Page 106 of How to Get Even

Damn this man. Her entire body heated from head to toe, her core throbbing and?—

‘Bella. The spray paint.’

She jumped and ignored his laugh as she reached for it, shaking the can and returning to a wall covered in crazy patches of paint and streaks, some marks leaving drips and others barely scraping over the colour beneath.

‘Ready,’ she told him and started spraying as he moved her hand to where he wanted her. The hiss surprised her, but he steadied her with his other hand, moving them at a pace a few feet across the gallery. He held the spray on one point until the paint hissed and spat and dripped, until he called out, ‘Next.’

‘Next?’ she asked.

‘Nextthing,’ he said, this time leading her to the table. She picked up a pencil as his hand encased hers. He might not be holding it himself, but he was most definitely now in charge.

It was fascinating seeing him on the brink of losing himself in this, even though he couldn’t see what he was doing. Every now and then she’d wrestle him for control, to remind him that it was still fun, that it wasn’t one of his artworks, and he’d laugh and let her lead for a while.

It was a dance. And she wanted to tell Astrid about it, knowing that she’d understand, she wanted to tell all the girls about it, knowing they’d find it funny, the image of her leading Chase around blindfolded. And without thinking, she grabbed her phone and snapped a selfie, Chase flinching at the sound.

‘What was that?’

‘Proof that I got you blindfolded,’ she teased as she turned down the volume and snapped a few pictures of the walls. She had planned not to let him see it, but she was pretty sure that he’d want to destroy any and all evidence of the playful, childlike splashes of colour on the walls.

‘Does that meanIget to take pictures?’ he asked, and she knew that he wasn’t talking about the walls. He pressed a kiss to her neck and goosebumps rippled out over her skin. ‘Call a cab, Bella,’ Chase demanded, his voice gently insistent.

‘Do you want to see the walls?’ she offered, still tucked into the side of his body.

‘Right now, all I want to see is you. Naked in my bed, except for the blindfold covering your eyes.’

She knew it was a distraction, from what he feared he’d find, but she’d wanted it to be his choice from the beginning and she would honour that. She tapped across the screen of her phone as Chase slipped the blindfold from his eyes.

‘The cab will be here in five minutes.’

‘Then I’ll show you just what I can do in five minutes,’ he said, backing her out of the gallery without taking even a glance at the walls.

Bella locked up as Chase rubbed his hands together in the cold, a little unsettled and hating that she was.

Chase met her at the steps.

‘What is it?’ he asked, a hand cupping her cheek.

‘I… Was that okay? I didn’t make a mistake?’ she asked hesitantly.

Chase looked deep into Bella’s gaze and saw it. The need in her, the fear. That she might have done something that would make him push her away, or leave. And he hated that she even had to ask.

‘It was okay,’ he said nodding. ‘And if it wasn’t, we’d talk about it, or even argue. But it wouldstillbe okay,’ he explained, because he’d learned that from her. ‘I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you,’ he said, placing a kiss on her forehead, feeling the truth of what he’d said fill him with something he wasn’t sure he wanted to look too closely at just yet. But they’d have time for that after the gallery opened. They’d have time for so much more.

23

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.

THE ART OF WAR, SUN TZU

Chase put down the phone and stared at it for a moment, the feeling of relief coursing through his veins.

‘Well?’ Bella asked, and he looked up to find the entire staff of Nayak, including Tej, who was leaning against the door frame, hands in pockets, staring at him with the same expectation.

‘He’s in,’ Chase said, nodding slowly, not quite believing it himself.

Cheers filled his office as Maurice hugged Bella before he realised what he was doing and nearly pushed her away again. Ali jumped up and down beside Ye-Joon and Bella’s gaze was locked onto his, heat and happiness beautiful on her face. Tej nodded, saluted him with two fingers and left for the date that his mother had arranged for him while he was in New York.

Christ, he was glad it had worked. Zadzisai had just met Sascha who had walked him through the body of work for her exhibition. It had been a conditional part of the agreement, which was absolutely fair enough. Zadzisai had to approve of both the artistandthe work, before he could ‘present’ it at the opening of Nayak New York.

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