Painted On My Heart

“Yeah, I already told you this. He doesn’t have one. That’s him. Kellus Hardin,” Gage clarified.

A jolt of desire coursed through Arik’s body and rushed like a speeding freight train straight to his balls. Overwhelming need sparked in his chest, and he sucked in a breath at the alarming sensation. Arik held the glass of wine out from his body to avoid spilling it, completely thrown off balance. He took a minute or two to process the information. So that sinfully gorgeous man with the haunting blue eyes was the artist of those brilliant pieces he loved so much.

No fucking way. He couldn’t believe it. His night just got so much better on so many different levels.

“Why?”

Arik barely registered the question. His head was too wrapped up in the thought of those blue eyes and full lips to pay attention.

His body’s response had been immediate, and he smiled at all the carnal thoughts taking flight in his head and causing his boxers to tighten. The revelation about the man who created the art that spoke to his very soul was almost too mind-blowing.

“I think he hung up,” he heard Gage say as if he was in some sort of distance trance. He forced himself back into the here and now and decided he’d figure out his response later.

“No, I’m here. I need you to make an introduction for me,” Arik said. He didn’t really need that. He’d be fine on his own, but Gage could set up a blind date for him a little easier. But when? His schedule was packed for the foreseeable future.

For Kellus Hardin, he’d be willing to make the time.

Right when he decided to handle Kellus himself, Gage busted out with an overly loud, “What! You called and woke me up so I could fix you up with a man I honestly don’t think is gay, because I’ve certainly never gotten the gay vibe in all the years I’ve known him?”

“You weren’t paying attention. He’s gay,” Arik argued.

“How would you possibly know that if you didn’t know who he was in the first place?” Gage challenged in a very clear you’re-a-dumbass tone.

That was a legitimate question, but he couldn’t even consider another answer. Surely, whatever was going on inside his chest and his pants wouldn’t be happening if the guy were straight. Instead of saying that or revealing the intimately personal details of such a physical response, he simply turned crude. “He was eye-fucking me tonight. I swear we had a moment.”

Gage immediately barked out a laugh.

“You’re so full of yourself, A. When was he eye-fucking you? Because I was with him all night. I think I would’ve noticed a moment between you two, and I’m pretty positive there was no such thing. You’re clearly delusional. I’m hanging up.”

He couldn’t help the broad grin that spread across his face. That was the great thing about his family; each of them always made sure the other’s feet stayed solidly on the ground. The phone went dead. To be nothing more than annoying, Arik hit the call button again. The phone rang twice before Gage answered.

“I remember a time you were up all night, partying and having a good time. Now the ball and chain has you irritable and hard to get along with. You clearly no longer recognize the obvious signs of attraction.”

“Fuck you, Arik. I’m ending this call and snuggling down with the hottest man in the world. Enjoy your night alone. Or better yet, why don’t you give fur-boy a call? Maybe he can wrap that big fake fur around both of you tonight.”

Arik let that go, waiting to say the only words he’d been thinking since Gage had started speaking.

“You said snuggle. What’s happened to you, man?”

“Fuck off, Layne. Don’t call again.” The phone went dead and just to be a pain in the ass he pushed call. The phone went straight to voice mail, causing him to chuckle as he tossed his cell phone on the kitchen counter.

Still laughing, he grabbed the wine, topped off his glass with the remainder of the bottle, and took off for the bedroom. At first, he’d questioned how it might work to be surrounded by family again. They were an overbearing bunch, but having Gage back in his life might actually be worth it. He’d always been his favorite cousin.

After draining the last bit of wine, he set the empty glass on his nightstand, stripped off his boxers, and crawled into bed. Tired from no sleep, his mind hummed with anticipation as he thought about tomorrow. He sank into the comfort and warmth of his bed, feeling totally elated he finally had a name to go with those haunting blue eyes.

Even as wiped out as he was, Arik couldn’t stop thinking about the artist and those damn haunting eyes, his full fleshy lips, and dark beard, and how deliciously thrilling it would be to feel them brushing against his balls. The thought sent a massive bundle of desire coursing throughout his body. Now his dick was hard as fuck and tenting the covers from just imagining the things the artist could do with those lips and hands.