Page 18 of Filthy Hot Prince

I glanced in his direction. “Would you like to join us, Khalid?”

Khalid

“Come back soon, Valeria. The kids miss you,” one of the older women with white streaks in her hair said to the smiling woman standing beside me, patting her red hair with her palm.

“I will. Soon!”

I watched as she embraced the older woman in a hug and bid her goodbye. I bowed my head and walked alongside Valeria, staying close. But she knew how many steps the gate was from the main door. I had told her that I would drop her home. I opened the door for her and kept a palm under the edge of the roof of the car when Valeria bent to sit down. I didn’t want to get her hurt by hitting her head.

When the driver started the car, I noticed that she was struggling with the belt.

“May I?” I asked, her striking green eyes peering at me.She was not wearing sunglasses today. Beautiful eyes. I swallowed the lump in my throat the longer her eyes gazed across my face. Her lower lashes looked so soft and pretty.

What the absolute fuck, Khalid? Lower lashes? You are whipped by lower lashes?Un-fucking-believable.

“Sure.”

I leaned close, wrapping my hand around the belt and dragging it towards the buckle and latching onto it. But curse my eyes for staying on the slender curve of her pale neck, the way her tee shirt tightened over her chest as her breathing got heavier. She smelt like flowers and something feminine. I wanted to untangle her copper tendrils from the low bun on her neck and let my hand run through the length of them.

I quickly latched the buckle and cleared my throat when she mumbled a small ‘thank you.’

“Would you like to visit the art gallery with me?”

Why were my hands getting sweaty? Why was I nervous?

“With you? Of course, Khalid. It would be my honor, but you know I don’t have sight.”

I clenched my hand. “I will try my best to explain the paintings to you. If that’s okay with you?”

Valeria’s smile reached her eyes. My heart stumbling yet again at the sight. “Sure.”

* * *

“And this isNox.I didn’t name it. It is painted in neutrals with a landscape of night from my house back in Azmia.” Valeria nodded, intently hearing every word I spoke, wanting to know more about my paintings.

It was evening when we had arrived at the empty art gallery. I had told the driver to take his leave, I would drop her home and then take a cab.

I was showing her around, our silent feet padding side by side. My low baritone voice speaking just over her ear, making her shiver. It felt intimate and extremely touching that she trusted me to show her around an empty art gallery.

My warm fingers cradled her dainty wrist. “Here, point out your index finger.”

She did what I asked, gasping when my tall body pressed against her side, careful not to touch her anywhere inappropriately, even though my body begged to fuck her between my paintings against an empty wall.

I stretched her arm towards the canvas. Her finger touched the texture of fabric, her face glowing as if she had solved a hard puzzle.

Adorable.

“Is that your—”

My warm breath caressed her cheek. “Yes. It’s the painting. This is a shaded grey color.” I traced her finger lower. Letting her feel the stroke of the brush, “meeting a darker color of land at night. And when you go up,” our clasped hands trailed up, “it’s the color white of the clear sky. Of purity and clarity.”

I opened her palm and lightly trailed all her fingers over the middle part of the painting. Letting her touch all the small little dots, dents and grainy texture.

“These are sand dunes mixed with grey, white, black and darker colors, creating a contrasting yet simple painting. This was the easiest among all the others presented here.”

“Wow,” Valeria breathed out, her fingers squeezing mine. “It sounds beautiful.”

We moved to other paintings. Each time, I held her hand and let her explore the painting on her own. Sometimes stepping back and enjoying watching her. Her eyebrows scrunched with concentration when she gently touched my paintings. She was so careful and gentle, as if she was caressing expensive China.

---