Masterpiece

A Dark Eden Press Publication

www.darkedenpress.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Masterpiece Copyright© 2007 Roxanne Wells Edited by Laura Van Allen Cover art by Melissa Hanson Electronic book Publication: July 2007 This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Dark Eden Press, Inc.® 8824 Jeanes Lane, Alvarado, TX 76009 This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

MASTERPIECE ROXANNE WELLS

DEDICATION TO BRETT, MY ADONIS.

Roxanne Wells

Masterpiece

Chapter One Who swiped my statue?

I worked in a bridal shop once. Trust me, if you’re hopelessly lonely that’s the last place you should be. I only worked there two months. The look on every bride-tobe’s face when she tried on her first dress was depressing. I think I got carpel tunnel in my cheeks from forcing fake smiles. So I came up with my own business. I’m a loner you see. I’m content on being alone, so working out of my home suits me perfectly. I’m a sculptor to be exact. I work with ceramics, plasters, and clay. I build small statues for a company called Paint Me Perfect. I make the molds and statues, and they sell them to customers who in turn paint them the way they want them. I make deliveries on Monday to the shop and the rest of the week I make more statues. What? I have no life? Well, you’re right. I’m not so lucky in love. I’ve had two boyfriends my whole life and I’m twenty-seven. The last guy that saw me nude said, “Wow, you’d be perfect if you had bigger breasts.” So I did what any woman with a low self-esteem would do. I ran out and got a boob job. Why? Because I look damn good now. I saw that guy at the grocery store once after that. He stared at me in the parking lot but never approached me. I rolled my eyes and moved on. It only took one insult to get me walking. I’m waiting for someone who loves me for me. If you find him, be sure and send him my way. Okay back to my story. I live in Laguna Beach, California where art is a requirement to live within the city limits. Either you create it, sell it, or love it. In my case it’s all three. Excuse me, my phone is ringing. “Good Morning, Jenna’s Plaster Patch.” “Hi, my name is David Evans. I’d like to order a statue from you.” I quickly grabbed my order form and a pen off the kitchen counter. “And what kind of statue are you looking for?” I asked. “Well, I want to give my wife a gift she won’t ever forget. A statue of a man, maybe.”

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I lifted an eyebrow and thought maybe it was a prank call. I got those a lot. People asking me if I could make penis molds and, well, you get the idea. “Like of yourself?” I asked, half afraid of the answer. “Oh, hell no. I was thinking more on the lines of the Greek God Adonis. My wife loves art and she is a teacher of mythology, so she would love something like that.” “Hmph, so are we talking like a bust?” “No, I want the full size man. I want to display it in our pool entry way,” he said. I let out a loud chuckle and stopped immediately when the laughter wasn’t reciprocated. “I’m sorry. I thought you were kidding.” “No, I actually wanted that for my wife,” Mr. Evans said, sounding upset. “Oh, well I usually only do small busts of people, animals, and plates. You know for people to paint at Paint Me Perfect.” “I’ve heard of the place,” Mr. Evans said, still sounding down. Mr. Evans let out a long sigh. “Well, shit, you were the last place on the list.” “I’m so sorry. I’m not a professional. I mean I can do pretty good busts but…” “Well then, that’s great! You just have to do the body!” he said excitedly. “Yes, but that’s the hard part.” “I’ll give you nine grand, plus a thousand for supplies,” he said, sounding desperate. I raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” I said, not believing what I had just heard. I hadn’t seen that kinda of money ever. My refrigerator could use a stock up, hell; I could use a new car. Okay, I had to pay off the boobs. Yes, they finance those things. “Hello?” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. So you want a full-size Adonis sculpture?” “Yes.” “And you’ll pay me ten grand?” “Yes, I will.” “When do you need it?”

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“In a month. I can give you a thousand now for supplies. I’ll mail you a check.” “Deal,” I said. We exchanged information and I got more detail on the delivery date. As I hung up, I suddenly got excited. I wrote out a list of supplies and figured out approximately how much the statue would cost to make. I figured to make a full size statue, I’d need to use cement plaster as well. The statue would have to be sturdier than my normal small figurines. Then, I got on the internet and began to research the Greek God Adonis. I printed out pictures of the original statue, and studied up on my mythology. Within three weeks I had built the mold, mixed gallons of plaster and shaped and molded a replica of the Greek God Adonis. I’d been late with two deliveries and Paint Me Perfect had issued me a warning about getting a new supplier because I had become obsessed with the statue in my garage. Every second of my free time had been invested on a statue that would eventually leave me and sit in another woman’s home. I had built the statue up on a foot-high platform. When it came time to transfer it I didn’t want to risk the possibility of someone chipping or cracking the feet. Weeks of perfecting detail had assisted in developing my obsession. I walked up the step-stool with a glass of wine in hand. I stared at the Masterpiece in front of me. I raised the glass. “To Mr. Evans. Who encouraged me to expand my horizons and go The Full Monty,” I said, and winked at the finely sculpted penis. “Cheers.” I took a gulp of wine and walked down the stool. I set the glass down and looked around my cluttered garage. “Well, it’s back to reality.” I began cleaning up my garage and sorting supplies. I’d call Mr. Evans in the morning to inform him that after I fired the Adonis sculpture, it would be done. I unfolded a beach chair and sipped down my second glass of wine. I wasn’t much of a drinker but I was celebrating, and no one else would appreciate my work like me. I sat down and stared at him. Suddenly, I thought I spotted a defect on Adonis’ left eye. I got up and rushed up the step stool. I stared Adonis in the face. There were no defects. I ran my hands over the face and hair. I felt for chips or cracks. I worked my way downward over each shoulder, down each bicep, and across each pectoral muscle. I had just realized

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that I had made my statue a bit more muscular than the original internet images. I skimmed downward over the abs, behind to the gluts, and over each hip. Still there were no flaws. I made sure to spend an extra amount of time on the fine detail of Adonis’ penis. I made sure to go bigger than the original. So many of those ancient statues had penis’s that didn’t look fully developed. I knew Mrs. Evans would appreciate this Adonis. I felt a hot flash just before I slid my hand down the shaft and to the tip. “What are you doing?” I heard a male voice ask. I blinked hard and stared at my hand. The penis was warm, soft, and very real to the touch. I looked upward quickly. A real man’s face stared back at me. “Ah!” I screamed and stumbled down the step-stool. The man walked down the steps and reached out for me as I landed on my butt. “Are you okay, Miss?” he asked. I let out another scream, and scooted backward. “Stop! I’m not going to hurt you!” the man shouted over me. I backed up and stood slowly, feeling the wall behind me with my palms. It was a real live man in front of me. I swallowed hard and held my breath as he stepped toward me. He leaned down slightly and stared into my eyes. His eyebrows narrowed as he took both hands and ran then down the sides of my face. “You’re real,” he whispered. I nodded slowly and poked his chest with my index finger. “So are you.” “Yes,” he said, pulling his hands back. I peeked around him and looked at the empty platform. I glanced back at him, confused. “Am I dreaming?” I asked. “I don’t know,” he said quickly. I made my way around him and over to the platform. I felt where the statue once stood. “Wait a minute. I’m drunk. I’ve fallen and hit my head. I’m passed out somewhere and I’m dreaming, right?”

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“I don’t think so,” he said, looking down at himself. “Can I get some clothes from you?” He brought both hands in front of him looking around the room. “Strange place.” “No, you can’t have any clothes. You stole my statue!” “I did not!” “Yes, you did. I was checking my statue of Adonis the Greek God for flaws and then you appeared.” “I did not steal anything!” “Well then where is it?” I asked. The man glanced around the room. “I have no idea. I was up on the platform and all of a sudden you’re holding my, well, you know.” I began to panic. I had a deadline and my statue was gone. Poof! Into thin air. I ran my fingers through my hair and frantically searched the garage. Looking in illogical places, but never-the-less looking out of desperation. I heard the man’s throat clear. “I could use some clothes please.” I lifted an eyebrow and shook my head at him. “No way! You are my statue,” I said, pointing at him. “Now you get back up on that platform!” I grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. “Get up there, pretend you’re a statue, and get hard!”

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Chapter Two Sleeping With a Stranger

“What? Are you suggesting that I stand back on your platform and make myself a statue?” “Yes,” I said pushing him up the step-stool.” “I have no idea how I got here. I mean…” “Just shut up and get hard, okay?” I said, following him up the two steps. I held his face and stared into his eyes. “I was holding your body and then you came to life. Let me try it again and hopefully you’ll go back to being my statue.” I closed my eyes and hoped that it would work. Maybe if I believed that it would work it would. I retraced my steps down his body, but it was all different. His warm soft skin heated the palms of my hands. Each muscle, every detail, felt different. It was skin, not plaster. As I worked my hands downward I realized he wasn’t turning back and by the time I reached for his penis it was rock hard. I opened my eyes, quickly. His left eyebrow rose slightly and a smile moved across his face. “That’s the closest I could get,” he said. I let out a huge sigh and let him go. Just before I backed up he grabbed me around the waist. “Wait,” he said, pulling me close. Our bodies slipped into a perfect fit. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I immediately closed my eyes as an intoxicating feeling swept over me, different from anything any wine could make me feel. His lips were soft. His skin smelled like a smoldering pine. As the kiss deepened I contemplated pulling away, but it was so intense. I ran my hands up his back and felt his hardness make its way in between my legs. I let out a quick moan as his mouth opened. I slipped my tongue into his mouth as he met mine with his. His breathing picked up. He pulled back quickly and stepped down off the platform. He scooped me off the step-stool and set me down on the floor.

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He held my face again and came toward me. I pulled back this time and glanced into his piercing green eyes. “Wait,” I said, as he came toward me. I held him back and hurried toward my garage door leading into the house. He followed close behind. I opened the door, entering my kitchen. He had a tight grip on my wrist at that point. “Let me go,” I said, trying hard not to laugh. He hung on tighter as I walked down my hallway. He glanced around my house as I entered my bedroom. “This is a very strange dream. It feels quite real, though.” “Yes, it does. I still think I’m drunk passed out somewhere,” I said. I glanced down between his legs and stepped back. His chest rose and fell quickly. He looked at me as if at any second he would start chasing me. He stepped forward, and then pulled back. I eyed my bed and looked back at him. I hadn’t slept well in weeks. Maybe I was asleep on the couch again. “I don’t think we should do this,” he said. I felt my heart beat soar with anticipation. “Me neither.” “I may not remember how. It’s been a very long time for me,” he admitted, scanning down my body. “I don’t even know you,” I said, not wanting to admit that it had been a very long time for me too. In fact we were talking ancient times. Well, it felt that way. “You’re clothes are strange to me.” I wore a pair of jeans and black tank top with no bra on. “They are? Well, maybe I should remove them so you don’t feel uncomfortable,” I said, pulling the tank top over my head. His eyes opened wider as my breast were exposed. I ran my fingers through my dark shoulder length hair and teased it a bit. “The last dream I had like this was so unfulfilling. Right before I got inside the woman, my horse bit my hair and woke me up.”

