Millionaires' Destinies(189)

Oh, sure, the work wasn’t as expert as that which had come later, but the signs of promise were unmistakable. In the kind of retrospective Destiny had envisioned when she’d saved them, they would be a treasure.

“Tell me again,” Kathleen said. “How old were you when you painted these?”

“Twelve, I guess,” he said with an embarrassed shrug. “Maybe thirteen. I did them when it became evident that I wasn’t going to be the athletic superstar that Mack was. That made all the sports equipment Destiny had painted on the walls seem somewhat misplaced. Besides I loved the zoo and all the animal shows on TV. I wanted nothing more than to go on a safari.”

“Have you ever gone?”

He nodded. “Destiny took me when I got straight A’s in eighth grade.”

“Was it everything you’d imagined?”

“Even better,” he said at once. “But I like the tamer setting where I live now even more. One is exciting and vibrant, the colors vivid, but I like the pastel serenity of the world around me. It’s more soothing to the soul. No fear of getting gobbled up by a lion where I live.”

Kathleen gazed into his eyes and detected the hint of humor. “It shows in your work, you know. These are quite amazing, especially given the age you were when you painted them, but your more recent work has soul. There’s an obvious connection between artist and subject.”

“You know that from seeing one painting?”

She laughed at his skepticism. “I am an expert, remember?”

“How could I forget?”

He surveyed her intently, warming her. A part of her wanted desperately to respond to that heat, to the promise of the kind of intimacy she’d never really known, not even in her marriage, but fear held her back. Ben had already cut through so many of her defenses. She intended to cling ferociously to those that were left. She finally blinked and looked away from that penetrating gaze.

“I should go now,” she said, unhappy with the way her voice shook when she said it.

“Seen what you came to see, so now you’re ready to run?” he taunted. “Or are you running scared?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she insisted. “It’s time to go.”

For an instant she thought he might argue, but he finally nodded. “I’ll take you, then.”

Kathleen was silent on the brief trip home. She was grateful to Ben for not pushing. It had been an emotional day for her, not just with the probing questions about her marriage, but with the tantalizing intimacy she’d experienced decorating the nursery. She wanted to get home and sort through all of the emotions. She couldn’t help wondering if that would help or hurt. Were there any that she could trust?

At her door, Ben gazed into her eyes. “It was a good day, wasn’t it?”

Unable to deny it, she nodded. “A very good day.”

“We’ll have to do it again.”

“You have more nurseries that need decorating?” she asked, deliberately flippant because the prospect held so much appeal.

He stroked her cheek, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “No, but I think we can find other things to do.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should get this back on a more professional footing.”

“Meaning you chase after my art and I keep saying no?”

She smiled sadly. “Something like that.”

His fingers still warm against her face, he traced a line along her jaw. Her pulse jerked and raced at the tender touch. His gaze held hers.

“I think we’re past that, don’t you?” he asked.

“We can’t be,” she said emphatically.

He covered her mouth with his, ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. Her pulse scrambled, proving that she was a liar, or at the very least denying the truth. To her relief, though, there was no satisfaction in his expression when he pulled back, just acceptance, which was something she wished she could attain. It would be so much easier if she could go with the flow, if all that past history hadn’t made her jumpy about all relationships, much less one with an artist who had his own demons to fight.

“Ben,” she began, then fell silent, uncertain what she could say that wouldn’t sound ridiculous. Denying the attraction certainly wouldn’t be believable. They both knew it was there, simmering and on the way to a boil.

And if she were being totally honest, it was also inevitable that they would do something about it. The only real question was when…and maybe how much risk it would be and how much pride it would cost her.

“Never mind,” he said, apparently reading her confusion. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere. I can wait till you catch up to where I am.”