Love Makes the Difference (Sully Point Book 1) (21 page)

"Are you trying to manage me now?"

"Maybe. You do seem a bit grumpy."

"Grumpy. Hmph. Grandfathers are grumpy, not vital young
men like me."

She laughed.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of their snack.
After the waiter left, Anna stood staring at the rolling cart he'd wheeled into
the room. White linen napkins, fine china cups, a silver pot of hot chocolate,
and a tiered tray covered in a variety of what looked like homemade cookies
made up the spread. She shook her head in wonderment.

"Come on, have some of this with me. Let's feel
decadent for a while."

He looked at her and she saw some of the tension leave his
face. "Only if they have chocolate chip."

"Of course they do. And--" She stopped to chew and
swallow. "Wow, these are as good as mine, maybe better."

He moved over to the round table where she'd set out the
cups with plates. "I'll only believe that if--" She stuffed a cookie
in his mouth. "Mmm."

"And this hot chocolate is to die for," Anna said
with a big smile. "I'm already feeling catered to."

He smiled at her, his eyes looking amused. "If I'd
known you'd take to being pampered, I'd have started sooner."

"Not all the time, but for now, this place is perfect."

She saw the look of satisfaction on his face, and knew his
mood was lighter. And she knew of one more way to make it even better. After
excusing herself to the bathroom, she changed into a black lace nightgown which
showed off her cleavage rather impressively. Walking back into the room, she
watched him turn and saw his jaw drop. She leaned against the bed. "I
think I'm in the mood to cater to you tonight."

He was by her side in seconds. "Where, when, did you
pick this up, love? It's quite delectable on you."

"Holly got it for me--after I told her what I wanted."

"Pass along my thanks to her." He began kissing
her neck, hands roving.

"Mmhmm. Feeling better, Mister Carter?"

"Oh yeah."

Chapter 11

Sam was determined to make this New York visit a treat for
Anna, so the next day they headed to the Guggenheim Museum. It had been years
since Anna visited there, and she wandered silent and awed by the work of
Picasso, Gaugin, Monet, and Renoir. Sam spent as much time gazing at her face
as he did looking at the artwork. Her intentness, wonder, and a kind of completeness
could all be seen on her face. When she was enthralled by a painting, absorbed
in it, she looked complete just as she did when she was painting. It fascinated
him.

Sometimes he held her hand as they walked around, but mostly
he gave her the space to take it all in. It seemed to him that the energy of
the city had gotten to Anna. He always noticed it when he first arrived and
walked around outside. The air was different here. There was a vibrancy, an
alertness, a thrumming vitality that ran through the city, something that could
be felt.

Anna turned to look at him with bright wide eyes. "Can
you believe this? How he put so much into it?" She motioned to the
painting by Picasso. "There are so many levels here, it's hard to imagine
being that good."

He smiled at her. "Having a good time?"

"I'm having a great time. This was a perfect idea for
today." She walked on to the next piece.

Sam had thought this would be a safe environment, as well as
fulfilling for Anna, because Patrice spent most of her museum time at the
Museum of Modern Art. She'd never been a Guggenheim fan. Patrice--he couldn't
seem to keep her out of his head. Kevin and Leo walked with them through the
museum while two other guards were outside. He decided to focus on thinking of
a good restaurant they could go to, then thought perhaps eating-in was best. So
far they had not run into any press.

Tomorrow he planned to take Anna shopping. He'd already
contacted Holly who would join them for part of the day. Both he and Holly were
determined to find the perfect dress for Anna's big night.

* * * *

As Anna walked into the hotel room that evening she felt
like her senses were overloaded. A day filled with art of so very many
different kinds, intensity, and most of all color, had overwhelmed her. It also
made her feel slightly crazy for even thinking of having a showing of her work.
Looking at the masters definitely didn't help her self-confidence about her
paintings. But it had been magnificent.

"Do you want to see the menu?" Sam asked holding
it out to her.