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“The last sex dream I had the man pulled my panties down and said if I changed the color of my hair down there he’d actually lick it,” I said, figuring, What the hell?. This was a dream, right? I might as well admit it all. I would wake up any minute anyway. The man stepped closer and tugged at the front of my jeans. “Well, let me see. I’ll lick it, no matter what color.” Yeah, definitely a dream. He reached for the button and pulled down the zipper. I watched his eyes light up as my pants came down. His cock flexed upward as my panties fell to the floor. “Who are you?” he asked. I shook my head. “Maybe we should save the questions for after. What if it’s over after we answer?” He nodded and reached for me. His arms wrapped around to my lower back and his force pushed me back onto the foot of the bed. I let out a slight snicker. Sex dreams were fun. I leaned back on the bed and watched him kiss my lower stomach and venture downward. “You were telling the truth,” I said. He nodded again. I scooted backward and leaned on my pillows. He crawled after me, licking his lips. I swallowed hard, watching him get nearer to my pussy. I waited patiently, ready to wake up at any second. His fingers separated my already wet folds as I watched the tip of his tongue slide over my clitoris. Over and over again. The pleasure had begun. “Five, four, three…” He paused and glanced up at me. “Why are you counting?” he asked. “The dream. I know it’s gonna end.” He quickly got to his knees, holding the tip of his cock. He leaned in close and ran the tip over my clit and down my opening. Moistening the tip, he slowly thrust forward. We both let out an intense moan as he entered deeper into me. “Please don’t end,” he whispered.

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I took in a deep breath as his excitement woke every sense I had. He leaned forward, scooping me up and leaned back. I was now straddled over top of him. He held my face and kissed my lips. He grabbed my thighs quickly and pulled me and pushed me over him. I rocked back and forth in time with his thrusting hips while holding his rockhard pectoral muscles. “It’s almost there!” I shouted, gripping his chest. “Let’s count down together,” he said in an exhaled moan. “Five, four, three, two---” we both tensed up. I watched him tilt his head back and close his eyes tight. My eyes were forced shut as the electrifying orgasm flushed over my body. This didn’t feel like a dream anymore. This was too real. I opened my eyes, slowing down my hips as mine ended. I looked down at him and his eyes were focused on me. “This isn’t a dream is it?” he whispered, out of breath. “I don’t think so,” I said. He pulled me down closer to him as I lay over his chest. He moved my hair to one side, as my lips touched his shoulder. I could feel the racing of his heart through my chest. I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of his embrace. No man had ever held me like that before. It felt good to be wanted even if only in a dream. I woke up feeling a cool breeze flow through the room from my window above my bed. Glancing upward, I saw the sheers swaying overhead. I let out a long sigh, life was good. I had a nice little house I rented, a crappy old Honda Accord, but it still ran, and I’d have a nine-thousand dollar check in one week. I yawned and stretched my legs out. I felt something heavy across my stomach. I lifted the sheet and stared down at a strong arm lying across me. The hand reached upward and caressed my right breast. I let the sheet fall down and turned to my right side. The hand slid down my hip and a body came up from behind and spooned me. I quickly racked my brain, trying to figure out when I last had a man come over. It was a man, right? I quickly turned over and lifted up the sheets. A gorgeous hunk of a man was asleep lying next to me. He stirred and moved to his back revealing a mighty erection. Okay, definitely a man, thank goodness. Never had a woman never would. I shook that thought from my

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head and scanned the room. What had I done last night? What happened? Okay, I had some wine, obsessed over my statue and… The statue. I slowly slipped out of bed and hurried to the garage. The lights were still on and the statue was gone. I covered my mouth and quickly remembered the dream. “Holy shit, this isn’t happening,” I said, glancing around the garage. “I’ve completely lost it.” I slumped down in the beach chair and stared at the empty platform. What was I going to do about the statue? Who was the man in my bed? About ten minutes later I smelled coffee brewing. I raised an eyebrow and watched the garage door open. The statue stealer walked through the door with two mugs in hand. I felt myself take a quick breath. “Good morning, dream mistress,” he said, handing me a mug. He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “So, you want to talk now?” I nodded and stood up. I pointed down to his groin. “I see your thingy went down.” “Yeah, well it does that when a beautiful woman is around,” he said, opening the door for me. I walked down the hall and glanced back. He was staring down at my bottom. “We’re going back to your bed?” he asked. “I was going to find us clothes,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Well, the view was worth walking behind you.” “Very cute, Mr….” “Clark. My name is Wyatt Clark.”

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Chapter Three Toga Messenger

I turned around in the hallway. “Wyatt Clark? I thought you were Adonis, Greek God.” A low chuckle escaped his lips while he sipped his coffee. “No, ma’am. I’m a cowboy headed west to get me some gold.” “What?” “Gold Rush. 1850.” He glanced around the house. “This is a nice place, but it doesn’t look at all like what they have around my neck of the woods.” I glanced down the front of him. I hadn’t seen that kind of sexiness in my neck of the woods ever. I shook the thought out of my head and walked into my room. I quickly grabbed my robe and put it on. I watched Mr. Clark sit down on my bed and lean back into the pillows. “What are you doing?” I asked. “What do you mean 1850? It’s 2007.” “I’m having my coffee. And what year is it?” Wyatt stood up and looked out my bedroom window. “Well, you’re gonna have to leave,” I said, setting my mug down and folding my arms. “Strange. Leave?” he asked, tuning back toward me. “I don’t even know you. You steal my statue and then we…” I pointed my finger toward the bed and waved it back and forth. “Then you make yourself comfortable.” He set the mug on my nightstand and walked toward me. He green eyes darkened as he moved closer. I stepped back and held my robe tightly together. He grasped both my shoulders. “Are you saying that I’ve been brought here by you all the way from 1850 and you’re kicking me out?” I shrugged. I hadn’t thought about it that way. “How do I know you’re from 1850? Huh? How did you make this coffee?” I asked, raising my eyebrows waiting for an answer.

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Wyatt blinked twice and a grin moved across his face. “I read the directions. It wasn’t too hard. Pour the water in the top and turn it on. You had the coffee already in there.” “Oh,” I said, snapping my fingers. “Wait! So they have electricity in 1850?” “Well, yes. I have seen pictures of advanced electricity in a newspaper.” “Prove that you’re from 1850?” “I can’t prove it. I have nothing on me, as you can plainly see.” “Hmph!” I scratched my head and sighed. “Maybe you’re a sexy bum.” I began to pace the floor. “Yes, I had too much wine; you entered the room, hid my statue, and had your way with me.” “I did not! Well, yes I did, but not like you say.” “Oh really? Where were you last night before you showed up?” He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at me, puzzled. “I was skinny-dipping in a Colorado hot spring. It was late at night and I was sore from riding my horse all day. My campfire was off a little to the left and I was staring up at the sky. A series of falling stars shot by and…” He pointed to me. “And I wished for love. You did bring me here!” I pointed back at him. “No, you wished to be here! It’s all your fault! And now for some mystical, magical reason you’re stuck with me.” I turned around and headed for the bathroom. “Well, what if I don’t want you!” I stepped into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. My cheeks were flushed and I looked surprisingly good for the night I had. I glanced out the bathroom. “Did you hear me?” What if I don’t want you?” I stepped out of the bathroom and glanced around. “Wyatt? Mr. Clark?” I walked around the house and he was gone. I stood still listening for him. Nothing but the quiet room surrounded me. I sat down on the couch and stared at the wall. He was really gone. Well, shit, that was way too fast. A night of passion and poof, back to lonely. I really did want him. He was more than I could have ever asked for.

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Just then the door-bell rang. I jumped in my seat. I made my way to the door, tightening the belt on my robe as I went. I peeked out the peephole and saw a little man with dark curly hair. He wore a white sheet. “Can I help you?” I asked through the door. “Yes, I’m the messenger for Mr. David Evans. I have your check,” he said, waving it in front of the peephole. “Are you wearing a sheet?” Money or not I wasn’t opening my door to a weirdo. I watched him look upward and snap his fingers. “Ummm, it’s a Halloween costume. You know a toga.” I opened the door quickly. “It’s October 3.” “Well, I was trying it out. You do want your check, don’t you?” I swallowed hard. I bit my thumb-nail and stared at the check. How could I take the check in good conscience, knowing the statue was gone? I had one week to deliver it. It would never be there on time. He held out the check. I was too damn honest. “I can’t take the check,” I said and sighed. “Why not?” “Well, the statue’s just not ready. It won’t be ready on time.” “Can I see it?” “No!” “Why not? he asked again, looking around my shoulder into the house. He moved past me and glanced around. “There are flaws on it,” I said, moving toward the garage door. “What? Flaws? What happened to it?” “I think it was the plaster. Weak plaster!” I lied. He opened the garage door and produced a large grin. I felt my jaw drop a little. The statue stood before us in all its glory. Perfect and precious, just like the night I finished it. “Wow! She’s gonna love this,” he said and looked at me. I quickly shut my mouth and nodded wondering what the heck was going on.

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“Who?” I asked “His wife,” he said, simply. “Oh, right,” I said, staring at the statue. He waved the check in front of my face. “Here you are, Miss Jenna.” I quickly snapped back to reality. I took the check and smiled at the man. “Thanks.” “No, thank you,” he said, leaving the room. The garage door shut and I stared at the statue again. I rubbed the side of my neck and headed for the garage door. I opened it. “Where am I delivering this?” I asked, walking toward the front door. The little man was no where to be seen. “Sir?” I glanced out the front door. “Messenger man? Toga Boy? Hey!” I shut the door and raced to the garage where the statue still stood. I hurried up the step-stool and stared at the statue’s the face. “I didn’t mean it, okay? I do want you! I’ve never had anyone so sexy and gentle in all my life,” I said, sighing. A desperate half laugh, half cry escaped me as I slumped my shoulders downward. I turned to walk down the steps. On the last step I quickly turned back. Wyatt was still a statue. Damn! I placed my hands on my hip and raised an eyebrow. I walked straight up the steps and held the statues face. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I said, leaning in closer. I closed my eyes and placed my lips on the statue’s lips. “Come back to me,” I whispered. If anyone walked in on me they’d have me admitted to a loony bin. Suddenly, warm full lips melted into mine. Strong warm arms wrapped around my robe. I parted my lips and tasted the man from the night before. The kiss deepened as his hands tugged at the knot on my robe. While we both worked at the knot I felt something hard slide past my hip. I pulled back and looked into his aqua-colored eyes. Wyatt was back. “Where were you?” I asked. “Back in the hot springs.” I got the knot undone and opened the robe. He glanced down at my breasts.

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“You are a vision,” he said, cupping them both. “They’re fake,” I said, staring down at his hands. “How can that be?” he asked, massaging them. I tipped my head back, enjoying the attention he gave them. “I was very small and doctors made them bigger,” I whispered. He glanced down at his enormous erection. “Don’t even think about messing with it. Doctors haven’t perfected that one.” He nodded and pulled me off the stool. We headed for my bedroom for the second time. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” Wyatt asked, crawling toward my pillows and lying on his back. “For saying I didn’t want you. I do want you.” He beckoned me forward. I peeled the robe off and let it fall to the floor. I crawled over him and glanced over his features. He was the vision. A strong jaw, electrifying eyes, thin nose, olive skin, dark brown hair. “What?” “Nothing. I just don’t want you to leave again. He ran his hands down my face and continued downward. He pulled my thighs toward him as he entered my body. Pleasure erupted through me as I heard his soft moans. This was no dream. This was a strange reality that had a mystery behind it. One I would be willing to look into for a very long time. Moonlight beamed in from the window above my bed. I sat up and turned around. I peeked outside and glanced upward. The moon was full and brighter than I had ever seen it. I felt kisses going up my back. I smiled and turned to look at Wyatt. “How long are you staying?” I asked. “Are you asking me to stay?” “I don’t want you to go, ever. Do you have a wife?” “No.” “Children?’ “No.” “Will you miss anyone?” “Sally.”

