"I didn't think you'd come."

"You said it'd be unfortunate to miss it, so here I am." He smiled that smile of his.

"You shall never cease to surprise me Johnny." She replied; sipping on her strawberry champagne. Another waiter stopped in front of John, offering him a flute of champagne he gladly took. John looked back down at her after taking an appreciative sip.

"Would you like to take a look around?" she asked, and John nodded. She looked down at his arm tentatively. No. She turned to walk ahead, but John grabbed her hand lightly, and linked his arm with hers. Gage looked up as her heart lifted to her throat.

"John…" she said, scanning the room for photographers and perhaps witnesses.

"Gage, I am married; not contagious. C'mon show me around." He said and she smiled. Her arm settled into his, and his proximity brought warmth to ever-cold body.

All looks were on them as they walked passed the photographs of Nicholas. It was funny, but being on John's arm was conforming in such a crowd. She felt safe, almost like she was at her house; comfortably wrapped into her blanket on her bed. It was different than anything she'd felt towards a man so far and; it kept her distracted from the fact that she still wanted him on her hunting board; very badly.

"But it's the same woman on all of them right?" he asked as they stopped in front of another photograph of Céline in her white dress.

"Yes."

"But why?"

"It's called a muse John. All artists have a muse. Someone who is a source of inspiration, of drive, and in most cases, all your work is revolving around that person."

"All artists?" he asked, raising an eyebrow then looking back at the photograph.

"All of them. Without a muse; everything is less…" she explained, raising her hands trying to find her words.

"Intense?" John said.

"Yes. Some people might get inspiration from places, or music too; it all really depends." She smiled brightly.

"I love the effect this place has on you." He chuckled as they walked to the next photograph.

"A fish in the water?" she asked.

"A fish in water." He nodded.

"And you? Do you have a muse?" he smiled down at her, as they walked, their arms linked. Gage looked up at John; and his beautiful face in the bright light of the room.

"Hmm; we could say that." Her face darkened as she thought of the white bird painted in front of her stairs.

"Oh? Who if I may ask?" he pushed. They stopped their walk and the clack of her heels echoed loudly; she looked back up at John. His blue eyes sparkling with that inner shine of his.

You.

"Miss Jansen." A voice intruded their bulb. She turned, and Nicholas accompanied by Céline stood behind both of them.

"Nicholas. This is my friend, John. John, this is Nicholas; the man of the night and his muse Céline." She introduced. John nodded politely at Nicholas and Céline before shacking their hands.

"Miss Jansen, I hope you convinced your friend to buy one of my photographs." Nicholas smiled.

"John is not very keen on art."

"But there must be one that catches your eye…" Nicholas said looking around the immense room.

"Aren't they all sold out?" Gage asked.

"I'm the only one to decide if they are sold out or not Miss Jansen." He smiled, moving closer to Gage.

"I see humility is still not one of your qualities Nicholas."

"Just like beauty is still one of yours Miss Jansen. Time seems to have no effect on you." There was a silence around them for a while, before Céline spoke and began a conversation with John.

"If you would please excuse us; I need to speak with Miss Jansen in private." Nicholas said looking at both John and Céline. John nodded coldly, as Nicholas led Gage away to the far end of the gallery.

"I believe we were about to conclude something before we were interrupted Miss Jansen." He said, smirking smartly. Nicholas was a beautiful man; very cultivated, he'd grown up in one of those families who heartened the expression of innate talent with parents who encouraged him into Photography.

"Nicholas; I told you I'm not giving you a way out of this, furthermore, I don't think Céline would appreciate."

"Miss Jansen, I do believe my interest in you is very visible. If there was anything between Céline and me; trust me, she would've burned down this place." He chuckled snuggling closer and putting his hand on the slope of her back.

"Nicholas, you are messing with the wrong woman…"

"Men are only interested in the things they can't have Miss Jansen. I thought you of all people would know." He smirked. His face turned lightly and she noticed his gaze was turned to John.

"I am well aware of that." She replied turning to look at John. Then she met his blue eyes piercing through the crowd, gazing intently at hers. His eyes narrowed slightly, before he turned back to Céline. A chill ran down her spine.

"Then you can understand there is nothing you will say that will make me change my mind." Nicholas grabbed her chin between his index and his thumb; Gage frowned putting her hand over his gently then pushing it away. He chuckled.

