Beauty in the Ashes

With a body-racking shudder, I reached for some paint. I didn’t even notice the color I grabbed. I smeared it on my fingers and then glided my hands down his chest, swirling it around. I was no artist like him, so it looked more like a child’s doing, but from the look on his face, it was the best thing ever. He was clearly enjoying this.

I swallowed thickly, moving my hand back up to cup his cheek—green paint getting in the heavy stubble on his cheeks. I wanted to tell him I loved him, but the words were lodged in my throat, unable to come out. I couldn’t do it. I was too scared.

With the paint still sticking to his fingers, a grin lit his face, and he smeared a large chunk over my cheek.

I paused as my mouth fell open and then I surprised us both by laughing. A real, genuine, carefree, laugh. I hadn’t laughed like that in so long.

He smiled too, letting out a soft chuckle as his chest brushed against mine. His shoulders raised in a small shrug. “I couldn’t resist.”

I put some on his nose. “Me either.”

“Oh, it’s on now!”

I let out a shriek as he grabbed me, smearing the paint on my torso with his hands. He held me caged in his arms and smeared some on my nose so that I now matched him.

I tried in vain to reach for more paint, but he was stronger than me.

“Caelan,” I panted around laughter, “let me go.”

“Never,” he whispered, turning me around so that we were chest to chest. His nose brushed against my cheek and then his fingers glided lightly over the same spot. One of my hands rested on his shoulder and my eyes closed. His other hand grasped my side to keep me from moving. Swirling his finger around my cheek, he said, “You’re mine.”

His lips claimed mine in a demanding, soul-stealing kiss, preventing me from saying anything. I didn’t need to.

I had no idea where we were going and where we’d end up, but I knew, no matter what, a piece of me would always belong to Caelan Gregory.

Paint smeared all over our bodies as we kissed, but neither of us cared. It only added to the beauty of it.

He released my lips with an audible pop and I felt slightly dizzy. “I want to try something,” he breathed.

“What?”

“You’ll see.”

He strode away and I was left swaying. He opened a closet door and returned with a large roll of canvas. He slowly unfurled it and laid it on the floor like a blanket.

He smirked as he grabbed several different colors of paint and squirted them all over the canvas. I think I had an idea where he was going with this, and my God it had my blood pumping even more than the idea and action of him painting me.

When he was satisfied with the colors on the canvas, he placed the bottles back, and stood in front of me once more.

He undid the button of my jeans and slid them down my legs, along with my panties. I trembled at the look in his eyes. They were passion filled and swirled with lust. I stepped out of my jeans and he tossed them to the other side of the apartment where there was no danger of them being ruined by the paint.

“Lay down, Sutton.” His voice was husky and commanding.

I did as he said, not worried about the paint getting in my hair—not worried about anything, really. He stared down at me, his eyes skimming every curve of my body. His fingers twitched at his sides and I couldn’t help wondering if he didn’t wish he could sketch me. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You look like an angel.”

My whole body flushed at his words and gaze.

This, right here, having someone look at you like you’re everything, was what life was about—finding that one person that woke you up and made you feel alive.

“Are you going to join me?” I crooked a finger, beckoning him to me.

A wry smile tilted his lips. “In a minute. For now, I want to look.”

I bit my lip, letting him look at me. I had never been shy, but the way he looked at me made it hard to resist the urge to cover myself.

The only thing that stopped me was his scrutiny didn’t make me feel dirty—quite the opposite actually.

“Please, Cael,” I finally begged, when I couldn’t stand it any longer.