ing her way to the painting studio. Helen had gone ahead of her and Suzie dragged herself over there, though the mood to paint had left. She was tired and wanted a nap. Her mind was jumping from one thing to the next and she hardly felt like she knew who she was. Suzie shook her head and opened the door.
The first thing she saw when she stepped inside was Jeff’s painting. He had added to it. When had he come here to paint, she wondered. The immense canvas was beginning to be covered in color, and although abstract it had a raw emotion to it and Suzie felt tears well in her eyes. She turned to see Helen looking at her with concern.
“Are you okay?” she asked and she put down her brush.
The sincerity of her words helped Suzie’s tears fall and she cried. Fighting her tears and scolding herself for making a fuss in front of Jared’s mom, Suzie faked a smile. Helen brought over a cup of coffee and patted Suzie’s arm, waiting for her to say something.
“Yeah. Sorry. I am fine.” Suzie wiped her eyes and took a backwards glance at Jeff’s painting. Its effects were staggering.
“It is an amazing piece,” Helen said, looking in the same direction. “I keep telling Jeff he needs to show off his work, he has real talent. But he doesn’t listen to anybody. Thinks it makes him less manly or something. It is infuriating to see him hide his talent.”
“Why don’t you share them for him?” Suzie asked.
“Oh, I couldn’t do it without telling him. Honesty is the base of a strong relationship so I don’t lie to my boys.” She smiled fondly.
Despair clouded Suzie again and she blinked it away, sipping her coffee in silence. Helen went back to her painting and gestured towards Suzie. “Come on over and paint,” she said. “It will help you forget about whatever is bothering you.”
Suzie agreed and picked up the paintbrush. She took a breath and tried to focus on the canvas in front of her. She needed to add some color but her heart was not in it. She was indecisive and just pushed the color around. Helen looked at her with concern and said nothing. After some time, she cleaned up and excused herself saying she was not feeling well and needed to lie down. Suzie relaxed a little after Helen left and was beginning to enjoy painting for a while. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on nothing but the paint. Then she heard a noise from what must be the loft of the studio. She stood in place listening.
A minute later, Jeff emerged shirtless as always, dark eyes dead set on her. Suzie gasped in surprise. Had he been up there the whole time? What was he doing here? Time seemed to slow as Jeff stepped closer and closer to her. Finally reaching her, he stopped. The anticipation was building and they could feel their mutual desire creating tension between them. Jeff reached out and wiped her eyes.
She needed him and pressed into his caress, begging him to come and claim her as his own. His arms wrapped around her and he picked her up off the floor. Their lips met, finding release to their panicked desire. Then he set her down and held her at arm’s length.
“We can’t keep doing this,” he groaned.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, neither of them moving.
“You inspired me to paint. I needed to clear my head so I came here, thought it would be just me and Mom and Dad,” he said.
“Well how come we haven’t seen you? Where is your car?” Suzie felt confused.
“I did not want anyone to know I was here to paint so I told Mom and Dad that I would hang in the studio while you were here. We figured you guys were here to spend time together anyway,” Jeff said.
At that, tears welled up in Suzie’s eyes again as she thought about what he said. She turned to leave, sadly wanting to end the whole charade, feeling lost. Jeff grabbed her arm and wouldn’t let go. She tried to pull away, her face crunching in anger. He held tighter and pulled her to his chest. His strong naked chest felt cool against her cheek. Her tears ran down his stomach and she traced them as he held her.
They stood that way for a long time. Jeff with his arms wrapped around Suzie, who was caressing his chest and stomach. He started to breathe heavier and was holding her still unmoving. Suzie’s tears dried and she was breathing him in more heavily, her desire once again clouding her judgement. Oh when he was shirtless he could make her forget about everything except his muscles that rippled down to his belt buckle. Reaching up she stroked his gruff beard and kissed him gently on the neck.
Feeling desperate to touch him one last time she kissed him harder and pulled his face to her. At the same time, he picked her up with a moan and her breasts landed right in front of his face. Laughing, Suzie pulled off her shirt and bra and wiggled in his arms. Her breasts bounced up and down in front of his face and he dropped his mouth open in a long moan. He used his bearded face to rub her breasts, teasing her nipples erect. She moaned and thrust her hips into him. Looking around the cluttered room wide eyed, Jeff made a quick decision. He shifted his weight and threw her up over his shoulder, slapping her bum and striding to the back of the room and up a concealed staircase. Suzie shrieked and clawed at his back.
In the loft, there was a small living space with a desk, and some shelving. This was where Jeff had obviously been staying and it was cozy with a skylight to the forest outside. Jeff set her down onto a futon that had been converted to a bed and he stood above her, looking her up and down.
“You shouldn’t have come here today. That was a very bad idea,” he growled.
“Yes, it was. Very bad,” Suzie said and then pouted.
Jeff crawled toward her, pulling her pants off as he went, kissing every inch of her with wide, needing eyes. When he got to her ear he whispered, “I need to paint you.”
“Now?” Suzie giggled and writhed beneath him.
“No,” he said forcefully and pressed into her. Fumbling with his belt he covered her mouth with his so she wouldn’t say anything else. She laughed as he struggled and pushed his hands away, fiddling to get his belt off herself. Her breasts rubbed against him and he fondled them, moving his mouth to each one while Suzie undid his pants and pulled them down. Pushing her back into the bed he removed his pants fully and returned his attention to her. He rubbed his hands up her inner legs spreading them and his whole body followed.
She moaned, “Oh Jeff” as he slid into her and he covered her mouth with his hand. She bit him and he growled in surprise, leaning over and biting her lip and then pressing his lips to hers. Their tongues met and matched the rhythm of their bodies as they touched each other with longing. Clawing at him, to bring him closer, she clenched her legs around him as intense waves of pleasure rocked her body. She fell back into the bed and he crawled up behind her. Cradling her into him, he reached around and fondled her, touching every part of her body with his precise hands, making her call out in a moan again even as he was building to his own release. They stayed there, bodies naked and entangled, breathing heavily.
Neither of them wanted to say anything because things needed to be said, things that had been avoided for too long. Suzie turned to look at him and saw he was staring at her body. She kissed his full lips much more gently now though she felt inside a burning passion that she could easily get started on round two right away. The way he was looking at her was driving her crazy. But reality was niggling at her and once again she was torn. She touched his chest and looked him in the eye.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“We already did it.” He winked as he spoke. Jeff rolled away and got up, pulling on his pants.