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A stroke of jealousy hit me. “Sally?” “My nanny from when I was a kid. My parents have passed on. My two brothers are married and living in New York. I asked a friend to go out west with me but he thought it was too dangerous. I’ll miss my brothers,” he said, softly. I turned around and ran my hand down his cheek. “Do you want to go back?” He smiled and tongued my nipple. He slightly shook his head. I laid back down leaning on my elbow. “Well, I have a question.” “Yes, ma’am.” “If you traveled all the way from New York to Colorado, heading for California, why would you wish for love? Shouldn’t you have wished for gold? The whole purpose for your trip?” He rolled back and stared at the ceiling. “Doesn’t everyone wish for love?” “No, Wyatt. Not everyone,” I said and kissed his lips. “If you didn’t steal my statue for the second time, who did?” “Not the statue again,” Wyatt said. “Hey, the man gave me ten thousand dollars to do it and the statue is gone now.” Wyatt sat straight up. “Ten thousand dollars?” “Yes, and now I’ll have to give it back.” “Oh, no you won’t,” he said, grabbing my wrist and tugging on me. “Where are we going?” I asked. “I’m gonna help you build another one.” “Really?” I asked, following him out the bedroom door. “Yes, let’s go.”

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Chapter Four Statue Number Two

I made us some sandwiches and explained the whole process of making a statue. He was very intelligent and could read, write, and follow directions. Hey, if this plan was to work, I’d need help quickly. The mold was still intact. All we had to do was mix and pour plaster and cement, but each section needed time to dry. That is what took most of the time. If it didn’t dry properly, it would crack and crumble. The next morning, I got up early and got into the shower. By the time I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, I smelled coffee. “So, why do you live alone?” Wyatt asked from the other side of the shower curtain. “Because no one offered to live with me,” I said, giggling. “I meant, why aren’t you married?” I peeked out of the shower curtain. “Because no one asked me?” I replied, letting the shower curtain fall shut. “Well, can I ask your age?” “Sure, I’m twenty-seven. You?” “Thirty.” “So why haven’t you married?” I asked him. “No one brave enough wants me.” “What does that mean?” “I wanted to go out west and find an adventure. No woman wanted to join me.” “You’re out west now, and you’re on an adventure.” “Yes, and you’re here,” he said. I smiled. I didn’t know exactly what that meant but he was cute in implying I was brave. Poor man, little did he know, I was afraid of everything. Relationships, big dogs, sharks, lightning, and strange men. I know Wyatt is a stranger, but wow what a bod. Come on, you’d keep him around too if you were here. “So, when are we gonna get started?” I asked.

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“Well, that’s what I came to ask you. Is there any way I can get some clothes? I’d like to be dressed at some point.” I moved the curtain opened and scanned down his body. He handed me a mug of coffee. “Are you sure? You look great without anything on.” He stepped inside the shower and pulled the curtain shut. He ran his hands up my hips. “I fear that if I don’t get dressed that we’ll never get any work done.” I saw his point, looking downward. *** I walked through Target in a hurry. I wanted to just grab anything that would fit Wyatt. When he had something to wear, I’d take him to the mall for some really nice clothes. I was worried he’d start a fire or flood the bathroom while I was gone. Did they have flush toilets and gas lines in 1850? Oh man, he’d be dead by the time I got back and all that great sex would be over. I hurried faster, bumping into an older woman. “What’s your hurry lady? Slow down!” she shouted. “Hey! I’ve got a sex pot of a man in my house waiting for clothes, so move it sister!” I yelled back. Two women behind me giggled. I entered the house to the wonderful smell of bacon. Wyatt was standing over the stove in my powder-blue robe. He turned and waved the spatula at me. I dropped the bags and stared at him. He was cooking, naked, and he was cooking. Did I say that twice? I sighed. I wanted to keep him. He set the spatula down and walked toward me. The knot on the robe was loose and I caught sight of dangling parts underneath. “You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” I said, kissing him when he approached me. “Oh really? I think that’s my line,” he said, hugging me tightly. I pulled back and lifted the bags. “Okay, I got boxers and boxer briefs. Deodorant and shaving cream. Jeans and shorts. T-shirts and razors…”

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“Oh good, I need to shave,” he said, examining the package of razors. “What is deodorant?” “You put in under your arms so you won’t smell,” I said, taking the razors from him. “They just shave your face.” “Yes, but where is the blade?” “Oh, it’s there.” “Don’t you have a straight razor?” he asked, hurrying back to his bacon. “No, but I’ll show you how to use those later.” He waved the spatula up. “Okay.” After breakfast he tried on some of the clothes. He settled on the jeans and t-shirt. “How do I look? Wyatt asked, walking into the garage. I was mixing the first batch of plaster. I stopped mixing when I caught sight of him. “You look great,” I said. He was handsome, clothed and nude. I went back to mixing, although all I could think of was him. He leaned down next to me as I tried not to make eye contact with him. I had been in bed with this man, walked around nude in front of him, and now that he was dressed I felt shy. Maybe I liked this guy more than I thought. “Okay, so where should I start?” I slowly looked up at him. He flashed me a wide grin with a hint of a lifted left eyebrow. “Miss?” My stomach fluttered at the sight of his intoxicating eyes. I began giving him directions on the mixing procedure and tried to stay focused. Several hours later, we were done mixing and pouring into the mold. I was just about to pull my gloves off when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” I said, removing my gloves. I made my way to the front door and looked through the peephole. The toga man with the dark curly hair was on the other side adjusting his tie. Hmph, a new look for him. He looked like Danny DeVito with Roman curls. I opened the door. “Hello, Miss Jenna,” he said with a wide smile. “Hi, what can I do for you?” I asked nervously, looking back at the garage.

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Messenger man tugged at his tie again. “This is too tight,” he said, lifting his chin upward. “Help me, would you?” I stepped forward and loosened the knot. “Haven’t you ever worn a tie before?” “Not really,” he whispered. “I’m just trying it out.” “Another Halloween costume?” “Yeah, something like that.” I stepped back as he moved in past me. “I’m sorry, did Mr. Evans need something?” The man inched toward the garage and pulled out a pen from his suit coat pocket. “No, he just wanted me to come over and look at the statue again.” I hurried to the garage door and slammed my back up against it. “Right, well you left so fast last time that you didn’t give me an address where he wanted it delivered, and it wasn’t on the check.” “Oh, it’s a new account so no address yet until the new checks come in.” I nodded, not budging from the door. “So what’s the address?” I asked. “Jenna, who’s at the door? You need me?” Wyatt hollered from the other side of the door. Well at least he hadn’t turned into the statue again, although I wished he had, momentarily. The door knob wiggled behind me. I half-laughed and smiled at Messenger DeVito. “Aren’t you going to open the door and let me visit the statue?” “Aren’t you going to give me an address to drop it off?” I asked him back, feeling the door pushing open behind me. Messenger man nudged me over and the door flew open. I regained my stance and opened my mouth at his rudeness. Wyatt walked through the door and glanced at the man then at me. “Hello?” Wyatt asked, cautiously. He turned and examined the door. “I must take a look at this door if it’s sticking.” “The door is fine, Wyatt. This man is Mr. Evans’ messenger.” Wyatt held out his

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hand to shake the man’s but narrowed his eyes at me and looked confused. “The man who purchased the statue. Ten grand?” I whispered eyeing Roman curl boy. “He’s come to check the statue.” Wyatt’s eyes widened. “Oh, Mr.?” Wyatt said placing his hand on his shoulder, and walking him away from the garage door. “Herm---” He looked up quickly covering his mouth. “Mr. Herman.” The man looked delighted with his name and nodded. “Well, Mr. Herman, the statue is fine. We just need a place to deliver it to.” Suddenly, a roar of thunder growled overhead. I didn’t even know rain was in the forecast. I didn’t know a lot of things in the past two days. The little man jumped and moved around Wyatt with lightning speed. Before I knew it, he had opened the garage door and was walking inside. I felt my jaw drop. How the hell? Wyatt and I hurried in behind him. I covered my mouth as he stared down at the empty platform and then glanced down at the new statue we were making. He pulled out a pad of paper and began to write on the paper. He shook the pen as if the ink had just run out. “Blasted pen!” he said. “I want you to cash that check immediately.” Both Wyatt and I looked at each other in shock. “But…” I said confused. He shook the pen harder over the new statue. I rushed around to the other side to grab the pen. He was making me nervous. “Yes, cash the check and…” All of a sudden, ink splashed out all over the new statue, over the floor, and all over me. I opened my mouth in awe as I held out my hands to block the splashes as they came down. Wyatt moved in quickly and grabbed the monkey-suit man from behind me and yanked him backward. “Okay, time to go,” Wyatt said, escorting him out of the garage. “Oh crap, I’m sorry! I hope I didn’t ruin anything,” Mr. Herman said as the garage door slammed shut. I quickly grabbed a rag and tried blotting the ink from the statue, but every touch

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distorted its shape and smeared the ink. I panicked and grabbed another rag. Twenty minutes later I was sitting in the corner of the garage totally depressed. Wyatt came through the door with a smile on his face. The smile floated away when he saw me. “Oh sweetie, I’m sorry,” he said, leaning down by my side. I shrugged and let the ink-soaked rag fall to the ground beside me. “Why don’t we go for a walk?” I nodded as he helped me up. I washed up in the kitchen sink and grabbed my purse off the counter. Wyatt came out of the bathroom and followed me out the front door. He glanced around. I had forgotten this was his first time outside. “Where is your horse?” “We have cars now. More power, less poop,” I said, opening my car door for him. He towered over my Honda. I walked around to my side and got in. “Get inside silly.” He lowered himself in and sat down. “It’s like a carriage.” “Yes.” “What pulls it?” I put the key in the ignition and started the engine. “Not horses,” I said, leaning over him and shut the door. I pulled the seat belt over his broad chest and took off down the street. He stared out the window. “There are so many cars! Look at the colors!” “Yep!” The sun had set, but there was just enough light to reveal a beautiful sunset and all the colors of the Laguna Beach main street. The closer I got to the beach the more brilliant the colors showed up in the sky. “I love it here,” he said, leaning over and touching my cheek. I parked the car and grabbed a blanket from the back. “Have you ever been to the ocean before?” I asked. “No, I never got there,” he said, shutting the car door way too hard. He gave me a look like, oops. I took his hand and glanced up at the full moon. “I’ve seen that moon

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many times though.” “That’s the kind of moon you fall in love under,” I said. I heard a chuckle from him. I glanced to my right. “What?” “You are so romantic.” I looked away embarrassed and let go of his hand. “No, I like it,” he said, trying to recapture my hand. I folded my arms and held onto the blanket. I walked faster in hopes that the sea would swallow me up.

