Images - A Love Story Read online

IMAGES

  A Love Story

  By

  Kate Wyland

  Copyright 2013 by Kate Wyland

  Cover Image: zastavkin/www.bigstock.com

  License Statement

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, incidents, and dialog are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Images

  “Can’t get much frumpier than this,” Lauren Carmody muttered, gazing into the restroom mirror. The reflection revealed a brown wig with hair falling forward that partially concealed her make-up free face, while a figure-hiding, too-large blazer, a long, loose skirt and tinted glasses completed the picture. Perfect.

  She bowed her head, hunched her shoulders and opened the door. The sound of voices infiltrated the hall outside the Jorrow Publishing meeting room. Pausing, she visualized a golden ball of light that surrounded her and created a mental barrier. When a man opened the door and brushed by her, she gritted her teeth in frustration as a brief image of a woman’s breasts flashed in her head.

  Damn. She strengthened her golden light, took a deep breath and entered the room. If only she didn’t have to attend these meetings. Why couldn’t she stay home, where she didn’t have to deal with other people’s thoughts or, more accurately, thought pictures? That was the reason she worked as a freelance artist after all.

  She opened her portfolio case and laid a set of sketches on the table in front of Tom, the senior editor. “Here are my ideas for the fairy books.”

  Pivoting, she spied Bailey at the other end of the large conference room. The modishly dressed children’s editor gave a small wave and motioned her near.

  “What’s going on?” Lauren took the chair her friend had saved her. The room was unusually full for the quarterly editorial meeting.

  “The new marketing director is being introduced today. We all want to see him first-hand.”

  So that’s why everyone seemed so keyed up and why the images she was encountering—faces, clothes, someone’s tush—were so intense. She really had to work at her boundaries to keep all the overlapping pictures at bay.

  “So who is he? Anyone I know?”

  "Adam Traynor.”

  “Really? How did Jarrow manage to land him? He’s got a tremendous reputation for someone so young. I hear he’s only about thirty.”

  Bailey laughed. “Thirty-two, according to his bio. And you should like this. Apparently, he thinks your stuff is pretty awesome. I’m told he wants you to do more books for us.”

  “Only if I still work with you.”

  Lauren made it a rule to deal strictly with women. Men were more difficult for her to ignore, their thoughts more intrusive. Given that a normal man thought about sex several times an hour, the images they projected could be downright embarrassing. And, depending on the content, could change her perception of the person.

  All conversation stopped when the door opened and a tall, blond man in a custom-tailored suit entered.

  Lauren didn’t need to see Bailey’s mouthed “Wow” to pick up the reaction of all the women in the room. Eye candy in spades.

  Tom, the editor, motioned the latecomer forward. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet the newest member of our team, Adam Traynor. Most of you already know about him. If you don’t, you soon will.”

  He then asked everyone at the table to introduce themselves briefly. When it was Lauren’s turn, Traynor nodded and said. “I’ve seen your work. Very nice.”

  Keeping her voice quiet and diffident, Lauren thanked him and gave a sigh of relief. He’d looked right at her, his blue eyes alive and knowing, but she’d felt no pressure, no intrusion. Her dowdy look was successful.

  The meeting began and soon everyone was down to business. Lauren tried to tune out the discussion as she usually did until it was her turn. Today, however, Adam’s deep voice caught her attention and brought her back time after time. Something about his way of speaking, his whole persona affected her, grabbed her and wouldn’t let go. She was getting really irritated by the time the coffee cart was rolled in and a break called.

  Lauren waited until everyone else had gotten their drink before approaching the carafes. She started to pour herself a cup then jerked to attention. Mike Graves, the horniest idiot on the planet, was descending on her. He didn’t know why, of course, but he somehow realized his carefully framed jokes really offended her and he seemed to delight in it.

  “Hey Lauren,” he greeted her. “Can’t wait to see your stuff.”

  The next thing she knew, he bumped the cup in her hand, sending coffee down her blazer. With a horrified expression he grabbed some napkins and began wiping at her chest.

  “I’m so sorry. Can’t believe how clumsy I am today.” A sly smile lifted his lips, negating his apology.

  She shoved his hand away and darted behind the trolley. “I’ll take care of it.”

  To her relief, before Mike could do anything more, Adam Traynor came over and took his arm. Leading him away, he said, “I’d like to talk to you about your ideas for the new promotion. Let’s get out of the way so we can discuss it.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise when Adam looked over his shoulder and winked at her. Puzzled, she returned to blotting at the coffee stains.

