His Work of Art

by Shannyn Schroeder

  “Try.” She dropped them on the floor near Reese’s feet.

  Reese stepped into them, and discovered they weren’t as painful as she’d thought they’d be. She took a couple of steps and wobbled only once.

  “I think you should come with me to the party. Adam’s roommate is really cute.” She probably shouldn’t offer Hunter up since Adam said Hunter always had a date.

  “Sorry. I already have plans. With my boyfriend. You’ll be fine. Besides, if I came, you’d have someone to hang out with. This way, Adam will feel bad leaving you alone since you don’t know anyone.”

  “I don’t want a pity date.”

  “It’s not pity. It’s using the situation to your advantage.” Julie shoved clothes back into the garment bag. “Need anything else?”

  “I hope not.”

  After Julie left, Reese stumbled around in the heels for a while longer to get used to them. When it was time to get ready for the party, she stood in the bathroom and just stared at her makeup. She normally didn’t wear much; she was a simple girl. Maybe she should’ve asked Julie to help with this too.

  Her mom walked by the bathroom. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I need to get ready for Adam’s party and I’m trying to figure out my makeup.”

  “I saw the dress. Pretty.”

  Reese nodded and continued to stare at her meager pile of makeup.

  Her mom sighed. “Come here.” She turned her and pushed her to sit on the closed toilet. “Close your eyes.”

  Then she started to apply makeup. She hummed while she worked, and Reese relaxed under her mother’s care. Taking care of people was her mom’s specialty. “So you like this Adam a lot, huh?”

  Reese bit back her sigh. “Yeah, but I don’t think it’s mutual.”

  “Hmm.” Her mom continued to stroke brushes across Reese’s face. “Does he treat you right?”

  “I just said we’re not like that. We’re friends and we have fun together, but we’re not a couple. As a friend, he treats me fine.”

  Her mother’s hand tilted her chin up, and Reese opened her eyes. “Well, that’s a start.”

  Reese smiled. Her mom had pretty low expectations when it came to men. “Treating you right” could mean any number of things, so the guy could still be a total jerk.

  She stood and looked at her reflection above the sink. Her mom had given her smoky eyes and a hint of color on her lips. “Thanks. It looks great. One day, I’ll even pay attention so I can do this myself.” She brushed a kiss across her mom’s cheek and rushed out of the room to get dressed.

  She wasn’t ready until seven thirty. She didn’t want to be the first person at the party, but she didn’t want to be so late that she wouldn’t be able to find Adam in the crowd. She stared at the present she’d bought for Adam. They hadn’t discussed buying each other gifts, and really, this was something practical, but she debated bringing it with her tonight. Ultimately she decided to slide the package into the pocket of her borrowed coat. When she got there, she could assess if tonight was a good idea.

  By the time she found a place to park that didn’t require a permit, Reese was two blocks from the party. She eyed her completely impractical shoes and wished for her boots. At least it hadn’t snowed again, so the sidewalks were mostly clear. She took a deep breath, tightened the coat around her, and flung open her door. Damn, it was cold out.

  She hurried down the block, wind whipping at her. Her toes were instantly numb. Who the hell dressed like this? It was crazy. When she got to Adam’s apartment, she could hear music through the door. She rang the bell and when no one answered, she turned the knob. The door opened to warmth and noise.

  Inside the hall she stood for a minute, just absorbing all the heat she could. Then she proceeded to Adam’s apartment door. Again, she turned the doorknob and let herself in. She eased through the door and took in the sight of the crowd. For a party that had supposedly started only an hour ago, it was definitely in full swing. She scanned the partygoers looking for Adam.

  Hunter found her first. “Hey, you’re here. I thought maybe Adam was playing me.” He reached for her coat. “I’ll put this in Adam’s room for you.”

  Reese thought about it. She was still really cold. “I’ll take it. I know the way. Do you know where Adam is?”

  Hunter pointed to the corner of the living room. “He’s over there doing tattoos.”

  “Tattoos?”

  “Temporary ones. He does them every year. He’s really good.”