She waved it away. "I want a bath in that nice big tub,"
she said and walked away stripping off her clothes. That, she thought, should
be a clear enough invitation. The water had almost filled up the tub when she
heard a knock on the main door to the room and the murmur of Sam's voice. She'd
just stepped into the bubbles and slid down until she was covered when Sam
walked in holding a bottle of champagne.

"It seems like a night for bubbles." He poured the
wine into glasses and leaned over to hand her one and kiss her. Pulling back,
he said, "Careful, I don't want to fall in."

"Now you're just tempting me," she said with a
grin. "Mmm. This is delicious. And I think you're wearing too many
clothes, sir."

"Ah yes, that I can fix."

She watched him undress and step into the tub, feeling a
shiver of anticipation run through her. His body was amazing. She regretted now
not going into sculpting. Still perhaps she could paint him...

"Anna--you in there? One minute you look like you're
about to gobble me up and the next minute you've got this faraway look in your
eyes. What's up?"

"Sorry, sorry--I just had the most interesting idea for
a painting. How would you feel about posing in the nude?"

"As a prelude to sex?"

"No," she laughed. "A real painting."

"Let me think about that," he said, taking a big
gulp of champagne. "Here, turn around."

"What for?"

"So suspicious! Now where's the soap--ah here it is."
He began to lather the soap onto her back and shoulders, massaging her skin.

"Oh my...that feels...incredible. Your hands...I have
no words."

He whispered in her ear, "Just the beginning. I have so
much else planned."

She felt the warmth inside her building at the promise in
his words. His hands were firm on her shoulders and gliding down her back. She
felt herself relaxing against the pressure, a melting away of all stress,
letting herself focus only on sensations.

He continued in the quiet until he told her to lean back. He
got her hair wet and then began to shampoo it. She'd thought she knew what it
was to relax in his hands but this! His fingers massaging her scalp made her
both want him madly and at the same time not want to move. She'd never imagined
such a delicious yet delicate sensual experience.

When he began to rinse out her hair, she felt some regret--but
not much because she knew the best was yet to come.

She turned to face him and gave him a languorous yet
arousing deep long kiss. "I'm all yours, you know. For as long as you want
me."

"I'll always want you, love. Always," he murmured
against her lips.

* * * *

A day of shopping with Holly and Sam nearly did her in. Anna
was at one point ready to leave the two of them in the stores and go sit in the
SUV. Each of them seemed to feel that she needed stylish, expensive clothing,
especially for the night of the opening of the show. Apparently jeans and t-shirts
were a thing of the past if they had their way.

They can both just go and--
she stopped herself from
continuing that thought. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their help or
their confidence in her ability to wear styles she'd never worn before. It was
just that they saw something in her she didn't see. Granted, living with Sam,
having sex with him, these had made her feel more confident in the
attractiveness of her body. But it was still hard to put on what she considered
'dress-up' clothes and not feel like a fraud.

She was currently waiting at the door of the last place they'd
gone into. A small exclusive shop, where they'd immediately recognized Sam as
Tom Anders, the place had offered nothing that Anna was interested in even
looking at. Sam and Holly had been talking for a few minutes to the saleswoman--or
whatever you called them in such a fancy place--and now they came walking
toward her looking chagrined.

"We're sorry, Anna," Holly began.

"Yes, we totally screwed up," Sam said.

"The thing is, we think we know where to go. Millicent
here has kindly told us of a new place with a very bohemian style. Can you
stand to go to one more place?" Holly gave her a look of pleading.

"Ach--you are so aggravating! I never can say 'no' to
you."

Sam smiled at her. "I think you'll like this next
place."

"But no pressure," Anna said.

"Come on, Sis, let's get to the car. This shop is a few
streets over."

Anna prepared herself to yet again hate everything, but as
soon as they walked in she felt she was home. "Look at that top--it's
beautiful!"

Sam and Holly gave each other congratulatory grins.

"Just shut up you two."

"We said nothing," Holly replied.