  When the meeting resumed, the series of books Lauren was working on came up for review. Adam was lavish with his compliments.

  “I really like your illustrations. They are absolutely ideal for these stories. Your pastel watercolors create an ethereal effect that fit the tales to perfection.”

  The following Saturday, Lauren put down her rag and pushed back the unruly hair falling in her eyes. She pulled out her tortoiseshell comb, gathered up the wavy mass and pinned it in place again. Curly tendrils still framed her face, but at least the rest was out of the way.

  Window washing was hot work and she was glad she’d worn shorts and a tank top. Ready for a break, she gave a last polish to the kitchen window. Then she folded up her stepladder, picked up the spray bottle and squeegee and headed for the garage. At the sound of the doorbell, she detoured around the side of the house. Probably her neighbor Mrs. Harris stopping by for a chat.

  She gaped in astonishment at the sight of Adam Traynor on her porch. Setting the ladder in front of her, she grasped the tools to her chest. An image of her nipples showing through her tank top flashed in her mind and she quickly used the golden light to block it out.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?” she stammered. He’d been in her thoughts ever since the meeting, but she’d never expected to see him on her front step.

  Adam looked as amazed as she was. “Lauren?” he asked in a quizzical voice. “Is that you?”

  Her heart sank. Why had he come to spoil everything? She really liked working for Jorrow Publishing. But now, she would become a focus of attention—the last thing she ever wanted. She’d been through it before. Once she became visible, some of the images she encountered would inevitably feature her. It was one thing to see someone else’s fantasies. It was quite another when she starred in them.

  “Wow, I knew you hiding something, but …” His voice trailed off while his gaze dropped to her bare legs. “You’re blond …and gorgeous.”

  She braced herself for a sexua
l image and was surprised when none came. That was a first. She knew her hourglass figure, fully displayed by the revealing top and shorts, fit most men’s fantasies. But Adam didn’t react. Perhaps, he was gay? No, that first picture was definitely tinged with lust. And gay men didn’t stare at women with dilated eyes and a hungry expression.

  “Why are you here?” She might be rude not asking him in, but he had appeared without an invitation. She kept her shields high, ready to fend off intrusive pictures.

  “I came to drop off the page mock-ups for your approval. I’m going to Canton for the weekend and since you’re on my way, I thought I’d deliver them in person.” He held out a large manila envelope she hadn’t noticed before.

  “Uh, …thank you. Tom usually messengers them.” She added the envelope to the spray bottle guarding her chest.

  “I know.” He offered an apologetic smile. “I wanted an excuse to talk you. You left so quickly after the meeting I didn’t get a chance to tell you how much I admire your art.” He extended his hand in a questioning gesture. “May I come in?”

  Lauren hesitated a long moment then shrugged. Her disguise was useless now, so what did it matter. She gestured toward the door and nodded.

  “Go on in and have a seat. I’ll be back in a moment after I put these away.”

  She hurried to the garage then made a quick stop in her room to slip a plain painter’s smock over her revealing outfit.

  Adam stood looking out at her back garden when she returned to the living room. He glanced at her then sent his gaze around the colorful, but comfortable room.

  “This looks like it belongs to the Lauren Carmody I’d pictured before the other day. What gives with the mousy bit?”

  “Could be I like my work noticed rather than my looks?” She gestured towards an overstuffed chair. “Why don’t you sit and I’ll get us some lemonade, unless you’d like tea?”

  “Lemonade sounds good.” He followed her into the kitchen and plopped down on a high stool next to the center island. Swiveling around, he watched her as she got a pitcher out of the refrigerator and poured their drinks.

  His inspection made her movements self-conscious and less than graceful. But she relaxed a bit when she realized that she wasn’t being bombarded by unwanted images. She set a glass in front of him and took the neighboring stool.

  He nodded his thanks. “I apologize for stopping by without calling, but I really do admire your work—both your illustrations and your paintings.”

  “You know my canvases?”

  “Got two of your smaller ones in my office. Love your use of color and abstraction.” His mouth quirked in a rueful grin. “Wish I could afford a big one.”

  “That appears to be true of the art world in general. Although I suspect it’s lack of interest, rather than funds that leaves my stuff hanging.”

  “Give it time. You’ll develop a larger following before long.” His expression became intense and she braced herself. “I could give you ideas on how to increase your audience. I’m pretty good at that sort of stuff.”

