Art loved being able to study Tess’s face as she absorbed the paintings and drawings hung on the walls of the gallery. He’d never done this with a woman—taken her somewhere that meant something to him. He didn’t know why this particular woman was affecting him in such a way, but she was. The last couple of days had been torture, wondering if he was going to see her. He’d been able to hear her moving around the flat upstairs, picturing exactly where she was and what she was doing by the sound and position of her footfalls. He’d wanted to go up and speak to her, but his male pride, and fear that she regretted what had happened between them had prevented him from doing so. A part of him still worried this was going to end up complicated. She was his landlady, plus she lived above the shop. If this all went wrong, things could get seriously awkward.

He knew all this, and yet he still hadn’t been able to stop himself from talking his way into getting her to spend the rest of the day with him. It had been easier to stay away when he’d not been able to see her, but the moment she’d been there, standing right in front of him, he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

Taking a risk, he reached to Tess, his hand bumping with hers. He was judging her reaction—whether or not she’d pull away. But she didn’t, so he went a step further, lacing his fingers between hers. Her hand was as tiny as the rest of her, and it was all he could do to stop himself from dragging her against him, and scooping her up. She was cute, and fiery, and she seemed interested in him, not just because he had muscles and tattoos, but genuinely interested in the person he was beneath it all. He’d only known one other woman who’d been like that, and she’d left him broken hearted many years ago. He’d made himself a promise he wouldn’t get involved with another woman, and yet here he was breaking it.

“So what did you think?” he asked her, when they’d made it all the way around the exhibition.

“It was awesome. I honestly never knew it was possible to do so much in black and white.”

He suppressed a smile. “You thought it was boring, didn’t you?”

She smacked his arm. “No! Not boring. I loved that you love it.” She smiled and his heart tightened in his chest. “That was the best part for me.”

“Can I buy you a coffee?” he asked, wanting to drag out the length of their time together as much as possible.

Her face lit in a smile. “I think I can handle that.”

They took the stairs up to the next floor, where the café was advertised. It was quieter up here, most people ending their day’s sightseeing now, and heading back to their hotels.

They passed some conference rooms that appeared empty. Acting impulsively, Art grabbed her hand and pushed open one of the doors, jerking her inside.

“Art!”

He looked down into her eyes. “I couldn’t go another second without kissing you.”

He didn’t give her a chance to answer. Both of his hands cupped either side of her face, his fingers in her silky dark hair. His mouth crushed to hers, and she resisted for only a second before he felt her body relax against him and her arms slid around the back of his neck.

His need for her surged up inside him. Since he’d first got a taste of her, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on a single thing. Maybe another woman would have erased the thought of her from his head, but he hadn’t wanted that either.

He only wanted her.

She wore a cotton dress which just begged to be flipped up.

There was a massive boardroom-style table in the middle of the room. Blinds covered the windows, offering them privacy.

Reaching down, he hooked his hands behind her thighs and lifted her. Her calves wrapped around his hips, and with his mouth crushed to hers, he carried her over to the table. He placed her on the smooth, polished, dark wood, which he knew would be cool beneath her bare thighs.

“Art!” she gasped. “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna fuck you hard on this table, that’s what I’m doing.”

“Oh!”

He tried to pull the cardigan she wore away from her shoulders but she grabbed it and pulled it back up again. “No, leave it. Someone might walk in.”

“Yeah, so we’ll be quick, baby.”

They fumbled frantically, him dragging up her skirt, her yanking at his fly. Their hands were everywhere, pulling at clothing, trying to expose skin. Art bent his head and sucked her nipple through the thin material of the dress, feeling it harden and pucker beneath his tongue. He wanted her so badly, desperately. Nothing else mattered.

Tess worked his zipper and the air hit his cock, moments before her hand wrapped around his length. Her small, slim fingers made his erection look huge, and he took pleasure in glancing down and seeing her work his shaft. She was watching, too, her dark hair falling over her face, her lips swollen from his kisses.

“Fuck, you’re so damned sexy.”

She did look insanely wanton, dishevelled and flushed.

His fingers slipped up the smooth length of her slender thigh, until he met with the silky material of her underwear. He pressed against the front, feeling the already damp material. She gave a moan and circled her hips, pressing against his fingertips. From her body language, he could tell she wanted more.

Art rolled her knickers down, Tess lifting herself up slightly so he could pull them over her bottom and thighs, and then he threw them to the side. He dragged her closer again, settling between her legs. Her calves wrapped back around his hips. He reached between them to position his cock at her entrance. Holding his hard length firm, he rubbed the head up and down her slit, over her clit, making her gasp, and smearing his pre-cum and her natural lubrication over them both.

Tess arched her hips forward, clinging to him, and urging him on. “Now, Art. I want you now.”

He didn’t need any further encouragement. With a slight angling of his hips and a push forward, he slid balls deep. Her inner muscles held him tight, her hot, wet channel encasing him, sending him dizzy with bliss.

His movements were short and fast, slamming into her. Her arms were around his neck, her sweet, hot mouth kissing his. He knew he wouldn’t last too long, aware they might have someone banging on the door at any moment. He reached down and his thumb found her clit. The result was instant, her gasping, breaking the kiss.

He fucked her, flicking her clit, driving deeper and harder. His orgasm built, tightening in his arse and rising up through his balls. The muscles in his backside and thighs bunched like rope, and he was coming, coming...

Tess cried out, and he felt her pussy clench tight around him. That was all he needed. He let himself go, hot cum surging up from his balls. Realising what he was about to do, he quickly pulled out. Streams of white ribbons landed on her flat stomach, and he groaned as his orgasm hit again.

Art caught his breath and looked down to see the mess he’d made on her skin.

“Shit, sorry.” He delved into the back pocket of his jeans for a tissue. “I suddenly realised we didn’t use protection.”

She looked up at him from beneath her dark lashes. Her cheeks and chest were flushed, and her beauty made something in his chest contract. “Art, if you say sorry one more time after we have sex, it’s going to start becoming an issue.”

He laughed. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay, I’m on the pill. And I’m clean, I promise.” She took the tissue and wiped his cum from her stomach.

“Yeah, me, too.”

He pulled her back in and kissed her again. She smiled against his mouth and he matched it, their noses and foreheads pressed together.

“Come on.” He forced himself to break away. “We’d better get out of here before someone starts banging on the door. You still want that coffee?”

“Let’s forget the coffee and get something stronger.”

He grinned at her. “Sure.”

Hand in hand, they left the gallery together, both flushed and casting glances at each other that were somewhere between adoring, shy, and lustful. He could barely believe she’d allowed him to do that to her, taking her on the table while multiple tourists and art gallery staff walked past. They could have been caught at any moment and thrown out.

He’d taken Tess to be uptight and conservative, completely opposite to the type of person he was, but the more he looked past the smart clothes and salon-cut hair, the more he caught glimpses of the adventurous woman beneath.

He’d always chastised people for judging him the moment they saw him, but he was starting to wonder if he was guilty of doing the same.