  Reese undid the belt of her coat and let it slide open. The warmth of the room hit her. Hunter stared. She blushed under his scrutiny. “What?”

  “I want to see the rest.” He smiled without being lecherous.

  She slid the coat off and hung it over one arm. Then she took a turn. “Anything else?”

  Hunter let out a whistle. “You might want to find Adam before anyone else takes notice.”

  “Sure.” She knew she looked good, but she’d never been one to draw attention from every guy in a room. She headed toward Adam’s bedroom with her coat, the package of pens banging against her thigh. She debated whether she should take them out now or wait.

  Her plan of dumping off her coat in Adam’s room was interrupted when she felt someone staring. She looked up and over her shoulder. Her gaze met Adam’s.

  He held a woman’s arm in his hand, marker poised over her skin, but his full attention was on Reese. He mumbled something to the woman in front of him and released her. Then he walked toward Reese, taking no notice of anyone else around him. His staring was a million times worse than Hunter’s. She edged away from him and continued on to his room.

  Before laying her coat on his stool by his desk, she removed the neatly wrapped package.

  From the door, Adam said, “Hey.”

  “Hi.” She turned and held out the box. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Oh, uh . . .”

  Her hand wavered. “I know we didn’t say we were exchanging gifts. I just wanted to get you something small to say thanks for helping with my project.”

  “I have something for you too. Hold on.” He went over to his closet and pulled out a gift bag. “I’m not good at wrapping.”

  They made the exchange and Reese didn’t wait for him to open his present. Inside the bag, she found a couple of notebooks, identical to the ones she preferred to write in, and a Batgirl bobblehead. The sound of paper tearing made her look up. “I hope they’re the right kind. I figured by the time you’re done with all the coloring for our books, you’d be ready for a new set.”

  He flipped up the lid on the box of pens. “They’re perfect. Thanks.”

  “This too.” She held up the bag, and wanted to say more, but had no idea what.

  He stood close, and he continued to let his eyes wander over her, like he’d never seen her before. Of course, he’d never seen her like this, so in a way, she was new.

  “I hear you’re a tattoo artist, huh?”

  He licked his lips, which made her insides flutter.

  “Just markers for fun.”

  “Do one for me?”

  “Um, sure. What do you want?”

  She turned and set her bag on the floor next to the stool. She stepped closer. “You decide. I trust you.”

  A slow grin eased across his face. “I know exactly what to do. I’ve been toying with an idea for Alexis. You can be my practice canvas.”

  Something about the way he spoke made her knees weak. “Okay,” she whispered, knowing no other words would make it out of her mouth.

  He spun the stool behind her. “Sit. I’ll be right back.”

  Grateful to give her legs the break they needed to hide their wobbliness, she scooted onto the stool, and tried to keep her dress from sliding inappropriately high. She tugged at the hem as Adam left the room. While he was gone, she took a few slow, deep breaths.

  He returned with two markers: one black, one silver. “You sure you trust me?”

  “It’s
only marker, so it’ll wash off eventually.”

  He came closer and his thighs brushed her knees. He reached out and touched the bare skin above the strapless side of her dress. “I’m thinking right here, where Alexis was hit with the power of the meteorite.” His fingers trailed up and over her shoulder. “And then it’ll continue over here.”

  His touch was gentle and sensuous. Her heart raced and she struggled to keep her breaths even. Trying to appear unaffected, she said, “Let’s see what you got.”

  Adam brushed her hair off her shoulder and the cool cap from the marker glided across her skin. Her breath caught. She had no idea what imaginary lines Adam saw, but she knew that look on his face. He was picturing what would be there. A couple of times, the marker ran into the top of her dress. Both times, he huffed in frustration.

  Reese smiled. “Here.” She reached up and inched the dress down a bit. The top of her boob offered him more canvas.

  Without acknowledging the fact that she offered more bare flesh—what was she thinking?—he continued to pretend to draw on her. Then without warning, he stretched alongside her body and hit a lever to lower the stool. The sudden drop caught her by surprise and she squeaked.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m tired of stooping.”