"…Nothing at all Miss Jansen." He stated, still smiling as if mesmerized by her.

"What do you want exactly Nicholas?"

"I want you to pose for me again." He whispered, his hand climbing up the slope of her back.

"Just pose for you?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not. But I am a patient man Gage; one step at the time." He replied confidently and she chuckled.

"You are so hypnotic Miss Jansen; a delish for my eyes. I really would like you to pose again."

"Nude?" she asked, and he nodded.

"That's the only way I'd like to see you."

"Not in a white dress? Like Céline?"

"No, just you." He took her hand again, and caressed her knuckles with his thumb.

"So cold." He frowned.

"Like Amsterdam." She smiled gracefully.

"Like Amsterdam indeed. Do you ever plan on going back?" he asked, not letting go of her hand.

"Not really. May be in a few years. Do you want to go back to Russia?"

"May be in a few years. For now, I'd like to enjoy your company some more."

"Apart from enjoying my company, what else do you plan on doing while you're here?"

"For now; you are the only distraction from my oh-so-boring existence Miss Jansen."

"Oh, I am a distraction now!"

"Oh yes." He said. "In every way."

"I think we should go back there, your friend might have learned French by now." He patted her back.

As they walked John and Céline were standing in front of her photograph. The one in the centre of the room; her body tensed slightly as she saw John starring.

"I hope Céline kept you good company." Nicholas asked John, who simply nodded not taking his eyes off the photograph. Nicholas noticed John's unflinching stare and stood besides him.

"Picturesque isn't it?" he murmured next to John. "A gift I shall never stop to thank you for Miss Jansen. I love the contrast of colours in her hair and the paint." He continued.

"How much is it?" John finally spoke up.

"It's not on sale. Anymore." Nicholas replied sharply, making John frown.

"I'd like to have a copy." John said. Gage chuckled before she took a sip of her champagne. She was starting to feel light-headed and slightly amused by all this.

"Usually, I don't do replicas. But as you are a friend of Miss Jansen, I'll get you one."

"Thank you." John nodded politely. "If you would please excuse us now." John continued, putting his hand by Gage's side and patting her back slightly. Gage moved along with John, away from Nicholas and Céline, under the pressure of his powerful hand in her back.

"You didn't tell me you'd posed for him." He said, they were at the bar now, leaning against it, facing each other.

"I didn't?" she feigned ignorance and he glared.

"I posed for Nicholas."

"Thank you for the information."

"You are welcome." Gage replied. She had not taken one of those her magical pills that made her so numb, but the champagne was starting to act.

"So you like it…" she continued, smiling lightly now.

"We could say that." John shrugged, shifting uncomfortably in his black suit.

"You're very handsome tonight John. I'm happy you came."

"I'm happy I did; that freak was all over you like a shark. He could barely hold it down."

"What can I do about it?" she giggled.

"Nothing."

"Are you jealous Johnny?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, but I told you; I err…look after you." John scratched the back of his head lightly avoiding her stare purposefully. Of course he was jealous; between the moments they'd recognized they wanted each other to the conclusion that he still didn't give in; they had established a strange relationship. It was not what she wanted, but with that, she could still wait until he was ready, then after she'd leave him alone.

"Big daddy Johnny." She giggled and he frowned amused too.

"Where are you going to put it?"

"Honestly, I have no idea."

"I'd pay good money to see Liz's reaction when she finds it in her living room." Gage cocked her head to the side.

"She'd have a failure." John chuckled.

"Miss Jansen; oh- your friend came." Mr Barns interrupted; appearing magically from behind the bar Gage nodded before John greeted him.

"Well, I am pleased you are here I feared for her safety and the dress's in the company of all these men…" The grey-haired man joked.

"Barns, can we help you with something?" Gage pushed.

"Oh yes! Silly me. I forgot to tell you; usually we make replicas of paintings before exposing them au cas ou…you know something happens. The sooner we make them, the better."

"Really? Oh, I think have them in my car, I'll bring them right away. Excuse me John." Gage put her glass down on the bar, and Mr Barns turned to John.

"Have you no manners?" Mr Barns told John as Gage walked towards the exit.

"What?" John frowned.

"Don't you think she'll need some help? Hush!"

"Oh, Okay…" John dropped his glass on the bar, obfuscated.

