The rules are … there are no rules.”
A devilish grin crosses Jake’s full lips. “I like the sound of that. You game, Lace?”
Am I game enough to let this man paint my skin? “Fine, but I get to paint you first.”
Rex leaves and comes right back with a tray containing paint bottles, brushes, and a palette for the paint.
“Deal,” Jake says, and I feel like I’m making a much bigger deal than just who gets to paint whom first.
“Here is everything you need. You can use brushes or your hands. Totally optional. And you have all the paint you’ll need,” Rex points to the items on the tray. “We ask that you pour the paint out in small doses, so it doesn’t get wasted. Tonight’s lesson will be flowers, just for you.” He hits Jake’s arm.
“Because I don’t see enough of them every day?” Jake laughs.
“No, because I figured you know them enough that you won’t have to think of what they look like. Envisioning what you want to draw can be the hardest part for some people.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jake says, taking off his jacket.
Rex smiles at me before he goes to greet the next couple who just arrived.
I place my purse down on the far side of the folding table and take in all the tools and colors I have to paint with. Couples around us are talking to one another, some laughing and others in intimate whispers. Between the space and the scene laid out before me, my mind is rushing with words and ideas for a chapter, and I haven’t even touched anything yet.
That is, of course, before I turn around.
And see Jake.
Shirtless.
It’s no lie. I’ve always found him attractive, and his face is just the tip of the hot-man iceberg. A well-defined, chiseled chest with a smattering of hair leads down to six-pack abs, which I’ve written about many times yet never touched in the flesh. His arms are strong with each muscle outlined to perfection.
Tall, big, handsome, athletic, broad, powerful … I need to up my adjectives when I describe a man.
There is definitely a reason I remembered that seafoam-green towel.
Our eyes meet, and it’s obvious he knows the sight of him just caught me off guard for all the wrong reasons, so I grab a bottle and pour paint onto my plate.
Rex begins the class by instructing us to coat our partners with a base color. When deciding on which color to choose, I take my time to really look at Jake. I see the way his eyes are brown, but they have a dark circle that lines them entirely. His jaw is straight, and his right eyebrow has a scar that runs through the length of it. He’s definitely not Tom Hardy, yet he’d be a damn good hero to explain in every detail.
I reach for the green paint for the base color. I dip the paintbrush, coating it on both sides to get the most coverage before sliding my stool closer to him.
“I’m letting you paint me first, but I have one rule.” He points his finger at me. “Nothing on my sides.”
Smashing my lips together, I try to hold back my laughter. “Are you ticklish?”
His brow quirks and I can tell he doesn’t want to admit it. He points at me instead. “No sides. Deal?”
Lifting my brush, I hold it up for him to see. “Okay, ticklish man, you got a deal. I won’t paint your very delicate skin.”
“Trust me, there is nothing delicate about me.”
He raises his chin slightly as he sits taller and opens his arms just a little bit, giving me full access to his chest.
As I make the first stroke on his body, I feel his breath hitch before he takes a deeper inhale. I move the brush down his pecs and back up, surrounding the area with a magnificent, rich green that complements his skin tone perfectly.
Once the base is finished, Rex instructs us to choose what flower we have in mind, and I instantly think of the peony he gave me earlier. As I swirl red and white together to get the pink I’m looking for, I keep glancing over at Jake, who never takes his eyes off of mine.
“Your mom seems pretty adamant about marrying you off.” I try to use conversation as a distraction.
“She certainly has her mind set as to what I need.” It’s easy to sense the morose tone in his voice.
“So, a strong-willed woman isn’t your