Framed Shadows: Shadows Landing #6 Page 10

  Paxton smiled as he thought about it. “I’m looking forward to meeting Miss Tibbie. She sounds like my kind of lady. Now, how about we head home and I make you dinner?”

  “You just don’t want to go to the bar and have everyone laugh at you for screaming like a girl,” Tinsley teased.

  “You’re right. I’d much rather make you scream.” Tinsley’s laughter stopped instantly as she gulped. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a pretty pink. When her eyes dropped downward with clear fascination, Paxton wondered just what kind of guys Tinsley had been dating. Either they clearly didn’t appreciate what they had or they had no idea what to do with her once they had her. Paxton smiled down at Tinsley. He didn’t have that problem. No, if Paxton were lucky enough to ever get Tinsley to be his, he’d whisper all sorts of naughty things to her, and that wasn’t half of what he’d already fantasized about doing to her.

  Tinsley had excused herself to get cleaned up for dinner the second they’d reached her house. She had basically run inside and was hiding in her bedroom while Paxton cooked dinner. I’d much rather make you scream.

  Just thinking about it made her breathing speed up and it was time to admit she’d been wrong. Harper had always invited her to come out with her when she was single, but Tinsley had told Harper all the time she wasn’t into the kind of guys Harper was. Harper wanted to go to bars and dance clubs. Tinsley had wanted to go to art shows or literary readings. She touched her lips remembering the panty-melting kisses she’d shared with Paxton. No, the guys at those shows or readings would never shove her up against a car and kiss her like that smack in the middle of Main Street.

  Maybe her softness, her quietness, and her way of playing things safely needed that edge Paxton had. She would never in her life have crossed the imaginary line that seemed to limit her risks without it. Paxton could push her over that line. Heck, he’d already kissed his way over it. It wasn’t just sexual, though. While they set up her gallery, he praised her ability to paint people. He was nudging her toward another imaginary line she’d drawn thinking it was too risky for her career to paint outside her comfort zone.

  Was it just her being affected, though? No, it wasn’t. With Tinsley in Paxton’s life, she’d noticed he’d relaxed his self-control a bit. He was laughing more, teasing more, and talking more. He was opening up and showing her the real Paxton more and more the longer she was with him. Tinsley took a deep breath. She was taking on criminals. She could take on Paxton Kendry.

  Paxton was pouring the wine when Tinsley marched into the kitchen. Her face was set with determination and he worried something had happened. “What’s wrong, Tins?”

  Tinsley didn’t answer him. Instead she grabbed the bottle of wine from his hands and took long gulps from the bottle before slamming it onto the counter.

  “Tinsley? Did something happen?” Paxton was getting worried now. She acted like a compressed trigger ready to go off.

  “Do you go after something when you know you want it?” Tinsley asked suddenly as she began pacing in the small kitchen.

  “Yes. You won’t get anywhere in life without taking risks and going for what you want. Why?”

  “I realized something just now. I live my life playing it safe. I don’t paint people because they’re not in my comfort zone.” Paxton was not sure where this was going, but it was clear Tinsley was working out something in her mind. He could practically see the gears turning. “But you’re pushing me to see that some risks are worth taking.”

  “Isn’t that what art is all about?” Tinsley stopped and stared at him with questions in her eyes. “You can paint anything you want. Express anything you want. Interpret your feelings, what you’re seeing, in any way you want. If you don’t like it, you can paint over it. You can throw it away. But art is about pushing boundaries and taking risks to try to connect with the world and how you see it and feel it. If you do that with art, you can do that with life.”

  Tinsley nodded even though she was now staring at the table as if it held the answers to life. “You’re right. I need to learn to take risks. If an artist can’t be true to herself about what she sees and feels, how can she grow as an artist?”

  Paxton gave a little chuckle as he watched Tinsley. Her eyes shot up to him and he shook his head. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at myself. I usually don’t even consider the risks. But I’m learning sometimes taking it slow and playing it safe has its moments.”

  Tinsley took a deep breath and then the look of determination was back. “Yeah, this isn’t one of those times.”

