Erica
"Why don't you just tell me where we're going?" I glanced over at Matt as we rode toward the mountains. The last two weeks had been fast and furious. I had moved into his place, both me and Zek. It was bliss, and the time we had together just strengthened the truth that we belonged together.
I had started to paint again, mainly just to shut Matt up. He was after me to find myself, to explore my soul and learn who I wanted to be. He was happy to fund my me time for as long as it lasted.
The only thing he complained about most days was how fast I painted compared to him. He was embarrassed by it, which left me wanting to go even faster. Silly man. I wasn't rushing. It was my natural pace to move with efficiency. There were too many pictures to paint and not nearly enough time in the day.
"Be patient, beautiful." He took my hand and laid it on his leg before dragging it up to the thick bulge between his legs. "You're turning me on."
I snorted. "What? I'm not even doing anything."
"You don't have to." He pulled up to a huge house mostly made of glass. My heart almost stopped in my chest.
I yanked my hand from him and moved up in my seat, letting my eyes take in the splendor. Red and yellow flowers were all over the property, and the lush forest behind it was deep green.
"What is this?" I whispered and reached for my door. I wanted to go closer, to experience whatever it was that he was showing me. Maybe a new house that Jonathan bought for his wife? Maybe just a place Matt rented out for dinner?
I walked up the white stone path as my breath caught in my throat. He wrapped his arm around me from behind and kissed the side of my neck.
"Come on. I brought you out here for dinner tonight."
"I love it." I turned and smiled up at him. "You're being romantic. What do you want?"
"You. Naked and sweaty."
"You could have had all of that without this." I kissed him before turning in his arms and leaning against him. He had quickly become an obsession to me. The need to feel his arms around me, his body against mine, his loving words spoken aloud all around me. It scared the hell out of me to rely so much on one person for my joy, but I couldn't help myself. I'd been looking for peace and contentment my whole life, and I found it with him. I'd cling to it as long as I was able to.
"Well, then this is just an added bonus. Come on. Let's go check out the place." He took my hand as we walked up to the front door. The glass was etched with different carvings. I stopped and reached up to trace one of them.
"Wow. How incredible is this?" I glanced over at him.
"You like it?"
"Yes. It's so detailed."
"It took hours." He walked into the house, leaving me to wonder how the hell he knew how long it took.
"Matt. Did you do that?" I moved closer to him as the smell of salt water and the ocean filled my senses. I paused and breathed in deeply. "What is that?"
"Dinner. No more questions." He pulled me flush against him. "Just enjoy the night. I'll answer your questions later."
"So mysterious." I lifted to my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Are we alone for dinner."
He lifted his eyebrow. "Yes. Stop anticipating and come on. Let's have dinner and spend some time together."
"I like the sound of that." I walked into a large dining room, the table in the middle over the top elegant. The dark cherry wood was an odd shape as if there had never been a table like it before and never would be again. "Wow. I love this." I ran my fingers over the top of it.
"Good. Come sit down here with me." He took me to the end of the table and pulled out my chair. "We'll get a full tour of the house here in a little bit."
Several people walked out of a door at the end of the dining room, each carrying a tray of something. They laid them out in front of us and pulled off the tops to reveal several different seafood dishes. My stomach growled loudly. Matt and I shared a short chuckle over it.
"I have tons of money." He reached out and took two plates, putting one in front of me. "I thought to myself, why the hell am I not spending it on the woman that makes my world go round?"
"I don't need you to spend-"
He lifted his finger and pressed it to my lips before leaning in and kissing me with more passion than I could remember feeling. I was glad to be sitting down as my legs would have grown weak.
"Hush. I want to spend every fucking penny I make on you. Money means nothing to me, but watching you get excited about this place, the food, the art... that's all worth it."
"I love it, but I'd be fine in a cardboard box for dinner if you were there." I picked up my fork. "This looks incredible."
"Good. I hope you enjoy it. I tried all of these last week." He picked up his fork and dug into his food.
"Wait. You've been here before?"
"Yeah. I had to work on the glass out front."
"Work on the glass?" I lifted my eyebrows and set my fork down. My hunger dissipated in the face of our conversation. "You're saying you did all of those etchings?"
"Yes. For you." He reached out and touched the side of my face.
"For dinner tonight?" I leaned back as shock swam through me. "Why?"
"Not just for dinner." He laughed. "You're not going to enjoy the food until I explain are you?"
"Probably not." I reached for my wine glass, finding it full of white wine. I downed it. "What's going on?"
"Come on. I'll show you." He stood and put the tops back on the food, but grabbed a handful of rolls. He handed me two. "Snack on these."
"What are we doing?" I almost swallowed one whole. Why hadn't I just shut up? I was starving to death and thanks to my questions, it looked like I was getting my official tour of the place.
"I want to show you around." He took my hand in his and smiled down at me. "I love that dress on you. The blue brings out the color of your eyes."
"You always worry me when you get too sweet."
"What? I'm a total sugar bear. You know this."
"It's a ploy. I know it is." I snuggled up beside him. The house was incredible, like nothing I'd ever seen. It was almost as if every artist in Seattle had taken a room and made it beyond brilliant. The colors, designs, and decorations echoed the desires of my soul.
I stood at the entrance to the last room, the bedroom already having taken my breath away completely. I envied whoever lived there. They must have been friends of Kent's. There was no way Matt knew someone with that kind of money and I hadn't met them yet. No way.
"Matt. What is this?" I walked in to find two separate painting areas. Large canvases set on the stands, but all along the walls were small paintings and drawing, each of them framed.
"Is that..." I walked up to the wall closest to me and covered my mouth as a soft yelp left me. It was the red painting I'd done as a teenager. "This is mine."
I glanced over my shoulder to find him watching me. He nodded. "Yeah. It is."
"Why is my painting in here?" I turned and put a hand on my hip. "Why are all of our paintings in here?"
He turned and walked around the corner, leaving me standing there in shock. "Come here, baby."
"What the hell is going on?" I walked around the corner and stopped short. The large painting of me nude hung from the ceiling, taking up the entire wall from floor to ceiling. The beauty of it stole my voice. Tears filled my eyes, and I turned slowly to look at the room again.
"Matt. Is this place for us?" I turned back to find him standing directly in front of me.
"Yeah. I had it designed based on everything I knew about you, everything you loved." He reached out and touched the side of my face. "It's for you. A gift from me."
"It's too much." I pressed my hands to his chest and molded myself against him. "I don't need all of this."
"This isn't about need, Erica. All I need is you, but this space is what we want. Hush and enjoy it. It's yours, baby. It's ours." He leaned down and kissed me until I clung to him.
Never in my life had I felt so adored, so loved, so noticed.
It was a moment that would stay with me forever.