Page 176 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

“Are you okay?” Rurik asks, after shampooing and conditioning my hair for me.

“Yeah. You?” I ask, turning to face him.

His lips curve slightly as he leans down to kiss me softly. “I am now.”

After he finishes lathering my body and ensuring all the blood is gone, he turns off the water and steps out first. Grabbing a towel from the wall, he faces me as he unwraps it.

I raise a brow but step out, allowing him to envelop me with the towel. He breathes in, seemingly relieved, as his hands rub my body up and down, drying me.

There he goes, making me fall for him again with his damn affection.

He looks at me and smiles.

Fuck.

Fuck me. How is it that a smile from him is enough to make my shitty day so much brighter?

I smile back. Then I gasp as I'm lifted.

“Rurik!” I snap as he laughs, carrying me out of the bathroom. “What are you doing?”

“I need to wrap your hands, baby,” Rurik says, dumping me on the edge of my bed.

“I could have walked over here,” I mumble as he rushes to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom cabinet.

“But I wanted to hold you,” He winks when my jaw drops.

I close my mouth and cross my arms as he sits beside me. He extends his hand, waiting for me. When I don't take his hand as quickly as he expects, he makes an impatient sound and grabs my wrist.

“Ungrateful brat,” He mutters, shaking his head and applying disinfectant to the cuts.

“Aww, angel,” I tease him. “Were you worried about me?”

Rurik scowls, his eyes flickering to mine in a heated look that almost makes me shiver.

“This is the last time I'm going to ask you. Avoid my question again, and I will fuck you. And I can promise you, the fucking won't be nice and slow.” Rurik says, his voice low as he focuses on my knuckles. “What the fuck happened?”

“I'm not in the mood for fucking right now, Rurik.” I groan, tugging my hand from his grasp.

He makes a tsk sound and grabs my wrist again. He ignores my protest as he begins to wrap my hand carefully. “Was that you avoiding my question, Briar?”

“Jesus,” I roll my eyes. “I told— Woah… Hey! Ow! What the fuck, Rurik!”

Did he just spank me?

Ow! He did! The asshole just slapped my ass!

“Roll your eyes at me again like a fucking brat, and I'll spank your pussy next.” He snaps as he gently settles me back on the bed after throwing me over his lap.

I know I should be pissed for having him spank me like a fucking naughty child…but is it weird that I'm kind of into it?

Can he call me a bad girl, too?

Chill out, Briar. Don't agitate the poor man even more.

But Demanding-Rurik is so fun, though…

He doesn't look like he's going to make things fun.

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