I Heart You Page 4

Lucian sat in his office, ignoring the photo layouts spread across his desk. He was too busy thinking about Rachel and their time together. She was like a force of nature to him, and there was nothing he could do but stand back and watch her with awe. She was beautiful, smart and sexy without even trying. She made him laugh, which is something he hadn't done in a long time. Their weekend was phenomenal. He remembered waking up with her in his arms, and it was the most natural thing in the world.

  He'd gone out with his share of women, but this was the first time that he'd really connected with someone on so many levels. Unlike his past relationships, this time there was no need for him to prove himself. Many women had approached him with stars in their eyes and a romanticized view of what it's like to date a well-known photographer. He'd tried to live up to their expectations but failed. With Rachel, he didn't need to play a role. She made him feel comfortable in his own skin. When he was with her, he was able to let himself go and just be.

  A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced up to see his secretary. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Drake, but there's a man outside who says he's your father."

  At the mention of the old man, he sighed. “No problem, Linda. Please show him in."

  Ethan Drake entered the room with a nervous smile. “Morning, son. How are you?"

  Lucian sat back in his chair and regarded his estranged father. “What do you want?"

  The older man flinched at the coldness of his son's tone, and shook his head. “Damn it, Luc ... I just wanted to see you. I want to sit down and have a civil conversation with you for once. How long do we have to go through this?"

  Silent, Lucian stared at the man who had brought him life as well as all the pain that had filled it. He didn't have an answer for Ethan, at least not one that he wanted to hear. He wanted to shout in frustration, but somehow he maintained a calm tone.

  "Look, Dad ... I can't do this right now. Everything that's happened between us isn't going to just disappear because you've decided to become my best friend. I need time to take this in, and you getting in my face every five minutes isn't helping the situation."

  Something Lucian couldn't identify crossed over Ethan's face for a moment, and then he nodded to his son. “I understand, Luc. I get the message. I just hope that one day we'll be able to put the past behind us and move on with our lives together. I'll wait as long as it takes."

  Lucian didn't reply to the statement, and he stared at the opened door after Ethan left.

  Chapter Five

  Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry bustled with activity when Rachel approached the front entrance, where she was to meet Lucian. The crowd comprised of children on school field trips, tourists from all around the globe, and general visitors with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

  Rachel was thankful that they had decided to have their first official date in such a public place. She wasn't eager to repeat her experience in the alley with the stalker. Anxious from the memory, she closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep breaths. He'd been close enough to do major harm to her person, and even now she remained shaken by the encounter. She didn't want to think about what may have happened if Lucian hadn't returned when he did. Her hand flew to the heart locket at her throat, and the cool gold helped her calm down.

  I'm going to be fine. There are lots of people here at the museum, guards, and there's a squad car with Detective Petersen's men somewhere to keep an eye on me. I'm safe. The sick bastard would have to be a fool to try anything here, and I refuse to live in fear.

  She sensed a man's presence behind her, and she froze before realizing it was Lucian. With a sigh of relief, she turned around to wrap her arms around his waist, glancing up at him with a smile. His voice was deep and soulful. “How did you know it was me?"

  Rachel raised her face for a kiss. “I recognized your scent, your heat."

  Lucian observed her glistening eyes. “Oh, shit. I'm sorry for scaring you..."

  She shook her head. “No, it wasn't you. I was doing a good job of it myself, but I'm finished now. I'm determined to enjoy this time with you no matter what. Now kiss me."

  He lowered his head, running a hand through her hair as their lips clung together. They separated, breathing hard. “Let's go in, shall we? The guards are looking at us funny."

  She giggled and took his arm as they walked inside. Lucian gave a low whistle at the grand setup of the museum. The larger than life displays that adorned the rooms were a feast for the eyes, just like the museum itself was a treat for the mind. “Jesus, I've missed this place. It's been years."

  Her eyes were bright. “So what do you want to see to make up for it?"

