Outlaw (Wolves of Royal Paynes #4) - Kiki Burrelli Page 0,51

had surely once been a proud addition to the hotel, the room was empty save for the chairs stacked along the walls. "What do you like the most about it?"

His chin dropped, and his hair swung forward to cover part of his face. "That it would've been your favorite. I've spent entire days in here, imagining the way you'd bring the walls to life with your paintings. I dreamed of you painting a mural right there." He gestured to a portion of wall, peeling with old wallpaper visible from every angle.

My chest tightened picturing Diesel as he'd been, lonely and heartbroken. "I'll do it. I'll paint a mural."

I hadn't picked up anything more than a pencil in years. Pierce had supplied me with paints and drawing paper, but I'd refused to use anything that man gave me that wasn't for my survival. I lifted my arms, prompting Diesel to stoop over enough for me to wrap them around his neck. He brought me off my feet without ever grabbing hold. I didn't need him to especially once I locked my ankles together at the top of his butt. "I won't promise it will be good, but I'll paint you something." I slumped down, making Diesel cup my ass to keep me from falling. "Except I don't have any paints."

With Diesel's face pressed against my neck, his breaths made my skin tingle and I felt his smile before I saw it. "I thought of that."

His fingers slipped between my cheeks as he carried me over the dusty floor. My ass clenched, suddenly concerned with how very empty I was and how close his fingers were to remedying that. Diesel knew exactly what he was doing to me. His fingers hadn't slipped by accident. I kept hold of my desire as tightly as possible, paying attention to the room instead.

Cobwebs decorated the high corners, particularly along the windows on the long wall, trailing down as dust and gravity collected on the silken strands. This room had still gone through decades of neglect, but it was drier here than in the other parts of the hotel, so while things had begun to crack and crumble, there wasn't the mold or mildew common in the other neglected spaces.

He set me down in front of a lumpy, folded drop sheet making sure my body slid over every inch of his along the way. "When your paints and the scaffold ladder come, I'll bring you down here every day, if you want."

That gave me some time to restart my creativity. When I'd been held captive, every ounce of my focus had been diverted into thinking of ways to keep myself safe and to keep Pierce away. Now, I could dream of beautiful landscapes and rolling hills dotted with trees, their branches heavy with leaves that burned the bright colors of autumn.

Like the tub, Diesel had planned this for me. While I'd been shaving a stretch of chain into a deadly weapon, he'd been staring at these walls, grieving.

"Thank you, Diesel. For…all of this. This room is gorgeous. Perfect. My favorite."

That was only a tiny lie, since wherever Diesel was, was my favorite.

He made a low chuffing sound and nuzzled my neck, clearly pleased that I was so happy with this gift. There wasn't any music, but that didn't matter when Diesel began to sway, holding me closely to his chest.

My Diesel wasn't a gentle giant, but he was a giant who could be gentle. And light on his feet. As we rocked back and forth, Diesel's delicate steps and featherlight touch had me leaning into him. We already touched in all the spots we could—with our clothes on—but it wasn't enough. He kissed my neck as he moved, humming first softly and then louder until we spun around the floor to the music he provided.

With my hand in his, he spun me away from his body, acting as my anchor as I twirled out and then back like a boomerang. He caught me with my back to his and held me against his sculpted body. One hand dropped to my hips, tightening in a way that made my knees week. I didn't have to worry about something as silly as standing on my own two feet, not with my alpha around. Whether he was holding or spinning me, Diesel did it with such care, I couldn't help but feel loved.

While his cock was exactly where I wanted it, prodding my ass through my jeans, it wasn't