Beneath These Lies (18 page)

“Easy, you know I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Why should I make it easy for you?”

“When have you ever?” He lowered his lips almost to mine. “And for some reason it just makes me want you more.”

Heat surged within me and I tugged my hands free. Not to get away, but to pull him closer.

He wanted me? Well, I wanted him. The clear light of the morning was all the illumination I needed—along with the realization that I liked waking up and finding him next to me. It was dangerous. Forbidden. But this morning I would take it.

“Kiss me,” I said.

“You begging yet?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Rix hesitated a few more beats before our lips connected. Kissing him was a full-body experience. Zings of energy ripped from my head to my toes, bouncing off all the important places in between.

How could a single kiss unleash so many sensations? I didn’t know, but I strongly suspected that whatever it was made Rix even more dangerous to me.

He took, seizing control, and the kiss went on for long minutes before he pulled away and sat up.

“Can’t stay in this bed without wantin’ inside you, and you’re not beggin’ for it yet.”

“Wha—”

My protest died on my lips as I caught sight of the curve of his naked ass. I’d seen it before, but I couldn’t get over it. The man’s ass was perfection. He turned and reached for his jeans, giving me a side view of his erection and the muscles bunching in the rest of his body.

I want to paint him. Naked.

My brain not functioning completely quite yet, I blurted it out.

Rix turned and stared at me. “You want to do what?”

“Paint you. Naked.”

“That’s what I thought you said.”

“Will you let me?” I was already mentally mixing the colors. I’d already done it once before, and I was eager to do it again with him in front of me.

Rix didn’t answer, just watched me as I sat up and belted my robe more tightly.

“Why?”

“Because.”

“You gonna sell it? In your gallery?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess that would be up to you.”

“The only way I’ll let you paint me is if you put another painting of yours—any painting—in your gallery.”

The request made no sense. “Why do you care so much?”

He shook his head. “Because you need a push.”

“And you decided you’re the one who should be pushing me?”

“Whatever it takes, I guess.” He shrugged. “Let’s do this.”

I
’D NEVER PAINTED A LIVE
subject before other than myself. And when the live subject was Rix . . . it seemed that all bets were off on my ability to concentrate. It took me forever to mix my paints. I agonized over how much and which shades, and could feel his stare resting on me like a heavy weight.

“Nervous, duchess?”

I dropped another tube of paint. Was that four times so far? “What gave it away?”

“You’ve got nothing to prove. Just chill and do your thing.”

Something about the sound of his voice and his words calmed my shaking hands. “Keep talking.”

“’Bout what?”

“Whatever you want,” I said, repositioning the canvas on my easel. I was ready to start. “Anything, actually.”

“I don’t like you seeing that cop.”

I stopped before my brush touched the canvas. “That’s what you want to talk about?”

“You said anything. I’m going with that.”

Rolling my eyes, I began to paint. “That’s not really your decision.”

“Pisses me off, though. Knowing he can take you out to dinner, in public, and I can’t. It fuckin’ bothers me.”

I bit my lip because I didn’t know how to reply. I decided to go with the question that was really on my mind. “Why do you do what you do?”

Glancing up at Rix, I watched the interplay of his muscles as he shrugged. For now, he had his pants on, because I knew he’d be too distracting to paint without them at first.

“This is what I know. It’s what I’m good at. You wouldn’t understand, duchess. My life isn’t something that will ever make sense to someone like you.”

“Are you ever going to stop doing what you do?” My question hung between us, and I knew the impact his answer would have.

Even though it seemed utterly impossible, I was fascinated with him. If there was a chance he would leave this life behind, then maybe there was some sliver of a possibility that we could have a future where he wasn’t breaking into my house.

Since when do I want a future with Rix?
Since I woke up with him in my bed, apparently. I liked it way too much and wanted it to happen again.

Rix flexed his hand, curling it into a fist and releasing it. “It ain’t that easy. This isn’t something I can just walk away from any time I want.” Curling his hand back into a fist, he added, “And while I’m in this life, I can’t take you out and let people see me doing it—even if you’d let me. It’s not safe. You don’t get to where I am without collecting a hell of a lot of enemies, and those enemies are always looking for weaknesses.”

I paused as I dabbed my brush in the paint. “Am I a weakness?”

Rix’s nod was short. “Yeah. Because if someone took you, I’d tear this town apart to find you.”

The vehemence behind his words should have been scary, but it wasn’t. It was actually comforting. He felt something for me, and whatever it was, he felt it strongly.

“So you think someone would target me to get to you if they knew?”

“That I’m hung up on you? I’m not taking the chance. That’s why you won’t ever find me knocking on your front door. That’s why I won’t be picking you up and taking you out. That’s why I need to stop fuckin’ thinkin’ about you, but I can’t.” He looked at me, the muscle in his jaw clenching.

“I—I don’t know what to say.”

Rix shook his head. “You don’t need to say anything. I don’t have family, don’t have friends outside my crew. Because it’s too dangerous. I can’t afford to have weaknesses, and once you get your girl back, you should never see me again.”

His words hit me with the force of a blow. “You—what? You’re going to just disappear?”

“I said
should.
Guess we’ll see what happens.” He met my gaze over the canvas. “You want me gone anyway.”

I replied with the truth. “If I wanted you gone, you would’ve been in jail the first time you broke into my house.”

His expression changed, the silver burning brightly. “That so?”

Nodding, I knew I had to change the subject. “Drop your pants. I’m ready to do your lower half.”

Rix threw his head back and laughed. “Didn’t even offer to buy me dinner first.”

“I’d offer to make you dinner, but you might not survive. I’m a terrible cook.”

