False Pretences Page 4

  “I’m sure it will be lovely.” He assured her, noticing the uncertain look in her eyes. “You can show me anything.”

  Lara hesitated for a moment and then peeled away the oilcloth from her latest painting. She was breaking her own rule and it was out of her comfort zone…yet she couldn’t bring herself to say no to Alexander. She felt she could trust him.

  Alexander’s eyes widened incredulously as they roamed over the piece. The girl definitely had talent…he had to admit that. The way Islington was painted made it look as if the angel would fly off of the canvas at any given moment. He was so ethereal and so lifelike that Alexander wasn’t sure if it were some kind of illusion or not.

  “Islington!” he breathed, very much pleased with her work. “This is amazing! You are extremely talented!”

  “Thank you” she said quietly, blushing. “I was inspired by ‘Neverwhere’ long ago.”

  Alexander smiled at her…”Neverwhere” was one of his all-time favorite novels.

  “I have faith that you will sell each and every painting in this collection if the rest look as wonderful as Islington does.” He told her, every word uttered full of wholehearted meaning. “Words cannot describe how beautiful your work is.”

  Lara perched herself on her stool, blushing at Alexander’s seemingly never-ending praise of her work. Venessa was the only other person who truly believed in her talent. When she was a struggling painter, ignored by everyone else in the art world, Venessa was the one who encouraged her and helped her through her darkest times.

  Now that a second person seemingly shared Venessa’s opinion, Lara felt more confident in herself, especially now that her first major exhibition was coming up.

  As she admired the expression of wonder upon Alexander’s face, she was suddenly struck with an idea. Perhaps it was the way the sunlight illuminated his face, or the way the ocean blue of his eyes sparkled, but she suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to paint a portrait of him.

  “Alexander” she said tentatively, cocking her head to get a good look at his pose. “Would you like me to paint a portrait of you?”

  The incredulous expression that appeared on his face made her heart pound…he looked like a child opening an unexpected, heavily desired gift on Christmas day. His face lit up with excitement and he let out a small laugh.

  “I would be honored to sit for you!” he exclaimed, straightening up suddenly and smiling excitedly. “Shall we begin now?”

  Lara grinned, turning to the table nearest her. She grabbed a fresh canvas and a charcoal pencil.

  “How would you like me to pose?” Alexander asked eagerly, causing a giggle to escape her lips with his childlike excitement.

  She looked at him with what she called her artist eyes and devised the perfect pose for him. Moments later, she had him standing near the gothic style window so the sunlight glinted off of his hair. As she helped him pose, he smiled at her, making her heart pound. His eyes sparkled ethereally, and she found it to be one of the most compelling and beautiful sights of the day.

  As she tilted his head a certain way, she didn’t realize the proximity of their faces. His breath fanned the apple of her cheek and her eyes traveled up to meet his. Her breath escaped her lips in fits and starts and her hands shook as she pulled them away.

  Alexander, likewise, was affected by their proximity. Lara’s parted lips were a sight to behold…he absently wondered what it would be like to have a taste. Her amber eyes sparkled unnaturally, pulling him in and compelling him to want nothing more than to remain so close to her…and for a brief moment, he could have sworn she was feeling the same.

  Clarity suddenly came to her eyes and she blinked, seemingly realizing the gravity of the situation.

  “Umm that’s perfect…” she mumbled, hastening away to put the canvas on her easel.

  Alexander blinked, the spell of her nearness broken for the moment as he remained in his pose.

  Lara perched herself on her stool and gazed upon Alexander with narrowed eyes, hand poised to make the first few strokes.

  Lara started out by sketching his chiseled face, making great sure she captured his god-like cheekbones and full lips perfectly. Pausing to gaze upon his handsome form, she noticed the devastating smile upon his face and nearly faltered.

  ‘Take it easy, kiddo!’ she thought, as she began to sketch the rest of his body. ‘It’s just a painting…it’s not prelude-to-sex. Pretend he’s just Islington.’

