The Light in my Darkness

Chapter 4

No matter what decision you made or what else was going on in your life, you had to be out of your apartment soon. You had so much stuff to pack that looking around your little apartment just overwhelmed you. So, you did the only thing you could. You ignored all of it and painted. As far as you were concerned, there was nothing in life that canvas, a paintbrush and paint couldn't make better.

It usually worked anyway. Today, you couldn't get your mind to turn from Clint. Part of you couldn't believe you were even considering his offer. The rest of you kept thinking about that kiss. You'd never experienced anything like that before. And the fact that it had been shared with the man you'd had a crush on for the last six years just made it that much better.

You were well into your painting before you realized the blue you were using was the exact same shade as Clint's suit from the day before. "Damn obsessive brain," you muttered to yourself. Your phone rang and you wiped your hands off on a rag before answering. "Hello?"

"Hello, gorgeous." Clint's raspy voice came over the line drawing a smile from you in response.

"Hello, handsome. What can I do for you?" You hoped he wasn't calling for a decision as you were still torn.

"I was wondering if you could meet me somewhere."

You glanced down at your pajamas and paint stained hands. "Now?"

He hesitated briefly before responding. "It doesn't have to be right this minute, but the sooner the better."

"Could you give me like an hour? I've been painting and need to clean up a little."

"Of course. Do you want me to send you the address or a car?"

You sighed. Your car was completely out of commission and had been for some time. You walked or took public transportation everywhere. "A car would be great."

"You got it, sweetheart. Scott's on his way and will wait downstairs for you." He hung up before you even had a chance to respond.

***

Half an hour later you were properly dressed and considerably cleaner. As promised, Scott was waiting just outside the door. He greeted you with a grin and opened the door. "Hey you."

He had run Wanda and you around on many occasions, including picking you up from the bar when both of you had a few too many. "Hey, Scott."

"So where are we going?" you asked as he slid behind the wheel.

He shrugged and gave you that little half smile he had perfected. You rolled your eyes and he chuckled as he caught the gesture in his mirror.

It wasn't long before you arrived at a large brown brick building near the art institute. You gazed up at it looking for some sort of sign. All you found was a small plaque indicating the building was called the Rembrandt. You scrunched your nose and climbed from the car when Scott opened your door. He took you to the front door of the building and pushed a button beside it. When a buzz sounded, he opened that door for you as well. "He's in 501," Scott instructed then went back to the car.

Your eyes followed him until the car pulled away. You climbed the stairs to the fifth floor and found the door to apartment 501 propped open. Clint was visible through the doorway. He leaned against the wall with one hand in his pocket as he scrolled through his phone with the other. You leaned against the doorframe and crossed your arms over your chest. Your eyes ran over the length of him and your heart sped up just a little.

"You summoned me?"

The corner of his mouth kicked up but he didn't take his eyes from his phone until he finished what he was doing. Once he'd slipped it into his pocket, he looked at you and grinned. "Hello."

"Clint."

He gestured to the room with a sweep of his arm. "Come on in. Look around and tell me what you think."

Your brow furrowed as you frowned at him. What was he up to? You stepped into the apartment and glanced around. Wood floors ran throughout and large windows let in an enormous amount of natural light. It was also huge. Just the kitchen and living room were the size of your place. The kitchen wasn't large in and of itself, but it was bigger than what you'd find in most apartments. The short hall led to a master bedroom with an attached bathroom and a guest room. While the entire apartment was stunning, it was the guest room that caught your attention. Large windows let sunlight pour across the floor. It would be the perfect space for a studio.

"So, what do you think?" Clint said from behind you, and you turned to meet his gaze.

"I think it's lovely. What is it?"

He grinned. "It's your new apartment."

Your eyes widened. "You can't be serious. I haven't even agreed to your offer yet."

"You will."

"And what makes you so certain?"

His hands found your waist and he pulled you toward him. A moment later his lips found yours and you sighed into the kiss. Eventually, you needed to breathe and pulled away from him. "Oh, yes. That."

"Yes, that," he agreed with a chuckle. He continued to hold you to him as he raised a hand to push your hair behind your ear. His palm cupped your cheek as he studied your features. You leaned into the touch. "We could be good together."

You arched a brow and hummed. "True that may be, Mr. Barton, but I still haven't seen your contract. My dad may be an asshole at the best of times but he did teach me a thing or two."

"Fair enough, sweetheart." He took a step back to put some space between the two of you and you immediately missed his warmth.

Keep your head straight. This was a business arrangement. The last thing you needed was to allow your libido to make decisions for you. "Has Wanda seen it yet?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe as he smiled at you. "No reason for her to. Her apartment is on the other side of the campus."

"I don't need all this space," you protested. "And this can't be convenient for you. We're nowhere near your office or the house."

He lifted his chin in acknowledgement. "Let me worry about that. I'm more concerned with you having easy access to your classes."

Well, you weren't about to argue with that. You should insist he find something more convenient for him. He was paying for it after all, but the thought of being able to walk to your classes every day was just too tempting.

"Come on," he said and headed back toward the living room. He grabbed a folder off the counter in the kitchen and handed it to you. "The contract."

Your heart raced as you clutched the folder to your chest like a lifeline. The last two days had been completely surreal and you were hoping reading the contract would help anchor you in reality. Next, he held out a business card. You took it and frowned, not recognizing the name of the business.

"They have everything you could possibly need for an apartment. Once you sign off on the contract, go there and get whatever you need. They'll send me the bill."

"I have stuff, Clint. I've been living in an apartment for a couple of years, you know." You felt awkward letting him buy you things, even if that was the nature of the relationship he was proposing.

He shrugged. "Do as you wish, but I expect it to be properly furnished or I'll do it for you."

You bit your lip and nodded, not really having anything else to say. He'd never been one for idle threats so you knew he'd do exactly as he said.

"Come on. I'll see you home." He placed a hand on your back to steer you toward the door.

Your arms hugged the folder to your chest. When the two of you reached the doorway, you stopped and turned to face him. He looked down at you, a question dancing in his eyes. You grabbed his lapel with one hand and pulled him toward you to press your lips to his. After a moment you pulled away and patted his chest. You grinned as you took in his slightly dazed expression.

There was a sway in your hips as you walked down the hallway, leaving Clint to trail behind you.