It was after eight before Nicolette turned off the lights. Despite not having a big showing, the gallery was surprisingly busy and a couple of paintings sold.
“I’m going home,” Nicolette said. “Can you close up?”
She’d been closing on the nights she worked for almost two years, but Nicolette asked this question every time. “Of course.”
“Have a good night, and don’t do too much celebrating for your birthday.”
It was the first time Nicolette acknowledged her birthday. “I won’t.”
“Have a good time.” Nicolette strode toward the door and stopped with her hand on the handle. “You’re doing a wonderful job, Aida.”
Before she could reply, Nicolette vanished out the door to leave Aida gawking after her before she started grinning from ear to ear. When Julian walked by the windows, she almost skipped over to the door as he stepped inside.
“What has you smiling like that?” he asked as she locked the door behind him.
“Nicolette told me I’m doing a good job. No, she said a wonderful job. And come here, you have to see this.” She dragged him over to where her photo hung in the left hall. “Look!” She pointed at the photograph. “It’s mine!”
He smiled as he slid his hand around her waist and studied the photo.
“It’s one of my favorites,” she said.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Nicolette said it belonged here.”
“It does.”
“It’s the best compliment she’s ever given me.”
“Then, she’s an idiot.”
Aida chuckled and rose on her toes to kiss his cheek. “She’s successful and talented, and I hope to be able to find and promote talent like she does when I own a gallery.”
“You want to own a gallery?”
“Yes. I’ve finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.”
He chuckled and kissed her temple. “You’ll do better at it than she does.”
“I hope so. I have to get my purse.”
She squeezed his hand on her waist before releasing him and heading for the back room. She was opening her locker when she heard the door and glanced over her shoulder to find Julian examining the room as he strode around the crates. She closed the locker and was turning to him when his arm snaked around her waist, and he spun her to face the wall.
Aida’s purse fell from her hands when he pressed against her back. The warmth of his breath tickled her ear as he bent to nibble on it.
“Julian,” she breathed. “This is my work.”
“Tell me to stop, and I will,” he said.
As his hand ran up her thigh, he pushed her skirt up with him. She opened her mouth to tell him… something, but then his fingers slid between her legs. Her knees trembled as his touch electrified her body.
“Fuck,” he breathed. “I’ve unwrapped a very pretty, bare present just for me.”
“Just for you,” she panted as her hips met the rhythm of his finger inside her.
Julian continued to tease her with his hand while he unbuttoned his jeans. He kicked off his sneakers before pulling his hand away from her to push his jeans the rest of the way off. He could barely think beyond being inside her; they were apart too long today.
Once his jeans were off, he used his leg to spread her thighs further apart. He lifted her skirt higher and pulled her hips toward him as he slid into her.
Aida’s fingers curled into the wall as Julian plunged deeper into her until she couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. They shouldn’t be doing this, not here, but the wrongness of it only added to the excitement. When he leaned over her and his fingers found her clit, she came so fast she couldn’t stifle her loud cry.