  An image she couldn’t quite make out lightly brushed her mind but didn’t intrude. Without thinking, she pulled over the small drawing pad that always sat on her counter and began sketching.

  “Thanks for the offer. For the moment, I’m content with the way things are.” Her hand continued drawing while she focused on him.

  “Which paintings do you have?” she asked.

  “Flight and Nonsense. I particularly like Flight. I love the seagull soaring out of the burst of colors.”

  “Would you like to see my studio?” She jerked in surprise. What was going on with her? She never let strangers into her work space.

  “Love to. Lead the way.”

  She dropped her pencil and stood up. Halfway to the door she realized he wasn’t following her and glanced back to see him staring at her doodle.

  “Interesting,” he murmured.

  “What?” She returned to the island to peer at what she’d drawn. She’d sketched an outdoor art fair with several figures standing in front of a display. Why in the world had she done that?

  He pointed at the paper. “That’s a great idea. It was one of the things I was thinking about when I mentioned increasing your audience.”

  So that’s where the image had come from. Her face heated as she spoke rapidly. “Great minds and all that. Art fairs are an obvious way to advertise my work.”

  “True.” He cocked his head, a thoughtful look on his face. “Having a client like you could be great fun. We think alike.”

  “I don’t do fairs. They want the artist to talk to the patrons. That’s not me.”

  “A possible problem, but there are ways around it.” He slid off the stool and stood up. “Now about that studio tour?”

  An hour later a thoroughly puzzled Lauren stood at the door watching Adam drive off. She’d just spent a period of time with a man—with no intrusive images. Something that had never happened before. Even when she studied with George Hudson, who was in his eighties, she was careful to cover up and not use make-up. Picking up on his artistic ideas was fun, but those weren’t the only things on his mind. He was old; however he definitely was not dead to women—or his memories.

  Adam seemed to be another animal entirely. Other than the first brief nipple flash, she’d felt no intrusions. The art fair idea barely brushed her mind and the only other faint image she’d noticed was of the painting she was currently working on, hanging on the wall of an ultra-modern apartment. No sexual pictures had spoiled her time with him—no pictures of any sort. She didn’t know what to make of it.

  Closing the door, she continued to muse about their encounter. Ever since she turned fourteen she’d had to deal with other people’s thoughts. It had been so difficult for her she’d finished high school at home. In the ten years since she’d developed a kind of protection in the form of her golden ball. But that wasn’t always successful in blocking powerful images, which was why she worked freelance and avoided most people. It was tiring and sometimes challenging to keep up protective boundaries all the time. But she hadn’t needed them with Adam. Had something changed for her?

  The doorbell rang again and she opened it without thinking. A vivid picture of her bare legs hit like a light burst. No problem in picking up the UPS guy’s thoughts. It must be something about Adam.

  She was still puzzling over the problem when he stopped by late the next afternoon to pick up the mock-ups he’d left. This time she invited him in, curious if the previous day’s phenomenon would repeat. She got a brief flash of her jeans and shirt, but nothing after that. While it was pleasant to not have to keep her guard up all the time, it was also weird and somehow unnerving. What was going on with him? His mind couldn’t be empty.

  As an experiment, she casually touched his hand as she gave him a glass of ice tea. A picture of herself lying on a beach in a bikini leaped out at her and she jolted in surprise. His mind definitely wasn’t blank, but it wasn’t broadcasting to her either.

  Adam gave her a quizzical look. “Something wrong?”

  “No, no,” she stammered. Changing the subject, she asked, “How was your trip?”

  An unusual picture rose in her mind as he told her about his visit to Canton. She was standing in the middle of a stream with fast moving water rushing at her. Instead of hitting her, it magically parted and flowed around her without pushing or unbalancing her. Then the image changed and the water became a river of light or energy and again it parted and flowed around instead of impacting her.

  When Adam took his leave, he extended his hand as if for a business handshake and she responded to not appear rude. Again, touch brought a vivid image, this time of Adam leaning down to kiss her—so vivid, she actually closed her eyes in anticipation. Then jerked them open as she realized what she was doing. A faint smile crossed Adam’s face and he released her hand.

  “Thanks for the iced tea, Lauren. And thanks for reviewing the mock-ups. I’ll be sure to
get them to the art department tomorrow.”

  To say that Adam had invaded her mind the following week was the understatement of the year. And he had done it by his actions, not his thoughts. A first for sure. And one that kept her stewing all week long. Somehow she wasn’t that surprised when he called on Wednesday and asked her to go for a drive on the weekend.