"Yeah, I could hear you saying nothing."

The shop turned out to be owned by a fabric artist and
designer. He painted designs on fabric as well as designing clothes that were
uniquely different. The shaping, color and texture of the materials--everything
felt right to Anna.

The owner was in and came to help them. "Look at that
hair! I have a copper-colored shift that would be perfect on you. Hello,"
he said extending a hand. "My name isMelvin. What are you looking for?"

"We need a dress, or some kind of outfit, for her show
at the Stanley Walters Gallery," Sam told him.

"Whoa! Stanley Walters? So you're the new artist he's
been raving about around town. Well, well, well, this is interesting. I have a
dress, full-length in a fabulous green. I've only just finished it. Bronze and
gold highlights painted on it. It was to be the prototype but--"

He whirled away and walked quickly to a back room. His hands
were filled with the dress when he came back. He pulled Anna into the dressing
room and stayed in there with her, over her protestations, to arrange the
draping. It had a fitted bodice and fell in exquisite folds down her body,
showing off her curves.

She saw herself in the mirror and her breath caught in her
chest. She couldn't believe how good she looked. After a few tucks in various
places and a few pins, she carefully walked out to show the others.

Sam's mouth fell open and Holly brought her hands together
at her chest.

"Oh Anna," she breathed. "It's perfect."

"Sexy, stylish," Sam said as he walked around her.
"This makes a real statement. Do you like it?"

"I love it," she said. "Let's get it."

Melvin said, "For wearing this at the gallery, I won't
even let you pay. Just mention my name when they ask where you got it--and they
will! Believe me. You must come back here to get an entire wardrobe. Your body
type is the kind I always want to design for, not these anorexic, tall models.
You are a real woman. Plus you have the sensibilities of an artist. Anyone
could see that."

She thanked him profusely as the dress was wrapped and boxed
up. She went ahead and bought the copper shift and the top she'd first been
drawn to as well. When Sam paid, a figure in the thousands, she didn't even
flinch.

They made one more stop to buy shoes for the dress. Then
Holly left them to go to an appointment. She kissed Anna on the cheek and gave
Sam a hug when she left. "I can't wait until Friday," she said.

"Only one day away, so you don't have long," Anna
told her. "Thanks for coming with us to do this today."

"Any time, and I mean that very literally. Bye-bye!"

She caught a cab and they watched her leave. Sam said. "When
we get back to the hotel later on why don't you put on that new copper dress.
We can go out to dinner tonight."

"You mean, in public?"

"Yep."

"You'll probably be recognized. They'll wonder who I
am."

"Let them. I'm tired of hiding in our suite. We're
letting Patrice control us."

"I do agree with that. Okay, dinner out sounds good.
Now what else do I need to buy today? Am I done?"

"Jewelry. You'll need at least some earrings. Maybe a
bracelet."

"How do you know so much about fashion anyway?"

"My mother was a designer, remember? With her and three
sisters I couldn't help but soak up some information."

"Right, I had forgotten. Okay, onward for jewelry."

When they pulled up outside Tiffany's she turned to stare at
Sam. "I should have known."

He tossed a grin at her and led her out of the car and into
the store. Within moments they were at a counter looking at earrings. They both
saw the bronze and gold earrings at the same time.

"Those are perfect," Anna said to the man helping
them.

"Excellent choice," he removed them from the case
and offered them to her. The bronze and gold were twisted together into an
interesting abstract shape.

"Let's get these," she said to Sam.

He nodded and said, "If you could hold those for us, we
also need a bracelet."

The bracelet took longer to choose, but they finally had one
that would complement and not distract from the dress. When they had their
packages they headed out and passed by the cases with the diamond engagement
rings. Anna shook her head.

"What?" Sam asked.

"To me those solitary diamonds always look a little
bare on a woman's hand. They should have another stone at least, or one on
either side of the diamond in color, just to complete the ring.

"Hmm. I see your point."

"What now?" Anna asked.