  Lucian's face lit up. “I'm in the mood for an IMAX film."

  "Coming right up.” Rachel took his hand and led him to the Omnimax Theater.

  * * * *

  The man stood on the front steps of the museum, his aviator style sunglasses concealing the dark nothingness of his eyes from public view. Grinding his teeth, he entered the building after Rachel and the intruder, his blood boiling at the sight of them together. They're in love. How fucking sweet.

  He wanted to strangle her, to wrap his hands around her neck and squeeze until her life ended. A fire raged in his gut as Rachel led her guy down the crowded hall and into the large theater. Yes, he wanted to punish her for going to another man, but he wanted to hurt him more. If the bastard hadn't interrupted their tryst in the alley, she'd be with him now. Rachel would have been with him in his palace in the woods, serving and pleasuring him instead of that ... photographer.

  His head pounding, he decided to end today's chase. There were too many people around, and the love he'd witnessed was a major blow. He turned and left the way he came, vowing to capture his prey at all costs.

  * * * *

  "Goddamnit!"

  Lucian was irritated by the interruption of their fun, and Rachel stroked his back as they walked out of the theater an hour later. Halfway into the film, his phone had rung, drawing murderous stares from scores of other viewers. He had taken one glance at the phone's screen and cursed under his breath. “My father,” he'd told her after he switched the phone off. “He's always calling at the craziest times."

  They walked towards a seating area, the tension in his body obvious as he returned the call. The terseness in his voice piqued Rachel's curiosity.

  "Yeah. What do you want now? Yes, I have the book. Signed. No, I don't want to come to the house today. I'm busy. None of your business. I don't know when I'll be back. Can't you just go to my place and get it yourself? You've got the emergency key. Fine."

  He pressed the “Cancel” button and glanced at Rachel, his face full of strain. “I'm sorry. We've got a rough history together, the old man and I."

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  Holding her close, he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. “Maybe later. Now let's go do something else to get rid of the lingering aftertaste of this ... exchange."

  Lucian unfolded the visitor's guide to the museum and read from the list of exhibits. “Wow! Body Worlds is back! We have to check it out. What do you say?"

  Rachel wanted to be sick. “Is that the one where the preserved corpses are put on display in different poses, with their organs exposed to everyone? Count me out."

  He gave her a wicked look. “So I guess Body Slices is out as well."

  She shuddered hard at the idea and made a face. “Ugh!"

  Showing her the list, he kissed her cheek. “Where do you want to go, Rach?"

  The necklace he gave her was pleasantly cool against her skin, and she knew exactly which exhibit she wanted to see next. “I'd like for us to see The Heart, please."

  Lucian's eyes grew dark with desire. “As my lady wishes."

  * * * *

  They entered the giant walk-in exhibit, which was made up of nearly twenty feet of space decorated to appear like the inside of the human heart. The walls were a mixture of red and pink hues, and once inside they
could hear the sounds of blood pumping via the speakers that were situated along the tunnel. The moment they were alone, Lucian kissed her hungrily in the red-tinted light of the room.

  "I love you, Rachel. What we have is nothing short of spectacular. No matter what's going on between me and my dad, I'm thankful that I got to meet you because of him. You're the best thing that's happened to me in ages."

  She pulled him back down for another kiss. “Me too. You're everything that I've ever wanted. Thank goodness you almost blinded me with that camera flash."

  Lucian slid his tongue into her mouth, and she welcomed the invasion. His hands cupped her breasts through her blouse, his thumbs flicking at the straining nipples. She moaned, wanting more of him and almost forgetting where they were. Rachel traced his cock through the barrier of his jeans, teasing him until he broke the kiss with a groan. He pinned her wrists against the wall, reminding her of the power behind his grip and making her want him more. “I need you, baby. I can't wait until we get home..."