  Feeling satisfied with her mental pep talk, she continued her sketch until it was finally complete. Alexander not only stood out in front of her in his pose, but also on her canvas. In whole, it took a mere couple of hours for her to create the impeccable sketch of her companion.

  “You can walk around now!” Lara announced, setting down the charcoal pencil she had been using.

  Alexander, who had meanwhile become slightly impatient and fidgety, breathed a sigh of relief and began to stretch his legs.

  “I’m glad!” he replied, letting out a laugh as he moved towards the canvas. “May I see the sketch?”

  Lara blushed furiously at his eagerness and shyly stepped back from her sketch to give him room.

  “Be my guest!”

  Alexander skirted around the easel to see the lifelike image she had given him. His eyes widened and he marveled over how she was able to capture every unique angle and shadow of his chiseled face. Her style was compelling and so life-like that he felt he was looking at his own reflection in the mirror of another dimension of time and space.

  “This is amazing!” he exclaimed, turning to look at her incredulously. “This looks lifelike!”

  Lara blushed and lowered her face shyly.

  “T…Thank you!” she replied modestly, as he put his hand on her shoulder.

  “I really mean it!” he exclaimed, still smiling in amazement. “When I look at your work, I feel excited to be on your arm at the Barbican gala. It will be an honor and a pleasure to be with such a talented artist!”

  Chapter Five

  Because of the publicity that erupted after Lara’s lunch date with Christian Masters, Venessa hastily made a reservation for Tuesday night at Launceston Place under Lara’s name. Knowing tongues would wag and people would talk, their ruse would finally come to life.

  A town car was hired and was slated to pick Alexander up first.

  He stood in front of his mirror, buckling the leather belt. Gazing at his reflection, he calmed his nerves with a slow exhale, examining the outfit he had selected for their dinner out. Clad all in black, he was a devastating vision and looked like an A-list movie star attending a red carpet premiere, not a simple dinner.

  Glancing out his bedroom window, he saw the black town car pull up in front of his flat and nervously adjusted the cuffs of his ebony sleeves. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the black sport coat and fluidly put it on before spraying a little cologne.

  Making sure he had his keys and wallet in his pockets, he headed towards the front door and made a timely exit. Upon locking the door, he smoothed back the soft waves of his hair and slowly strode towards the waiting car.

  Almost instantly, he was sitting in the back seat and the car had pulled away from the curb and into traffic. He wiped his sweaty palms upon the seat as he thought of his first public date with Lara. He was definitely a nervous wreck and he hoped against hope that everything would go smoothly for the both of them. He was loath to embarrass her and he knew that a perfect night would be the best thing they could accomplish.

  As he sat there, he thought about the encounter in her studio two days prior. She was so down-to-earth and modest for a newly famous artist. It was hard to believe that she would be anything but that. She was incredibly talented and he enjoyed her work. When he complimented her, none of his words were empty.

  In fact, he meant every word that escaped his lips…vehemently.

  During the drive to Lara’s building, the only thing occupying Alexander’s mind was making a positive impression on
her. She was easily the most beautiful lady he’d ever encountered, inside and out. When he first bumped into her, he knew she was something special. He was so glad that he was able to spend more time with her.

  In the nights after their first meeting, he couldn’t cure himself of her amber eyes and her rare but flawless smile. It was the most compelling sight he’d ever seen and he wanted nothing more than to see it again and again. She haunted his dreams and even dominated his thoughts in the waking hours of the day.

  Every shift at the bookstore was a hopeful one. He walked around on air as he stocked the shelves and helped customers, waiting for the day she would walk into the store again. He was quite surprised, and pleased, that she returned so quickly to see him.

  She stunned him when she asked if he would accompany her to the gala but it somehow felt right. And now that they were fooling the public into thinking they had a special relationship, he knew he would take any opportunity he could to get closer to her.

