The Falcon Ridge Series Book 4: Art of a Girl

(Chapter song ‘Insomnia’ by 2WEI, ‘Just a Girl' by No Doubt)

BASTIAN

The whole room is hot. I’m surrounded by sexy skin, hair and curves. My room is filled with moans of pleasure as I get down and dirty with the three sex goddesses in my bed.

I hold the hips of a red head that's giving me the performance of a lifetime as she rides my dick like a Queen, and my eye catches something in the dark.

I stop her and look closer.

Two dark eyes stare at me, and a smirk grows on a pair of lips that shouldn’t be there.

I shove the girl off my lap and throw off the sheets. ‘Who are you?! How did you get in here?!’

The man, dressed all in black, stands and looks me over with a smug expression. He steps a little more into the dim lightning, and I narrow my eyes. I’ve seen that face before.

‘Who are you?!’ I demand again as my wolf rises, my eyes glow gold and my fists ball.

He holds up a hand. ‘Calm down. I let myself in through the back door. It was quite easy, actually. It was wide open.’ He snorts as he waves a hand at me. ‘I need to have a private conversation with you.’

I turn around and my brows raise. The three women in my bed and my entire bed are gone. I turn back around with massive amounts of suspicion.

‘What is this? Answer me, or I end you, right now.’ I growl.

He smiles and shakes his head. ‘It won’t matter, Bastian. When you wake up, you won’t remember me at all. What you will remember is what you should be going after instead of… cheap thrills.’ He glances behind me then meets my eyes.

I narrow my eyes. ‘What do you mean?’

He gives me a look and then walks to my closet door. He opens it, and I slowly approach. I stand beside him and don’t see my closet. I see Sammy laid out on a table in silky red night gown. She’s in the ballroom looking damn hot. The room itself is smoky with blood red lighting that pours into my room.

I turn to him with confusion on my face.

He raises a brow. ‘Tell me. What exactly are you waiting for?’ He leans to my ear as my face softens. My chest fills with want and desire for the woman waving her body on the table just begging to be touched. ‘Take her, Bastian. She wants you to set her free.’

‘What do you mean…set her free?’ I glance at the room and then back at him. ‘Who are you really?’

A smirk tugs at the corner of his lip. ‘That’s for you to find out… isn’t it. Don’t be too concerned with who I am.’ He grabs my chin and pushes my face to look at the door. ‘Be concerned with who she is.’

He lets go and I slowly look his way. I watch him step backward, and the dark shadows of my room swallow him.

I rush to the shadow and search it. I feel the wall, look to the floor then turn to look out to my room. I walk back into the red light being shone through my closet. I place my hands on my hips and scan the dark.

He’s gone.

I slowly look back at Sammy as my jaw goes slack.

‘What the hell just happened?’

****

My alarm goes off and I struggle to find my phone without opening my eyes. I feel awful. I didn’t drink last night, but I feel like I did.

I shut off the beeping and scrub a hand down my face. I sit up and run my fingers through my hair. My head is pounding and I feel like I got hit by a truck. I look myself over. I don’t have any injuries, so it’s nothing physical. Still, I need to get some pain tablets into me before I lose it.

I stumble to the bathroom and get cleaned up. This has to do with Sammy not being here. The stress of it must be getting to me to the point where my blood pressure is starting to cause problems.

I get dressed, pop my pills and leave my room. There better be some good news today or I’m killing someone.

As I jog down the stairs, Nigel was just leaving Eric. I get to the first floor and join his side.

“Morning? You look awful.” He looks me over as we head to the dining hall.

“I feel awful. I don’t understand it. I went to bed early last night, but I feel like I barely slept.” I scowl as we watch grab a coffee.

“I think the next one who needs a vacation is you.” He chuckles as we sit at a table.

“Probably. I had a weird dream last night, too.” I sip my coffee as I stare at nothing trying to figure out what’s wrong with my head.

“What about?” He questions as he leans on the table.

“That’s the weird part. All I remember is standing in the middle of my room. My closet door is open and I’m watching Sammy in the ballroom.” I chew my cheek as I drop my cup on the table.

“Doesn’t sound too weird if you take out the portal in your closet.” He chuckles.

“No. What’s weird is I feel like there was a lot more to it than that. Like another dream was interrupted to see Sammy. I don’t know. Like I said…weird.” I lift my cup to my lips.

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s telling you something.” He grins.

I pinch my brows. “Like what?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Maybe that you…”

“Alpha!”

I turn in my chair and Cheryl comes into the dining hall with a big smile on her face.

“Cheryl.” I greet.

She stops at the table and clasps her hands. “It’s done.” She informs.

I whip my head to Nigel, grin and turn back to her. “Show me.” She rushes off and I bolt up to follow her.

We walk to vacant office 4 and Cheryl opens the white double doors. I’m hit with the smell of fresh paint as she motions me into the newly decorated office.

The white, carved oak desk is the first thing you see. The white throw rug on the marble floor lights up the room with the help of the sheer covered, large windows overlooking the flower garden on that side of the house. The empty bookshelves will be filled with her books if things go the way I want. Cheryl did add touches of greenery from real and fake plants.

