Page 72 of Beck

Ani pouted. “Why not?”

Beck sighed. She would do whatever she wanted, anyway. “Just be careful. But, yes, I’ll take them. What time?”

“Eleven and twelve-thirty.”

Beck nodded and faced Kole. “You want to watch?”

Kole smiled. “Always.”

He turned back to Ani, her gaze bouncing between them, and sighed. “Stop,” he muttered.

“So cute,” she whispered, not quiet enough for Kole not to hear if the chuckle he let out was any indication.

He dragged Kole towards the stairs. “I’ll let you know when I’m all set up. Not sure what state I left it in, so might take a bit to get sorted,” he called over his shoulder.

“Sure thing!” Ani said.

When they closed the door to Beck’s studio behind them, he sighed and laughed. “I missed that,” he admitted.

Kole leaned against his front, sliding his arms up and around Beck’s neck. “It won’t take them long to get back to normal. The events of the past few weeks have been a shock for them all, but they’re still your friends, Beck. They’ll be eager to get back to the relationship you had before, just as much as you are.”

Beck buried his face in Kole’s neck, inhaling deeply, and just relaxed for a moment. Then he pulled back and cupped Kole’s jaw. “I love you so damn much.”

Kole beamed up at him. “And I love you.” He kissed him, far too chaste and proper for Beck’s liking, but Kole laughed and pulled away. “Now get to work. I want to see my man in his element.”

Beck’s cheeks heated because, although Kole had seen him work before, it had a different atmosphere to it. Then he had an idea. “While I’m working today, I want you to design me something.”

“What?”

“Anything. I want your design on my body,” he murmured.

Kole looked him up and down and bit his lip. “All right. Anywhere in particular?”

Beck smirked. “Your choice. You know what space I have left.”

Kole licked his lips and nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll see what I can come up with.”

He moved towards the desk in the corner of the room, and Beck stepped up behind him, halting his movements, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “And you’ll be the one inking me.”

****

Chapter 22

Kole

The shiver that ran through Kole was at odds with the heat that also flowed from his head to his toes. As much as he was in control in the bedroom, he would never forget how dominant Beck could be, pretend or not. When it came to inking, Beck was the professional, and he knew it.

He pulled away and settled himself onto the chair in front of the table, although he placed it along the side so he could watch everything that happened—as long as the client agreed. Pulling out his drawing pad and pencils, he settled into place and watched Beck potter around, tidying, cleaning and sterilising everything that needed it.

Kole was drawn to the man, and his hand began moving on the page, sketching the strength of Beck’s body, the muscle definition, the chiselled jaw hidden by his beard, the softness in surprising places. It all merged to become the person Kole knew as Beck Cavanagh.

“I’m done,” Beck said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms. “You seemed far away.”

Kole glanced down at his drawing and smirked. “Someone distracted me.” He turned it to face him. “It’s not the best.”

Beck’s eyebrows rose, and he moved closer, taking the pad. “I knew you could draw patterns, but I didn’t know you could draw people, too. This is bloody amazing, Kole.”

“It’s not my favourite because I get, for want of a better word, anal about the minor details. If they’re not right, it annoys me until I’ve figured it out or I give up. Patterns don’t take as much brainpower.”

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