Page 146 of The Rogue and His Flower

“My paintings,” he says, swirling around the alcohol in his glass as he eyes me.

“Your paintings?”

“Yes. Believe it or not, people want to buy them, theyhavebought them. I’ve already got a tidy sum of money from sales over the past few years, and I have several more paintings that I could sell.”

“How much money?” Ben asks.

“Currently about five million.”

“Five fucking million?! You’ve kept that quiet! Who are you, Banksy 2.0?” Ben retorts, eyes wide as he looks across at Sterling who just shrugs.

“I can loan you the money, Dalton. I can get you the rest with the paintings I’ve got in my studio. It’s yours if you want it.”

“You’re serious?” I ask, completely taken aback to be honest.

I know my friends come from wealthy families, but like me, I’d assumed their wealth was tied up in trust funds they couldn’t touch until whatever age their father’s deemed appropriate, orthey’d need to jump through hoops like my bastard father set out for me. Looks like Sterling has been doing his best to get out from beneath his father’s grasp, and I admire him for it. I fucking wish I’d had the foresight to do the same, but the old me was too selfish and too fucking lazy to strive my own path.

“Never more serious in my life. I was saving the money to get the fuck out of here and start a new life, well away from my arsehole father–”

“Then I can’t take your money, not if it’s going to give you the ability to be free of him,” I say, shaking my head.

“Things have changed,” he says. “I’m not in any hurry to leave right now.”

“Let me think about it,” I mutter, scraping a hand over my face.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate his offer, because I really fucking do, but it’s more than a little emasculating having to take a loan from one of my best mates. Then again, I’m willing to swallow my pride for the woman I love, and prove to her that I can be the man she needs so long as she gives me the opportunity to do so.

“Sure,” Sterling replies with a nod.

“I’m guessing you’re not in a hurry to leave because of a leggy blonde with a cracking pair of lungs, who happens to be your stepsister” Ben asks, smirking.

“Yeah, Harlow,” Sterling agrees, reaching for his glass and downing his shot, before reaching for the bottle to pour another. “She’s driving me crazy.”

“You should probably keep it to just one shot,” Ben warns. “Nothing good ever happens when you get pissed.”

“It helps numb shit,” Sterling mumbles, the liquid spilling into his glass.

“Numb shit?” Drix asks, giving him a concerned look.

Sterling blows out a breath. “You all know about my condition,” he says, looking at us in turn.

“Yeah,” Ben replies. “Not in a good place?”

Sterling shakes his head. “Harlow has no idea how her singing affects me. How every time I hear her beautiful voice I’m bombarded with fucking colour, and this insane, unquenchable need to paint. I’ve got fifteen fucking paintings in my studio, all of them are of her. I’ve barely slept these past couple months since she came to live here. I’m exhausted, wired, enchanted, inspired, and I can’t…” His voice trails off as he picks up his shot and downs it.

“You can't do what?” I press.

“I can’t function properly. It’s overwhelming.She’soverwhelming,” he admits. “When I’m not painting her, I’m thinking about all the ways I’d like to fuck my stepsister. I’ve thought about leaving, taking my money and running, but Ican’tleave, and I can’t pursue her either. It’s eating me up inside. I need to stay to figure this shit out one way or the other.”

“Damn,” Ben mutters. “There’s me thinking I was the one with all the issues wanting a woman I can’t have.”

Sterling eyes him. “At least the woman you want isn’t family.”

“Yeah, but she is married to the biggest fucking prick, and we all know that cunt will never let her go… Well, at least not permanently, anyway.”

“But temporarily?” I ask.

Ben meets my gaze, and anger blazes within them. “We drew up an agreement last week. She’ll be mine for one month.”

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