Page 18 of Painting Him Mine

I wasn’tsure why Ezra looked so nervous, but I found out when he confessed something surprising.

“My mom died when I was a kid, and my dad passed away a couple of years ago. They left me with a sizable trust, so I don’t actually need to work. I just do art for the sake of doing art.”

Suddenly, his apartment with the nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge and his rich friend Etienne with the high-end jewelry store made a lot more sense. But my concern was the slight hint of fear I saw on Ezra’s face. “I’m sorry about losing your parents. I can’t even imagine how tough that was for you.”

“It wasn’t great,” he said with a wan smile. “But now, I have the freedom to do whatever I want. I usually don’t tell people because once they smell money on me, they turn greedy. But I know you aren’t one of those.”

“You’re still you, whether you have a dollar or a million in your bank account.”

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Um, it’s quite a bit more than that. My dad was a bigwig investment banker who came from old money. So we’re pretty much set for life. We can go anywhere in the world for our honeymoon.”

It was a generous offer, but I needed to be clear. “I don’t want you to ever think I’m using you for your money. I’ll contribute my fair share.”

“All I need is cake and your love.” He threw his arms around me as he buried his face against my neck. “Just tell me where you want to go, and I’ll make it happen.”

“I always imagined going somewhere tropical like an overwater bungalow, but wherever you want to go is fine with me. If you prefer snow instead of sand, I’m happy to go be a snow bunny with you.”

He laughed at that, losing all trace of worry. “As cute as that sounds, I’d rather see more of your naked body out in the sun than all bundled up while we half freeze to death in some arctic tundra.”

“You could always surprise me since that seems to be the thing you love the most.” I grinned when he perked up at that. “I’ve enjoyed all your other surprises so far, so I’m sure whatever you arrange will be perfect.”

He gave me a quick kiss before getting up and going over to the small desk where his laptop was. “You really are perfect for me. I’ve got a great idea. I promise you’re going to love it. Let me see if we can do it. Do you have a valid passport?”

“Not on me, but I do at my apartment.” I waited on the couch as he started working on his computer. “It won’t take long to grab it when I go home to pack.”

As he worked, I took out my phone and used the time to answer some emails and check social media. It really was the perfect time to take a vacation since I didn’t have any pressing deadlines.

I lost track of time until I heard him proudly declare, “Done!” He came over and got in my lap again, so I wrapped my arms around him. “You’re going to besosurprised. I can’t wait!”

If it made him happy, I didn’t care where we went. “You’ll have to at least tell me what weather to pack for.”

“To be on the safe side, pack for everything. I can promise you it’ll be the best honeymoon of a lifetime.”

How could I ever say no to that?

Chapter Twenty-Four

EZRA

Mauricio treatedme to yet another delicious dinner, making me even more excited to spend the rest of my life with a man who knew his way around a kitchen. I wanted to show him my appreciation, but I also knew I should show restraint.

It left me antsy as we did the dishes, causing him to laugh when he noticed. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m torn.”

“About what?” He dried his hands on a towel after we finished putting the last plate in the dishwasher.

“Because Ireallywant to show you how much I appreciate you and your amazing culinary talents, but I also want to save it for the honeymoon to make it more special. I’m torn between doing what I should and what I want.”

He grinned at my predicament. “Do I get a vote in the matter?”

“That’s fair.” I walked over to embrace him, resting my chin on his chest as I looked up at him. “What do you think we should do?”

“A compromise seems ideal here.”

I could feel my dick starting to perk up at his words. “How do you mean?”

“We could settle for touching each other all over without penetration until we find release. Or I could use a dildo to bring you pleasure so you get relief without it actually being me inside you.”

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