Page 63 of Wicked Devotions

Twenty-Four

CYRUS

Ishould be focused on the blank canvas in front of me. I have to turn in an impressionist landscape oil painting at the end of the week. Instead, all I want to do is tell Harper to strip down, so I can paint her stretched nude across my bed.

She asked to come upstairs with me to study while I work since the new mattress won’t be here until next week, and she didn’t want to be alone. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, so I moved her textbook and pulled my blanket up over her.

An idea comes to me as I watch my little starrest. I begin to cover the canvas in black paint. I don’t know how much time passes as I lose myself to my art. At some point Declan and Emerson come up to check on us but seeing me covered in paint and focused on a new piece they know to leave me alone. They also leave Harper where she is.

Hours later I’m covered in sweat and exhausted. Normally I’d just pass out like this, but I don’t want to go to sleep next to Harper like that. I do the bare minimum in the shower, washing my hair and getting all the paint off.

As soon as my back hits the bed, she rolls toward me. Her hands and feet are freezing as she wraps herself around me. I’d take that discomfort all night long if it means lying next to her.

The sound of her whimpering wakes me from a dead sleep. I wrap my arms around her and pull her to my chest. Her entire body trembles against mine as she cries out what sounds likeplease, no.I’m instantly on alert, wondering how best to wake her from whatever haunts her.

“Harper.” I shush her quietly, trying to soothe her. “Wake up,asteraki mu.”My hands roam up and down her back in long strokes.

Her eyes flutter open as she begins to wake. I don’t say anything until she realizes where she isand who she’s with. The last thing I want to do is startle her awake from a nightmare.

“Sorry,” she mumbles sleepily. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your bed.”

“It’s okay. I like having you in here.” I press a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Nightmare?”

“Yeah.” She nuzzles closer to me.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not right now.”

“Okay.” I run my fingers in small circles on the small of her back. Her skin is so deliciously soft back there.

“That feels so good.” She sighs and relaxes into my hold.

“Can I go higher up your back?”

She nods, giving me consent. I run my hands up and down her bare back under the shirt she’s wearing. My dick twitches to life as I realize she’s not wearing a bra. A devilish part of me wants to move my hands to her sides, tracing up her ribs, but I’m not sure if that would be welcome.

“You smell good.” She runs her nose along my throat.

I don’t think she understands how good that feels or what she’s doing to me.

“I’m glad you think so. I showered for your benefit, not mine.”

“Wait. What?” She lifts her head to look at me.

“Painting tends to make me a sweaty, smelly mess. I didn’t want to subject you to that when you were sleeping so peacefully.”

She smiles and snuggles back down against me. “Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

“Thank you for being in my bed.”

My fingers trace over one of her scars. “Do you want to talk about these?”

“No.”

Fair enough. “You know most of the tattoos on my back are there to cover scars.”

“From what?”

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