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Chapter Five Under an October Moon

I heard a sigh from behind me as Wyatt tried to keep up. I hurried down the sand. I didn’t hear Wyatt behind me anymore. I glanced back. He was staring at the ocean. The beach was empty. In the darkness was a welcome brisk, cool breeze. I wrapped the blanket around me and walked down to the shoreline. I sat down and watched the wave’s crash down on the sand. Moonlight spread as far as I could see across the ocean. Wyatt stepped out of his flip-flops and walked down to the water. “Don’t you think it’s strange that Mr. Herman didn’t ask about the statue on the platform?” “Yes,” I replied. Wyatt reached behind his head and pulled off the t-shirt he had on. The bright moonlight spotlighted the muscles in his back. I caught myself staring again and desperately tried to focus on the waves to his left. He turned toward me and tossed the shirt to my side. “And don’t you think it’s odd that he told you to cash that check thing without seeing the statue?” “Yes.” He was facing the ocean and looking down the front of himself. He was fiddling with something on his jeans. I glanced around but saw no one on the beach. I had parked fairly far from the main street and the cold would keep most people inside tonight. “He is a weird guy. I can’t believe that he destroyed it after all the work we did. I mean ink? I would have never thought ink could make such a horrible mess and ruin it.” Wyatt pulled his jeans down and stepped out of them. I swallowed hard and watched him carefully. He tossed back the jeans in the same spot as his shirt. He walked closer to the water and got his feet wet. “We’re just going to have to start another one tomorrow,” he said. “I’m cashing that check and then we can start another one. Mr. Herman is a disaster and I’m running out of time and money! Scratch that, I have run out of time and

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money. I’m doomed!” “I wouldn’t say that,” Wyatt said in a lower voice. He bent down and slipped out of his boxers. He tossed them back to his growing pile and looked back toward the ocean. “Are you going for a swim, or what?” I finally asked. “It’s going to be very cold.” “It’s warmer than you think,” he said, placing his left hand on his thigh. His right hand was in front of him but I couldn’t see what he was doing. “Why don’t you take your clothes off and come join me for a swim?” “Oh, hell no! There are sharks out there,” I said, gripping the blanket tightly over my shoulders. “We won’t go out that far, come on,” he said, looking down toward his feet. I squinted to see what he was doing. “Maybe I don’t want to swim,” he said, turning to his left. The moonlight revealed a growing erection helped by his stroking hand. I felt my jaw drop a little at the sight of him. I felt a twitch in between my thighs and a rush of warmth come over me. “We can’t do anything out here?” “Why not?” He turned toward me thrusting his hips forward in time with his strokes. I dropped the blanket and stood up. “I’m serious. Get dressed and we’ll do this at home.” “I’m not going anywhere, Jenna. I’m waiting for you to join me.” I picked up his clothes and headed for him. I held them up. “We can get into trouble for this,” I said, glancing up the beach. He continued to slide his hand slowly up and down his shaft. “Mmmmm, Jenna, help me,” he moaned. “Tell me you don’t want this, me.” I stepped closer and felt the water rush over my feet. He was right. The water was unbelievably warm for this time of year. A clear view of his swollen cock stared up at me. He rubbed it up against my waist. “Tell me.” I threw his clothes back and dropped to my knees. He guided the tip over my lips

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as I opened my mouth. I wanted him right there. I licked the tip and grabbed his hips. I took him in and sucked hard, running my tongue up and down the length of his shaft. Loud moans echoed off the crashes of the waves. He lifted my hair and slowly thrust back and forth. He leaked a sweet fluid as his moaning deepened. “This is incredible,” he said, backing up. I watched him with my mouth open, wanting him to let me continue. The water rushed over my thighs as I watched him thrust forward. Two strokes and his release was satisfying for even me to watch. He tilted his head back as his release flowed forward and out of him. He finally looked down at me and got down on his knees. He crawled quickly toward me, scooping me up as I fell back on the wet sand. I tried to move back as the water rushed up my sides, drenching all my clothes. “You should have got naked with me,” he said, leaning into me. His kiss was soft at first, and then something jolted through me. His tongue met mine in a tangled wet passionate kiss. His teeth nibbled my bottom lip, and then kisses moved up my neck. Hands peeled my t-shirt upward as fingertips skimmed over my peaked nipples. The sensation was overwhelming. I reached for my zipper. Wyatt was still hard. Apparently, he wasn’t done. He leaned back and zipped it down. I unbuttoned the jeans and peeled them down. My panties slid down with them as another wave swept over us. I tried to sit up and found myself giggling as the force of the wave pushed me upward but washed my jeans down to my ankles. Delight lit up Wyatt’s face. He reached down in between my thighs and slid his strong fingers down into me. I leaned back and let out a pleasurable sigh. “Oh, I need you,” I said, shucking the jeans at my ankles. His fingers rolled over my clitoris and delved deep inside of me, all in one massaging motion. His left hand was under my shirt, cupping my breast. I grabbed his shoulders and nudged him back. I sat up and pulled my shirt and bra off. The tide was coming in as water drenched us both. I looked up at him and felt my heart race. He leaned into me as I wrapped my arms around him. He slid perfectly into me as our lips locked and a moan vibrated through them. Slowly he rolled me over him, thrusting forward. I rocked over him matching his

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motion as we both let out a breathtaking release. He held me tight as we both came down from ecstasy. “Swim with me,” he said over the sound of the waves. I sat up and nodded to him. We both stood up and walked toward the waves. He caught me around the waist and tackled me. We plunged deeper into the water. I came up laughing. “So now you want to get rough?” I asked. He swam up to me and held my back. He held me tight and brought his lips to my ear. “Only when we play,” he said. I wrapped my legs around his waist. “I won’t ever forget this,” I said. “I don’t want it to end,” he replied. We walked up my lawn as quietly as we could, but I had the giggles. I was wearing his t-shirt and he only wore his jeans. His boxers had floated away along with my jeans and panties. I went to unlock the door but the door was already open. My smile drifted away. “What’s wrong?” Wyatt asked. “I locked the door when I left. I could have a robber in there.” Wyatt rolled his eyes and pushed through the door. “Anyone here?” he shouted. I folded my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Like the robber would say I’m in the garage,” I said sarcastically. He held up his hand for me to stand back and walked toward the garage. He opened the door and it slammed behind him. “Yee Haw!” I heard him holler. Not what I expected, but I ran to the garage and opened the door. I was hoping that my statue was there and I could keep the man. I peeked in on Wyatt leaning over a table with a bunch of tools on it. I made my way to the table. “Yee Haw? You’re supposed to be looking for a robber.” “There’s no one here,” he said, staring down into a magnifying glass.

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“How do you know?” “Because they left an hour ago.” “How do you know?” I asked curiously. “I’m a cowboy. I can track things.” “What? What can you track?” “Indians, bobcats, rabbits.” “Oh really?” “Yes.” “So was an Indian here an hour ago?” “No, it was the sheet man and he knocked the clock off the wall,” he said pointing to the clock on the floor. I leaned down and picked up the battery that had popped out. “So how do you know it was toga boy?” He’s clumsy as hell and he promised me this table. “What? What is all this?” I asked, pointing to the tools. He glanced over all the tools and put his palms down over them. “This is a jeweler’s table.” “Why would we need a jeweler’s table? And why would Mr. Herman give you this stuff?” I said, picking up a mini screwdriver. “He made me a deal I can’t refuse.” “What is it? What deal?” “I’m a jeweler.” “I thought you said you were a cowboy?” He produced a large grin. “I’m a jewelry maker that was on his way to get his own gold, and open his own business out west. The cowboy thing I learned quickly on my ride out.” “So what’s the deal Herman wants?” “Actually it’s Mr. Evans who wants to make a deal.” “Does he know we don’t have the statue?” “I don’t think so, but he wants a ring made specially for his wife. Mr. Herman said that Mr. Evans would trade anything I wanted for a custom-made ring. I said that in

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order to make a ring, I’d have to have all the necessary tools. Mr. Herman said he’d talk to Mr. Evans and here we are.” “Wait, so how did Mr. Evans know you made jewelry?” I asked. “I asked Mr. Herman that and he said Mr. Evans knows all kinds of things. Strange, huh?” “Yes, it’s strange,” I said, looking over the table. I spotted a small box. “What’s in the box?” “I have no idea. It wasn’t there a minute ago,” he said, picking it up. He opened the box and shut it quickly. He glanced at me. “What?” He opened the box and held his arm out. His eyes lit up. Inside was a huge golden nugget with small and large gemstones surrounding it. “Are those stones real?” I asked, afraid to touch them. “I think so.” Wyatt plucked a red stone out and looked at it under the magnifying glass. “Yes, it’s real.” “So is he gonna pay you?” I asked. “No, the table was my payment. But now I can make more jewelry and sell it.” I folded my arms. “Have you forgotten that I need a statue? You’re supposed to be helping me, not taking on new jobs.” “But all this stuff was free and…” “That’s great for you, but I have another statue to build in the morning,” I said, heading for the garage door. “Jenna, come back here,” Wyatt said sternly. I slammed the door, mumbling all the way down the hall. “Makes me have incredible sex with him on the beach and deserts me for a jewelry table. Hmph! I have bigger worries than making a little old ring! I have a man to build!” I shouted and got in the shower. I climbed into bed. I sniffed an odd metallic smell. “What are you doing?” I yelled out from my bed. “Melting gold!”

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I opened my mouth and raised an eyebrow. “On my stove?” I hollered back. “Do you want me to build a campfire outside?” I went to open my mouth but Wyatt was quicker. “Don’t answer that!” I let out a short sigh and turned to my side. He was probably ruining my best pot, too, damn him. I glanced up at the moonlight peeking through the sheers. What was going on in my house? In my kitchen? On the beach? I smiled for a second and then heard the garage door shut. A loud clanking noise began. I rolled my eyes and switched sides. I put the pillow over my head and closed my eyes. I had a lot of work ahead of me and I needed sleep if I was to get any of it done.

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Chapter Six Ring Bearer

A warm arm was draped over my waist when I opened my eyes the next morning. I stared down at it and grinned. Wyatt felt great up against me. I felt safe and warm. “Want some coffee?” he asked, with a deep quiet voice. I yawned and tugged his arm up toward me. I kissed the back of his hand and nestled deeper into my pillow. Wyatt scooted closer, spooning me, and kissing the back of my neck. I closed my eyes, not wanting to move. He ran his hand up to my breast cupping and massaging it. Suddenly, I felt a poke from behind me. I opened my eyes wide. “Somebody is up before us.” He rubbed his groin up against me. “It’s always up when you’re around.” “Is that all I am?” I asked, turning toward him. He gently wrapped his arms around me and moved on top of me. Instinctively, my legs separated as his body settled into mine. We had both gone to bed nude and nothing blocked him from entering me. “It was a serious question,” I said, feeling his hardness on my thigh. “Who said I wasn’t serious about our relationship? Was it that toga man? Because if he’s trying to move into my spot, he’s got another think coming,” he whispered. I smiled at his comment. He ran his thumb over my lips and shifted his body. His lips gently met mine and I closed my eyes. I could feel my body rush with anticipation. I slid my hands down his sides as his breathing picked up. Holding his thighs, I tugged him closer. The head of his cock slid up my clit once and he backed up. I opened my eyes and pulled him back toward me. He leaned down suckling my breasts. He was stalling. Why? Foreplay? I wasn’t good at that. Too impatient I guess. I finally reached down and grabbed his cock, stroking it. He leaned back and let out a sigh. Moisture dripped down my thigh. I was so ready for him I couldn’t stand it.

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He stared at my hand stroking him, and then I leaned in closer. I licked my top lip and opened my mouth. He followed my every move. Right before I touched the tip with the end of my tongue his hand slid under my jaw line and he sat up. “Are you serious about us?” he asked. I lifted an eyebrow. He had asked a question that I wanted him to answer. It was past the moment and all I wanted to do was feel him inside of me. “Can we talk later?” I asked. “No, tell me now,” he said, looking into my eyes. I continued to stroke him trying to think of an answer. He gently pulled my hand away and stood up. “Where are you going?” I asked, checking out his finely tuned body in the morning light of the room. “To make your statue,” he said, slipping on a pair of cotton boxers. “What? Right now? No, get back in bed. We can talk after we take care of that,” I said, pointing to his boxers where something was begging to escape. “It will go down in a minute. Come on, let’s go,” he said, pulling on a t-shirt. I looked down at the wetness in between my legs. “Go your self, I need to take care of something,” I said, feeling rejected. His jaw dropped slightly. He shook his head and came toward me. “Oh, no. You save that for me,” he said, picking me up off the bed and putting me over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” I asked, glancing down his backside. “You and I are gonna make the next statue! You think I’m not serious about you and now I don’t think you’re serious about me. So we won’t do anything until we know for sure,” he said, walking down the hallway. “Put me down!” “No,” he said, slapping my butt. I opened my mouth in shock. No one had ever smacked my ass. Well, a boy in eighth grade, but he never lived to tell anyone. Wyatt stopped at the garage door. I leaned up and slid down the front of him. He was still sporting an enormous erection. “It didn’t go down.”

