The Art of Zen, page 34
“Fine with me.” Spencer sat on the sofa and patted the cushion next to him. “I’m not too hungry after that waffle cone, so let’s have it later.”
“Ok.” Tia snuggled up to him on the couch and watched the condensation from outside trickle down the window. “Today was a perfect day. Thank you for spending it with me.” She was utterly content to curl up with him in front of the warm fireplace and watch the storm move in.
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her softly and slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Tia?”
“Hmm?” she murmured.
“Thank you for agreeing to go steady with me.”
Chapter 24
Spencer blinked his eyes open slowly to see the room awash in a soft glow. A glance at the clock showed him it was just after midnight. He and Tia had fallen asleep watching the rain turn to sleet. She dozed off before she could see it turn into snow.
He held her close. Her body was warm and pliant against his. “Tia,” he whispered. When she didn’t stir, he tried again. “Tatiana.” The use of her full name always seemed to get through to her.
Tia snuggled against him as she struggled to open her eyes. “Hmm?” she murmured.
“It stopped raining.”
“Why did you wake me up to tell me that?” she asked with a stretch.
He pressed his lips to hers, then turned her in his arms to face the window. “Because it’s finally snowing.”
Tia’s eyes fluttered open. The sheet fell to her waist as she sat up. “I love midnight snow.”
Spencer reached out to toy with the hair over her shoulder. “I know you do.”
Naked, Tia stood up and walked to the window. The luminosity from the storm highlighted her silhouette. Her hair fell in thick curls to her waist. “It’s so beautiful,” she marveled. “When it snows like this, it’s peaceful and serene. It makes you feel like you’re the only person in the world witnessing it.” She turned to look at him. “Until it’s packed on the sidewalk and it’s dingy and gray, it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. I’ve never been able to capture it in my work. It’s the one thing. I guess it’s too beautiful to put on canvas.” With a delighted sigh, she turned back to the window and watched it fall.
Spencer watched her from the bed. He wondered if her beauty would ever cease to amaze him. The outline of her trim, petite figure, and the way the whiteness of the storm made her skin glow, had him wanting her again. Would he ever have her enough to be satisfied? He hoped not. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and walked to her. He stood behind her with his chest pressed to her back. Her skin was warm and soft to his touch. He moved her hair over her shoulder and placed a soft kiss on her neck.
Tia sighed and leaned into him. Little pulses of electricity sizzled along her skin, throughout her entire body. His touch made her yearn for more. The trust he showed her she could have in him made her bold with desire. Throughout the evening, they had dinner, they cuddled together on the couch, and lazily made love when they couldn’t hold back any longer. She never wanted these feelings to end, and had so much gratitude that this was back in her life. Tia turned in his arms and ran her hands up his chest. She pulled his mouth to hers and moaned softly when her tongue tasted his. Her body pressed close to his with need. She wanted him, wanted to be there for him. Her fingers sifted into his hair as she kissed him deeply, then pulled back and kissed his cheeks... his eyes as they closed under her caress. Her teeth gently nipped his jaw, moved to his ears and down his neck.
“Spencer,” she whispered against his skin. “I want... I...,” she hesitated when her nerves took over, but she shook them off as he looked at her intently. His blue eyes were like ice. Ice that melted into her.
“What, Tia?” he questioned softly. He didn’t want her to be afraid, he wanted to experience her needs, her desires. “Tell me what you want.”
She lowered her eyes. Her hands trailed down his chest, her fingertips grazed the trail of hair on his firm stomach, lower until she gently wrapped her fingers around the length of him. He was hard, silky soft, and hot.
“Tia,” he choked out, not sure he would be able to hold back with the way her hand gently squeezed him. “Tell me.”
“I’d rather show you,” she whispered.
“Show me.” His fingers trailed up and down her arms, between her breasts before his palms cupped their gentle weight. “Show me, Tia.”
She cleared her throat softly to find her voice. “You did something for me earlier. I want to do it for you.”
“Tia,” he breathed.
She said no more. Simply slid down his body and knelt in front of him. Her fingers gripped his thighs as she slowly, in a wonderfully torturous way, took him into her mouth.
The next morning, Tia sat up in bed and studied Spencer while he slept. He laid on his side, his head turned toward her with his arms hugging his pillow. The sheet was low on his body, showing off his chest and his torso. Her fingers itched to draw him. She slipped out of bed and reached for a shirt of his, then decided to make coffee.
She stopped in the living room on the way to the kitchen and shook her head at the amount of snow that had piled up on the balcony and drifted against the windows. The wind howled as snow fell sideways and showed no signs of slowing down. She was thrilled.
Like he did the previous morning, she filled a mug for him and quietly placed it on his nightstand, then set her coffee on her nightstand before she went back to the living room for her sketchpad.
Tia quietly got back into bed so as not to disturb him. She could draw by memory but preferred to have her subject right in front of her. Fifteen uninterrupted minutes went by when she saw him begin to stir.
With his eyes still closed, Spencer flexed his legs beneath the sheets. His arms tightened briefly around his pillow as he slowly opened his eyes and saw the woman he loved wearing nothing but his shirt. Her features were soft as she lost herself in her work. He couldn’t have been happier to see her creating and quickly closed his eyes before she could see.
