Page 44 of Illicit Illustration

The history that had driven her away from me in real life wasn’t there when she was talking to me as Seven. And while I was stillholding some things back, there were other parts of myself I’d never revealed to anyone but her.

But that didn’t mean I was backing off in real life. Especially when I opened our text thread after my shower, a rough sketch of the poses we’d taken pictures of earlier filling the screen.

Reid: You never called me.

Hazel: I managed to take care of things myself.

And I tried to keep my mind off other things I knew she was taking care of by herself. Things I desperately wanted to be doing for her.

Reid: I see that. What’s next in the queue?

Her next text was a link to an mp3 file that I didn’t hesitate to download. As the scene she sent played out the speakers of my phone, I wasn’t sure I had the willpower to wait until tomorrow night to act this one out.

Hazel

Attaching the final imagesto an email, I sent them off to my client, hoping the author was getting what she needed with what I’d drawn. Because I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep my clothes on if I spent any more time with Reid working on reference photos.

And whatever weird Valentine’s Day vibes were in the air blurring the lines with Reid, were also steering things back into a naughty place with Seven. We’d continued texting every evening, learning more about each other without divulging too much that might potentially reveal our true identities. I was sure Charley would be more than willing to spill details on any information I asked her about him, but I was trying to let things play out without an unfair advantage.

But we’d also continued sending pictures to each other. Not quite breaking the rules, and most of them weren’t that revealing, but a few had me thinking some very dirty thoughts. After some coaxing, he’d finally sent me one with his body actually in the frame, showing a sliver of his stomach with a fine trail of dark hair visible above the waistband of a pair of the blue boxer briefs that seemed to be his favorites.

In a moment of pure desperation, I’d zoomed in on the bottom of the image, hoping to catch a peek of what might be inside them, but he’d clearly cropped it in a very specific way that still left a lot of things up to my imagination. It was a good thing I had a very active one.

But that imagination was simultaneously getting me into a very precarious situation with my brother’s best friend. My latest commission was almost worse than the previous ones, because it wasn’t Reid touching me this time, it was me touching him. And after listening to the scene in the audiobook and sending the clip to my very willing posing assistant, I was afraid that this would be the scenario to finally tip both of us over the edge of the cliff we’d been toeing for a week.

Without coming out and explicitly saying it, we were both clearly fighting a potent attraction to each other. He’d become more blatant in revealing his feelings about me physically the more time we spent together, but I knew he was letting me lead. I’d never outright told him I was a virgin, but I wasn’t exactly hiding it, either. He had to know I wasn’t even on the same level as him with experience because of my annoyingly persistent blush when he was anywhere in my vicinity.

Reid: Finishing up with my last client now. When are you done?

Hazel: I just got home. Annie convinced your cousin to help her finish up downstairs. There wasn’t much to do tonight.

Reid: Judging by the annoyingly loud diesel engine I just heard pull out of the parking lot, they’re gone.

Hazel: You coming over here?

Reid: Unless you want to come over here.

While it might be easier if I could make a quick getaway after we were done, I also didn’t want to think about how many other women had been in the same position with him over there…or where…or how many times.

I knew it wasn’t fair to judge him based upon his past, but I could feel the jealousy bubble up inside me when I was reminded of his antics. Even knowing he’d seemingly been trying to change hisways over the last few months. Something had shifted for him, because I hadn’t seen him picking up women at the bar, and I hadn’t noticed any cars still in the parking lot next to his shop long after the bar was closed. Not that I checked out my window before I went to bed at night.

Hazel: Pass. I think I’d feel more comfortable over here.

Reid: Have you eaten anything?

Pausing, I tried to remember when the last time I’d eaten was. Half the time I worked on food service downstairs, I forgot to eat. Not because I was too busy, but because when you spent that much time around the smell of fried food, you didn’t want to eat anything remotely similar to what you were serving. And sometimes my brain forgot it needed things to fuel it, like water and food.

Hazel: Honestly, I don’t remember what I ate today.

Reid: I would use right now to make a poorly timed sausage joke because of what we’ll be staging later, but I’ll spare you.

Hazel: I happen to enjoy a plump sausage now and then. But not too plump, don’t want my jaw to ache once I finish.

Reid: …

Hazel: Have I actually rendered you speechless for once? I didn’t know that was possible. I thought you were unflappable.

Reid: Yes, kitten, you have. I want to be simultaneously proud of you for stooping to my level in bawdy humor, but also a bit horrified that I’ve corrupted your innocent mind.

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