A Flame Divine ♕

XXV. C L O S E R

m e r r i k

Merrik held his hand out for her to take as she stepped out of his black BMW. They had parked along the street in front of Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art. The glass facade was lit up in the night, and the glow it cast on Carmen's face made her eyes shine brilliantly.

Carmen gasped when she saw where they were. "I've always wanted to visit the art museum," she whispered.

Merrik looked down at her and put his arm around her waist. "You've never been?"

She shook her head with a bright smile on her face. "Never. But I've always loved art... in high school, I was in the highest art class junior year, before I had to drop out," she said as he paid admission and led her inside.

Merrik swallowed and his grip on her hip tightened. He wanted to know why she'd had to drop out, but he didn't want to press her right then; he wanted her to enjoy this. "Well, then I picked the right place for our date," he said, grinning down at her.

She flushed. "This is a date?"

"If you want it to be," he gulped. "I know I'd like it to be."

Merrik had courted countless women, but none of them made him feel as nervous as she did.

She bit her lip and put her hand on his face, running her thumb across his cheekbone. "I want it to be," she whispered, and he felt something stir within him.

He put his hand on the nape of her neck and kissed her forehead gently. "Well, then consider it a date. Come on, Carmen. Let's go check out some of the galleries." He held his hand out to her.

She smiled and took it, intertwining their fingers together, causing a ripple of electricity to flow through his veins.

He led her through the first room of paintings. Impressionists and Expressionists dominated this section of the gallery. He preferred the few pieces of Surrealism he found, but the awe on Carmen's face was priceless. And this was only the beginning.

"Wow," she breathed. "This is amazing." She lingered in front of each painting, and he watched her features change as she took each one in, and he knew she was analyzing them in her head.

He let her take her time, making no move to take her to the next room until she was ready. When she was finished, she slid her arm through his and let him lead her to the next exhibit, where they viewed sculptures and mixed media. The joy on her face multiplied with every piece of art her blue eyes ran across. From room to room they went, and he paid more attention to her than the art on the walls.

Finally, when they got to the last room, full of portrait sketches, the grin on her face was so broad that it nearly split her face in two. "Portraits are what I used to love to sketch... these are amazing," she breathed.

"Do you prefer pencil? Charcoal?" Merrik fished.

"I would draw with anything I could get my hands on," she said, her voice wispy and far away. Then as if snapping out of it, she turned to him and gifted him with a soft smile. "But charcoal is my favorite."

Merrik made a mental note.

Carmen approached a wall of themed drawings. The art depicted the silhouettes of a bridge between a man and a woman. In each sequence, the two got closer together until their shadows melted into one another.

He watched her ponder over the drawing. She lingered for quite some time before letting out a soft breath.

"It is so inspiring, Merrik," she whispered.

He stepped behind her, so close he was almost flush against her. He put his hand gently on her hip and turned her to face him, looking down at her with an intense gaze. "It is. The way two people start out so far away from each other, but within a matter of time, they end up right where they need to be..." He closed the tiny bit of distance between them and tilted her chin up so he could see her face clearly. "I'm so glad you found your way to me, Carmen Rose," he whispered, bringing his lips down to hers, kissing her softly.