By Hand and Heart Read online

  A smile breaks across Gale's face, sudden and startling, and Luis gawps at the unexpected grin.

  "What—" he starts to ask, but Gale is already moving toward him, shoving him so Luis falls awkwardly back against the armrest behind him. "Gale, what are you—?"

  Then Gale is settling astride him, startling heat as his knees bracket Luis's hips, and Luis stops trying to ask stupid questions. Just in time, too, as Gale leans close and claims a first, greedy kiss. Gale's mouth is cool, but also fierce and sure, and Luis reaches without hesitation. His right hand twines in the messy curls as he cups the nape of Gale's neck; his left presses to the small of Gale's back, tugging him forward and urging him off balance until they lie chest-to-chest.

  Luis feels the vibration of quiet laughter, and then Gale breaks the kiss to murmur, "So possessive... I should have guessed."

  "Yes." Luis sounds breathless and lost. "You really should have." Then he twists his fingers harder in Gale's hair and uses the extra leverage to tilt Gale's head back, leaving the line of his neck taut for the explorations of Luis's mouth. Here, too, Gale is cool to the touch, but there's also a quick pulse beneath Luis's tongue. Steady hands grasp at him with frantic strength, and he hears a low gasp of pleasure when he sucks a deliberate bruise just beneath Gale's jaw.

  By the time they're both naked, Luis has all but forgotten this is a dream. Or perhaps he simply doesn't care.

  They're on the floor now, though Luis can't remember how they got here. Maybe they fell. Maybe the malleable edges of the dream put them here when he wasn't paying attention. He doesn't know and doesn't waste any extra time on wondering. All that matters is Gale beneath him, face flushed and smiling up at him, hips sharp and narrow under Luis's hands, legs parted invitingly.

  They're on the floor now, though Luis can't remember how they got here. Maybe they fell. Maybe the malleable edges of the dream put them here when he wasn't paying attention. He doesn't know and doesn't waste any extra time on wondering.

  Gale cries out when Luis first thrusts in. It's a sound of heat and pleasure. Gale's eyes slip shut and his head falls back, his body arching in encouragement. Luis pauses, holding Gale down, holding him still, watching with rapt satisfaction until Gale's eyes open once more.

  "Do you love me?" Luis asks. A stupid question to ask someone who doesn't exist, but the words are already out, hovering between them as Gale trembles beneath his hands.

  Gale blinks up at him, confusion and surprise in dark eyes, and answers, "Of course I love you. You're perfect." Then Gale's hips buck just slightly, urging him back into motion, and Luis thrusts again.

  He wakes to a confusing mess of feelings—satisfaction and loss in equal measure. Gale isn't real; Gale is a dream Luis can never truly touch.

  But Gale also belongs to him and no one else, and Luis has never been more certain of the path before him.

  #

  Angie works in an architecture firm downtown, not far from the coffee shop where she and Luis met to discuss her commission. He has the address from his lawyer, and he takes a cab, not wanting to lose any time to unfamiliar traffic or difficult parking.

  He catches her off guard. Judging by the travel mug in her hand and the coat she's still wearing, she just walked in the door.

  "I'm surprised to see you here." She blinks at him from where she stands beside her desk. "Did you want to discuss an extension? You could've called instead, I know things don't always go according to plan. No need to come explain in person."

  "I don't need an extension," Luis says, abruptly uncomfortable. "I can't deliver the statue at all."

  Angie's brows knit beneath perfect bangs. "I don't understand."

  "I'm breaking our contract," he says. "I'm sorry. I can't give you the finished piece." He hesitates, then continues, "You'll get a full refund, of course. And if you want I can make a second statue, free of charge. I'll begin immediately. I know this is a shitty position to put you in."

  He expects anger—she would be entitled to anger—but instead she only looks perplexed.

  "Is everything all right, Mr. Pygmalion?" she asks, caution in the polite address.

  "Fine," he lies. "Everything's entirely fine."

  The sharp glint in her eyes says she wants to press him for more. If she asks to see the finished sculpture, he's honestly not sure what he'll do. Once she sees it, surely she won't accept an imperfect substitute—and any new piece he carves for her will be less perfect. He won't make the same mistake twice. The contract between them gives her claim to delivery of this statue, and even his attorney won't be able to protect Luis if she sues him over her right to collect.

  "Well." She shrugs out of her coat now, and hangs it on the coatrack behind her desk. "I suppose I have little alternative. I'll expect delivery of the replacement piece at the earliest possible date. And I will have the refund in my account by the end of the week, am I clear?"

  "Yes." Luis breathes relief despite her severe tone. "Thank you."

  "Be careful, Luis," she calls after him as he turns for the door. "Not many would be so forgiving. You could land yourself in quite a bit of trouble, behaving this way in your professional relationships."

