Page 59 of A Taste of Trouble

Liv glanced up and gave him a curious stare.

The gallery owner clamped on to his shoulders and kissed the air on either side of his face, her short blond hair skimming her chin with every move. Ani was like a stealth ninja, sneaking up on him without a sound. How did she do that?

Jake pulled Liv closer. “Ani, this is Liv.”

Ani shook Liv's hand. “Welcome to the DownTown.”

“Thank you. This place is beautiful. This is my first time at a real gallery.”

“Well, you have the best guide.” Ani gestured to Jake. “It's always a much more pleasant experience when you have an in-house artist—”

“Yes,” Jake said before Ani blew the surprise. “There's lots to see. Maybe you can find something for your bakery.” He smiled but Liv looked confused.

“Oh, well…” Liv looked between the two of them. “The bakery isn't really the best place for art work, but you never know.”

“Let's look around,” Jake blurted. “We'll get out of your hair.”

Jake left Ani with her mouth hanging open. He'd have to call and apologize tomorrow for his weird behavior. He pulled Liv through the gallery, and as far away from Ani as possible.

“Jake?” Liv squeaked. “Don't you like her? Why did you cut her off?”

When they were out of earshot, he finally slowed down. “We'd be there all night if I let her keep talking.”

The lies kept piling up. But this was an acceptable lie. Wait. Was there such a thing?

She shot him a disgruntled look. “All right, but that was kind of rude.”

He smiled. “This from the woman who makes it her mission to purposely give people a hard time at the bar.”

“Not anymore.” She laughed and took the opportunity to look around. Her eyes widened. She was out of her element but she was curious. He loved her like this. Open and willing to learn new things. Just like she was in the bedroom.

“I just wanted to be the one to introduce you to the gallery. I wanted to be the one who put that look on your face.”

“What look?”

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “The same one you get when I'm inside you.”

“Jake.” She lowered her face and blushed. It spread across her face and down her neck. Even her hands turned red. Gorgeous.

“You've never been to an art gallery before?” he asked. He had to change the subject. If they kept talking about her sex face, he wouldn't be able to control the reaction in his pants.

She shook her head.

“Not even on a school trip?”

Again, she shook her head. “Will you tell me why we're here already?” She tugged at his shirtsleeve. “The suspense is killing me.”

He had to pull out all the stops, including disclosing his secret. She knew all about passion, about pursuing a dream. He knew she would understand.

“I'll show you why we're here.” He cocked his head. “Follow me.”

She grabbed on to his arm and walked with him through the gallery. On the left wall, arranged in a particular pattern, were five round frames that housed different views of the city. They approached and took their spot beside another couple in front of the arrangement. The couple whispered to each other, their hushed voices causing Jake's nerves to tighten. He wanted to know every word they spoke. What were they saying about the arrangement—his arrangement?

“This is beautiful,” Liv said. “I love the fact that they're in round frames. It's so different compared to everything else.”

“I totally agree,” the man standing beside them said. “It's as if you're looking at the city through a telescope. It's brilliant.”

Jake's stomach unclenched. There were always going to be people who loved his work. There were always going to be people who hated his work. But sometimes, you just needed to hear some praise in order to reassure that nagging voice always doubting your talent.

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