Page 25 of Captive Lies

My jaw was hurting from trying to keep it all in. I gave him a watery smile. “I …”I love you somuch.

He pulled me into his arms, his chin resting on the side of my head. “I know, baby. I feel thesame.”

We had danced to a tune of unspoken words since the beginning of ourrelationship.

“Thank you.” Words weren’t adequate anyway to describe what I wasfeeling.

Grant had smashed through the defenses of my heart and touched mysoul.

8

Blaire

Months passed,and spring gave way to hot summer days. As much time as Grant and I spent together it seemed I couldn’t get enough of him. I lived for the weekends when we spent each waking moment with each other. We could be driving down to the cape, we could be walking around town, or we could just be hanging around the brownstone catching up on a TV series. I knew I was setting myself up for a lot of heartache when our relationship needed to end, but ever since he’d given me those Medici paints I’d been in a free fall. The days he was in Manhattan were the hardest and I started having trouble concentrating on mywork.

August brought about a distinct change in Grant’s moods. He’d become broody and I knew why. My reticence about my personal stuff, my refusal to give up my cabin, and the ways I deflected conversation regarding the future of our relationship were wearing down on his patience. His scowls lasted longer, and the unspoken words had become more grating in thesilence.

He took me to dinner at his parents’ a couple of times; Marcus and Amelia were gracious hosts. I had an easy time chatting with them, especially with Grant’s mother. His sister Valerie was a different story. I marveled at her ability to cause tension without uttering a syllable. It was in her head-to-toe appraisal of me, or the way she hugged her brother and ignored my presence. After my attempts to make conversation left me speaking to air, I decided it was best to stay out of her way. I sympathized with Amelia as she tried to cover for her daughter’s quiet hostility toward me. In some ways, I understood Valerie. Even when I refused to speak about my own life, Grant was the opposite and never held back in telling me stories about his. That was how I knew how he and his dad had spoiled his sister terribly—a by-product of guilt from her near drowning. And now she viewed me as competition for her brother’saffections.

Little did I know that avoiding Valerie didn’t mean she couldn’t cause trouble between Grant andme.

As a way to alleviate my loneliness when Grant was in Manhattan, I decided to take an art class for the summer at a studio near Harvard Square that met on Monday and Wednesday evenings. He’d ask me before if I wanted to go to New York City with him, but I knew I was a distraction his business didn’t need. How many times had he worked through the night because he wanted to take me to dinner or spend the afternoon with me? He told me one time that he thrived on very little sleep, and yet I could see the toll it was taking by the shadows under hiseyes.

I did mention my figure painting class to Grant, but I wasn’t sure he fully understood that I had to attend evening classes. And with some guilt, I continued to let him think otherwise. Aside from his brooding, he’d been distracted lately by a couple of high-profile property deals that were swinging in favor of the competition. I told myself I didn’t want to add to hisworry.

For my art class, we started with the female nude for the first few weeks, but for the last three meetings, we had a male model, Claude Cluzet—a French exchange student. The man was simply gorgeous. His body was lean, sculpted perfection, but his lips were my favorite feature. On any other face, it would have been too feminine, but it was the consummate pouty lips for a strong angular jaw that made me see why he’d become an instant sensation and an in-demand model for artists andphotographers.

Some of my female classmates were definitely enamored outside the realm of art. I got dragged to an after-class social at Hoosier Bar the week before. And it was just my luck, I ran into Valerie who was a law student at Harvard. Grant’s sister chose that time to act like we were best friends and interrogated my classmates about the class, but I knew better. It didn’t help that Claude was sitting besideme.

So, the next outing, I begged off. Obviously, the bar was a common haunt for the Harvard crowd and I didn’t want Val getting the wrongidea.

That Wednesday, when class packed up, I tried to leave as quickly as I could, but my teacher wanted to talk to me. After giving me glowing reviews about my work, I exited the studio, giddy with happiness. I couldn’t wait to tellGrant.

Claude and a couple of girls were waiting at the bottom of the steps. The model’s face broke into a dazzling smile when he saw me, but it made me uncomfortable because I hated theattention.

“There you are,” Claude said as he ascended the steps and tried to grab my portfolio which I angled away fromhim.

What thehell?

His brows drew together, but my subtle rejection didn’t faze him at all. He stabbed his fingers through his thick long hair—one of his other great features and he obviously knew it. My female classmates were staring daggers atme.

Seriously?

“You’re not skipping Hoosier’s this time,” Claude informed me. “You’re joining us for a drink.” At the bottom of the steps, he put his hands on my shoulders and turned me a quarter so I was facing him. He leaned in suggestively. “And maybe more.” Funny how many models looked better when they kept their mouthshut.

I was about to shoot him down when I felt my napeprickle.

“Take your hands off her before I break them,” a voice threatened behindme.

Claude visibly stumbled back as I turned around to see Grant directly behind me. His fingers clamped down on my bicep as he deposited me behind him. I dropped my things and clutched at his torso when he didn’t miss a stride stalking towardClaude.

“Stay away from her,” Grantgrowled.

“Grant, it’s not what you think,” I whisper-yelled, appalled at the scene we were causing, especially since our teacher had appeared at the top of thesteps.

Claude raised his arms. “We’re cool. Didn’t know she was taken.” Then he smirked. “Beauty like that you need to put a ring onher.”

I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard Grant mutter, “Iwill.”

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