In the underground parking lot of the Michael Murphy Gallery…

She was bending forward trying to reach something from the backseat of a black wrangler Jeep, her leather hugging her so tightly she'd lifted one of her legs back, her heel pointing sharply in the air John chuckled.

"I hope you're enjoying the view Johnny!" she said, still fetching for something in her backseat.

"How did you know it was me?"

"The sounds; your footsteps, they make a sort of repetitive pattern when you walk."

"Oh. Where is your degree in human behaviour again?"

" . I'm just a good observer Johnny." She said, her frame retreated from the back seat, her hands full with papers from a portfolio of pictures.

"Nice car." John looked carefully at the black high rise Wrangler Jeep. It still smelt of fresh paint and detergent; not the car a lady would've chosen, it had a wild safari look to it.

"I know. I love it already. It does this cool thing with the roof, you know it's retractable." She smiled brightly, still managing the portfolio she had in hand.

"Well…welcome to the twenty-first century Lady Jansen." John laughed.

"Thank you Lord Cena. Help me with these." She gave him the portfolio without caring to take notice in the sarcasm of his comment.

"I thought I had left them in the car, but this afternoon I had to get the windows smoked so I took them back. Sucks for Barns." She shrugged, grabbing the portfolio out of his hands and putting them back into the back seat.

It was cold in the parking lot, and her bustier dress had left a lot of uncovered flesh at the mercy of the cold fall winds. Gage rubbed her hands together.

"Are you cold?"

"No you can keep your jacket."

"I didn't even-"

"You don't need to, I already know what you're going to do just by looking at you. I'm ten moves ahead of you John." She said, taking her purse from the backseat and locking the doors of her car.

"So no thank you. I'll be fine."

Had he ever seen more stubborn woman in his life? Probably not. He'd seen women with daddy issues, trust issues, self esteem issues, ego issues, but Gage topped the list by far. She just had issues; in general; and two personalities. He took off his jacket nevertheless and put it around her shoulders; her body stiffened under his touch, but surprisingly, she did not fight him back.

"You can't take a hint can you?" she whispered looking down at the concrete.

"I only do what I think is right to do." He put his hands on either of her shoulders and she looked up at him. Grey eyes coming alive, her lashes lifting, they darkened with seriousness and sadness.

No.

"You should stay away from me Johnny. I'm no good." She smiled a feeble smile.

She was right, and he damn sure knew she was trouble; but like that other guy; what could he do about it? Nothing. He wanted to keep clear from her, stay away once and for all and let life get back to normal but that was what he mind told him; his body and his heart just couldn't get the message. John shook his head.

"You never give up don't you?" she asked.

"You have no idea." He chuckled.

"What do you want from me John?" she breathed. Her grey eyes were glossy and sad. She looked exhausted; not physically but the fatigue could show in her irises, suddenly her pupils dilated and she inhaled deeply. The same way she had that first time near the pool, she pulled him closer to her, this time, she pulled his head lower by his tie, and leaned back against the car. When his face was an inch away from hers, she waited a second, her eyes holding his into a duel. So many things paraded in her grey orbs at the same time, it was hard to keep up. She stopped moving, letting go of his tie slowly and breathing slowly; she didn't move as their foreheads connected.

"Do you only do what is right Johnny?" she whispered, her voice cracked.

"To every rule, there is an exception."

"An exception I am then." She smiled, and John nodded. Her lips were cold as always; they were always so cold. But against his, he felt them soften and warm to his contact. If they'd been in a movie, it'd be the part opera would be playing in the back, making this kiss much more dramatic than it really was. He almost heard the Lacrymosa of Mozart in his head as her lips parted to welcome his.

But this was as real as it could be, and the ache in his body was just same. It was like receiving painful blows on every part of his body; without the pain. He was so powerless in the intimacy of this moment, when her tongue responded to his; stroke for stroke and her breaths were cut just as short as his. Gage was intense, too intense; she was draining away all his strength, his chest heaved like he'd run a marathon. Eyes closed, he still felt every sense of his being fully awake, he felt her leg between his, her arm in his back, her chest against his, the tip of her nose caressing his and finally, he felt her delicate curls between his fingers.

How could he come alive so brusquely; when all his life he'd always followed the paved way he'd been entitled to. This felt like reawakening; he was a teenager again; hiding from his parents and friends, to enjoy the vile pleasures a woman could bring to him. He kissed her harder, with more vigour again and she moaned in his mouth. He felt her hands, everywhere on him, and every part of him that she touched came alive, one after the other like she was a witch putting a spell over him. He'd never acted so foolishly in his entire life.