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“It will,” he said, sounding frustrated. He stared at it as if to wish it down to prove a point. I snickered and went to grab it. He snatched my wrist and tossed it to the side. “Fine, don’t ever hit my ass again!” I shouted. He slammed me up into the garage door in a passionate kiss. His hands grabbed my thighs as he forced himself up against me. He slipped his fingers down the front of me and gently pulled back. “Fine, then when we’re done, we’re talking seriously about us.” I nodded meeting his fingers with each gentle massage. “You like that?” he asked. “Yes,” I screamed out. I grabbed his t-shirt at the waist and went to pull it up as a knock came to the door. We continued caressing and rubbing each other. “Don’t stop! They will go away.” “All right,” he said, kissing my neck. “Hello, it’s me! Mr. Herman,” A voice called through the front door. “No,” I whispered. I shook my head with my eyes closed; trying to concentrate on the pleasure and the peak I was reaching. “I’m here for Mr. Evans’ ring. I heard it was finished,” Mr. Herman said. I opened my eyes. I was breathing heavily. Wyatt pulled his hand back, stopping all motion. “How did he know it was finished?” Wyatt asked me. “I have no idea. I didn’t know you finished it.” “Go in the bedroom and I’ll be right there.” “No way, he’ll break something in the garage. Mainly, my Adonis mold.” “Hello! Anybody home?” Herman shouted as the door knob jiggled. “Holy shit! He’s coming in,” I said. Wyatt looked down. “Quick give me something!” I ran to the kitchen and tossed him an apron. “Thanks,” he said, sarcastically as I headed down the hallway.

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“Wash your hands!” I shouted from the bedroom. “I don’t want him to know what we were doing!” I heard the water run in the kitchen as I grabbed my robe off the bathroom door hook. I made my way to the garage, hoping to protect my man mold. I caught Wyatt in my peripheral vision. He was holding a pot. I stopped and glanced at him. The knocking turned to a pounding. “Just a minute!” we yelled out in unison. Wyatt had a tent going with the apron and the pot was supposed to mask it. I burst out laughing. “It’s not funny! It won’t go down.” “Sorry.” The door knob jiggled again and the front door opened. I hurried toward Wyatt and Mr. Herman peeked around the corner. I shielded Wyatt with myself and waved at Mr. Herman. “Hello, kids,” Herman said, walking in and shutting the door. “How can I help you today?” I asked him. “Well, I heard the ring was done, and I was around the corner and thought I’d pick it up.” Herman moved for the garage and I stepped forward. Wyatt put his arms around my chest from behind and held me close. Man, it was still huge. “I just love her,” Wyatt said, squeezing me tightly and kissing my cheek. “I’m happy for you two,” Herman said grinning. “Love is hard to find.” Did Wyatt just say love? “The ring?” Herman asked, pointing to the garage. “Ah…” Wyatt began. “Yes,” I said, making my way to the garage. Mr. Herman walked into the garage first, I followed. I flipped the light on and looked around. “It’s probably on this table somewhere,” I said. I made my way to the table and scanned over it. It was cluttered, and it wasn’t easy to spot anything small. I saw the box in which the gold and jewels came. “Oh, it’s got to be in here.”

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Just as I reached for the box, the door flew open and Wyatt raced inside. He snatched the box off the table and held it close to his chest. “Yes, it’s in here.” “So it is done?” Herman asked. “Yes, sir,” Wyatt said and opened the box. He reached inside, pulled out a ring, and shut the box. I teetered closer to see the exchange. “A three-carat diamond surrounded by four carats of rubies. As you can see they resemble a red rose and are mounted on an eighteen-carat gold band. I found some silver in the box. I didn’t want the ring to bend so I added the silver to make it more durable.” Herman and I stared at the magnificent art of the ring. I had never seen anything like it. It was an original piece without any flaws. The jewels sparkled as Herman moved in back and forth in the light. “Do you like it?” Wyatt asked. “It’s breathtaking,” I said. “It’s perfect!” Herman said backing up. I glanced up at Wyatt. He was staring at me. He gave me a quick grin. Suddenly a crash erupted behind us. We quickly turned to see Herman on the floor. He had backed up and fallen over the mold. “Ah!” I screamed out and hurried to the mold. I quickly scanned it leaving Herman on the floor. Clumsy man could have broken his tail bone, but I didn’t care at the moment. The mold was all I cared about. Wyatt rushed past me and helped Herman up. “Is that the mold for the statue?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, putting myself in front of it to shield it. He tried to get closer but I moved in each direction he did blocking him from viewing it. “Hmph,” Herman said. “The mold is still intact.” “Yes,” I said, relieved. Herman stared at the feet of the mold. “I have to go now,” he said quickly. “I’ve got the ring.”

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“Okay, bye now,” I said, hoping he’d make it to the front door all right. Wyatt escorted him out and I scurried around the garage. I needed to make that statue and fast. Make it, deliver it, and be done. Not to mention I had orders to fill for Paint me Perfect that I was probably going to get fired over. “Okay, he left,” Wyatt said. He set the box down on the table and glanced up at me. “What?” he asked. “What, yourself?” Wyatt chuckled and picked up the box again. He walked out of the garage and into the house. The door shut behind him. “What’s in that box that you don’t want me to see?” I hollered to him. “Nothing, just putting it in a safe place,” he answered. “Oh yeah, where?” He didn’t answer me. “Wyatt?” “Yes?” “Did you hear me?” “Yes, I can’t tell you,” he said. “Men and their secrets,” I said, rolling my eyes.

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Chapter Seven Get Back To Work

Two hours went by. We had decided to hold off on going back to bed. I had work to do and Wyatt knew it. I hadn’t said much to him as I was trying to stay focused on the statue and the back log of work I had to do for Paint Me Perfect. By late afternoon I was spent. I had showed Wyatt how to run the television and the radio, and he was just like all men, he was watching the World Series. Apparently they had baseball in 1850. I heard him yell out something like “Go Yankees” from the living room. I walked inside and made my way to the kitchen. I washed my hands and picked up the telephone. I called for a pizza and stared at Wyatt focused on the TV. “Do you want me to cook us something?” he asked, still focused on the game. “No, that’s okay. Dinner is coming.” He didn’t answer. I leaned on the kitchen counter and studied him. He was such a mystery to me. He fit in so well here, almost like he never knew anything different. He was surprisingly comfortable in my house and in my time. A Yankee player hit a homerun and cheers erupted from Wyatt and the television. Then the door bell rang. “I’ll get it,” I said. It was way too soon for the pizza guy. In fact it would be some kind of a record. I opened the door to Herman. He was dressed in the toga again. Oh man, not two visits in one day. “Hello Herman,” I said with a sigh. “Oh, hi. I need to speak to Wyatt.” I lifted an eyebrow and turned to Wyatt. He glanced at me and I beckoned him over. He made his way to the front door and looked out. “Sorry you can’t go into the garage right now. Things are drying, Mr. Herman.” I buried my face into his shoulder and tried not to laugh. “That’s okay; I’m not here to come in. I have another order and a thank you gift.” I quickly looked up. I liked gifts. Mr. Herman handed Wyatt an envelope. “Oh,” Wyatt said. He took the envelope and Herman turned around. “Thank

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you.” Herman lifted a hand in acknowledgement. We watched him walk to the end of the curb and head down the street. “Where is he going?” I asked Wyatt. “I have no idea.” Suddenly, Herman turned around. We both hurried inside and shut the door. I ran to my front window and peeked out. Wyatt was over my shoulder. Herman approached a red Ferrari. “Wow that looks like a very nice car.” “Oh, it is. I could never afford one. Ever,” I said. Mr. Herman drove past my house and ground the clutch then sped away. “Yikes.” “Is it supposed to sound like that?” he asked. “Definitely not. Means he’s clumsy and can’t drive a stick.” I let the curtain fall shut and turned to Wyatt. “Okay, so open it. I’m excited to see what you got.” He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. Dear Mr. Clark, My wife loved the ring and now her friends want one. I need three rings by next week sometime. Make them smaller than my wife’s. I want hers to look the biggest and best. “Smart man,” I said. Cash is enclosed for your time. Also, you are cordially invited to ride our horses under the moonlight at Emerald Cove Thursday night. Be there when the sun goes down. Mr. Evans Wyatt pulled out ten one hundred dollar bills. We glanced at each other. “Holy shit!” “That’s a lot of money, isn’t it?” I nodded. “You busy Thursday?” “You asking me on a date?”

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“Yes, Miss Jenna. Will you ride with me Thursday under the moonlight?” “Sure, why not. I can’t do anything but work on these orders though, right now.” He leaned down and kissed my lips. “All right, we’ll both get back to work.” Just then the doorbell rang again. “Now, who could it be?” “It’s the pizza man,” I said, going for my purse. “Who?” “You’ll see.” I paid for the pizza and put it on the kitchen counter. Wyatt walked up behind me. I opened the lid. He took a deep breath in. “Looks like a tomato pie. Smells good.” “Tomato pie?” “Yes, they have them in Italy.” “Well, this one came from Dominos.” I pulled a slice of cheese pizza from the box and lifted it to Wyatt’s lips. “Go ahead. Take a bite.” He took a bite, and the cheese stretched about five inches before snapping off. I let out a quick laugh as I saw the cheese dangle. He snickered and grabbed it with his index finger and thumb. He scooped the cheese into his mouth with his tongue and licked each finger. My smile faded. I wanted that tongue all over my body. He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss. “Yep, a tomato pie. It’s hot, so be careful. I think I just burnt my chin.” I nodded and took my own piece. The rest of the day I worked on the orders and the statue. “I’m tired; you want to go to sleep with me?” Wyatt asked. “I really can’t yet. I need to finish up three of these figurines.” Wyatt leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Wake me up and maybe we can finish what we started this morning. Night.” “Night,” I said and watched him leave the garage. Two hours later I had finished the first order for Paint Me Perfect. I stood and stretched. I made my way to the sink and washed my hands. In the far corner of the living room my computer lit up. My “you have mail” signal beeped.

