Fighter

five

Your POV

The gallery is packed when we arrive, but a short woman dressed in black and with tattoos covering the entire exposed part of her arms meets us immediately.

- Scarlett! My god, everyone is delirious with your painting!- The woman hugs her but I see her face wither with the words. With a tense expression Scarlett bites hard on her lower lip trying to smile, wanting to share her friend's mood but it's clear she's nervous.

A man with a thick French accent grabs Chris' arm, mutters a few words, and the two of them disappear as quickly as he came, with a promise to return him as soon as possible.

- Are you okay?- I lean over and whisper to her.

- Does it look like I'm not?

- Not much.- I smile.

Scareltt laughs.

- I'm sorry. I didn't know how hard it would be to have people watching. I see models without clothes all the time and it doesn't bother me at all. I see art, not a naked woman. But when it comes to me, I'm completely nervous about people seeing me naked.

I stop a waitress as she passes, take two glasses and offer one to Scarlett. She refuses.

- Are you sure? It can help calm the nerves.

- Yes.- A frank smile appears on her lips.- Can you tell that I'm nervous?

-You look beautiful.- I say, not just because I want to calm her down and make her feel better. She is really beautiful. The gallery's carefully directed lighting highlights her long blonde hair, giving it a glow that reflects the green of her eyes. She's traded her gym clothes for a sexy blue dress that hugs in all the right places. A hint of cleavage distracts the hell out of me. If the painting is almost as good as the reality, it will be a work of art.

A few minutes later Chris returns holding an empty champagne glass in each hand.

- Are you ready to see it?

I watch her take a deep breath and play with her hair nervously. But then something changes. A determination passes through her delicate features. If I hadn't been watching her so closely I probably wouldn't have noticed. But I noticed and it made me smile. She's stronger than she looks on the outside and that makes her even more attractive to me, if that's possible.

Together, the three of us walked through the gallery, pausing to view each painting in silence. As we pass the paintings, my pulse starts to race, wondering if the next one will be the one.

A dozen frames later I'm getting impatient. Anxious maybe. I have no idea. I've seen several naked women before, both live and in paintings. Fuck, I grew up surrounded by art, so why is every step making my heart pound in my chest in anticipation?

Around a bend and near a corner, a small crowd has gathered in front of a large painting, and the murmurs of a light argument are louder here than anywhere else. I know, before I see it's her painting. As we approach, two tall men move towards another painting, leaving a small gap in the crowd.....perfect for my field of vision. I stop in the middle of the step. Breathing becomes difficult as my eyes fall on the most beautiful sight I've ever seen.

Sitting on a spacious bed with only a white sheet that seems to have been gently thrown to cover her radiant skin, her head is slightly tilted and her captivating green eyes gaze at the artist from beneath thick lashes. She looks like an angel. I really can't decide if the pose is innocent or seductive, but the sexual tension that radiates from the layers of paint is palpable. It's the most exciting thing I've ever seen in my life. Sweet, yet incredibly seductive. Every curve of her body is soft and inviting, yet firm and incredibly erotic at the same time. The rosy pink of her swollen nipples stands out against her white luscious skin, and one hand rests casually on her slightly spread thighs, giving the illusion of being able to see what's under her perfectly positioned legs, though nothing is actually showing.

My mouth unable to form words, I say nothing when Scarlett looks at me. I force my breath to calm and swallow hard, trying to control my thoughts. She has a nervous smile on her face and her voice is so low I can barely hear it over the sound of my own heart pounding in my chest.

- What do you think?

Struggling to look at the woman who is talking to me and not at the painting I can't take my eyes off of, I reply.

- I think I'll stay in front of it blocking the view of others, but I think I'll face it.

Scarlett smiles and gives me a light elbow in the ribs.

- You are terrible.

- What? I'm a big fan of the arts. I need to study the brushstrokes. And the curves. I definitely need to study the curves.- I reply.

A man's voice behind me turns the sexual tension I was feeling into rage, ripping me away from the peaceful place the painting had transported me to and making me clench my fists at my sides with just four words: I would fuck her.

Unfortunately I'm not the only person listening. Scarlett looks horrified and the two assholes are lucky I made the decision to push Scarlett away from the comment instead of hitting them. As I lead her to the next painting, I catch Chris whispering something to the men through his teeth, just before they both quickly disband with pale faces.

When we get to the next painting I excuse myself for a moment. I meet Chris and Scarlett again just as they have just seen the exhibit.

- I need to meet some people and greet them. I know it's going to be torture but do you mind hanging out with Scarlett for a while?- Chris asks me, joking when I return. He turns to her.- And you, don't let it go to her head. I left you beautiful in the frame. You really are a horrible woman.

He bends down to kiss her tenderly on the forehead, gripping her shoulders. I hear him speak softly down.

- Your painting is wonderful, just like you. Relax and enjoy.

She rolls her eyes playfully.

Chris reaches out to me with a wink that Scarlett doesn't notice.

- Take good care of my girl.

I agreed and smiled.

- Yes sir.

We walked around for about an hour, talking non-stop. Finally, the gallery transforms from the previous stage with serious observers to the beginning of a party. Scarlett looks around uncomfortably.

- Do you want to leave?- I ask.

- Do you mind? It kind of makes me nervous being in the same room as that painting.- She gestures to the corner where the painting is hanging. It is the busiest area of ​​the hall.

As we head for the door, I watch the gallery owner cover up Scarlett's painting, marking it as sold. Luckily Scarlett doesn't notice.