Page 80 of Painting Celia

“Yes.” Celia couldn’t think of what else to say.

“Did he like the blue dress?”

“He liked it a lot,” León’s voice answered.

Everyone turned to see León closing the back door behind him, wearing his clean street clothes. He eyed the conclave in the kitchen, Celia covering her neck with one hand.

He walked over behind Celia and put his arms around her from behind in a natural, familiar gesture. Then, casually, he shifted his weight to lean between her and Andrew, who moved over to make room.

Everyone exchanged glances and faint smiles.

“What a shock,” Kelsey said dryly.

Trevor leaned on the island. “It is to me. That car ride while you were arguing, oof.”

León leaned his chin on Celia’s shoulder. “We got past it.”

While her friends chuckled, Celia tried to appear at ease. But there didn’t seem to be any respite from feelings! She wasn’t good at these whipsaw emotions.

The way he claimed her in front of the room, moving Andrew to the side! She basked in the feeling of being wanted, of him asserting his place by her, but there’d been no time to think it over. He’d accomplished it before she’d had a chance to react.

Her thoughts stopped when León subtly pulled her closer to him. Her backside was pressed against his hips, and the intimate touch shot electricity through her. How, when not fifteen minutes ago, she’d been panting and satisfied? Her insides whirled.

Would he want to stay with her tonight, in her bed? They could actually fall asleep there…after. They could wake up together. The suddenness with which he was moving into her life was both euphoric and terrifying.

León laughed over her shoulder at something Trevor had said. Celia realized she’d lost the thread of the conversation. She was still as frozen as she’d ever been, stuck in her thoughts. Sure enough, she looked up to see Kelsey watching her with amusement. Andrew too, who had moved to the other side of the island without her noticing. León had claimed both her body and her space near the stove.

She reveled in it, but it scared her. She wanted time to take it all in.

León leaned forward again to whisper in her ear as the conversation on the other side of the island turned to…something else. She never had picked up the thread.

“Can I stay in the house tonight?” he asked. “I want to be with you.”

Pleasure shot through her. She had to turn to whisper back to him, and he loosened his arms around her so she could face him.

“Of course, you can,” she whispered back. He smiled broadly, his eyes full of promise for later.

“Damn, the chemistry in this room is getting me hot,” Andrew complained. “Let’s go outside, so if they paw each other, at least it’s in the dark, and we can still talk.” Everyone laughed except Celia and León, but it was good-natured. Celia let them pick up the food and troop out to the firepit.

León kissed her before letting her move away, then reached up to touch the mark on her neck. He looked so pleased about it. She decided she would like it as well. Being claimed felt too good.

Fifteen

Celia stretched out for—hopefully—the last sitting for the purple painting. This pose took significant muscle, balancing on one knee and reaching forward. The pillows under her knee felt thinner every time. He was trying to paint fast for her, aware of her discomfort, but couldn’t keep silent for long.

“It’s a shame this is in purples,” León said, “That pretty gold skin of yours, I wonder if I could even mix the perfect colors.”

She held the pose despite the self-conscious delight washing over her.

“Where’s your family from?” he asked, hidden behind the canvas. “I’m getting to know you. It’s okay to ask that, right?” He liked springing questions on her, she was discovering. She knew what he was really asking with this one.

“It’s okay. California,” she answered. “And my father was Filipino.”

“I wondered,” he said. “I was born in New York, but my family’s from Puerto Rico.” He chuckled. “I’ve been called Mexican twice out here already.”

She concentrated on holding the pose, ignoring her poor knee.

“Have you ever been to the city? New York City, I mean?”

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