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I wiped my hands on the dish towel, and walked over to the computer. The clock read two in the morning. I wondered who in the world would be writing to me this late. My family all lived in Northern California and they would have called in an emergency. I sat down and opened the mail. It was a copy of a death certificate. It read Wyatt James Clark. Born October 31, 1820. Died October, 1850. My heart sunk. Wyatt may have died the day I met him. Did that mean he was a ghost? But people could see him. Or was it just Mr. Herman that could see him? I did a search for Wyatt James Clark on Google and his name popped up. “So how did I die?” Wyatt asked from behind me. I jumped in the chair and swiveled around. I held my chest and stared at him. I stood up and wrapped my arms around him. “I can’t figure out if you died or if you were just taken away. You feel very real to me.” He gave me a squeeze and then sat down in the chair. Wyatt James Clark was known as the “adventurer” of his New York neighborhood. A relative of the famous William Clark of Lewis and Clark, he too was an explorer. He had traveled to many places including, Italy, France, and as far south as he could go. But his passion, according to his brothers, was the West. He longed to travel westward in hopes of finding new scenery and gold. On July 5, 1850, he purchased a horse and set out on his long journey alone. His brothers received one telegram, stating that he was fine and in Denver on September 21, 1850. His brothers followed the map that he had left them. They found evidence of Wyatt’s last whereabouts at a hot spring in Steam Boat Springs, CO. The local authorities were brought out at the time and they concluded that he was attacked by Indians and he was taken away. No one ever heard from him again. “Well that is not what happened,” Wyatt said annoyed. “Nope.” “How upsetting for my brothers. They finally came out west and then they were misled.” He asked me how I found that information on him. I explained email and how I had received it. It had no sender name. Everything about him was a mystery. Nothing

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was making sense. Once I showed him how to search for people he started looking up all kinds of relatives. Some were traceable. Some were not. I said good night and let him look. I felt bad for him. His being with me was an enormous sacrifice, but if he had stayed would Indians really have dragged him away? I shook the thought away and went to bed. I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. No smell of coffee and no Wyatt. I pulled my robe on, and searched the house. He was nowhere. I heard a noise in the garage. I opened the door and saw him working at his jewelry table. “Good morning,” I said. “Morning,” he replied not looking up. “Did you ever go to sleep?” I asked. He shook his head and fiddled with a ring in his hand. I walked out of the garage and made some coffee. He sounded different this morning. He sounded sad. The entire week he slept on the couch, and every morning I found him at the jewelry table. He didn’t talk to me much, just replied to my questions. I had finished and delivered everything for Paint Me Perfect, and the statue was standing up on a platform again for the second time. It would be ready in a week or so. I wondered why Mr. Evans hadn’t complained about it being late. Surely his wife’s birthday had passed. Maybe Herman had explained the ink disaster to him and he knew it would be late. I had paid my boob job off and was looking into a new car. I wondered if I would ever see Wyatt return to my bed again.

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Chapter Eight Night Ride

Thursday rolled around, and the night was approaching. I wondered if he remembered our date. We were both in the garage and the silence had finally got to me. “So, what are we doing?” “What do you mean?” he asked, not looking up from his jewelry. I walked over to his table and covered his hand with mine. “Is it always going to be like this? What happened to you?” He gently pulled his hand away and sat back in the chair. “I think maybe you should go alone tonight. I just don’t feel like riding.” I lifted an eyebrow and an enormous wave of hurt flushed over me. I did not ask for this. I didn’t ask for this man although I was happy when he was happy. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Why the sudden change? I mean, he should be grateful he didn’t die right? I swallowed back the lump in my throat. “If you want to talk, I’m here for you.” Wyatt stood up and walked toward the garage door. “No, I’m fine,” he said and the door slammed behind him. Tears rolled down my face as I stared at the door. Then the doorbell rang. I sniffed back more tears and wiped my face quickly. I didn’t want him to see me cry. I made my way to the front door and peeked through the peep hole. There was no way I was letting Toga Boy near my statue this time. A tall dark-haired man stood outside the door. “Yes?” “Hello, I’m your ride for tonight. The horses are waiting.” The man was absolutely gorgeous. His eyes, his skin, his voice, his… “Hello?” I shook off the shock and opened the door. Holy crap, this guy was a prettier than me. Okay, don’t use me as an example but you know what I mean. He wore a black leather jacket and jeans.

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“Hiiii,” I stuttered out. His smile sent shock waves to my thighs. “Would you like to ride with me tonight?” he asked. Did he just ask me to ride him? Oh, ride with him. Shoot, mental snapping of fingers. A voice cleared behind me. Oh crap, grumpy-pants was behind me ruining my fantasy. I turned around. “He’s our ride down to the horses. You don’t want to go right?” “I…” I looked back at the man. “Yeah, he doesn’t want to go. Just let me get my purse.” The man reached out and took my wrist. He tugged me forward. “Oh you won’t need it. I will provide all that you will need,” he said, leading me out of the house and down the porch. I nodded, feeling mesmerized by his touch. He led me to a black Ferrari and opened the passenger side door. I got in and he shut the door. I followed his silhouette all the way until he sat down next to me. He started the car and drove away. I couldn’t stop staring. “You know you are a very beautiful woman. Gorgeous sapphire eyes, silky chocolate brown hair, smooth supple skin. Incredible looking legs.” I swallowed back the drool, and the compliments registered in my brain. “How do you know what my legs look like?” I asked. He brought his strong hand from the steering wheel down to my thigh. The top of his index finger skimmed an inch of my bare thigh. “You’re wearing a skirt.” I blurted out an embarrassing giggle and nodded. I glanced out the front window. We were going, like, twenty miles an hour. A horn tooted behind us. The man glanced up at the rearview mirror. “Maybe we’re going too slow,” I suggested. “I don’t think so. My motto is the slower the ride, the more enjoyable the destination.”

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I think I just had an orgasm. A wide grin spread across his lips as he sped up. I rolled down the window for some air. “What’s your name?” I asked. “I’m just the driver of this car. I heard you were coming alone, so I thought you might need some company, and a ride down to the beach.” “Well thank you. My boyfriend is a little depressed about something, and doesn’t want to discuss it.” “He probably just needs some time alone to think about his problems. He’ll be all right.” “You think so?” “I know so.” We drove down a narrow road as the sun disappeared into the horizon. Shades of oranges and purples illuminated the sky in a brilliant sunset. “What a shame he didn’t see this view,” I said, staring out my window. “He can see it. He’s under the same sky.” I shrugged. “Yes, but it would have been nice to share it next to each other.” “There will be many you’ll share together.” I was getting annoyed by his philosophical nature and positive thinking. I turned to him. “How do you know?” I asked, feeling all fuzzy inside again. “We’re here,” he said, slowing down the car. He pulled into a dark parking stall and shut the car off. He hurried around to my door and opened it. I got out and followed him into a white barn with ivy growing all over it. We passed through the two open doors and stopped. I ran into him while staring at the rafters. I swear there were a thousand white doves up there. “Oh sorry,” I said, grabbing his arm. The muscle is his arm flexed and his jaw tightened. I stared into his eyes for a split second. My legs felt weak and I swayed back a bit. “You okay?” he asked. A slight chuckle escaped from his lips.

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“Yes.” I couldn’t think clearly around this guy. He took my hand and led me to a large closet. “You can change in here,” he said. He opened the door and a dim lantern burned on a shelf inside. A long sheer white dress hung on a hanger.” He put his hand out for me to enter. “You want me to wear that to ride in?” “Trust me,” he said and nudged me into the closet. I walked inside and shut the door. “So where is Mr. Evans? Will I ever get to meet him?” He didn’t answer. I shrugged and put on the dress. It fit me perfectly and the material was ever so comfortable, a light cotton that felt like silk. I pulled the clip from my hair and teased it a little. I walked out of the closet and the driver had changed into other clothes. He wore a pair of white loose fitting cotton pants and a white cotton shirt that was unbuttoned revealing his muscular chest. Please tell me I’ve gone to heaven. He stared at me for a minute and shook his head. He quickly took my wrist and led me down a dark path of cobblestone steps. He didn’t look back at me once. “Do I look bad in the dress?” I asked. “No,” he said softly. He hurried faster down the steps. Three horses waited at the end of the path. They were tied to a thick piece of drift wood. All three horses were a vibrant white. The night had settled in, and the moon shone down on us like a spotlight. He untied the ropes of two horses and glanced up the stone path. I followed his glance but didn’t see anything or anyone. “Okay, Jenna, let me help you on.” “Mr. Evans told you my name?” “Ah, yes,” he said and helped me up on the horse. He mounted his horse, and made a clicking sound to signal mine to follow. I looked back at the third horse. “Will that horse be okay alone here?”

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“Sure, we won’t be gone for too long,” he said, pulling back to ride by my side. “I forgot to tell you what a talented sculptor you are.” “Where have you seen my sculptures?” I asked curiously. He looked behind us and then to me. “Umm, Paint Me Perfect. Yes, I’ve seen them there, several times. Even bought a few.” “Really?” “Yes.” “Oh, let’s race the horses,” I said, standing in the stirrups. “No!” he shouted, getting closer to me. “Sit down, sit down. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” His reaction startled me and I sat down. Maybe he didn’t want me to race Mr. Evans’ horses for safety reasons. “I’m so sorry,” I said. He held his chest and stopped the horses. “Listen, I need to go back for something, so stay right here. Don’t race the horse. Remember the slower the ride, the more satisfying the destination.” “What? You’re just going to leave me out here alone?” “Just for a moment,” he said and kicked his horse. The horse took off running. “Hey, don’t you need to go that way?” I shouted, pointing behind me. “Hey! I thought we weren’t supposed to race them!” I sighed and looked at my horse. “Bet no one ever deserts you.” Just then I heard a deep rolling sound over the waves. I looked back and saw a white horse was heading my way. I glanced in front of me to discover if I could have missed the driver running back and then up from behind. “What the hell?” I watched the horse approach. Wyatt was the rider. “Where is that guy?” “I don’t know. He took off that way!” I said, pointing in front of us. “Did he touch you?”

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“No! What are you doing?” “I’m coming after you.” “Why? I thought you hated me.” “No, Jenna. I don’t hate you. I just don’t know what’s happened, here, okay? I’m a little confused. I’m worried that I’m dead, or this is a dream, or most importantly that I’ll disappear one day and go back to the hot springs and my fate will carry out.” He looked me over and pointed at me. “The white gown. Oh no, I am dead huh? You are an angel. I’m in love with an angel,” Wyatt said. I shook my head and smiled at him. He backed his horse up as I slid down off mine. I walked toward him and he stopped his horse. “Get down here, Wyatt.” He looked a little afraid and shook his head. “Come on.” He dismounted and walked toward me. I wrapped my arms around him and snuggled into his chest. His warmth made me feel safe and hungry. I looked up at him. “Do you feel like pizza?” “What? Did you hear anything I said?” “Yes, and I think we should discuss this over pizza.” “Are you going to wear that dress home?” “I don’t know. I think he gave it me but I’m not sure. He said he’d be back, but-” I felt a sharp tug on my hand. “We’re not waiting for that love machine to return. I’m taking you home and making love to you, before you get any ideas about any other man. Did he make an advance on you?” “No, I swear,” I said, hurrying up behind him. The horses followed us all the way back to the end of the path. We tied them to the driftwood and made our way back to the white barn. I showed Wyatt the closet and he grabbed my skirt and top. He turned the lantern off and took my hand. “You’re keepin’ the dress,” he said as I followed him out of the barn. Just then a black Limousine drove down the driveway. The driver opened the back door and a tall slender woman with long legs stepped out. Her blonde hair was long with large ringlets all over. She carried several shopping bags and walked toward us.

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She scanned down my body. “I told him it would fit,” she said. “My driver will take you home now.” Wyatt and I looked at each other. “Night.” “Good night,” I said. The driver put his hand out and beckoned us in. I got into the limo followed by Wyatt. “This is why I’m so confused,” he said. The driver shut the door. “I know me too.” The aroma of pizza hit my nostrils on the drive home. I glanced at Wyatt. “Do you smell that?” “Yes,” he whispered. “It’s under the seat,” the driver said from the front. I quickly looked under my seat and found a pizza box. I picked it up and opened the lid. A perfect cheese pizza sat inside. I handed the box to Wyatt, being careful to not spill on the dress, and sunk my teeth into a slice. “You’re eating that like it’s giving you pleasure,” he said. “Maybe it is,” I said, licking my fingers. The window in the front separating the driver from us went up. I giggled and ate another bite. “Mmm,” I moaned. “You’re seriously getting me hard.” “Oh really? I haven’t been attractive all week?” “I’m sorry. I want to talk. Can we talk at home?” “Yes.”

