I Hate You, I Love You

Chapter 16: Stars Collide

Fresh paint covered the already dry paint on my hands. A mix of blues, greens, pinks, purples and reds dotted not only my skin but my clothes. As I stepped back to take in the painting I had just finished, I was amazed at the transformation.

The eyes that had looked back at me before were no longer eyes but stars on a collision course. In a universe so expansive, fiery brown and brilliant green dance around each other creating a magnificent light show before their gravitational attraction becomes too much and they collapse inward giving rise to a black hole that sucks the two stars in where they are lost together forever.

I couldn't wait for this to go up on the gallery wall, but I was nervous about what Dinah would think. Would she love it? I hoped so. Dropping my paint brush into a bucket of water that sat beneath one of the large living room windows, I went to the kitchen to scrub my hands. Tonight was the showcase and thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat as my stomach did cartwheels. The gallery had already sent people over to collect the last of the paintings to be shown, except for the one I had just finished which was going to be unveiled during the event. It would be picked up a few hours before the start of the showcase.

Drying my hands on a clean part of my shirt, I headed for the shower. As the water ran over me, I spied Dinah's coconut and hibiscus shea butter body wash. She'd left this one here so she didn't have to bring the one from home back and forth. Popping the cap open and inhaling the scent, I smiled, loving how it smelled, especially on Dinah when she was fresh out of the shower. Knowing I would be seeing her tonight, but still missing her, I lathered my loofah with the body wash.

I hadn't seen much of Dinah this past week, each of us occupied with work. She was busy putting finishing touches on a wedding video and I had my hands full sorting through my work trying to decide what I wanted to show and fine tuning the last few pieces. We'd had lunch a few of times and a couple nights ago she had come over to cuddle and watch a movie, but other than that, that was it.

It was half past three when the movers showed up to take my final painting to the gallery. Dinah would be here soon along with Normani and Ally. We had planned to walk to the gallery from here, not wanting to worry about finding parking along the busy downtown streets. Once the movers left with the painting, I began getting ready, starting with my hair and makeup.

A little after four there was a knock at door. Checking the peephole and seeing it was Dinah, I swung the door open and kissed her, pulling her in by the lapels of her jacket. She moaned into the kiss, pinning me against the door as she grabbed my ass and lifted me up. My legs wrapped around her instinctively.

"Your hair looks amazing," she said as she kissed her way down my neck. "I love the curls." She moved along my collarbone. "And you smell so damn good," she said as she trailed kisses up the opposite side of my neck, nibbling on my earlobe.

Her hot breath in my ear sent shivers down my spine as I arched into her. "I love what you do with your mouth."

"It can do a lot more." She kissed me as she let her hands slip from my ass to my waist, my legs falling from her waist as she set me down. "That was quite the welcome."

"I missed you," I hugged her. "And I should smell good. I used your body wash."

"Oh, we're sharing body wash now?" Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth twisted into a sexy little grin. "Maybe next time you'll let me lather you up."

I shrugged. "Maybe," I said with a wink. We walked into the kitchen. "You thirsty?"

She sat on the counter, raking her eyes over me. "Yes."