Page 51 of King of Depravity

I look back over my shoulder. “What are you doing today?”

“I’ve got a meeting at Smith Brothers Real Estate.”

“It’s Sunday.” Of course, I always work on weekends, but Killian has a real job.

“That’s the thing about owning your own business, I guess. Weekends don’t mean much. Especially not in real estate.”

I look at the loft, knowing that it must have been expensive. “I don’t mean to pry, but you said last night that it was impossible to spend all your money. Does that mean…”

“If you’re asking if I’m rich, the answer is yes. When my brother inherited the dukedom, he had enough funds to pay off my father’s debts. By carefully selling off a few properties, he gave us seed money, with the express direction to grow the family’s wealth. We started with ten million.”

“T-t-ten m-million?” My stomach swoops and I’m lightheaded. My mother sold me out for a credit card that allowed her to spend two thousand a month. I can’t even imagine having that kind of money.

“But we’ve grown that to close to half a billion dollars.” Killian tosses out these numbers like they’re nothing, but I’m gripping the sink.

“You can’t mean that number.”

“The Kincaids outearn us by leaps and bounds.” He pats my ass then. “But I’ve got enough, like I said, you can’t spend it all even if you tried.” He moves away, grabbing his wallet and keys from the secretary near the door. “Knowing you, I’d doubt you’d even make a dent in my bank account.”

His words still make my head spin. “I understand a little better now. But I’m still not sure I agree. It’s not about the amount, I don’t think. It’s about the feeling. At some point each of my mom’s husbands realized she only cared about how much she could spend and not about them.”

Killian stops and then he’s coming back to me, lifting me into his arms, soapy hands and all. “You are the only woman I have met who has ever made me feel seen. I know I’m not a credit card to you, Chloe, and a man can’t put a price tag on that feeling.”

“Oh.” The blood rushes in my ears as I look down at him. I have no experience with this kind of relationship and no example to follow.

He kisses me again, and sets me down, his hands lingering for a moment before he finally leaves.

I head to my easel, my brain full of Killian and all these new feelings as I fill my palette with paint and begin working.

I’m nearing the end of the galaxy and starting on the body, which I’m also doing in shades of blue.

I close my eyes and picture the swoop of his shoulders, the thickness of his muscles, the strong line of his jaw.

The painting cuts off just above the eyes, but I chose this on purpose. It allows me to really emphasize them, and I fill the dark shades of his irises with light specks that sparkle like stars.

I lose all track of time as I work, lost in color, the feel, the mood of the piece. I pour my feelings for him into the work.

When I first met Killian, I thought he was red. Angry. But the longer I’m with him, the more I feel his calm. See his care.

A knock sounds on the door, and I raise my head, instantly tensing. Without Killian here, I have no idea if I should answer the door.

I pick up my phone to text Killian when I realize he texted me forty-five minutes ago saying that his brother Rush was dropping in.

“Hello?” I call.

“Chloe?” a male voice calls in a posh accent. “I’m Killian’s brother, Rushton. May I come in?”

I cross to the door, peering through the peephole. I recognize Rush from the coffee shop, so I open the door with a smile. “Hello.”

He steps inside, his smile of greeting filled with mirth. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all. Why do you ask?” I close the door, even as he reaches out and runs a thumb over my cheek.

I start back, not expecting to be touched and he winces. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. It’s just…” And then he shows me his thumb, now covered in blue paint.

A laugh bursts from my lips. “Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry…I…” My giggles subside. “I can be a bit skittish, I suppose, maybe Killian told you.”

Rush shakes his head. “Nope. Then again, Killian isn’t really much of a talker.”

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