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Chapter Nine The exchange

We waved to the driver and entered my house. It was dark inside. “Hey, how did you get down there?” I asked. “Where?” “Down to the horses?” I walked over to the refrigerator and got out the milk. I poured a large glass out and began to drink. “That woman picked me up.” I leaned over the sink and spit out my mouthful. I coughed and choked. “You okay?” “That gorgeous woman in the limousine?” “Limousine?” “Yeah, that long black car that just dropped us off with the magical pizza,” I said annoyed. I took a quick drink of water to help my throat. “Yes, her. She’s very nice and she told me some very interesting things about this place called Laguna Beach.” “I’m sure she did.” “Why do you sound jealous? You left with that sex man.” “You didn’t want to go!” “Yes, I did!” “Only after he showed up!” Wyatt lunged toward me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my lips. I could feel him growing hard against my hip bone through the thin material of the dress. “I need you,” he said in a deep sigh against my earlobe. “I thought we were going to talk?” I asked, trying not to get excited. “Let’s just get the first one out of the way and then we can concentrate.” I nodded lifting up the dress. He slid my panties down and kissed me again. His mouth opened and his tongue invited a string of passion I had longed for all week. Two of his fingers slipped down the moist folds of my pussy and plunged deep

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into me. I let out an exhaling moan of pleasure. “You’re ready for me,” he said. “Yes, I’ve been ready all week.” “I’m so sorry, let me take care of that for you,” he said, pulling his jeans down and releasing the beast. The light from the refrigerator revealed his throbbing cock. He guided it toward me and thrust forward. It slid up inside of me with ease. My legs felt weak. He pulled back and kicked his jeans off then went back in for more. With every stroke I let out a gasp. He leaned down and picked me up. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders kissing his neck. He walked down the hall and laid me down on the bed. Over and over he pumped inside of me. He slowed down and began to suck on my breasts. “What’s wrong?” “It’s been too long and I’m already there,” he said, moving downward. He slipped out of me as he ventured downward. His tongue began skimming down my hip bone, following the curve of my pelvis around to end up on the tip of my clitoris. His lips massaged it with kissing and sucking and then his tongue hit it. “Yes!” I screamed out. I heard a chuckle escape his lips. He was enjoying the tease. He swiped his tongue several times over my opening before settling on the pleasure point that would send me into heaven. He slowly licked it and then faster and faster he sent shock waves through me. I reached down and ran my fingers through his hair. I was right there. I traced my hands down the sides of his jaw line and he turned his head grabbing two of my fingers into his mouth. He sucked on them and brought my hand down back to where he was licking. I rubbed the wetness that surrounded my pussy as he continued to please me. I had never been with a man that got me this hot. “It’s almost there,” I whispered. He sat up and plunged deep into me again. He grabbed my hands and massaged over them. Four hands working over me with the pleasure of him up inside of me. I could barely hang on. “I can’t stop,” I said out of breath. Ecstasy overtook my body as he continued to thrust forward, then before it was

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over, he pulled back and rubbed the tip over my clitoris sending me to into another peak. His hot juices flowed over me. The sounds of our moans echoed off the walls as we came down. He fell to my side, out of breath. I woke up to the sound of rain through my window, the smell of coffee, and Wyatt walking into the room. “Good morning,” he said, holding a tray of food. I got a funny feeling in my stomach. “Morning, can I just have some toast, please.” “Oh, sure,” he said, handing me a slice. I lay there for a minute, and the room shifted. That must have been some awesome sex we had last night, because I was still swaying. “You okay?” he asked. “Yes, thanks.” I slowly walked to the bathroom and grabbed my purse from the dresser on the way. I shut the door and locked it. Something was wrong. I was either sick or… I shuffled through my purse and pulled out my check book. I scanned for the last circled date. Holy shit! I was late. I quickly scanned the calendar and did the math. I half laughed, half cried and looked into the mirror. “You’re an idiot. You have a box of condoms under this sink. What were you thinking? There is no time to grab a condom with him, he is so damn sexy. He doesn’t even know what a condom is!” I was fighting with myself. I washed my hands and hurried out of the room. I needed to go get a test. I slipped on some clothes and searched the floor for some shoes. “Where are you going?” “Oh, I need something from the store. I’ll be right back,” I said, giving him a quick peck and heading out the door. “Thanks for the toast.” “Hurry, I have something to tell you.” “Okay.” I ran to my car and buckled my seat belt. I wiped the rain from my face and turned the engine over. I sped away in search of a drug store. I had to pee like a race horse but my girlfriends always told me to test right when you woke up.

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“I can’t believe this. He is gonna freak! He hardly knows me. He said he loved me but that could just be the good sex.” I searched the counters and finally found the tests. There were like fifteen different kinds. I had never looked for these. I’d always been careful until now. I was now dancing in the aisle. “Can I help you, miss?” a pimple face sixteen year-old asked. “Wanna be a father?” I asked sarcastically. He ran off faster than I thought. I found a test that said number one most effective. That was like all of them, but this one had a flower on it that was pretty. I bought it and left. When I ran up to my door I peeked in. Wyatt was nowhere in sight. I snuck into the house and made my way to the bathroom. I locked it and took the test. I set it on the counter and waited for a plus to appear. The plus immediately showed up. It got darker and darker by the second. “What?” I picked up the directions and it said to wait five minutes for results. It had only been one minute. I stared at it for five minutes waiting for it to go to a minus. “I didn’t even hear you come in,” Wyatt said through the door. I jumped back and held my chest. “Oh, I just had to go to the bathroom.” “Okay, well I need to ask you something when you are done.” “All right,” I said and bit down on my bottom lip. “I’ll meet you in the garage.” “Okay.” I heard him walk away and I held the test tightly. There was no point in hiding it. I had to tell him. I walked out of the bathroom holding the test behind my back. I made my way to the garage and walked inside. My heart beat out of control. Wyatt stood up from the jewelry table and walked closer. He had the box with all the jewels in it in his hand. He lifted my chin and kissed my lips ever so gently. “We just can’t seem to find a minute to talk. I’ve been meaning to tell you something.” “Oh yeah?”

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“Yes.” “I have something to tell you too.” “You want to go first?” “I don’t know,” I said, looking down. “You don’t love me? You want me to leave?” I glanced up at him. “Oh, no. Not that.” “Let me go first then.” I nodded. “Okay I thought about what we read about on your computer thing. If we hadn’t been brought together, then I would be… well who knows, but I may not have made it to the gold anyway. I’m happy here. I’ve been given a chance with a beautiful woman and I think I should be grateful.” He opened the box and pulled out a diamond ring with sapphires surrounding it. The ring would make any woman jealous. The diamond was huge. I swallowed hard and looked up into his eyes. I touched the ring with my right hand. “It’s absolutely perfect. Who is it for?” “You, of course.” “What?” “Will you marry me?” He tugged at my left arm. “Let me see if it fits.” I stepped back. “Ummm, wait. Remember I have something to say.” “Okay, tell me.” I brought the test in front of me and looked up at Wyatt. “What in the blazes is that?” “What do you see in the middle of that?” I asked making sure I wasn’t crazy. “I see a plus symbol.” “It means I’m pregnant.” I watched his face light up. “What? We’re gonna have a baby?” I nodded with my eye brows raised.

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“Hot damn!” He yelled out and picked me up. “You’re not mad?” “Hell no! I’ve been waiting for these things to happen to me for a long time. I just get them all at once, and I have to travel one hundred fifty-seven years in the future to get them.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him good and long. “I love you Wyatt James Clark and yes I’ll marry you!” The phone rang and Wyatt set me down. “We are always getting interrupted.” “I know.” I picked up the phone. “Hello.” “Hi, it’s Mr. Herman,” he said, shouting into the phone. I heard a grinding noise in the background. He was in the Ferrari. “Listen, it’s raining and I have to pick up the rings from Wyatt. I can’t get the top up on the car so I’m getting drenched. Can you open your garage so I can just run in and pick them up? I don’t want to track water through your house.” “Okay. When will you be here?” “In about three minutes.” “See you then,” I said, hanging up the phone. I walked over to the garage door and hit the garage door opener.

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Chapter Ten A Decision for the Gods

“That was Mr. Herman. He said that he needs to pick up the rings you finished.” “Oh yes, I have them right here,” he said, digging into the box of jewels. “Why did you open the garage? It’s raining out there.” Just then the red Ferrari came into view. Mr. Herman raced down the street grinding the gears. He flew past my house. “He cannot drive that car. He is getting soaked with the top down and doesn’t want to drip through the house.” “Oh. Maybe you could teach him how to drive it. I wouldn’t mind driving a car like that. Teach me too,” Wyatt said. “I would love to drive that car,” I said, watching Mr. Herman race by for the second time. Suddenly, we heard a skid and then he raced toward us. Up the driveway toward the standing statue. “No!” I shouted. Wyatt turned and scooped me up as the Ferrari skidded to a stop. The bumper touched the base of the statue and it teetered forward. My eyes bulged out and Wyatt raced to catch it. It fell over onto the mold and broke them both into a thousand pieces. “Ahhhhhhh!” I screamed out. “You crazy little man!” I ran toward him with my claws out. “Stop! I have a purpose here,” he said, holding up a large scroll like a sword. “Yeah, you want the rings! That was the third statue!” I said, holding my head. “Well yes, but there is far more purpose to my visit.” “I don’t care! Get out!” I ordered him. Thunder cracked above us and I felt the vibrations in my chest. A neighbor across the street came out and waved to me. “I’m fine, Helen, get out of the rain!” I shouted and pushed the garage door shut. The car was all the way inside. Herman unrolled the scroll.

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“I, Hermes, Messenger for the Gods, am here to announce to you that you are cordially invited to the ceremony of the Gods, and explanation of your relationship, at four o’clock pm, this evening. A car will be sent here to pick you up in thirty minutes.” He rolled the scroll back up. “May I have the rings now?” “What? No!” I said. “What do you mean ‘messenger for the Gods’?” Mr. Herman slash messenger man folded his arms and shook his head. “Wyatt, you get the rings and follow me.” I hit the garage to open it again and moved toward the driver’s side of the Ferrari. I pushed Hermes or whatever his name was out of my way and sat down in the wet seat. “Both of you get in.” Hermes shook his head. “Come on! I need you take me there.” He reluctantly squeezed in next to me while Wyatt got in the passenger side. I slapped Hermes’ arm as he straddled the center console. “What did you do that for?” “That’s for being so clumsy.” “Hey, I have a purpose here.” “Oh really? Well, take me to the explanation,” I said speeding out of the driveway. I blinked as the rain fell down. I scanned the steering wheel and then the center console. “It’s right here, Herman.” I pushed the button for the top to go back up and dried the steering wheel with my t-shirt. “How many Ferraris does your boss have?” I asked. “Two, a red one and a black one,” Herman said. I shifted into second and hit him in the kiwi twins. His eyes got wider. “Oops, sorry,” I said smiling joyfully. I had worked so hard on those statues. “Turn left here,” Herman whispered, still holding his breath. I followed his directions, and pulled into the driveway of the white barn from the night before. I would’ve remembered the directions had it not been for the sexiness of that driver. The sun beamed down around the white barn and the rain clouds moved quickly toward the ocean. I parked the car in one of the stalls and got out. Herman scooted out on Wyatt’s side and began to walk toward the white barn.

