“Of course not,” I said. “I’ll just pull your shirt up a couple of inches.”
She hopped up on the table, and I pulled out a container of multi-colored pens. “Eyeliner?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “This is some new waterproof, smudgeproof eyeliner that everyone has been raving about, and i
t comes in a whole bunch of colors. So I thought, if it’s safe for your eyes, it must be non-toxic for the skin. Plus, it shouldn’t rub off on your clothing.”
“Okay,” she said agreeably, laying flat on her back.
I set the basket of pens on the table beside her, curling her arm around it so that her hand had a place to rest, and she could keep them from falling.
Pulling the waistband of her skirt down just an inch, and rolling her shirt up a little, I circled the spot over her hip bone and around her side with my fingertips. “Is this the spot?”
She was quivering. “Yes, but… It’s a little ticklish.”
I needed to make her quiver in other ways, the thought tightening my stomach. “Good thing these aren’t permanent then,” I quipped. “If you jump and I make a mistake, I can just wash it off.”
We spent the next twenty minutes chatting about her favorite artists, growing up in the country, and how I got into drawing because I was clumsy at sixteen and wanted to develop my fine motor skills. I was delighted to discover that she really was into art, even studying a bit of art history.
Although I was as delicate as possible, my hands were skimming along her soft skin, and she was definitely having a reaction. Every now and then I heard her breath catch as the palm of my hand adjusted. Her fingertips twitched when I had to pull her shirt up just a pinch more.
Having her sweet, curvy body laid out for me was making me almost painfully aroused. If I didn’t find a way to kiss her soon, I was going to lose my mind.
“All done,” I said, putting the pens away and helping her off the table to stand in front of the full-length mirror.
She held up her shirt a bit and gasped. “Grant, it’s amazing!”
The bright orange and peach lily was a hybrid of the two species, but the way it opened, and was surrounded by swirling green and teal speckled lines made it look like it was dancing.
I took another good look, then picked up a darker green eyeliner. “What if there was just a bit more shadow right here?” I asked while pointing.
“Oh, that would be perfect,” she said.
I dropped to my knees, placing my hand on the back of her side to hold her steady. I watched her stomach flutter for a moment, then began shading as soon as she was still.
It only took a moment, then I couldn’t resist blowing across the liquid eyeshadow until it dried.
She made the tiniest yipping noise as she jumped. “That’s chilly!”
I stood up, our bodies far too close as I looked down at her. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Um, what do I owe you?”
“No, Leah, this was my treat. But I would love to make you dinner tomorrow night.”
Her mysterious eyes regarded me carefully. It was as if time froze while I waited for her answer. “Okay,” she practically whispered. “That sounds nice.”
“It will be nice,” I said, my hand sliding around the small of her back as I pulled her close. “But you’re going to have to tell me quickly, gorgeous. If I kiss you right now, does that make me nice? Or a bad boy?”
Her lips fell apart in shock. Her gaze danced around my entire face for a moment, then stopped on my lips.
“You said you wanted to be more outgoing,” I said gently, twisting a lock of her silky hair between my fingers before cupping the back of her head, tilting her face up. “Kiss me, Leah.”
Her mouth was just an inch from mine. I waited. Five seconds felt like an eternity.
Then she stretched up, her lips moving against mine as gentle as a warm breeze. In an instant there was no space between our bodies, her arms around my shoulders as we dissolved against each other.
I could feel her trembling in my arms, then her lips slowly parted, as I tentatively tasted her, my tongue darting lightly inside her mouth as she moaned sweetly. When she finally pulled away, staring up at me breathless, her flirty little smile was the last straw. She was mine now. Completely.
My eyes darted over to where Penny was mouthing the words, “What the hell?” and silently snapping her fingers to tell me my next appointment had arrived.