  Before Paxton could ask what kind of time it was, Tinsley grabbed his shirt with both hands and was yanking him down so she could reach his lips. Sparks flew, heat flowed, and passion roared as their lips melded together. Paxton bundled Tinsley into his arms, holding her tight against him. She pushed her small hands against his chest so he dropped his hold on her. With their tongues tangling and their lips crushing together, Tinsley shoved him backward. He reached behind his back to find the table and the plates he’d set.

  Tinsley stopped pushing against his chest when he backed into the table and made the silverware dance. She pulled back and he let her go. Her face was flushed. Her lips were swollen and parted as she breathed quickly and it all made sense to him now.

  Instead of taking the lead, he waited. This was Tinsley taking a risk and he wanted to be there for every risk she ever took. Because if she failed, he wanted to be the one to catch her. And if she succeeded, he wanted to be the one to watch her soar.

  Paxton watched hesitancy cross Tinsley’s face. “You’re so beautiful, Tinsley. Tell me what you want.”

  Her face flushed, but Paxton pushed her. He wasn’t going to move until she told him to, but he was going to help her take the risk she clearly wanted to take on him. It was humbling that she trusted him enough to spread her wings with him.

  “I want . . .” Tinsley stopped and swallowed hard.

  “Tell me what you want, Tinsley.” Paxton kept his voice low and coaxing, but his eyes were on fire for her.

  “I want to scream,” she finally said. That was all Paxton was waiting for. In two steps he was to her. His lips were on hers as he bent to grab her ass. With a quick lift, he had her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

  He carried her up the stairs as her fingers tightened in the hair at the nape of his neck. She gave him a little tug and he gently bit her lip as he climbed the stairs. The door to her room was open and Paxton didn’t let go of her as he made his way through the room. He lowered them both to the bed, still interlocked, and kissed her for all he was worth.

  He broke away from the kiss to move his lips to her neck as he undressed her. Her hands were sure and steady as they yanked his shirt from his pants. Gone was any hesitancy or self-consciousness as they let all their walls come tumbling down.

  “I’ve wanted you from the first time you put your hands on your hips and looked up at me,” Paxton whispered against her skin as he moved his lips from her breast and traveled downward. Tinsley’s fingers raked through his hair and held him to her as he made her scream for the first time that night, but definitely not the last.

  Paxton felt like a man possessed with the way Tinsley’s skin felt against his. Her sighs, moans, and screams were addictive. He wanted more of everything. Now that he’d had her in his life, he didn’t know if he could ever leave. Not her bed or her life.

  He grabbed a condom and then looked into her face as he braced his arms by her head. Her arms wrapped around his back and Paxton felt her run her fingertips down his spine. The world slowed until there were only the two of them. When he slid inside her, the world as he knew it changed forever.

  12

  Tinsley woke slowly with a smile on her face as the morning sun began to fill the room. Paxton was on his back with one arm thrown over his head while she was snuggled up to his other arm. Last night had been the best night of her life. It might have gone unspoken, but something had changed b
etween her and Paxton. She’d made the decision to open herself up to him. She did it in ways she never had before. And not just in bed.

  They talked over dinner and she opened her heart and shared her feelings, her fears, and her dreams. Even the ones she’s never been able to admit to herself. Paxton hadn’t laughed at her. He supported her, encouraged her, and then he confided in her. There was so much both of them had hidden from the world, but that wasn’t the case any longer. She had someone to share these things with now.

  Paxton had warned her about the possibility of him transferring to another FBI office. They talked about it—why he wanted to transfer back to the Violent Gangs Task Force and why he was now thinking about not transferring. “I’ll support you no matter what you choose,” she had told him. His shoulders had slumped as if a weight had been lifted. Then he’d shoved the empty plates to the floor and made her scream again.

  “Are you awake?” Paxton whispered.

  Tinsley opened her eyes and nodded. “I am. It’s time to go to work.”