  There was a sound of a throat clearing behind them, and they turned to see an annoyed mother standing there with two young kids. The couple moved apart, muttering “excuse me” in unison before climbing out of the heart, laughing all the way to a nearby computer kiosk. “That was a close call,” Lucian said with a wolfish grin.

  Rachel stepped closer to the machine. “The Beat Goes On. This measures how many heartbeats you've had so far in your lifetime according to your birthday."

  She entered her information. “May 20, 1975. That makes 1,193,961,240 heartbeats."

  Lucian chuckled as he switched positions with her. “Here, let me try."

  As he entered his birthday, she remembered his troubles with his father and was torn between wanting to learn more and hesitant to cause him pain by prying.

  "So, will you tell me about it?"

  He paused. “Yes, I will. July 5, 1972 makes 1,302,721,848 beats, by the way."

  She held out a hand to him. “Come on, let's walk a bit. I promise you'll be relieved."

  The couple walked along the brightly lit halls of the museum, and Lucian opened up to her. “There was a time when I used to worship my father. He worked for National Geographic at one time, and I vowed to be just like him someday. Because he was always off on some assignment or other overseas, Mom and I grew apart from him and closer to each other. We had secret codes that we used to communicate when my father was around, private jokes. ‘I heart you’ was one that we came up with around Valentine's one year, and we always said it when we gave each other gifts."

  He stopped and looked down at Rachel, his eyes haunted.

  "Over time, Ethan began to hit the bottle. He eventually lost his job over it. After that, I didn't recognize him anymore. He became ill-tempered, harsh and abusive. I was never present for Mom's beatings, but I knew from the fearful look in her eyes and the occasional wince as she moved that he had put his hands on her. I wanted him to pay for what he did to her. I tried to convince Mom to go to the police, but she refused. Then I took things into my own hands and went to the cops myself, but my father showed up with some bullshit story about my being a ‘problem child,’ and the cops bought it."

  Rachel took his hand and kissed it. “How old were you?"

  Lucian's eyes were moist, and he took a steadying breath before speaking again. “I was fifteen. After that, the beatings stopped. I guess my little stunt convinced him to try and cover his ass. Mom always tried to keep a happy face on, but I knew she was in pain. It was no longer physical pain, but her soul was in agony. For the next two years I threw myself into my schoolwork so I could get a college scholarship, and it paid off. I moved out of that hellish house, not knowing that it would be the last time I'd see my mother alive."

  Her voice was thick with tears when she finally managed to speak. “What happened?"

  He stared at a light display, the kaleidoscope of colors washing over his face. “I got a call at the university one day. It was the police, and they told me that my mother had gone missing. I returned to town as soon as I could, just in time to learn that Mom's body had washed up in the North Shore Channel over by Evanston."

  She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my God! I'm so sorry."

  Lucian brought a hand to her face and stroked it as if she was the one who needed comfort. “They said it was a suicide. After that, I shut down. I don't know how I managed it, but I maintained my grades and eventually began my career in photography. I cut Ethan completely out of my life for several years, until one day he showed up on my doorstep begging for help. He looked like he had been living on the street, unkempt and stench-ridden. My anger screamed for me to slam the door in his face, but then I noticed that he was crying."

  Rachel led him to a bench, where they sat.

  He continued. “I had never seen my father cry before, and it was shocking to witness. He was a broken man. I hated him for way he treated my mother, but I couldn't ignore the fact that he was still my blood. So I took him in, fed him and helped him get his life back together. I used my business contacts to set him up with a nice job that would challenge him and keep him busy, but now he's acting like he wants to have a normal father and son relationship with me. I'm not interested. I've lived without that for thirty-four years, and I don't need it. He's probably trying to get into heaven now that he's getting older, that's why he wants to kiss and make up. The whole thing just doesn't fly with me."

  She thought over his words. “What if he's serious? Have you considered that?"

  His jaw clenched. “I don't care. I helped him get off the street, but that doesn't mean he gets another chance with me. He lost that the day he started hurting Mom, the moment she jumped in the river because of him. Yet he's still my blood. I don't know..."

