“Hi,” I said.
“We’re heading upstairs.” Silas nudged me, hurrying me along. “Do you mind, Andre?”
The black man shook his head and flashed a knowing smile. “Not to be disturbed, I guess?”
I grinned. “Unless you want to see his dick in my mouth.”
Andre made a horrible choking sound, like a laugh was jammed in his throat. Silas gripped my elbow and hauled me toward the back. “Fuck, you’re going to give Andre a stroke.”
“Yeah, right,” the assistant quipped as we went down the hallway.
The narrow passage was dark, and we went through a door into what had to be his studio. The large space was industrial and sectioned into various stations. There was a desk full with a computer and camera equipment, and on the other side a table covered with paint splatters. The rolling cart beside it had trays that held jars of paint, brushes, and all the other tools he needed.
“I like your labeling system,” I said. The white labels announced the contents. “Pencils and shit” or “Ink and shit.”
“What?” He clasped my wrist in his firm hand and continued to pull me along, not giving me time to examine the space adequately. He was a man on a mission, and I wasn’t about to argue. I liked his mission very much.
“Everything says and shit.” My voice teased. “It’s so organized.”
There was a tiny staircase on the side, and up we went, our feet shuffling on the creaking wooden risers. The steps were so narrow, he had to turn his shoulders to the side to fit.
When we came to the top, he released his hold of my wrist and strode across the room. The entire space was long, narrow, and low. From this spot, I could see all the way to the other end of the apartment. Kitchen, living area, unmade bed, and the door to what I assumed was the bathroom.
“Good God, how does a giant like you survive in this tiny apartment?” Crap, that was excessively rude. “That didn’t come out right.”
He laughed. “I’m betting it did. If no one’s mentioned it to you before, you’re direct.”
“I am, I’m sorry. Was the dick comment downstairs inappropriate?” I didn’t care what other people thought, but my brashness wasn’t fair to him. Who knew what kind of workplace relationship Silas had with his assistant?
His lips peeled back into a smile. “No, it was fine. You probably made Andre’s day.” His gaze turned up to the sloping ceiling, which had to be only inches from his head in some places. “I’m not up here much. I’m usually downstairs.”
The apartment was man-messy. A few dirty dishes were left in the sink, and opened mail piled on the table, but otherwise it was acceptable. The walls were decorated with some artwork, including a gorgeous picture of a tattoo. It was a lotus flower floating in a pond, surrounded by lily pads. The detail and depth was unbelievable; it was like he’d transferred a photograph directly onto the skin.
“You did that?” I pointed to the frame. When he nodded, I added, “It’s amazing.”
“Thanks.” He took his phone out of his pocket and set it on a speaker system.
Music played and softly filled the cozy space. “Setting the mood?”
He tapped a few times, adjusting the volume. “Something like that. I don’t like the quiet.”
So, he thought it was about to get quiet in this room. I licked my lips, anticipating what was coming. “We could just keep talking.”
He turned, setting the full effect of his stare on me. His expression was pure and carnal. “Not if we’re picking up where we left off.”
“Oh, right. That.” My tone was indifferent, as if I’d forgotten. Like I hadn’t been thinking about it every goddamn second since we left the shop. I knew if we didn’t start fucking in the next ten minutes, I wasn’t going to die, but I felt like I might.
He stalked forward, and I had to fight the instinct to take a defensive stance at his rapid approach. His shadow fell on me until he blocked all of the light, and his hands seized my face, drawing me into his brutal kiss.
His aggressive mouth moved against mine, demanding and serious. I didn’t think I had room for any more desire, but his kiss was another dose that rapidly flooded my senses. We stumbled together, lips locked, until my back was against a wall. My head thumped against it, but neither of us let up.
His hard body pressed into me, flattening me with his heat, and I hiked a leg, wrapping it behind his thigh so our bodies were tight together. The kiss deepened. It flared and burned hotter as one of his hands was on my ass, fingers digging in. The other was on my waist, pinning me in place.
He swallowed my moan when he bent his knees and thrust against me. This teasing with clothes on bullshit had to go. I both loved and hated it. He must have had the same thought. Silas put one palm flat on the wall by my head, and the other slid down the front of my jeans.
“Fuck, yes,” I whispered. I planted both feet back on the ground. My fingers were clumsy as I tore my snap open and unzipped, pushing the fly of my pants open wide so he could get in there.
“Shit, your mouth is hot as hell.”