  Tinsley tried not to pace the gallery as she waited for Maurice and Tibbie, or rather Bunny, to arrive. She’d cranked the air conditioning up but she was still sweating.

  Paxton was in the back of the gallery pretending to fix the air conditioning when the doorbell jingled. Tinsley pasted on a smile as she stepped forward. Maurice and Murray were early. She’d hoped to talk to Miss Tibbie first.

  “Maurice, Murray, are you both excited for the sale?” Tinsley asked as she joined them in the middle of the gallery and shook their hands.

  “We are,” Maurice said, his eyes going straight to Paxton. “Who’s that?”

  “I told you about him. He’s my employee and right now he’s trying to fix my runaway air conditioning.” Tinsley shivered and moved toward the desk closest to Paxton. “Come have a seat. Can I get you something to drink while we wait?”

  “No, thank you,” Maurice said as he eyed Paxton.

  Paxton looked to the side and gave them a brief smile before getting back to work on the air conditioning wall unit.

  The doorbell chimed again and Tinsley smiled with genuine happiness at Miss Tibbie who sailed into the gallery like she hadn’t a care in the world. She looked every inch the epitome of a society matron, but nothing like herself. The wig she had was brown and cut into a short, shaggy bob. Her makeup was flawless, but not colors Miss Tibbie had ever worn. No, these were blues and silvers and Tibbie usually wore warm colors. However, they did match the ice blue suit she wore with tasteful yet gigantic diamonds. She carried herself into the gallery as if she owned it.

  “Tinsley, darling,” Miss Tibbie glided forward and lifted her cheek for Tinsley to kiss.

  “Miss Bunny, thank you for coming today.”

  The doorbell chimed a third time and Peter strode in. Tinsley almost choked when she saw him. He had on fitted salmon-colored pants that hit at his ankles, showing off brown loafers with no socks. He wore a button-down shirt in thin blue and white stripes with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. He also wore dark black sunglasses and his hair must have taken thirty minutes to style into the perfect “rolled from bed” look.

  Tibbie sighed. “Graham, come meet Tinsley. She’s the one I told you about.”

  Peter pulled his glasses off and sauntered forward. He smiled like someone who’s always had everything in the world handed to him and Tinsley was just another tasty morsel to add to his collection. “Ah, the girl my grandmother wants to set me up with. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Peter lifted Tinsley’s hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

  Maurice cleared his throat and Tinsley yanked her hand from Peter. “Miss Bunny, these are the men selling the painting. Maurice Smith and his brother, Murray. Maurice and Murray, this is Miss Bunny. We volunteer for the same charity in Charleston.”

  “Such handsome young men,” Tibbie held out her hand and played it up. Maurice looked as if he didn’t know what to do and looked to Tinsley. Tinsley pursed her lips into a kissy face and Maurice looked slightly confused for a second before catching on. He took Tibbie’s hand and placed a careful kiss on her knuckles.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bunny. This painting is part of our grandmother’s collection, so it holds a very special place in our hearts. Can you tell us why you’d like to buy it?”

  Tibbie turned to Peter and smacked his arm. “See, they’re good grandsons. I bet they’re not amusing their grandmother just to get at their trust fund.”

  Peter rolled his eyes and took a seat close to Tinsley.

  “Castille is one of my favorites. I have three of his paintings already and Tinsley knows to grab any Castille she comes across for me. This is one of his lesser-known works. The brush strokes are his signature style with fluid strokes that hook just slightly to give the appearance of movement.” Tinsley sat back and let Tibbie put on a master class in art history. “However, this is a lesser-known and a smaller canvas size than his other works. Therefore, I’ll offer you fifty thousand for it.”

  Maurice looked to Tinsley who was trying not to laugh. Leave it to Tibbie to play hardball with criminals. “Bunny,” Tinsley said, letting her amusement show. “You know this painting is worth much more than that. The sale price is a hundred thousand.”