  “A drive?” Her voice rose almost an octave when she finally managed to speak.

  “Yeah, you know, in a car. We could go over to the coast.”

  Did she dare? She’d never been on a date before. She’d never spent time with a man near her age before. But she’d also never met someone like him before.

  She took a deep breath and got her voice under control. “Thank you. I’d like that.”

  They settled on the time and then he hung up, unwilling, she suspected, to give her time to change her mind. While she thought over what she’d just done, she noticed something interesting. The same picture of a river of light or energy flowing around her had risen in her mind as they talked. How odd.

  The image came to her again when she made a trip to the hardware store and encountered an overly-friendly checkout clerk. Apparently, he considered himself God’s gift and tried to prove it with every woman he met, even one wearing baggy clothes and no makeup. Initially Lauren had trouble blocking his thoughts, until the river image resurfaced and it occurred to her to make her golden ball a rock in the river and direct his thoughts around her instead of meeting them head on. To her surprise, it worked. His obnoxious pictures flowed past without intruding on her. Amazed and delighted, she headed home with a new confidence. She might have discovered a partial solution to her problem.

  The next day she decided to put it to a test again. For one of the few times in her life she shopped in a store rather than ordering her clothes online. She had a delightful time, trying on everything that appealed to her—with no significant intrusions. A spaghetti-strap sundress in a luscious blue print caught her eye. Normally, she’d never even consider it. Maybe she’d lose her courage and take it back the next day, but she decided to take a chance. She wanted to see Adam’s reaction to it. Wanted to see if his mind remained closed to her.

  She didn’t take the dress back, but she also didn’t wear it when Adam came to pick her up. Turned out her bravery didn’t extend to exposing that much bare skin in public after all. Instead she slipped into slacks and a soft top and let her hair flow in a wavy frame around her face.

  “You look wonderful,” he greeted her.

  She automatically tensed when an image of herself in the doorway blossomed in her mind. But she let the picture flow by and didn’t fight it. Instead, she found she enjoyed it.

  “Thank you. You look great too.” More than great. His jeans and polo shirt revealed a lean, muscular form that she’d love to sketch. His blue eyes, blond hair and interesting face made the idea even more appealing.

  “Shall we go? I’ve a unique place in mind for lunch.”

  The afternoon proved delightful and surprising. At first she flinched away when he offered to take her hand to help her out of his low sports car. But she gradually became accustomed to his small courtesies and learned to accept his touch and the light brush of images that went with it. At one point she became aware that Adam had not released her hand after helping her up some steps. Her immediate reaction was to pull away, but the contact felt too good. He touched her a lot that afternoon and she grew to enjoy the feel. As she got used to the muted images from Adam’s thoughts, she began to like them too.

  The evening was turning to night by the time they got back to Lauren’s cottage. Tension tightened her chest when they walked up the path. Should she invite him in? Should she let him kiss her, or would he even want to? She gritted her teeth in frustration. Why couldn’t she have had a normal life, dated, had relationships. As it was, she knew far too much about intimate sexual encounters, and yet had no actual experience with the opposite sex.

  At the door to her cottage Adam took her hands in his. “I’d like to see you again tomorrow.”

  Relief flowed through her and released the breath she’d been holding. “Yes, I’d like that too. How about coming for lunch?”

  “Sounds perfect. I’ll be here at noon.” He bent down and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “See you then.”

  Lauren went into the house in a daze. She couldn’t believe how her life was changing. She’d dressed like a normal person, gone out in public and hadn’t been pummeled by unwanted intrusions. She’d had an actual date with a man and hadn’t had to fight embarrassing images. She’d kissed him and enjoyed his touch. The last was the most amazing of all.

  The next day when she heard Adam’s car she almost skipped to the front of the house. His eyes widened in delight at the sight of her new dress with the tiny straps and gauzy, floaty skirt.

  “Wow!” He leaned forward to give her a lingering kiss while an image of his arms wrapped around, pulling her tight against him blossomed in her mind. Before her fear of what might come next could swamp her pleasure, he ended the kiss and the intimate picture disappeared.

  He raised his head and sniffed. “Something sure smells good. Anything I can do to help?” He slipped past her on his way into the kitchen.

  Lauren stared after him, lightly rubbing her lips. For the first time she’d experienced a sexual image involving herself that was pleasurable and even desirable. Could it be possible for her to have a normal romantic relationship?