Rix reached for the button on his jeans and unhooked it before shoving them down.

Three.

That was how many times I’d officially seen him naked, and every single one of them was going to be burned into my brain for the rest of my life. One man shouldn’t be allowed to have such a beautiful body. I’d also never been so thankful to have a paintbrush in my hand.

“You can sit back down, if you want.” I nodded to the chaise behind him.

“How do you want me?” he asked, the double entendre clear in his tone.

“Sit, lay back. Throw your arm over the back of the chaise. Just . . . get comfortable.”

Rix complied silently.

“You can keep talking.”

“You want me to keep spilling secrets?”

I shrugged. “I want you to keep my mind off the fact that I’m staring at you naked, and the silence is making it awkward.”

“Long as you see something you like, we’re good.”

“I think it’s pretty clear I like what I see.”

“Seems like you should be naked too,” Rix said, a mischievous smile on his face. “Only fair.”

I’d thrown on a pair of leggings and an old, paint-covered tank top. Without a bra, there was no way he could miss the press of my hard nipples against the thin cotton.

“I think you’re getting mixed up about how this works.” Heat curled between my legs, and I felt myself grow wet.

“Nah, I’m just saying that if you’re going to study every detail of me, I should have the same opportunity. Watching you sleep wasn’t quite the same.”

I paused. “You watched me sleep?”

Another shrug from Rix. “Maybe.” He shifted on the chaise. “I struck a deal for your girl. Should have her back to you before the end of the week.”

“Really?” Hope filled me, because that was the best news I’d gotten in a long, long time. “You could’ve maybe led with that, you know.”

“I was gonna tell you before I left either way.”

I kept painting, and we lapsed into silence. I concentrated on the canvas, and when my gaze flicked back to him, I froze. His hand was wrapped around his cock and he was stroking it, his eyes burning into me.

My thighs squeezed together. “Wha—what are you doing?”

“Think that’s obvious.”

“You . . . have to stop.” I swallowed, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight.

He didn’t. Stroke after stroke, I stared as he grew even bigger and harder. I wanted him in my mouth. Right now.

Rix wanted the same thing. “Put your brush down, duchess. I want you on your knees.”

Unmoving, I continued to stare.

“Come here.”

I lowered my brush to the tray beside me and wiped my hands on a rag. Standing slowly, I crossed toward him. He nodded to his hand, which was still wrapped around his cock.

I pressed a knee to the chaise, and then the other, finding space between his spread legs. Licking my lips, I lowered my head.

At the sound of the doorbell ringing, we both froze.

“No fucking way. Do not move.”

My phone buzzed on the side table with a text, and I bit my lip. “What if—”

Rix growled. “Go. I’ll keep myself entertained.”

“It’ll just take me a second. Stay here.”

“I don’t take orders, duchess.”

“I know, but it could be my parents. Or one of my neighbors.” I headed for the door.

“How is someone getting to your door anyway? You’ve got a gated yard.”

“I know, but the pedestrian gate isn’t locked. It broke a couple weeks ago, and I haven’t gotten it fixed.”

“Jesus, here I’ve been jumping the fence, and all along you’ve got a broken latch? You need to get that shit fixed ASAP.”

“How about I worry about that later,” I said, my gaze once again dropping to his cock, which had softened only slightly, before I stepped back and headed out of the studio.

When I reached the front door, I peeked out the sidelight and recognized my visitor immediately.

Rhett
. What was he doing here? And what would Rix do when he realized who it was?

I felt like I was sitting on top of a powder keg, box of matches in hand.

Rhett’s eyebrows shot up when I opened the door. I shouldn’t have been in such a rush to answer it. No makeup, paint on my hands and arms, and from the way his gaze rested on my face, I’d probably smeared some on there too.

I pushed back my hair, wondering if I looked like I’d been doing what I’d just been doing. My cheeks were hot, and I quickly crossed my arms over my still hard nipples.

“Now, what exactly were you doing?”

“Uh . . . painting?” I bit my lip and lifted a hand to my face to cover what I was sure were even redder cheeks than I’d started with. That’s when his gaze dropped to my nipples.

Something lit in his green eyes. “Fuck, I want you.”

He didn’t even give me time to react before he wrapped a hand around my waist and yanked me against his body, his lips finding mine and his tongue sliding inside.

Oh my God. Oh my God. This is not happening.
Rix is going to go to prison for killing a cop.

And yet the kiss was
good
. Delicious, actually. Rhett had serious skills, but the heat that roared through me when Rix kissed me was missing.

Finally, Rhett released me. “I probably shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t help it. You can’t answer the door like that.”

“Um. Uh. Okay. Sorry?”

I was babbling words that made no sense. The kiss had thrown me completely off-balance, but Rhett just smiled. A little smugly, in my opinion.

“Was there something you needed?” I asked, grasping onto the fact that I needed him gone as quickly as possible because I didn’t want to clean blood off the floor in my foyer.

“Besides another taste of you? I thought I could take you to coffee to make up for cutting our date short the other night. It’s been a hectic few days and I had a couple hours free, so I stopped by.”

Oh shit.
I looked down, desperately thinking of something to say. I caught sight of the paint and my nipples pressing against my shirt.

“I’m a mess,” I blurted. “I’m really not in any condition to be leaving the house.” I looked up as he reached out and caught a tangle of my wild hair.

“But you look beautiful. I hope you were thinking about me before you answered the door.”

My mind immediately went to Rix and the memory of him stroking his cock. Heat flushed my cheeks again.

“Well . . . I, uh . . .”
Get it together, Valentina
, I scolded myself. “I guess a lady should have some secrets. But thank you. I appreciate the invite.”