Page 50 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

“I got impatient,” I say, knocking Dylan out after hitting his head with one of their plates lying on the coffee table.

Half an hour later, after tying Dylan up and shoving him inside the trunk of our car, Nat turns to me. “Thank goodness that’s over,” she says, wrinkling her nose and rubbing the hickey forming on her neck.

I wince at that, “Shit, will Oscar be okay with that?”

She shrugs, “He knows we sometimes have to do things to get shit done. Besides, I would have killed the bastard before he could whip his dick out.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I had no doubt you could handle yourself.”

“I’m seeing him this evening at his gallery.”

“Can I come?”

Nat raises a suspicious brow, “Why?”

I blink and grin, “Because I love this beautiful artwork displayed in his gallery?”

She rolls her eyes, the corner of her lips curling into a reluctant smile. “Oh yeah? So it’s not a person?”

“A person can be a beautiful piece of art.”

“Is that piece called Rurik?”

“Does that mean Rurik is going to be there? Wait, what are you doing?”

“Calling Oscar.”

“Why?”

“To warn poor Rurik.”

“Hang up the phone, or I’ll tell Oscar that one time you shat yourself during your first assignment.”

Nat rolls her eyes and drops her phone. “You’re such a bitch.”

I smirk, “Thank you so much.”

*-*-*-*

There he is. He’s standing, breathing, smiling, fucking alive. So, what’s his excuse for not texting me?

I don’t count the text he sent earlier this morning because what the fuck? The last text I sent was yesterday afternoon, and he decided to grace me with his text this morning.

Asshole.

Rurik laughs at something Oscar says, his eyes twinkling as he shakes his head.

Beautiful, handsome, asshole.

“Stop staring at him like some lovesick idiot,” Nat hisses, elbowing me. “Also, close your mouth, weirdo.”

Shit. I didn’t realize my mouth was hanging open.

Ugh, what about him makes me lose control of my own awareness? I don’t know, but it will be fun figuring it out. Figuring him out.

“Go get your fiance,” I grumble, lightly pushing Nat to them.

She throws me an incredulous look but is able to drag Oscar away from Rurik.

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