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Wyatt took my hand as we followed him. We walked through the double doors. The white horses were in their stalls. The doves were in the rafters just like the night before. We followed him to where we could go right, down to the beach, or left into a lush green path of trees and shrubs. He walked left and moved away large palm leaves as we passed. The lush green foliage opened up to a courtyard, a mansion of a house, and an Olympic-size pool. “Wow,” Wyatt whispered. “Yeah, beats my house, huh?” I whispered back. “I like your house.” “Thanks.” “Okay, wait right here. Mr. Evans is not going to be happy, but I’ll just say you insisted.” I nodded. Herman turned and walked past the pool. “More like kidnapped me,” he murmured. I rolled my eyes and spotted a large sculpture at the entrance of the pool area. I squinted trying to get a better look. “Doesn’t than look like my Adonis sculpture?” I asked Wyatt. He glanced in the direction I was looking. “Actually, yes.” I hurried over to it and began to examine it. I always carved a JS signature on each of my sculptures to identify which ones were mine. I looked at the back of the left ankle. The JS was clearly in view. I reached up and ran my hand on the calf muscle of the left leg and heard a man’s voice holler. “Nooooo!” I stood up immediately and stepped back. The handsome sexy driver from the night before was headed my way, shaking his head. “What? What did I do?” I asked with my hands up. The man glanced around. “Where was Wyatt standing?” he asked. I looked behind me. “Wyatt?” The man put his hand on his temple and lightly rubbed it. He snapped his fingers

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and a woman in a maid uniform trotted across the courtyard and up to the man. “Yes, sir,” she said. “Bring me that step-stool in the kitchen.” “Right away, sir,” she said and hurried off. “What is going on here? Who are you?” I asked. “Where did Wyatt go?” The man approached me and took both my hands. He examined them and kissed the top of my right one. “You, my dear, have a gift. Much like Midas and his golden touch, you can bring things to life. Of course you had a little help when it came to the perfect match part. Aphrodite helped in that.” I heard a woman’s voice clear on the other side of the pool. The beautiful woman from the Limousine was lying on a lounge chair smelling a red rose. She politely waved. I waved back still confused. “Are you Mr. Evans, or his driver?” A quiet giggle came from the woman. “You can call me Adonis.” I looked around at the woman, then Hermes, then back at Adonis. “Am I dreaming? I loved Greek Mythology, but I thought it was a myth.” Adonis grinned and chuckled. “No, not at all.” The maid hurried up to Adonis and handed him the stool. He set it down in front of the statue. “Show us how you do it, my dear Jenna.” “Show you what?” I asked. “Show us how you brought Wyatt forward.” “I can bring him forward?” “Well, yes. Bring him back and we’ll explain.” I stepped up the stool and looked back. “Wait a minute, if I bring him back then this statue will disappear. I really don’t want to make another one, when Hermes has destroyed three.” “Go ahead Jenna, just watch.”

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I closed my eyes and caressed the shoulders of the statue. There was no way I was kissing it or grabbing it’s penis in front of them. They’d have a good laugh at my expense. Nothing was happening so I guess I wasn’t concentrating enough. How much did I want Wyatt back? All those nights in my bed. The beach. The floor. By the refrigerator. The baby. I wanted him back and I wanted him there now. I took in a deep breath and ran my hands behind to the statues lower back and felt warm skin under my finger tips. I opened my eyes and looked into Wyatt’s piercing green eyes. “Bring me back, Jenna,” he said fading in and out. I closed my eyes again and pressed my lips up to the statues. Wyatt pushed forward, caught me around the waist, and jumped off the stool. “Okay, Indians were coming and looked really mad. Don’t send me back again,” he said sternly. I nodded and held him tight. I looked back at the statue that stood as before. “You see, when I ordered the statue, it was the only one that was supposed to exist. We knew you had a gift, but didn’t believe that it would actually happen. We have to keep ourselves entertained you know,” Adonis snickered and pointed to Aphrodite. “So we search through time and found Wyatt. A man who was strong enough and adventurous enough to be brought forward in time. A man that could please you and never be traceable. Since the Indians would have attacked him at the hot springs, we thought we’d spare him and give him another chance to fulfill a different destiny. So even though we picked the man, you had the power to bring him forward.” “So why didn’t you just tell me that before I made the second and third statue?” I asked. “Well we never thought that the first night you spent together would conceive a child. We were waiting to see if you were in fact in love. Then we were going to tell you,” Aphrodite said, stretching her arms up and beckoning the sunlight to her legs. Apparently the sun obeyed on command, because its rays shone down on her immediately. “We waited until Wyatt confessed his love, and then we sent in Hermes,” Adonis said grinning widely. “Thank you for the statue by the way. It was worth every penny.” Aphrodite giggled.

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“Are you happy with whom we picked?” Adonis asked us. Wyatt looked into my eyes. He nodded. “Yes,” I said, pointing at Adonis. “You tricked me.” “I did not,” he said. “You got me into your car and said all kinds of romantic things to me.” “He’s a very good charmer,” Aphrodite said. “I had to get you in the car and someone had to make Wyatt jealous,” Adonis added. I looked at Wyatt. “You were jealous?” I asked Wyatt. “Look at him, he’s perfect,” Wyatt whispered. Aphrodite walked over slowly to Wyatt and ran her index finger down his left cheek. “I think you were as close to him as I could get. Pretty perfect, yes. Come along now Adonis. Let’s rest before the party,” she said, walking toward the mansion. Adonis watched Aphrodite walk away and then turned to us. “I need to leave for awhile. I’ll see you around four. The wedding will follow,” he said, blowing me a kiss. He hurried after Aphrodite. “Who’s wedding?” I asked. “Yours and you’ll want the gifts.” “Gifts?” I whispered to myself. I looked up at Wyatt. “Do you believe in Mythology?” I asked. “I do now,” he said, kissing my forehead.

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Chapter Eleven A Celebration Fit for the Gods

Two women in white robes hurried up to me. “Come with us,” one of them said. “Where am I going?” I asked. “We have a celebration to plan,” she said. Hermes walked up to Wyatt. “You got those rings now?” Wyatt smiled and pulled them from his pocket. “You know you have a gift too,” Hermes whispered. “Shhh,” the women said in unison. I glanced at Wyatt. I knew he had some gifts but I thought they were limited to gold and the bedroom. “Come with me, Wyatt,” Hermes said. Wyatt gave me a kiss on the cheek, and the women whisked me away. “Hello, I’m Athena,” the woman with long blonde curls said. She ran her hand down my hair and looked back at me. “I’m going to do your hair and make-up.” “All right,” I said as the other woman tugged at my t-shirt. “I’m Hestia.” Her long brown hair moved as she looked me up and down, eyes scanning me critically. “I’m going to make you a dress.” “You can make a dress by four?” I asked. They both giggled. “By four you’ll look like a goddess,” Athena said. By three-thirty I had soaked in a milk bath, drank herbal teas, had a facial, had a manicure, pedicure, and my hair was in greeklets. Yes, I asked. They’re the smoothest curls I’d ever felt, no frizz, and not hard from hair spray. I look gorgeous, so work with me here. Hestia brought in a dress made of white silk. It was very simple, but elegant. It was off the shoulder and clung to my curves with a little bit of my cleavage showing. I

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stepped in front of a full length mirror and felt incredible. I did look like a goddess. Athena handed me a bouquet of red roses decorated with star jasmine. I smiled at my reflection. “Told you,” she sang out. Hestia took my arm and tugged me back. “Mustn’t look too long. You’ll end up like Narcissus. I nodded and followed her out. When I stepped out into the courtyard people crowded around me. “She’s the one,” a woman’s voice said. “Shake her hand; she’ll bring forth good luck and fertility.” I smiled politely. I forgot that the gods were very superstitious people and that is what they did at the first Olympics. People were touching my arms and dress. “Enough with the dress already!” Hestia said, tugging me forward. I grinned, loving the attention, and moved on. I was taken to the pool where another crowd gathered around the Adonis statue. A man in a white suit stood with his back turned toward us, talking to Hermes and Aphrodite. It looked like Adonis. Hestia tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and his smile faded. Tears welled up in his eyes. It was Wyatt. “I’m speechless,” he whispered and kissed my cheek. He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. Even when Adonis came to Aphrodite’s side, I still couldn’t look away from Wyatt. “Told you he was damn near perfect,” Aphrodite whispered in my ear. “Yes,” I whispered back. “Cupid! Where’s Cupid!” Adonis shouted out. “I’m here! I’m here!” a large man said, holding a piece of cake in his hands. “Oh, Cupid! The cake was for later,” Aphrodite said, shaking her head. Adonis slapped him on the back. “Get on with it, my good man!” Cupid handed the cake to Hestia and wiped his hands on his toga. He pulled a book from his robe and cleared his throat. A harp began to play and all the guests went silent and gathered around us. “We are gathered here today to witness the marriage between two people brought

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here by gifts and pure love. Does anyone object to the nuptials that are about to proceed?” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hermes trip over a lounge chair and plunge into the pool. Everyone turned to see the ruckus and turned back to Cupid. I snickered and glanced at Wyatt who was staring at me. I never heard the rest of the speech, just said I do when I was asked. I’d heard it a thousand times on a tape when I worked at the bridal shop. I do remember however, looking into Wyatt’s eyes and saying, I love you. I’d never seen him smile wider. After the ceremony where Cupid ate half the cake, I watched Adonis slip over to a circle of men. He reached into his suit pocket and handed three men something. They all dispersed and Adonis took a drink of champagne. He looked proud. He caught me watching him and walked over. Wyatt was talking to Cupid when Adonis walked up. “Can I talk to you two for a moment?” he asked. Wyatt nodded as Adonis pulled us to a corner by the statue. He put his arm around us both and began to whisper, while looking at the crowd. “Remember those rings you made?” “Yes,” Wyatt replied. “Watch those three men approach those three women over there,” he said, pointing off to the gazebo. Each man took a woman aside and handed her a ring. The women looked shocked. The men slipped the rings on. “Watch this,” Adonis said. All three women began kissing the men that gave them the ring. Then the kissing turned to fondling, then to hands up shirts. “Whoa,” Wyatt said. “What did you put in the wine?” I asked Adonis, shocked at what I was seeing. “It’s not the wine. It’s the rings,” he replied. “What?” Wyatt asked. “Apparently, you created the rings with so much passion, that whenever you make jewelry the passion goes into the piece.” “Is it a spell?” I asked.

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“No, it just puts a spark back into the relationship that lasts and lasts. So far that’s all I know. I just thought you were a jewelry maker I had no idea that you held that much power in the making.” One by one, the three couples hurried off to the mansion. “And there they go, off to their rooms,” he said snickering. “Which brings me to yours.” “Our what?” I asked smiling. He dangled a key and handed it to Wyatt. “Thank you for everything,” Wyatt said. “Yes,” I said and kissed his cheek. I felt a tingle in my toes. “Good Night, Mr. Evans.” “Hey, don’t give me away. That’s my code name.” I nodded as he made his way to Aphrodite. Wyatt unlocked the door to our room and we stood there in shock. It was a huge suite. King size bed, huge oval tub, fruit baskets, chilled sparkling cider, and hundreds of gifts. “I think we’re dreaming again,” I said as I shut the door. “Well we could just stand here and stare at the room, hoping we don’t wake up, or we could indulge and start the countdown again right before the fireworks,” Wyatt suggested. “I choose number two. Hurry, unzip this dress!” Wyatt kissed the back of my neck and slowly unzipped the dress. Two months later Wyatt was working for Mr. Evans as a personal jeweler. He had a shop on Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He had so many return customers that I had to help him out once in a while. Me? I’m still making figurines for Paint Me Perfect although I’ve been forbidden to make another statue. The Gods say I’ll never find another man like Wyatt in all the universe so why even try. The baby’s heart beat is strong and Hermes wants us to name the baby after him. Poor guy, not in a million years. Oh, I have to go now. Wyatt is getting out of the shower and it looks as though he’s ready for me. Some girls have all the luck. Of course they do when there’s help from the Gods.

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