Page 104 of Rules in Love
“Of course I do. There’s nothing sexier than a strong woman.” His eyes scanned up and down my body before settling on my lips. I traced my fingers down his biceps and forearm and then tapped on the still-wrapped parcel.
“Soooo, can I open this?”
“Nope, you have to wait for Christmas.”
I stepped back, stamping my foot like an impatient toddler. “Damn it. I can’t believe you bought me vintage bloody books and will make me wait for them. And I really, really can’t believe you’re taking the time to read them. God, you’re such a surprise packet. Next, you’re going to tell me you painted those.” Still sulking, I pointed to two black-and-white abstract pieces on the wall behind his bed.
“I did.”
“Bahhh! Christ on a bike. I am feeling really, really inferior right now.” Finn blushed, and my stomach flipped. “You’re beautiful, you know. Did I ever tell you that?” I stepped closer again and brushed his hair behind his ear. “But not just on the outside. Look at what you create. You’re so talented. You play and sing and paint. Why, I believe Mr. Darcy himself would find you adequately accomplished.”
“Don’t forget that I fuck like a god. Darcy, the horn bag, would rate that highly.”
“Finn, I’m serious. Everything about you, everything you do, is beautiful. You even make me feel beautiful.”
“Make you?” he scoffed as though that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Scar, you’re the most perfect creature. Nothing canmakeyou beautiful. You just are.”
“I haven’t felt that way for a long time—if ever. I’ve always felt kind of unworthy, or…I dunno.” I swatted the air dismissively, but Finn wouldn’t leave it alone.
“Unworthy? That’s mental and couldn’t be further from the truth. What else? Come on, spit it out.”
“I dunno, you know, like perhaps unwanted. Undesirable, unattractive, unappealing, undeserving, unseen.”
Finn aggressively captured my face in his hands and kissed me so hard I almost lost my footing. “You are incredible and absolutely none of those things. Tell me you know that.” I shrugged, and he shook his head in disbelief. “Here, let me show you.” Dropping his firm grip on my face, he grabbed a sketchbook from his desk and flipped it until he came to a charcoal drawing.” I drew this the first day I saw you. I got home from work, ran in here, and locked myself away so I couldn’t forget anything about your face or body. I needn’t have worried. I could never forget you, Scarlett. You’re unforgettable.”
He studied me, sketched, and perfected me. How is this real? How is this my life?
“See, I was one kind of ‘un’,” I whispered, tearing up as I took the image in, “maybe just not the one I thought.”
I took the sketch from Finn, looking it over one more time before placing it back in his hands and resting my own on his chest. “Will you draw me now, Finn?” Discarding my clothes, I moved to the bed and lay naked on my side. “Draw me, then make love to me.”
“Jesus, Red. You really will be the death of me.” He stalked to the bed, but I placed my hand on his forehead to keep him at bay.
“Draw first. Sexy times later.”
Studying me silently while licking his lips, he spun his empty chair and sat. Without blinking or taking his eyes from my body, he reached behind himself, slid open a drawer, and took out a fresh box of charcoal.
In silence, he began, his eyes shifting between my body and the paper. His jaw clenching and relaxing, his perfect features contorting as he chewed his gum. He stopped, stood, and studied me again, moving around the room to find the light. The expression on his face was slightly concerning, displeased almost. But then he walked to the other side of the bed and flung open the drapes, allowing a dim, almost eerie blue light to fill the room. I watched his silhouette before me, watching, considering me again, then resuming his seat.
“You should see yourself in the moonlight. You’re glowing like a fairy.”
“Do you have a lot of naked fairies in Australia?”
A deep chuckle shook through his body. “Yes, if you believe in them, we do have fairies. Gumnut babies. They have yellow willow blossoms or gum leaves covering their bottoms. So not entirely as naked or sexy as you.”
Silence fell over us again, and time disappeared. I have no concept of how long I posed for him, how long I watched his tongue poke out the side of his lips, his brow wriggle and furrow in concentration, or how long it took me to fall asleep. But I certainly was aware of how I woke up.
Blond curls tickled the tender flesh between my thighs. His eyes looked up at me, and his tongue searched and discovered. Like a sculptor, he shaped me and molded me, repositioning my body till he found his desired light and angle, then hovered between my legs, one knee draped over his shoulder. My back arched from the bed as my hands grasped his head and pushed him deeper. His moans filled me, as did his fingers. He was so gentle and tender, yet hungry and demanding. I’d never known such pleasure. Before Finn, it was inconceivable.
When he found the perfect spot, I pushed into his face, begged, and pleaded, “Don’t move! Faster, faster. Never,evermove.” My heart fluttered, faltered, and my legs trembled. Finn was my everything. My end. My forever. Nothing on earth could feel like this.
This must be what it feels like in…
“Heaven, you taste like heaven.” He stole my thought, and I allowed him to with no argument. He could take what he wanted from me. I yielded. Surrendered my all.
When I called his name and came in his mouth, he drank me in, demanding more, swearing he could never have enough. He kissed me down and climbed over my body, hovering above me with an elbow on each side of my head, and I tasted myself on his lips as he kissed me till I couldn’t breathe. I was immobile, incapable of movement, or thought, or speech…well, almost. “Make love to me, Finn.”
I accidentally stayed the rest of the week. I didn’t mean to. It was just that one kiss, one touch, one night led to another and another. Saturday appeared out of nowhere, and adulting—as it always bloody does—came calling. I was due to pick up Ben and go home at three, and Finn had some things to do around the house. As did I, but he was much keener on actually doing his stuff than I was.