  Tibbie cocked her head and examined the painting for a second. She motioned for Tinsley to turn it over. Tinsley stepped forward and carefully turned the painting on the easel. Tibbie pulled back the paper backing on the frame and clucked. “Frayed canvas edges, and while it is in good condition, it’s not excellent. Whoever last framed it didn’t pull the canvas tight enough and that’s led to some bulk of the fold. You can see it here where there’s a ripple in the canvas. I’ll offer seventy thousand for it, but that’s my final offer.”

  Tinsley looked over at Maurice who appeared to be happy with the offer, but she needed to impress him. “Seventy-five thousand and we’ll sign the deal right now.”

  Tibbie looked as if she were thinking it over. Then she held out her hand to Tinsley. “You’ve got a deal. I always love negotiating with you.” Tibbie turned to Maurice and Murray. “Gentlemen. It’s been a pleasure. Now, tell me what else does your grandmother have in her little art collection?”

  Tinsley almost sputtered. Tibbie wasn’t supposed to do that. “Actually,” Tinsley said, answering for the Smith brothers. “Here are a few others. You have the first look at them.” Tinsley stepped back and showed some of the stolen art they’d given her the other day.

  “She might also have some more pieces that will interest you. My grandparents were longtime collectors. She has close to eighty pieces in her collection. Let me talk to Tinsley and I’m sure she’ll be in contact with you. We’d appreciate them going to someone who respects them,” Maurice said as he signed the papers for the Castille and handed them over to Tibbie.

  “That one, the Shezun, how much for it?” Tibbie asked, pointing to the one painting valued at twenty thousand.

  “Twenty thousand,” Tinsley replied easily.

  “Hmm,” Bunny looked like she was considering it. “Fifteen and I’ll take it, too.”

  “Eighteen and I’ll have Paxton wrap it up,” Tinsley replied in the blink of an eye.

  “Young man, wrap these two up and take them to my car,” Tibbie said, snapping her fingers at Paxton before turning back to Maurice and Tinsley. “Call me the second the rest of your collection comes in. You know I’ll be very upset if I hear you let Cissy see them before me.”

  “Of course, Miss Bunny,” Tinsley said as she handed the routing number and account number for Bunny to wire the FBI’s money to. Bunny waved it away.

  “Make yourself useful, Graham. You know I don’t know how to work that blasted technology. Not that way, boy,” Bunny hissed at Paxton and took off to instruct him how she wanted the painting wrapped.

  Peter grunted, but his fingers flew over Tibbie’s phone as he made the wire transfer. “Done. Gram, can we go now? I promised the guys we’d take t
he boat out today.”

  Tibbie bid them goodbye and Paxton carried the paintings outside as Peter held the door for him. As soon as they were alone, Maurice and Murray stood.

  “Let me just transfer you the money minus my commission,” Tinsley said as they watched her make the transfer. “Done. Wasn’t that easy?”

  “I like how you work, Tinsley.” Maurice grinned at her as Paxton walked back in.

  Paxton nodded to the men as he walked by and went back to work on the air conditioning.

  “I know Bunny said she’d be interested in some of my grandmother’s pieces, but I already have some buyers lined up. I want you to handle all the sales for us. I don’t have the time or knowledge to do it myself. Can you explain how you just made the payment?” Maurice asked.

  “My gallery has an escrow account. Most of the time, the seller wires money or gives me a check. Wiring money has become more common since they can leave with the piece as soon as it hits my account. Otherwise, they have to wait for us to deliver it after the check clears. Then I take out my commission and wire the rest to your account or write you a check. Your call,” Tinsley explained.

  Maurice and Murray shared a look before Maurice nodded to her. “We’ll take wire transfers. You can use the account number we gave you. I’ll be bringing the collection to you soon.”

  “I can have Paxton come pick it up. That way he can make sure they’re transported safely. I have a specialized van for just that reason,” Tinsley said, trying to get Paxton close to the sellers.

  “No need. My grandmother lives out of town. I’ll bring it in the next time I visit her. I look forward to growing our partnership, Tinsley.” Maurice shook her hand and then Murray did.

  They walked out of the gallery and Tinsley spun around to Paxton the second the door shut. “Aren’t you going to follow them?”