"Wow…Don't you ever breath?" Gage chuckled, breaking the spell and freeing him.

"Sorry." He muttered his voice thick with lust.

"You are such a great kisser Johnny." She smiled.

"I take it that you're surprised."

"Delightfully." She smiled widely but as soon as it was there, it was gone. Her smile faded and she dropped her hands and her head remained against his chest.

"It could be so good John…we could have amazing sex together, we'd do things you cannot imagine, in ways you cannot possible envision." She murmured against his chest. His eyes widened.

"You want me…yet you still don't want to fuck. What kind of man are you? Why don't you just give in, then I'll leave you alone…" she whispered again.

"Is that what you want? Have your way and leave me alone?" he asked.

"Trust me, I don't have much more to offer."

"You're wrong. I wish I just knew you better Gage…"

There was a silence, put Gage remained against his chest, and where her head laid, he could feel the heavy pounding his heart, continuing uncontrollably. The Lacrymosa had stopped playing, now it was a pitiful lament of Chopin that filled his head. Gage finally struggled out of his grip.

"This is the part you tell me you can't do this and leave Johnny, you're late." She smiled another feeble smile.

Oh Gage…

She could be so hateful sometimes yet he was seeing her in a different light everyday.

"Let's make a deal." He said and she frowned.

" Friends…well for now then I promise to think about it."

"Think about what?"

"Well you know…your…expectations regarding my body."

"You're not ten, you can say fuck you know…" she chuckled. "You'll think about it?"

"Yes."

"But until then you want us to be friends…"

"Yes."

"Isn't that what we've been doing all along?"

"No, not really. You've been chasing me, pestering me with all kinds of threats."

"Yeah…that's more like me." She teased.

"So."

"I'm not used to this John. I don't do the friendship thing." She snorted like it was a filthy word.

"You can try." He pushed, Gage rolled her eyes at him. "But that'll imply you'll have to tell me more about yourself." He said, and she rolled her eyes again.

"Oh John; you are so strenuous." She gasped, looking away. "I can't be friends with you. I can barely stay in the same room with you." She said exasperated.

His frown lifted and the tension in his face evaporated. Was it that bad for her as well? Where they both tangled into this attraction they couldn't do anything about? John's face fell as Gage still refused to look up at him.

"Fine." She breathed, and finally those lovely grey eyes came to meet his. "I'll do it." She shrugged and John gaped at her.

"Deal." She inhaling deeply then stretching her hand to his.

This man was really nothing good for her either. Gage stretched her hand out to John, but instead of just taking it, he pulled her closer, and kissed her again; and she forgot the rest of the world then.

What was this magic he was exercising over her? It was all so new; she had diverted from her path, and now she was walking into the wild, with nothing else but a promise of someday getting what she wanted.

John's kisses were like balm on her burns; just that he was at the same time the balm and the burn. It was so cold in that parking, but yet so warm in his arms. She moved out of them when he pulled back.

"Do you do that with your friends?"

"No. Consider this as a…pay-check before the Debit Card." He chuckled making an allusion to the last time they'd talked in the car.

"All pecuniary thoughts aside." She said and nodded. They stared intently at each other, before someone cleared their throat loudly behind them. John and Gage both turned hastily. Nicholas stood a car or two away from them. He had a scarf in his hand and silently strolled towards them.

"Nicholas." Gage said.

"Miss Jansen, I saw you leaving and I thought you'd need this." He showed the black cotton scarf.

"But I see John has preceded me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." He said bitterly looking at John.

"It's okay Nicholas, we were going back inside." she said.

"Hum…I'll leave now." John said looking down at Gage.

"Mr Jaworski; great exhibition; I'll be waiting for the photograph." John greeted Nicholas curtly then turned to Gage, his back to Nicholas so he couldn't see them. Gage took off his jacket and handed it back to John.

"Drive safely please. I want to know when you get home." He pushed a strand of hair out of her face and planted a small kiss on her forehead. He looked down at her tentatively, before he blinked away and let her go. He fished his car keys out of his pockets.

Nicholas extended his hand out to Gage and she walked back towards him as John pulled out of the parking and drove away. Nicholas put his hand on her back protectively and smirked.

"It seems I have competition Miss Jansen." He scoffed.

Ooo