“I know you’re awake,” Tia chuckled softly.
He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “How did you know?”
“You’re breathing changed. It went from slow, in and out, to a mild snore and then a deep breath.”
He playfully nudged her under the covers with his foot. “What are you doing?”
Tia gave him a subtle shrug. “I’m being a cliché,” she answered. “The artist drawing her lover while he sleeps.”
“Sneaking a picture of me?” he teased. “If you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask.”
“I want to see you naked,” she requested, then inhaled slowly when he lazily moved the sheet back and showed his body to her. Her heart picked up speed at the perfection of his form.
“That’s a lovely shade of pink you’re wearing, Tatiana,” he observed of the blush that crept over her skin.
“Shut up,” Tia said with a soft laugh. “This is why you should stay asleep, so as not to badger the artist.”
“That’s the second time you’ve called yourself an artist. See?” He gave her a smug smile. “You can’t deny it.”
Tia glanced up from her work to see him continue to smile at her. “What’s with your silly grin this morning?”
“You put it there when you did what you did in front of the window last night.”
She lowered her eyes and felt her skin burn hotter. “A past conversation led me to believe you might like that.”
“Like it?” he questioned. “I think it was obvious that I more than liked it.”
“Let me elaborate.” She didn’t look up at him as she continued her fine pencil strokes of the muscle definition on his legs. “A past conversation led me to believe that was withheld from you in a previous relationship. I wanted to show you that I’m not going to do that.”
“That’s good to know.” When she didn’t respond, he let her work and enjoyed watching her. Occasionally her eyes flickered up to him and focused on an area of his body. Which area, he wasn’t sure. She had an impressive poker face. He knew that if he were to try to draw someone naked, he would either make comments about certain body parts to keep the mood light or make jokes to hide his embarrassment. Tia kept her composure the entire time she worked. She was beautiful as she lost herself in her creation.
For Tia, becoming lost was the best part. She didn’t overthink lines or shadows, just simply drew what was in front of her for her pleasure only. His beauty was obvious to her, his body was trim and muscular with definition in all the right places. Her skin stayed warm as the picture came to life, but she kept her cool. So rarely was she granted permission to sketch people in this element, she took it seriously when the opportunity presented itself.
Spencer gave her another fifteen minutes before he sat up. Tia didn’t protest, simply kept drawing him from memory. He took a sip of his coffee, cold now from sitting on his nightstand for half an hour. Without a word, he took his coffee to the kitchen for a warm-up, then joined her side in bed. He moved her hair off her shoulder and kissed her neck. “Looks cold outside,” he murmured against her skin.
“Yes, it does,” she agreed. “Looks like it’s here to stay awhile. Is it safe to call this a snow day?”
He nodded. “I’m sure the guys already know that, but I’ll check in with Carlos.” He picked up the phone and made a quick call and asked Carlos to tell Mario and Marcelo there would be no work for the day, and possibly tomorrow. The news he turned on the television confirmed the snow would continue to fall. He sat back with his coffee after he hung up the phone and watched the blizzard coverage on The Today Show. A glance at Tia showed her making herself comfortable against the headboard as she continued to draw. “Do you need me to get back in the same position?” he offered.
She shook her head. “I’m just about done.”
“Can I see it?” He was surprised she handed him the sketchpad, even more surprised at how talented she continued to prove herself. It was like looking at a portrait, not a pencil drawing. He studied the image of himself, naked and relaxed in bed. A playful grin spread across his face as he looked at the lower part of his body. “If you want my personal opinion, I believe you underestimated the size of something.”
Tia took the sketchpad back from him with a laugh and studied the area he spoke about. “That something is at a resting state. I’m not sure you’d be so patient to let me draw you if it was standing at attention.”
“Ah, ok, just so we’re clear.”
“Yes, we’re clear, Spencer.”
“You’re very beautiful when you’re drawing,” he complimented. “Has anyone ever gotten a picture of you while you work?”
“No. I don’t like people to watch me work, it makes me uncomfortable.”
“I’ve watched you work,” he pointed out.
“That should tell you that I trust you. It doesn’t mean I want you to be an audience all the time, but I don’t mind if you watch me draw.”
“You can see the love on your face.”
“Maybe it’s the love I have for my subject.”
“Maybe,” he said softly. He took the sketchpad and placed it on the nightstand, then pulled Tia into his arms. “Come on.” He stood up suddenly and held his hand out to her.
Tia accepted his hand and scooted out of the bed. “Where?”
“Let’s take a shower together.” He didn’t give her a chance to answer, simply scooped her up into his arms. “Then you can make me pancakes.”
An hour later, after Spencer had three helpings of pancakes and she had two, Tia stood at the sink and rinsed the dishes to put in the dishwasher. She glanced at him when he sat at one of the counter stools and sipped his coffee while he watched her clean.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she asked.
“What’s not to enjoy?” he wondered. “The beautiful woman I love made me breakfast.”
“And now she’s washing your dishes. Is this how I earn my keep while I’m here?”
“No, you earn that naked. Speaking of which...” He spared a glance at the clock on the wall. “You’re due to make a payment soon.”
