Page 58 of The Complication
“What that…” Declan whispered as he stumbled back a couple of steps.
I smiled at it. Portraits weren’t my thing, and I didn’t much care for painting such a small size. I liked giant abstract creations that filled an entire wall. But for Declan, I was willing to make an exception.
“How?” Declan still couldn’t bring himself to speak higher than a whisper.
“I texted Byron and asked if he had any photos of Rome and Pierce. I knew I could steal something off the CourtlandEnterprises’ website for Sebastian. He actually sent me a picture he took of you four standing at the bar in Sebastian’s house months ago.”
The painting wasn’t an exact replica. The background was faded and watery, as if it were little more than a dream, while the four men in suits remained in sharp focus. Declan stood between Sebastian and Rome. The one thing I changed from the photo was I gave Declan a tiny smirk instead of his usual stone-cold glare, as if he had a secret only he knew.
Declan stepped forward and carefully picked up the painting. He carried it to the chair and sat heavily, his eyes moving slowly over the image as if he were trying to soak in every detail.
“Parker.” His voice was low and rough, as if he were choked with emotions. “This is…I…I don’t know what to say. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“I wanted to give you something to say thank you for all you’ve done for Joy and me.”
Declan shook his head, but didn’t raise his eyes from the painting in his hands. “You would have figured it out. You didn’t need me.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say that I couldn’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t need him, but I pushed down those words, trying to keep it light. “Maybe, but you made it easy for me. You gave us a safe place to figure things out. That means the world to me.” My sweet lover lifted his head, and I stole a sweet kiss. “Thank you.”
Declan swallowed hard as he walked across the room to return the painting to its spot on the easel. Even then, he seemed reluctant to walk away from it. “You got the picture from Byron? Have you shown him?”
“Nope. Franks and Donovan saw a little as I worked on it, but you’re the first to see the finished product.”
The most wicked grin I had ever seen spread across Declan’s lips. He reached into his back pocket and pulled outhis phone. Turning his phone horizontal and vertical, shifting here and there, he snapped several pictures, trying to get it just right. When he finally had one he liked, I watched over his shoulder as he sent it as a text to Sebastian, Rome, and Pierce.
I huffed. “Bragging?”
“Wait,” he murmured.
We didn’t have to wait long. Sebastian was the first. He didn’t text. He called.
With a smirk at me, he answered the call and put it on speaker.
“Parker did that?” Sebastian demanded before Declan could even say a word.
“Yes.”
“I want one. Can you ask him to paint one for me? I’ll pay! I’ll pay a million bucks for a painting exactly like that.”
A smug look filled Declan’s face as he lifted the phone to his lips while it still lay flat across his palm. “No.” And then he ended the call.
I had started laughing, but I choked on it. He’d offered to pay a million dollars for a painting.A million freaking bucks.
“He wasn’t serious, was he?” I wheezed, trying to suck in oxygen again.
“Yes, he was.”
My brain went blank. A million dollars. For one of my paintings. A commission for a single painting. A million dollars.
These rich people were fucking insane.
Declan walked over to me and plucked Joy out of my nearly dead arms. He kissed my jaw as my mouth continued to hang open. “I don’t mind you painting a portrait of us for him. You can do a painting for each of my friends. They will all want one. I just ask that you don’t do that scene. That one is mine.”
“Oh…um…yeah. Of course.” My brain was still trying to reboot after that ridiculous offer.
Declan began to leave but stopped as he reached the doorway and turned to me. His expression was darkly serious. “And you will charge each of them a million dollars per painting. Sebastian set the price, and I’m holding him to it.”
I followed, still in a daze.
