around his finger. “Will you let me do that, baby?”
She seemed thoughtful.
“Yeah… I’ll do it,” she finally said in a whisper.
Moments later, he had her in the bedroom, lying across the clean, crisp white sheets while he gathered his tools. ‘Tell Me,’ by Usher, serenaded them in the background. He opened box after box until he found the brushes he desired. Then, paints, cups, water, towels.
He joined her in the bedroom, leaned over her and kissed her. She reached up to caress his beard. After kissing her hand, he pulled away and put up his easel beside the bed. He sat on a stool and began to paint, starting on the outline of her body along the canvas.
“Do I have to be quiet?” she asked softly.
“Yes, only because when we move our jaw muscles, it completely changes our facial expressions, our lip shape, nose, and so on.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Just relax, baby. You can even take a nap if you want, but keep the same position.”
She nodded, but kept her eyes open, looking up at the ceiling. The music drifted around them, setting the mood. Dipping his paintbrush in the water, taking his time, he snuck a glance at her and his chest burned with desire. Love. All things the opposite of deviant…
“I love the shit outta you, Suri. You have no idea. I’ve never cared for a woman the way I care for you. My love for you can’t fit into words. Not in Portuguese or English. My love for you is its own language. You’re my soulmate. I know this with every beat of my heart, baby.”
She fought a smile, but did a damn good job staying still. He studied the curve of her soul, the bend of her essence, the rise of her beauty, the fall of her grace, the lines of her fears, the twists and turns of her anger…
And he painted them.
His right wrist muscle ached as he painstakingly brushed his own heart into the flesh of another human being. He had no sense of time, but he knew it must’ve been a while for her muscles began to relax, her eyes fluttered, and before he knew it, she went to sleep. She never moved a muscle. The perfect subject.
When he was all finished, he quietly stood up, surveyed his work from various angles, and fought back tears. It was almost perfect. He tiptoed about so he wouldn’t wake her as he put everything back in its place, then rinsed his brushes in the kitchen sink. He hooked up the washing machine in the small laundry area, then returned to the kitchen. As he opened the refrigerator door, he noticed his arms and chest were splattered with paint.
“Shit,” he said under his breath as he reached for a bottle of water from a case Shane had brought. Downing half the bottle, he went to the bathroom to rinse off. His mind traveled to a million different places. There was so much to do. So much to take care of. He returned to the bedroom, prepared to tuck her under the sheets and fall asleep next to her, but found her standing, facing the canvas that was drying against the wall. He stopped in his tracks. Watching her.
Her shoulders moved up and down, her head fell forward, and the curve of spine caught the light as she slumped forward, wracked with emotion. Wild black curls tumbled about.
“Oh, my God,” she managed to choke out. “It’s beautiful.” She shook her head.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. When she rested her head on his chest, they began to sway. He kissed the top of her head and held her as tight as he could without hurting her. But it simply wasn’t enough. He needed to be closer to her, so much closer. Tears webbed in her eyes, making his heart flutter when he settled his gaze upon them. Cupping the back of her head, he brought her in for an urgent kiss. It seemed time lapsed, for somehow, he didn’t recall how, they were soon on the bed, limbs stretched across the sheets.
Mint Condition’s, ‘U Send Me Swingin’ played as he embraced her, his arms beneath her breasts. Depositing kisses along her jaw, he practically overdosed on her warmth and the beautiful, natural scent of her skin. She caressed his arms, tickling the hairs. Laying her down, her head towards the foot of the bed, he gently spread her legs open and hooked his