  Except now she was staring right at the button of his jeans. But then he knelt in front of her, which put his line of sight at her chest.

  “Hold still,” he said as he uncapped a marker.

  She tried to see what he planned to draw, but since he was left-handed, she saw nothing but the back of his hand and some random lines. In an effort to keep her hormones in check, she stared at the ceiling and tried to forget how close Adam stood or how easy it would be to lean forward and steal a kiss.

  Chapter 9

  Adam needed to focus. Tuning out the noise from the party was easy enough. Ignoring his senses around Reese was a different story. He had to block almost everything: the silky feel of her skin under his fingertips, the thump of her heartbeat, the soft scent of her perfume, her breath hitching when the cold ink stroked her, the fact that a nipple was a mere inch from his face. He could cause a wardrobe malfunction and have that nipple in his mouth in a second. He clamped his jaw tight.

  He closed his eyes momentarily and let the art take over. When he reopened his eyes, Reese was looking up at the ceiling. Not having her stare at him made it easier.

  With his concentration intact, his fingers flew over her skin, quickly marking a path. He worried about mistakes and not being able to erase, but once he started, he knew it was right. He’d been thinking about this image for days, sketching it on random pieces of paper, trying to get it perfect.

  “Can I see?” Reese asked.

  “Not ’til I’m done.”

  He had no idea how long they sat there in silence while he worked. The black ink on her pale skin mesmerized him. The swell of her gorgeous tit tormented him. He had the main star complete and was working on the stardust pattern over her shoulder when Hunter called from the door, breaking their bubble of solitude.

  “Here you are. A bunch of people are looking for you to tattoo them.”

  Adam’s fingers froze on Reese’s shoulder. He glared at Hunter. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

  Hunter chuckled. “Maybe close and lock the door next time. Sock on the knob.”

  “Shut the hell up.”

  “For real, when are you going to be done? I need your help.” Hunter leaned against the doorjamb, but Adam knew that look in his eyes. He was worried about something.

  “Two minutes.”

  Hunter shifted like he didn’t believe it.

  “Time me.”

  Sure as shit, Hunter pulled out his phone and tapped away. Adam stood and held the skin taut as he added the finishing touches. He stepped back and looked from a few angles. It was good. He recapped the markers and said, “Okay, you can look now.”

  Reese glanced down at her chest with wide eyes. She stood and went to his closet to look in the mirror. She turned and studied it much like he had.

  “Well?”

  “It’s amazing. You could do this for a living.”

  “Nah. I don’t like needles.”

  She gingerly touched the spray of silver and black as if she thought it might rub off. Then she readjusted the top of her dress, covering the swell of flesh he wanted to taste. “Thank you.”

  “Hey, dude, can I talk to you?”

  Hunter still stood in the doorway, waiting. Adam followed him out, reluctant to leave Reese. Over his shoulder, he said, “Drinks and food are in the kitchen. Help yourself, I’ll be back in a minute.” At least he hoped he would.

  Hunter dragged him into the far corner of the living room. “I need your help.”

  “With what?”

  “Amy, Lisa, and Kelly are all here.”

  “So?”

  “I didn’t invite them.”

  “Again, so?”

  “I have a date planned for tonight. And it isn’t any of them.”

  Adam couldn’t help but laugh. Hunter’s social life was finally coming back to bite him in the ass. But then he remembered last year’s disastrous fight. “These aren’t the same girls from last year, are they?”

  Hunter shook his head. “No, but they worry me.”

  “What am I supposed to do about them?”

  “Keep them away from Sydney. And me.”

  “First of all, who the hell is Sydney?”

  “My date. She’s our drummer for tonight.”

  Adam shook his head. “How do you suggest I keep them away?”

  “Use your imagination. Tell them what a horrible guy I am. Introduce them to other guys. Tell them to leave. I don’t care.”

  Adam looked into his best friend’s eyes. He was really worried about this. “Why not just tell Sydney that these old girlfriends are here? I find that being honest with a girl goes pretty far.”