  Rachel kissed his lips. “I love you, Lucian. Thank you for your trust."

  Lucian's eyes had returned to their normal silver color. The storm had passed.

  "Me too, babe. Let's get out of here."

  Chapter Six

  "You can open your eyes now."

  Lucian stood behind her in the spacious room, his hot breath teasing the sensitive shell of her ear and making her shiver. Rachel leaned against him, loving the feel of his rock hard chest and abdomen against her back.

  She opened her eyes and was blown away by the beauty of his studio. The walls were decorated with several framed pieces of his work, and she was amazed by his talent. Each wall was dedicated to a particular theme. There were several nature shots in one area, urban skylines in another, followed by exotic landscapes and tasteful nudes.

  Rachel stood before one of the sexy pictures, shooting him a saucy look. “My word, this girl has a big pair of ... ears."

  His deep laugh warmed her, and she remembered the reason why she asked him to bring her to the studio. She wanted to see the place where he lived and breathed his art. He'd told her he had a corner office at Travel Today, but she wasn't interested in that place. The studio was the creative space where Lucian the artist came out to play, and that was exactly what she had in mind.

  She looked at her lover, a naughty smile on her lips. She wished to play with him.

  Lucian stepped closer. “There's nothing to worry about, love. I was a complete professional when I took that photo. Besides, the model is nothing compared to you."

  Rachel grinned at him. “Good answer. Now, would you consider shooting me?"

  He licked his lips, his voice raspy. “In what way, exactly?"

  She turned and walked over to the maroon shopping bag that she'd brought with her. Smiling at the memory of her trip to the boutique Ecstasy earlier that day, she picked it up and returned to his side. Her expression was coy as she replied.

  "I'd like to pose for you naked. I want you to direct me ... and take pictures as I..."

  An authoritative gleam entered Lucian's eyes, and Rachel became wet. “Say it, baby. I need to hear the words in order to give you what you want."

  Her breathing was ch
oppy. “I want you to shoot me while I touch myself for you."

  Lucian released a forceful sigh at her words, and his cock stirred in his jeans. She ached to feel it inside her again, pushing apart her walls and possessing her. She wanted to excite him, and she couldn't wait for him to take the reins for their mutual pleasure. He noticed the direction her eyes had taken, and his own clouded with passion.

  "I think that can be arranged. What's in the bag?"

  Rachel slowly walked towards the corner where he kept his equipment. “You'll see."

  "I can't wait."

  She reached the shooting area, and they both fell silent. She stared at the floor, taking in the length of black satin that covered the futon mattress. Can I go through with this?

  The thought was just a formality, she already knew the answer, and it was yes. She trusted Lucian, and she knew that he wouldn't do anything to embarrass her or make her feel uncomfortable. After their first night together, he had let her know that they were full partners and that if one of them wasn't enjoying the game, they would both lose.

  Lucian switched on the spotlights and began to set up his digital camera. Rachel removed her suit jacket and shoes before lowering herself onto the mattress, her stomach tingling in anticipation. The photo session had officially begun.

  He approached her, his gaze caressing her body. “Look at me."

  His voice was tender yet firm, and she raised her head for the first camera flash. He moved around where she sat as if he were dancing, snapping photos along the way.

  "Throw your head back.” Her long black hair swished around her shoulders like a sable coat, and she knew he wanted to run his fingers through them. Instead, they tightened on the camera as he continued working.

  "Lick your lips for me.” Wet like her pussy, they shone in the light as she reached for the fastenings of her blouse. She met his quicksilver eyes and slowly opened it for him.

  The passionate stare that Lucian gave her made her so hot, it was a miracle that the buttons didn't melt under her fingers. She got rid of the blouse and threw it to the side, revealing the red satin corset that she had bought for the occasion. At the sight of the Victorian style garment, Lucian moaned. “Exquisite."