Chapter 4
Harrison
Spending time with a beautiful goddess such as Iris is a dream come true. However, she seems to be on a different wavelength than I am.
"Excuse me?"
"That didn't come out right."
"So you don't want to see me naked?"
"From now on 'til the end of time I'll want to see you naked, but I blurted that out without any context."
Her words make me blush profusely, so I fake cleaning my mouth with a napkin. I like that she's honest and direct, but I need to find out how to make all her dreams come true, because this woman belongs to me.
"Okay, give me some context then."
"I'm out here on sabbatical. I took some time off from teaching because I haven't been able to produce any commercial art in at least two years."
She puts her utensils down, stands up and starts pacing in front of the dining table. I bought a large table because I want a big family. I know, I'm getting ahead of myself by thinking of having a big family with Iris, but that's all I can think of.
She stops her pacing and looks me directly in the eyes.
"I'm an artist. I create. I sketch, draw, paint — you name it. I make things, and when I saw you out there without your shirt my fingers started itching to hold a pencil and draw you."
There's a sketchbook on top of one of the sofa's in the living room. She picks it up and brings it over to where I'm sitting at the table. The drawings are rough, but you can tell it's me and my muscles actually look bigger than I think they are.
"I did those while you were getting ready to come over. What do you think?"
I examine the sketch more closely and I can almost feel the energy of the lines and the intensity she felt while drawing them.
"I think that you are very talented, angel."
"I'll be honest with you. I came here thinking of sketching mountains and landscapes and wild animals. It never crossed my mind that I could draw and paint the human body. You're built like a God, though, so I want to create with you as my subject."
We're both silent for what seems like an eternity, and then I realize it's my turn to talk. She's waiting for my answer.
"I've never posed for anything, not even the park ranger calendar they did last year. I don't know if I'll be any good."
"It will be a mixture of you posing and me taking pictures for refinement later on. But I want you naked."
"Are you sure you need me naked? I mean I could wear a bathing suit. I don't mean to sound like a prude. It's just we've just met and I haven't even flirted with you more than once or twice."
She bites her lip in the sexiest way. Makes me want to get up from this table and kiss her sexy mouth.
"Then we need to get to know each other more. Let's finish our meal and make small talk."
I give her a smile as I watch her sit back down across from me at the table. Her blond hair cascades around her shoulders like a golden waterfall, and I can't seem to take my eyes off her. I take a bite of the lasagna and experience a burst of Italian flavors in my mouth.
"My God, this is delicious. Did you make this?"
"No, you'll have to thank my mother for the lasagna. She's an amazing cook and makes Italian and Mexican dishes often, only because those are my favorite foods."
"Are you two close?"
She looks at me funny but then takes a bite of her lasagna.
"Mmmm."
"Iris…"
"Hmm?"
"Are you picturing me naked right now?"
She ignores my question and keeps on talking.
"My mother and I are two peas in a pod. We do everything together."
"Can you show me a picture?"
She brings out her phone and starts scrolling.
The smile on her face tells me she's looking at some amazing pictures until she finally stops at one and offers me the phone.
They are posing together in front of an Italian restaurant and waving at the camera.
They are happy and you can almost feel the love between them.
"That's beautiful. You look a lot like her."
"People say that often, but I think she's way more beautiful than I am."
"I'm pretty sure your mother wouldn't like to hear you say that, angel."
"She hates it. Do you want dessert? Or coffee? You might have some in the cupboard."
"There is, actually. Some delicious brews that come from the next town over, Woodland Falls. Theres a coffee shop there with the best coffee, and the owner is always experimenting to get the best brew. You'd love Sam."
"Let me go make some. It'll go great with the tiramisu."
I get up so fast I almost turn the chair I'm sitting on over.
"Don't move a muscle. Let me do that for you."
"Okay, thank you. I'll plate the tiramisu while you deal with the coffee."
We both move to the kitchen and I start brewing one of the best blends Sam has given me. I want to impress my angel. All the while she's plating the dessert in my everyday china. It feels so domestic that my insides churn to touch her as she passes me by in the kitchen.
"Iris?"
"Yes?"
"Where did you come from?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm living in Boulder in a house I bought at auction. It was cheap and perfect for me. I teach art at the local high school. I don't get paid much, but I used to be able to make some side money with my art. That's stopped in the last few years."
"So you miss the money?"
"Not completely. I miss the interest people used to have in my art and how my name was occasionally mentioned in art circles. I know, it's vain, but I can't help myself."
"I don't think it's vain. You've got talent, and people recognize that. Whatever has happened to keep you from painting must be blocking you from putting your best work forward like you used to."
I turn around as the coffee brews and walk up to her. She's frozen in place as if mesmerized.
She looks so beautiful, and here in front of me I hope that my words have touched her, and that she understands that she's enough and that she can do anything she sets her mind to.
"You barely know me how can you be so sure that I will be able to get back to what I was? or maybe even better, level up with something else altogether?"
"I see you. You're like an angel. You showed me your sketches and I can see the talent there. I'm just excited to see what else you can make happen if I pose for you."
"So you'll do it? You'll pose for me?"
"I will, but I need to get to know you a little better in order to do it fully naked."
"I can work with that."
I can't stop watching her face. She looks like an angel. I think I've slipped and called her that several times already, even though we barely know each other.
There is a wisp of hair framing her face, and I go and gently brush it off so that it doesn't cover her beauty. What I can't stop thinking about is her pouty red lips; they call to me.
I come as close to her as possible and lift her chin with my hand. She's now looking at me as if I were some sort of God. If she only knew I look at her the same way. Like she's an angel come down from heaven.
She licks her lips invitingly, and I cannot hold myself from reaching for her lips with mine. I slowly inch forward until we're barely touching. I can feel her hot breath against my skin, and I'm dying to touch her lips with mine.
"Is it okay if I kiss you, my angel?"
Her gaze is blurry as if she's been mesmerized by my actions. The only thing she does is lick her lips again, and move a little bit forward against me. So I take her lips with mine in a gentle careful kiss. Her lips are soft, her mouth warm, but as we touch, a gentle current goes through our lips.
We break apart for a moment, both of us surprised at the shock. I guess she must've felt it too. But then we both go back for another kiss. This one isn't as gentle. This one isn't as careful.
There's passion and heat in our kiss. I lick her lips so that she opens up for me, and she does, which just means that now I'm able to thrust my tongue inside her mouth as if I were fucking her.
My blood starts to heat with this incredible kiss that I'm sharing with an amazing woman. I'm almost having trouble breathing. This is so intense.
I feel her hands go up to my neck, and I put my arms around her waist, holding her tightly. It's as if I've come back home. She is my home. She is everything, and I don't know how I'm gonna make her figure that out herself.
My senses are flooded with emotion right now, and everything feels fuzzy around me, except the woman in my arms. Until I feel like I can't breathe properly, so I pull back away from her.
She's panting, breathing hard, just like me. Her mouth is slightly open as if she needs more of my lips. I've never felt like this before in my life. Whatever happens, this woman is the woman for me.