Page 141 of Shattered Souls
I’m not sure if I’m crossing a line or pushing him too far, but when he gives me a soft smile, it fills me with hope. He presses his lips to mine in a soft kiss. “Hang it wherever you want, Ry. This house is as much yours as it is ours. Make it your home.”
I smile into his kiss. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You can ask me anything, James.”
“Why do you not show others your sketches? They’re so good, Royce. Your talent deserves to be appreciated by the world.”
His smile is soft and endearing, his gaze flooded with love as he lifts a shoulder in a casual shrug. “I draw for me. Not for the world or money or any of that.”
“So you’d never consider selling any of your drawings? There’s this cafe in Halston that Logan took me to once. It has artwork from local artists on the wall that customers can buy.”
“Never say never, but I’m happy just drawing for me for now.” He nudges my shoulder. “And for you.”
I grin up at him. “You best accept now that I’m going to want to cover every square inch of wall space with your drawings.”
He chuckles, shaking his head at my teasing.
Wriggling my toes under his calf, my head falls to rest against his headboard, and I watch on silently while he draws and shades. Watching him is like watching magic happen. How he’s able to bring the drawing to life… it’s incredible.
“Please tell me you plan on doing something that involves drawing once you graduate. It would be a travesty not to.”
His eyebrows hitch. “A travesty, huh?”
“Yup. A literaltravesty.”
“I mean, my degree is in architecture. There’s drawing in that.”
“Wow, sound less enthusiastic. Please. You’re blowing my mind with your excitement. AHH!” I squeal as he dives in, his fingers tickling me.
“Someone’s feeling bratty tonight.”
“Royce!” I squeal, his name coming out breathless as I writhe and wriggle in a bid to escape him.
I’ve slipped down the bed by the time he relents, and I swat at him while pushing my hair out of my face. He smirks down at me, but his stare shows a hesitant vulnerability.
“I have been working on something…”
My eyes widen as I scour his face. “Will you show me?”
He pauses before nodding and climbing off the bed. Wearing only his boxers that cling to his tight ass and thick thighs, he saunters over to his desk and lifts a larger sketchpad before coming back to me.
Perching on the edge of the bed, he hands it over to me, and I meet his gaze before dropping it to the pad of paper. With careful movements, I open it, a gasp falling from my lips as I take in the various frames filled with colorful characters.
A slow grin splits my face. “Is this… a children’s book?” I question, awed as I flip to the next page, then the next. “Royce.” His name is said with raw reverence. I can’t tear my attention from the sketchpad as I take it all in. “This is… incredible.”
“Yeah? You think so?”
“Are you joking?” I exclaim, whipping my head to gape at him. “Iknowso. You should submit to whoever you submit children’s books to. No, youneedto. I mean it, Royce. If you don’t do it, I will do it for you because this isinsane.”
He’s chuckling now, his initial hesitation having melted into relief. “That’s actually what I was thinking of doing. It’s not finished yet, but once it is.”
I nod, gaze falling back to the page as I go back to the beginning before patting the empty spot in the bed beside me. “Sit with me. I want you to read this to me. Tell me what the story’s about.”
Huffing a laugh, he does as I ordered, and we snuggle up on his bed together as he begins, “Well, it’s about a little girl who gets lost and is trying to find her way home…” and I fall even more in love with this passionate, creative man.
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