  “Because she’ll leave. She’ll think I’m playing games and leave.”

  Although he hated asking, he had to. “Are you?”

  “Playing games? No.”

  Then Adam saw the reason for the worry. It wasn’t that Hunter thought a fight might break out or he might be embarrassed. He really liked this girl. She mattered. Adam sighed. “I’ll try, but if they’re all here without an invite, they probably have a reason.”

  “And I doubt it’s good. If you and Free could convince them to leave, I’d owe you.”

  Adam rolled his eyes. “Do I know these girls?” The names didn’t sound familiar, but he rarely paid attention to who Hunter was dating. Mostly because dating was a term Hunter used loosely.

  Hunter made a few quick, shifty looks around. “Okay, over my left shoulder, red sweater. That’s Lisa. Hanging in the doorway to the kitchen in a green dress is Amy.”

  Adam easily found the two women in question. “And Kelly?”

  “I don’t see her right now, but she’s wearing jeans and a Northwestern sweatshirt.” He looked around again. “Sydney should be here soon, so I’m going to go warm up.”

  “Did you try telling these girls that you have a girlfriend? Maybe they’d take a hint.” Adam began to look for Reese. He’d seen her leave the bedroom and go to the kitchen, but not come back.

  “I tried. They laughed. Three conversations, three women, and they all thought I was kidding.”

  “Good luck. I’ll see if I can get them to leave. Have you talked to Free?”

  “Yeah. He’s moping around here somewhere looking like a lost Doctor Who. Thanks for your help.”

  “Sure.” Adam looked at the two women in question and since they made no move toward Hunter, he decided to find Reese first. She knew no one at the party and he felt bad leaving her alone.

  In the kitchen, he found her surrounded by a group of people, mostly guys who were all admiring her tattoo. He didn’t like other people commenting on something that was their private moment. He liked it even less when guys hit on her.

  He po
ured himself a beer from the keg and drank half before interrupting the Reese lovefest. He had no right to be mad or jealous. He’d told her that getting together would be a mistake. He knew it would be a mistake.

  “Hey, Reese, can I get you a drink?”

  Her face softened when she looked up at him. “A beer would be great. Thanks.”

  A guy to her left said, “I would’ve gotten you a beer. You should’ve said something.”

  Reese lifted a shoulder in a mini-shrug and accepted the cup Adam held out to her. She pointed at Adam. “He’s the artist who drew my tattoo.”

  Everyone turned to look at him. “Hi.”

  Three people started talking at once about what they wanted him to draw. He held up a hand. “I’ll be in the living room in a little bit to do more tattoos. My hand needs a rest.” He grabbed Reese’s hand and tugged her from the group. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

  “Sure.” She smiled at everyone as he led her away from the kitchen.

  He pulled her back toward his bedroom, but didn’t enter. He continued to hold her hand, even though he no longer had a reason. “Sorry about that. Hunter needs my help, but I don’t want you to feel left out.”

  “I’m fine. There are a lot of friendly people here. Do what you need to do.” She drank the beer he poured her.

  “I’m glad you came.”

  “So am I.”

  “I’ll be around. Just holler if you need anything.” He looked around for Free and found him chatting with Lisa. “You know Hunter. And that tall guy over there wearing the brown pin-striped suit? That’s Free. He’s my other friend.”

  “I’ve seen him at the shop before. He was dressed like Sherlock Holmes.” She laughed at whatever image popped in her head of Free.

  “Today he’s Doctor Who. If you need something and can’t find me, go to them.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She slid her hand from his grasp.

  He didn’t want to let go, but he’d promised Hunter some help. At least for a little while. Then the rest of his night would be spent with Reese.

  Reese wandered through the apartment with her beer and talked with a roomful of strangers. After about an hour, Hunter and his band started playing music, and they were good. Although Reese worried about feeling weird at the party, she was having fun. Everyone was friendly. It was probably the free-flowing alcohol, but Reese didn’t care.