“Is that what we’re going to do all day?” she teased.
“You have any better ideas besides eating?”
“No, it sounds perfect to me.” Tia dried her hands on a dishtowel and refilled her coffee mug. As she added cream and sugar she noticed Spencer’s brow furrow as he watched her. “Something on your mind?”
“Yeah.” He took a drink of his coffee and set down his mug. “Yeah,” he repeated. “You’ve asked me twice now about the absence of neighbors.”
“How did you get so lucky?”
“Tia, I’m going to share something with you that very few people know. My parents and my sister know. And my accountant, and that’s it.”
“Ok.” She took a drink of her coffee as she watched him think. “I’m not sure what that has to do with the lack of neighbors.”
“My mom was my realtor, so naturally my family knows.”
Tia could see him struggle as he thought. “Spencer, if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”
“I want you to know for a few reasons. First, I don’t want secrets or lies between us. Second, I am unashamed to admit this might sweeten the pot for you to decide to move in with me.”
“At least you’re honest. Even though I’ve told you I don’t want to make any decisions yet, what carrot do you have to dangle?”
“I own the entire floor,” he blurted out.
“What?” Tia’s head jerked back in shock. “Good Lord, I can’t imagine how much that cost you! Not that it’s any of my business,” she said after she composed herself.
“It was an investment,” he stated.
“You own three penthouse units. That’s more than an investment.” She tilted her head and studied him. “Can I ask why?”
“At first, I thought maybe I’d sell them after a few years and get the equity out of them. But, I kind of got used to not having neighbors. Lately, I’ve been thinking maybe I’ll knock into them and connect the three.”
“Wow!” Tia exclaimed. She thought about the majestic view from his balcony alone and couldn’t fathom how spectacular it would be to have a panoramic view of the city. A thought hit her and she had to know. “I know it’s not a topic either one of us enjoys, but you never even told Ainsley?”
“I made it a point to never tell her,” he admitted. “If she knew that, she and her mother would have harassed me, even more, to make things official.”
“You do realize you can’t be forced to marry someone,” Tia pointed out.
“Yes, I know that, but my life would have been hell if they knew, so I kept it to myself.”
“Are the units as big as this one?”
“The one directly next door is the same floor plan. The one across the hall is a one-bedroom with a den that would be perfect for you.”
“Wait.” Her head was spinning with this new information. “What are you saying? I thought you wanted me to move in with you. Now you’re telling me one of the units would be perfect for me. Which one is it? Do you want me to move in or across the hall?”
“I want you to move in with me, and I know you need a little more time to answer that, but if you do, the one-bedroom would be perfect for a studio for you.” There. He said it. It had been on his mind for a few days now. With the fact that she was drawing again, he was certain a new series of paintings would be right around the corner.
“Spencer,” she began.
“It’s secure,” he said quickly when he heard the hesitation in her voice. “No one but me, or you, would ever be able to get up here without our consent. You could create without a care in the world, or worry that anything would be damaged again.”
“Oh, you don’t play fair, do you?” She was only half-way teasing.
He stood up and held his hand out to her. “Come on, let’s go take a look.”
“Why are you doing this?” she wondered. She practically had to run to keep up with him. “Two weeks ago we hadn’t even gone on a date. Drama ensued and now here we are. What if none of that happened? Would you still love me?”
He turned to her as they reached the door. “Are you questioning what we have?”
“Well, no but-”
“So it happened faster than maybe it should have, but if we feel this way about each other, it was going to happen whether or not the drama happened on Friday. You’re in a tough spot while you wait for your loft to be ready. I want you here with me. I’ve admitted I know it’s fast, but when you know, you know.” He walked with her across the hall and stood outside the door of the one-bedroom unit.
Tia looked around at the spacious area. “This is big enough to be its own lobby out here,” Tia stated. “You could put a couch out here and maybe a few chairs. Have some nice music trickle in through hidden speakers.”
“Look at you, decorating already,” Spencer teased. He unlocked the door with a mischievous grin. “Welcome home, Tatiana.”
Tia rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I didn’t even agree to look at it, you just pulled me along and, oh!” She stopped speaking as the gasp of delight escaped. “Oh, Spencer, this is beautiful.”
The unit had the same floor to ceiling windows Spencer’s home had, along with the hardwood floors. The living room was spacious and led to an open kitchen on the left. To the right was a den with French double doors. The den itself was larger than her bedroom at home. She walked in silence, in awe at the beauty of the home.
Spencer followed her and tried to gauge her reaction. He started to speak quickly and point out features when she remained silent. “The same windows are here in the den, so the light is perfect. The bookshelves could hold your supplies. You could put a tarp on the floor, or we could figure out a different flooring material since I know it would get messy. There’s a large closet over here,” he said and opened a door to show her the storage area. “Your canvases could go in here. Since you wouldn’t be living here, you could display your paintings in the living room until they’re ready to go to Vivian’s gallery. As for the bedroom, we could bring your furniture here. I wouldn’t want you to sleep here, but if you got tired while you were working, you’d have a place to nap. And it would be all of your belongings, just in a different setting. Say something, Tia.”