  He was interrupted out of his thoughts when the town car suddenly stopped in front of an apartment building in the Hampstead area. His mouth suddenly dry, he swallowed hard and stepped out of the vehicle to greet his beautiful date as she walked out of the door.

  Trying to lean as casually as possible, Alexander waited patiently to see her come out of the building doors. He was certain that she would be nothing short of beautiful, but nothing prepared him for what he’d witnessed as she finally emerged from the building.

  What he saw in her was enough to strike him dead.

  Gone was the tousled, fresh looking girl he had encountered in the bookstore and everywhere else they’d been. She wore a short black dress that showed off her long legs. A simple black cardigan rounded off the look, giving her a muted yet seductive look. Swallowing hard, his eyes traveled down to her feet, noticing the way her gladiator sandals gave off a toned look to her legs.

  She looked down; putting her keys into the small purse she carried with her, giving him a glimpse of her head. Her raven hair was sleek and she wore it down without any complicated style. It was a simple yet elegant look for her and it suited her well.

  Their eyes met and she smiled at him, making him feel dizzy with luck to be seen with the beautiful seraph she was.

  “Hello, Alexander!” she greeted him as she approached the car. “You look incredibly handsome tonight!”

  Alexander flushed with pleasure at her words and gallantly helped her into the back of the car.

  “You look incredibly beautiful, Lara!” he breathed as soon as he sat next to her. “You took my breath away when I first saw you emerge!”

  “You flatter me, Alexander!” she said modestly, a light blush creeping up her cheeks.

  “It’s not flattery if it’s the truth!” he pointed out, making her giggle. “I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful girl to be on my arm this evening!”

  “Must I lock up your tongue with the silverware?” she joked wittily, making him laugh. “If you keep complimenting me like this, I might have to kidnap you and use you as my magic mirror!”

  With that, they both laughed heartily and all tension blew out between them. Alexander felt more relaxed around her and she was seemingly more comfortable around him. It was already the perfect start to an impeccable night.

  The town car pulled up in front of Launceston Place and the driver opened the rear passenger door for Alexander and Lara. As Alexander got out of the vehicle, flash bulbs went off and he heard dozens of voices. He turned to help Lara out of the car and noticed, with amusement, that the paparazzi had already been waiting for them.

  Lara took his outstretched hand and he helped her out of the vehicle and the flash bulbs went off again at a quicker rate than before.

  “Miss Clayton!” one of the paparazzo greeted her as she turned to close the door to the town car. “What are you doing here this evening and who is your date?”

  Trying to remain as composed as possible, Alexander gently led her away from the crowd and into the restaurant. More flash bulbs went off and soon they were inside the restaurant with the door shut safely behind him.

  “Good evening, sir!” the hostess greeted them. “Welcome to Launceston Place! Do you have a reservation?”

  “It will be under the name Lara Clayton!” Alexander replied, remembering the instructions Venessa had given him earlier. “Her personal assistant made the arrangements earlier.”

  “Ah, yes!” the hostess gushed, gathering two menus. “Right this way! We have booked you a private table!”

  With that, she flounced into the seating area. Hand in hand, Lara and Alexander followed her to a secluded area of the restaurant. She led them to a small table, far away from the front entrance and near the bar.

  “Patrice will be your waiter this evening and he will be right with you!” the hostess stated, setting the menus down. “Enjoy your evening with us!”

  With that, she flounced away, leaving Alexander and Lara alone. Alexander grabbed the chair nearest him and pulled it out and held it for Lara.

  “Allow me” was all he said as he waited for her to sit down.

  “You’re such a gentleman!” Lara marveled, sitting down as he pushed her chair in.

  He then skirted around the table and sat across from her, placing the linen napkin on his lap.

  “This is a very nice restaurant!” he commented as he opened his menu. “It’s one of London’s most exclusive, am I right?”

  “Yes, it is!” she agreed, also opening her menu. “My patron took me here a few days ago for a business lunch and I enjoyed the ambiance. The food here is also excellent. I especially recommend the English veal rump and the pork jowl!”

