden in the collection for years. I think it was because he knew the implications of displaying such controversial subject matter.” Rita sat back in her chair.

Lee covered her mouth and thought for a moment.
No way.
“They’ve been there for years, but certainly not because he was ashamed of them. And this certainly isn’t the nineteen fifties anymore. I think the public has a right to view and experience these masterpieces in the manner they were intended.”

“In a ‘quarter-per-dance’ strip club?”

“Are you kidding? We are not force-feeding pornography, Rita. We are enhancing the mood and intimate understanding of Venus and her power as the goddess of love and beauty.”

“Listen. I’m not saying it isn’t a great design. It’s not something I would come up with, but regardless, I just don’t think Mr. Dencourt would have approved this exhibit. I knew him a long time, way before you came into the position, and I would say with confidence that this isn’t something that he would be okay with.”

Lee’s emotions went from shock-and-awe to utter disbelief. How could Rita sit in front of her and tell her that she knew her father better than Lee did? It was inconceivable. “Look. I admit that I wasn’t entirely on board with the whole thing at first, but—”

Rita cut her off. “See. That’s your father’s instinct telling you to cancel the project.” Rita patted her heart. “He is telling you, right in here, that it’s not his vision. Inside, you know that this could singlehandedly alienate the benefactors and destroy everything that your father worked his entire life for.”