  Despite the warning in her words, Luis leaves the building with a lighter heart and an overwhelming rush of relief.

  #

  When he returns to his studio, he doesn't turn the lights on. The space is so dim it's nearly impossible to see, but Luis knows the layout too well for that to slow him down. He crosses through cool darkness toward the blocked windows, and one by one raises the thick metal shutters. The sun is perfectly poised to pour in at this early hour, and Luis turns toward the center of his studio, now bright with daylight.

  The space where his statue should be—the space at the very center of the room—is empty, and Luis's heart gives a jolt of hurt and fear at its absence.

  Before he can conjure vivid images of theft and other worst-case scenarios, a voice—a smooth, familiar baritone—interrupts his panic.

  "Calm down. I'm right here."

  Luis whirls to his left and finds an impossible sight standing near the delivery door. Gale wears a look of fond exasperation as he leans against a stack of wooden pallets, his arms crossed before him, his entire posture easy. His features are sharp and beautiful in the bright sunlight, and he's dressed in the spare work clothes Luis keeps on hand in case of mishaps. His feet are bare, and his eyes glint with unmistakable mischief.

  "How?" Luis breathes. Perhaps it's strange that he doesn't wonder if he's hallucinating, but every instinct tells him this is perfectly real.

  "Does it matter?" Gale smiles ruefully as he approaches Luis with quiet footsteps. When he's in reach, Luis grabs for him, drags him close, and crushes him in a grateful hug. The gesture earns a huff of quiet laughter, but Gale returns the embrace without protest.

  Luis breathes in slowly, savoring every sensation.

  "Did... Did I do this?" he asks, feeling unsteady but needing to be sure.

  "No." Gale's fingers thread through Luis's careless hair, a calming gesture. "I'm afraid your talent and affection did not bring me to life. I've been waiting for this moment a lot longer than you can fathom." He draws back to look Luis in the face, and his fond smile softens the sting of denial. "But you created this countenance. And you kept me, which was... unexpected. Surely that's enough for a start."

  "Surely," Luis agrees.

  He can feel a foolish grin beginning to spread across his own face, and he kisses Gale to wipe it away.

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Yolande Kleinn may be a shameless dreamer and a stubborn optimist, but she is also a proud purveyor of erotic romance. Excitable, fastidious and a little eclectic, she spends every spare moment writing the stories she wants to read. If she can drag other people into the pool along with her, then so much the better.

  You can find Yolande via her website: yolandekleinn.com

  Or connect with her @

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/ Blog

  COVER DESIGN

  Cover design by Yolande Kleinn

  Photo courtesy of Textures.com

  Chelsea Alternates font by Dieter Steffmann

  OTHER TITLES BY YOLANDE

  RESTLESS SHADOWS, WAITING ROADS

  Caleb was a child when he survived a storm that should have killed him. The forest, and an impossible stranger named Eli, protected him from harm. Fifteen years later, he knows Eli wasn't real. Magic isn't real. But Caleb is irresistibly drawn to the woods he left behind. When he finally returns, there's no telling what—or who—he might discover.

  SAGE & SAND

  When Bram Caldwell is given a three-day stage route of his own, he thinks he's ready for the responsibility. But the open road is dangerous, and he quickly finds himself in a tight spot with no way out.

  Marshall Maddox is no one's hero. Right place, right time, nothing more than that. Still, something about Bram makes him want to stick around once the shooting has ended.

  WONDERLY WROTH

  Arthur knows he is destined to die at Camlann. But when the Lady Merlin enlists a powerful enchantment to save him—an enchantment to tether Arthur's life to Lancelot's—the magic carries unintended consequences. Lancelot's strength could be Arthur's salvation, but what of the deeper connection that now binds the king to his most loyal knight? The connection is only temporary, but when Arthur learns the truth of Lancelot's feelings for him, their friendship could change forever

  AN INTIMATE CHARADE

  Cargo ship captain Galin Odona is in desperate need of a contract. When a lucrative opportunity comes his way, he invites Addison Valdez—smart, stubborn, and the only Human member of his crew—to join the negotiation.

  Anatoria Baell's contract is not precisely legal, and she has unconventional methods for choosing where to put her trust. Galin agrees to pose as a distant relation during a gathering at her private estate. The negotiation takes a complicated turn when Addison proclaims that Galin is not only his captain, but his mate. The hot-headed lie puts them in a tough spot, maintaining their charade for the duration.

  But Galin is a terrible liar. Even worse, he's been in love with Addison for years. Now, through tight quarters and an illusion of intimacy, he must win the contract without giving himself away. The task seems monumental, but Galin cannot afford to fail.