  They had a delightful lunch on her patio discussing art and books, their mutual passions. Lauren relaxed more and more as they talked. She couldn’t believe how pleasant it was to be with another person, a man no less. She also couldn’t believe how much she was enjoying his touch, how much she wanted the contact.

  She discovered she wanted more. She didn’t want to keep hiding inside her golden ball. Lowering her shields proved harder than she’d imagined. Fear sent her pulse rocketing and she reminded herself she had better protection now. She could retreat any time she wanted.

  Her golden light faded away. For the first time she sat psychically naked with someone other than her mother. A sense of peace enveloped her heart and a quiet thrill of sexual awareness spread through her. So this is what it’s like.

  A delighted smile spread over Adam’s face. He lifted her hand and brushed a kiss over her knuckles.

  “Thank you,” he murmured. “I’m honored.”

  Lauren stared at him. “What did you say?”

  “I’m honored that you trust me enough to let down your shields. I hoped that would happen, but didn’t expect it so soon.”

  She jerked her hand away and rose from her chair, her heart beating so hard she half expected to see her chest moving like a movie cartoon. “What are you talking about?”

  Cocking his head, he looked up at her. “Was the water image helpful? I find it easier to let energy flow past rather than trying to block it.”

  Her mind raced as she struggled to understand. He’d sent the river of light picture? Her new skill came from him?

  “Who …? What …?” She couldn’t form the questions she needed to ask.

  He gave her a reassuring smile and tugged her hand urging her to sit again. “You aren’t the only one with extra talents, you know. I realized you were special the first day we met. Your shields were so high and bristling. But I didn’t know what your gift was until I saw your sketch.”

  “Sketch?”

  “The art fair. You drew exactly what I was thinking, down to the logo. Given that, I assume you pick up pictures rather than words.” He gave her a speculative look. “The images are stronger when they relate to you, aren’t they? That’s why you don’t want anyone to notice you.”

  Lauren sat speechless for a long moment. He talked as if he understood. Was it possible? Had she found someone she wouldn’t have to hide from?

  “How do you know so much about this?” she finally asked.

  “My gift is reading people. Why d
o you think I’m a director of marketing at such a young age? I know when people like or dislike a thing, when they’re lying or hiding something. It’s an uncomfortable talent. Makes it hard to get close to people or let them close to me.”

  “I can see where that could be a problem.” Almost as much of a problem as seeing other people’s thoughts.

  She took a deep breath and blurted out the question that had been nagging her ever since she met him. “How come I don’t need to block you?” Her face burned as she waited his response.

  His grin grew big. “Having grown up in a family with lots of ‘extra talents,’ I learned at an early age to corral my thoughts and keep them under close control.”

  “But the river image came from you?”

  He nodded. “I got the impression that you needed a more effective way to control the incoming pictures. I was taught to ‘go with the flow’ rather than taking things head on. Always works well for me.”

  She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. She’d never before told anyone except her mother about her strange ability. But Adam acted as if it was common and unremarkable.

  “You knew about my gift but didn’t say anything?”

  “Didn’t want to spook you. Figured you needed time to get to know me.”

  “And now?”

  “That’s up to you. What do you want?”

  She leaned forward, her gaze intent. “Will you do something for me?” She crossed her fingers she wouldn’t lose her courage.

  “Certainly. What did you have in mind?”

  “Will you kiss me, really kiss me?” She felt her cheeks heating.

  His eyes darkened. “Anything to please the lady.”

  He rose and drew her to her feet. His hands on either side of her face, he lowered his mouth to hers. Her breath caught as his lips touched, withdrew, then touched again, this time settling into an insistent, drugging kiss. When his tongue slid between her teeth, she gasped and brought her hands around his neck. That was all the invitation he needed to thread one hand into her hair and smooth the other down her side and around her waist, pulling her closer while keeping his touch light.

  A picture of the two of them entwined together on her couch filled her mind, followed by increasingly intimate images involving fewer and fewer clothes. Desire shot through her, making her ultra sensitive to the touch of their bodies. For the first time she understood the appeal of erotic art. She rose on tip-toes and pressed closer.

  Her legs were turning to liquid wax when he pulled back and ended the entrancing kiss. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I don’t want to go too fast.”

  “Oh yes. Very okay.”

  Lauren reached up and pulled his head down, smiling as his lips touched hers. She sank into the kiss and reveled in the images coming from Adam. Eventually, she even added a few of her own. She was an artist after all.