“They didn’t know I was taking it,” I explain, moving up behind him.

He tenses from my nearness, but doesn’t budge. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the way he kissed me the other night. I was kind of shocked when he allowed me to kiss him, and I was completely floored when he took charge the way he did. I can’t wait to kiss him again. Tonight. Tomorrow night. Kiss and kiss and kiss.

“They look so happy and in love,” he remarks quietly. “And free.”

“Free?”

“To be themselves.” He cups his scarred arm as he stares at the picture. “I kind of envy them in a way.”

“Seth.” I gently place a hand on his arm. “Tell me what happened.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t.”

“Why not? I promise, I’m a good listener. I can be there for you.”

He shakes his head again. “It’s too soon and honestly, I think the story’s a little too dark for you. I love how you don’t see all the ugly in the world… I don’t want to take that away from you.” Summoning a deep breath, he turns around and faces me. “So, you have to tell me what’s up with that giant statue at the front door that totally looks like a penis.” His subject change throws me off a bit, and it takes me a moment to get my footing again.

“Penis statue?” I scratch my head. “I’m not sure which one you’re talking about?”

He aims a finger toward the front door at a tall, blue tinted sculpture.

I shake my head. “Fuck, it really does look like a penis, doesn’t it?”

He laughs. “It does, but I don’t think that’s what it’s supposed to be. The plaque on it said ‘to inspire you.’ It totally did, but not in the way I think it’s meant to.”

“Oh, yeah.” I down the rest of my wine in one swallow. “How did it inspire you, then?”

“It inspired me to never, ever attempt to understand art.” He peeks over his shoulder at my photos. “I like yours, though. They’re the only ones I really get.”

“Just wait until you see Jenna’s.” When intrigue crosses his face, I grab his hand and pull him toward the back of the building. On my way, I swipe two more glasses of wine from of the serving table, then duck behind a curtain that leads to the room where Jenna set up her exhibit.

Darkness surrounds us, and I smile to myself as Seth’s hand tightens on mine. When Jenna told me what she was doing, I initially thought it was creepy. Now, though… Well, I think she might be fucking brilliant.

“What the hell is this?” he hisses under his breath. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

“I think that might be part of the point,” I whisper, sliding my hand up his arm. I feel him shiver from my touch and my cock starts to get hard. Unable to see, any reservation I felt has vanished and I feel so… alive. “Come here,” I whisper, pulling him closer.

Our bodies crash together, but our lips don’t quite connect, and we end up bumping foreheads. We laugh, fingers fumbling, my heart racing.

“Okay, that was so the worst kiss.”

“No way,” he says as he works to catch his breath. “I think it might quite possibly be the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

Before I can reply, his lips find mine. Through the dark, my hands wander over his body, up his arms to his shoulders as I pull him closer. My pulse pounds as I let out a quiet moan and deepen the kiss, gripping him tightly. I’ve kissed plenty of guys, but this kiss is so different. I feel so comfortable, so un-awkward, so in my element. Right now, in this moment, is exactly where I belong. It took me a while to find it, and I’m not about to fucking let it go.

Suddenly, a bright light flashes through the room, lighting up the walls and curtains around us.

Seth jerks back, eyes wide as the lights turn on. “What the fuck was that?”

“That was perfection.” Jenna jumps through the curtain with an old school Polaroid photo in her hand. “Oh, my God, that was seriously the most perfect kiss I’ve ever seen.”

Seth’s jaw is pretty much hanging to the floor. “Were you watching us?” he asks, trying to catch his breath.

“Only towards the end.” She lifts the photo in front of her. “So I could take this. It’s part of my exhibit. You would be amazed at how much freedom people feel when they’re in a dark room and don’t think anyone’s watching.”

“But someone was watching.” He snatches the photo and stares at it as the white turns to color. “A creepy girl with purple hair.”

“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable,” Jenna says, but doesn’t sound particularly apologetic. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve done it to like ten other couples already. And one couple was a step away from having sex on the floor.”

Seth’s nose scrunches as he glances down at the carpet, but he loosens up when he looks back at the photo again. “I’ll forgive you,” he says. “But I’m keeping the photo.”

“You have to let me at least see it first.” Jenna reaches to take the photo.

Seth tucks his arm behind his back. “No way.”

Jenna pokes out her lip and clasps her hands in front of her. “Please.”

Seth glowers at her. “You know that cutesy, innocent look isn’t going to work on me, right?”

Jenna scowls at him, but then smirks. “I bet I can get you to show it to me.”