Free Secret Obsession by Olivia Linden

one finger over her mouth to shush him.
    "Quiet, I'm sneaking up on you."
    "Oh yeah, I hadn't noticed." He put his pad down to make room for her on his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she hugged him close. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent, and placing light kisses on her temple.
    "So what are you working on?" She reached for his drawing.
    "Today I was just free flowing. I did a little sketch of the grove of trees over there," he said, pointing to the spot he was referring to. Raven studied the sketch, impressed with his obvious skill and level of detail.
    "Wow. This is really good Finn. How long have you been an artist?"
    "Ah, I wouldn't call myself an artist, but I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon."
    "Um, you are definitely an artist. This is amazing, and it's 'just' a little sketch? I would love to see the rest of your work. I can't draw to save my own life. Shoot, I can barely maintain my handwriting."
    "Wait here," Finn murmured before heading to his truck. He returned with a blanket and a larger pad that showed signs of wear and tear, which he handed to Raven. Then he spread out the blanket, moving his tools onto it and motioning for her to join him.
    "That is a collection of my favorite pieces over the years. This is what I usually do on the weekends if I'm not working."
    Finn watched as she poured through his work. It was strange to see her so enthralled by his talent because he had never shared that part of him before. He reached over, pushing the hair that was framing her face behind her ears so that he could see her better. He couldn't believe that she had made such an enormous impact on him in so little time.
    "So what are your hobbies?" Watching her peruse through his sketches produced a burning desire to know more about he; this creature of so many moods.
    "Of course you know I'm a dancer. I used to teach dance lessons part time and choreographed routines for the cheerleading squad. But that's more along the lines of a profession for me. As far as a hobby, I'm not as talented as you are at art, but I do write music. I used to help out a friend who was part of a band. I would take her poems and turn them into songs but that was the only time I did it for show. Usually I just write them and they never leave my notepad."
    "Wow. So are you going to write a song about me?" he only half-joked. Truth be told, he would love for her to write a song about them. Raven seemed to bring out whatever romance he held within his soul.
    "I suppose I could be inspired to do that," she joked back.
    The pair continued to talk and share bits and pieces of their past. While they were very different, there seemed to be some common ground between them. They liked the same foods, Italian being their favorite, and had the same taste in movies. Music was a different story. Raven concluded that Finn was two steps away from being Willie Nelson, where she had a more eclectic collection of tunes. As they talked, Raven continued to look back at certain sketches that caught her eye.
     
    "These are amazing. You are amazing," she said with complete adoration. She placed his drawings to the side, angling herself so that they were face to face. She traced the rugged outline of his jaw, taking in his beauty. Not only his looks, but also the goodness that she saw in his eyes. The man that she had written off as aloof and boring, was really deep and sensitive. If she wasn't falling for him before, she knew she was now.
    "Thank you," he whispered, letting her continue her explorations. "I think you're pretty amazing too. You make me feel incredible."
    Snaking an arm around her, Finn slid his hand through her hair, guiding her to his lips. This time their kiss was slow and soft. Finn wanted her to know that he needed her for more than sex. They had a free pass to do as they wished for the weekend, but at that moment all he wanted was to hold her under the warm rays of the sun, while the gentle summer breeze danced