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When we finally had all the paint scrubbed from our bodies, I grabbed towels from under the sink. I wrapped one around my waist and tossed the other one at her.
Fluffing her wet hair, she smiled. “I think you got all the paint. Thanks for being so thorough,” she winked.
I swiped at her towel, trying to pull it away from her body. Laughing, I said, “Maybe I should check and make sure it’s actually gone. I wouldn’t want to any to have slipped through the cracks.”
“No, no, no,” she backed away, wagging a finger. “You’ve had your way with me too many times. My body needs a break.”
I frowned. “Can you at least be naked then?”
She let out a bellowing laugh, and the sound of it filled me with joy.
“I don’t think so, but nice try.” She redressed in the clothes she’d had on earlier.
Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, I grabbed her and pinned her against the dresser. I lifted her up, so she sat atop. Her hands framed my face and she shook her head. “What are you doing, Caelan?”
“I don’t want you to leave,” I admitted. “Stay with me.”
She frowned. “I should really go home, Brutus—”
“Bring Brutus over here,” I replied, before she could continue. With a smile I added, “I’ve grown quite fond of your pussy.”
She smacked my shoulder and scoffed. “You’re disgusting.”
“Pussycat. Better?”
“No.”
I laughed, and lowered her to the ground once more. “Please, come back,” I rested my forehead against hers, my fingers tangling in the belt loops of her jeans. I hated to sound like I was begging, but after everything we’d just shared, the last thing I wanted to do was watch her walk out the door.
“Okay,” she relented. “I’ll get Brutus and be right back.”
My relief was audible and embarrassing.
Her hand found mine and she gave it a reassuring squeeze.
She left the apartment, and in the moments I was alone, I assessed the canvas spread on the floor. It was kind of crazy to think we’d made this beautiful piece of art by making love. T
he colors swirled together in a hypnotic blend. If you studied it closely, you could make out the occasional hand and foot print and was that—? Yeah, that was the imprint of my ass. Or maybe it was hers. I tilted my head, trying to figure out. Realizing she would be back any second with the cat I picked the canvas up off the floor in a gentle manner, laying it delicately across the drying board. It was still damp in spots and the last thing I wanted was for Brutus to walk on it and ruin it. Although, I guess we could always make another one and wouldn’t that be fun.
I heard the door close and turned to look behind me. Even though she’d only been gone no more than five minutes, I couldn’t help feeling relieved that she was back.
Clearly, there was something wrong with me or maybe I was returning to normal. I’d spent so long in a drug induced haze that I’d forgotten what it was like to yearn for a human being—for the comfort only a relationship could provide, not just a one-night stand.
“Oooh, I want to see!” She clapped her hands together, dancing over to where I stood.
Even Sutton was different since this afternoon. She was lighter and happier. She smiled and laughed more. There wasn’t a cloud of doom hanging over her head anymore. I hated that I hadn’t seen at first how much she hurt. I was a selfish bastard like that, but hopefully I could make up for it now.
“Wow,” she gasped when her eyes lit upon the canvas. “We did that?”
“We did,” I chuckled. “What do you think?”
“I think it was so worth getting paint in my hair.”
I grasped a dark wet lock of hair between my fingers. “Yes, definitely worth it.”
“What are you going to do with it?” She asked.