Off to the side is a table with a large vase of gardenias in the center that are quickly covering the paint smell with their fragrance.

“It’s perfect.” I smile at Cheryl. “Expect a bonus on your next check.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” She giggles then leaves me. I pull out my phone and set up my GPS for Sammy’s address that I grabbed from Anton’s files.

Nigel strolls up behind me. “What’s all this?”

“The solution to all my problems. Now, I just need to bring Sammy here and show it to her.”

He holds up a hand. “Wait. Are you seriously going to disturb her on vacation to show her an office?” Nigel raises his brow.

I grab his shirt collar and pull him to me. “Nigel. I’m at the point now where if I don’t get this damn wolf subdued, yours will be the first face I punch.” I push him back.

“Ok.” He rubs his nape. “Go visit the decorator.”

A few minutes later, I’m peeling out of my driveway in my navy-blue Lamborghini Gallardo, heading to Sammy’s house.

I really hope this works. After this, I’m out of options except getting on my knees and begging her to come back early.

We all know that’s not happening.

****

SAMMY

After a session with Dr. Rennet, I felt better. Did I tell him about my dream with Bastian? Not exactly. I give extremely vague details and kept the man out of it. He repaired the block and feel a lot more normal.

For the next week, I pretty much just rested. I read books and caught up with my family, then every night, I climbed the stairs to my little room at the front of the house.

When I get into my room, I’m greeted with the only frustration I have.

The unfinished outline of a portrait that’s not talking to me at all. I walk up to the 10x16 canvas that really is just a black blob on white linen. I really wanted to make some progress on this.

“You’re supposed to be someone…” I pick up a brush, clean off the linseed oil and look over my colors. I start with a lighter tinge than the black. I pull out my phone and hit play on my Playlist. I set it down on my dresser as my fingers move the brush and start randomly painting lines. Sometimes, it helps to just let the paint tell you what it wants to be.

I let the music inspire me as I switch to a different shade of grey. I stare at the greyscale as it starts to come alive. This will be the foundation. The color will bring the soul.

As I work out the facial features, I start to see some familiarities. The strong jaw. The perfect nose. The sophisticated eyes.

The hair…

The image in my mind comes alive in the painting. It’s like I’m not in control. My heart is guiding my brushstrokes as I paint faster. I put the dark neutral color on in progressive layers, clean my brush and move to the next. The shirt folds. The exposed chest in that way that makes me weak. The muscular forearms with the rolled sleeves.

As I add touches of light to the dark that’s becoming nicely filled out dress pants, I stop. I slowly lower my brush. There’s no real, intricate detail, but I know who called to me.

“Bastian.” I breathe and drop my brush in the jar of oil.

I wipe my forehead of the sweat that built up from painting so intently. I hit stop on my phone, grab a rag and wipe my hands as I step back and take it all in. Another month and I’ll be able to see the whole picture. Right now, the paint spoke and I’m starting to think I should start listening. My gaze focuses on his eyes and I feel like I’m staring at him in person. I actually feel myself weaken.

“Well, he’s a handsome man.”

I whip my head over my shoulder and yelp as I jump out of my skin. I lean on my dresser and gasp for air as I hold my heart.

I look to my mother standing in the open door of my room. “You scared me.” I smile with a breathless laugh.

She giggles. “Sorry honey. Who’s that?” She points to the painting as she walks into the room and stands behind me. “He’s a good-looking one from what I can tell.”

My mother is terrible with faces. “The Alpha.” I mumble as I wrap my arms around myself.

Her brow goes up. “That’s the Alpha?”

“Yep.” I pop the ‘p' then press my lips together because I really shouldn’t be idolizing him like this.

She eyes me. “Does he know you’re painting him?”

“No and he’s not going to know.” I grab a paint sheet and throw it over the painting. Covering it to hide it from the world like all my paintings.

My mom sighs. “Sammy, I really wish you knew how talented you are.”

I walk I’ve to my bed, sit down, and check my phone for messages. “Trust me. They aren’t as good as you think they are. You’re my mother. You’re supposed to like them.” I give her a half smile.

She sits beside me. “Sammy. You are talented and you could be making a decent living off these. I wish you’d believe me. An art gallery would be a dream come true.”

I sit on my bed. “I am already living my dream, Mom. I paint for me. That’s my dream.”

She smiles. “Some day, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.” She grins.

I play with my fingers. “Hey mom. Do you think there’s someone out there for me?”

She tilts her head. “I’m sure of it, honey. One day you’ll find him.”

I look back at the painting. “I just wish I knew how to tell.”

“Tell what?” She asks.

“How to tell if someone is…the one.” I answer.

“Honey, when you know, you know. You can’t really control it.” She leans to find my eyes. “What’s this about? Have you found someone?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe?” My brows stitch as I twist my lips and look down at my hands.

“Who is it?” She asks with excitement. “Do I know them?”

“No. I’m pretty sure you don’t…”

“Then who is it?”

“Sammy?” We both look to the door as my dad knocks on it. “Someone’s here to see you.”

My jaw falls as the large body steps into my tiny room and smiles.

My face softens and my lips shrink.

“Bastian.”