  Alexander grinned as he read the description of the English Veal Rump. Everything that went with it sounded very palatable to him and he quickly decided to order it.

  “Does Shiraz sound good to you?” he asked her, as his eyes quickly roamed over the wine list.

  Lara looked up from her menu and nodded, a smile crossing her face.

  “I love a good Aussie Shiraz!” she replied enthusiastically as their waiter approached the table.

  “Good evening and welcome to Launceston Place!” he greeted them enthusiastically. “My name is Patrice and I will be your server this evening. Shall I start you off with a beverage?”

  “We will have a bottle of the Mollydocker Presents, Carnival Love Shiraz!” Alexander ordered expertly, making Lara gape at him in astonishment.

  “Certainly, sir!” Patrice replied quickly, nodding. “Will there be anything else?”

  “Water would be lovely!” Lara answered, slowly recovering from her shock. Patrice nodded and walked away towards the wine cellar.

  Alexander grinned, knowing Lara didn’t expect him to be much of a wine connoisseur. He mentally praised himself for surprising her.

  “While I may not seem the most cultured of men…” he began, winking at her “I have learned to appreciate a fine wine or two.”

  “Well you’ve certainly caught me off guard with that one!” she giggled, blushing “I wouldn’t consider myself a connoisseur, but I do appreciate a fine wine from time to time!”

  “I’m glad I can keep you guessing then!” he quipped, as she closed her menu. “I did fear that I would be too predictable for you!”

  “On the contrary!” she contradicted him immediately as Patrice returned with the wine and two glasses. “You keep surprising me at every turn. And, I must say that I rather enjoy surprises!”

  They shared a smile as Patrice poured a small sample of the wine for Alexander. He took the proffered glass from Patrice and tasted it expertly. He rather enjoyed the bouquet of flavor and approved of the wine he’d selected.

  “It’s delicious!” he commented, signaling for Patrice to pour the Shiraz into the glasses. “it will do nicely.”

  “I am so glad!” Patrice gushed, handing one of the filled glasses to Lara, who smiled approvingly at Alexander.

  When the wine was poured and serv
ed, Patrice stood poised, ready for their dinner order.

  “I will have the English Veal Rump!” Lara ordered immediately, handing her closed menu to Patrice.

  Patrice then turned to Alexander, who was admiring the smile upon Lara’s face.

  “I will have the same!” Alexander said, his gaze never wavering from Lara as he handed Patrice his closed menu.

  “Excellent! I will go and put in your orders right away!”

  Patrice turned on his heel and went straight for the kitchen.

  “This is starting out to be an excellent evening!” Lara commented, taking a small sip of the wine.

  “I concur!” Alexander agreed, taking a sip from his own glass. “The wine is impeccable, the food will be delicious…and the company is, well, perfect!”

  Lara blushed at his words.

  “I am inclined to say that you are perfect company as well!” she replied, her gaze upon him unwavering. “It’s been a long while since I’ve enjoyed myself this much before the meal!”

  “You’re an incredibly lovely girl, inside and out!” he exclaimed incredulously, shaking his head in amazement. “Surely you have plenty of suitors at your door, clamoring to take you out!”

  Lara laughed sadly.

  Lara sat there, mulling over Alexander’s incredulous words. She felt a pang of sadness as she recalled the two fruitless years she spent with Andrew and the subsequent loneliness after they’d parted.

  “It would seem so…” she said diplomatically, smiling sadly as she quickly broke out of her thoughts. “But I lead a very quiet life and don’t encounter many people. In fact, believe it or not, Venessa is my only real friend!”

  As she glanced up, she noticed the expression upon her date’s face. He looked like he wanted to tear his tongue out for causing her to think of painful memories.

  “I apologize if I made you think of anything that has caused you pain!” he stammered, touching his neck nervously.

  Lara immediately felt sorry for him. She knew he was going to great lengths to make sure she was having a wonderful time and appreciated it greatly even though it was for the public eye.