Page 120 of I Blame the Rival

For now, and for always.

Lacey sighs, “For someone who insists he’s not a romantic, you have a terrible tendency of making me cry with beautiful words.”

“Just trying to live up to your book standards.”

She pulls away, brushing away the last of her tears, “You are the farthest thing from a book boyfriend a girl can get, but that might be my favourite thing about you.”

I stare at her, unable to fathom how that would be something positive. Fictional billionaires and hot jocks sound a lot more promising than a tortured artist with anger management issues.

As if reading my thoughts, Lacey leans over and takes my hand. She squeezes it, giving me a smile that wipes the cobwebs of doubt clear from my mind.

“You’re real.”

Her words wrap around my heart in an unbreakable clasp of hope and joy. The sharp edges of my past are still there, slicing through the tissue every time I breathe, but the love flowing through my veins takes away the sting.

It takes away the pain of being broken.

“Sometimes I don’t think you’re real.” I whisper, unable to tear my gaze away from her bright eyes, “Sometimes I’m worried that one of these days I’m going to wake up and this was all a dream. That you were nothing more than a dream.”

“This isn’t a dream, Skylar. I’ll prove it to you.”

She sits up and pulls her t-shirt right over her head. I can only stare as a sea of creamy skin marked by freckles becomesexposed, the teasing sight stretching from the waistband of her leggings to the black cups of her bra.

Taking my hands, she places them on her bare torso. I stroke her without thinking, my greedy fingers craving the soft texture of her body.

She shivers, “This is going to be more difficult than I imagined.”

“What’s going to be difficult?”

Lacey exhales slowly, watching my fingers dance along her skin.

“Having you draw on me.”

I freeze, staring at her with wide, stupidly hopeful eyes.

“You still want that?”

She gives me a shy smile, “I’m ready if you are.”

Nodding slowly, I push myself off the ground and wander over to my desk. I grab my sketchbook and the packet of body markers and return to my spot next to Lacey.

My hands are shaking when I open my sketchbook to the drawing I did the other night.

“Oh my God. Is that me?” Lacey lets out a gasp and leans closer.

Her mostly naked body is displayed in front of us, the sparkling smile lighting up her face from the edge of her lips to the crease of her eyes. It’s some of my best work, but that doesn’t change the fact I drew her nude without her permission.

“I should have asked if this was okay.” I chew my lip, staring at the freckles on the page, “It’s from memory so it’s notperfect.”

“It’s so…” She trails off, staring at the lines of her body, “Beautiful. I love it.”

“You’re not upset I drew a naked picture of you?”

“Of course not.” She sighs, reaching out to brush the pencil marks, “You made me look so confident. Effortlessly sexy.”

“That’s how I see you. Confident and sexy and nothing less than a masterpiece.” I clear my throat, “There are a few designs I thought might work, but we can use this as a guide so you can show me where you want it done.”

“Okay.”

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