Page 18 of Clandestine

“I mean, kinda?” I don’t release my arms around Hale, keeping her close so she knows I mean what I’m saying. At least I can speak for myself thatI’mserious about her.

“It was kind of rhetorical. We’re on in less than two hours,” he spits backs at me. Something has crawled up his ass, and if I had to guess, I would say it was the green-haired woman, Estrella, who recently graced Hale’s chair and had a one-nightfling with him earlier this week. I’d be hurt if my one-night stand didn’t want to go another round too, but I keep that to myself.

“The handsome devil you are, let me at least fix your hair before you go, and then you can send Syd and Colby in for the same when you leave.” Hale visibly shakes out of our conversation before grabbing a comb from her station and some pomade, forcing my ass into the chair and going to work on the poorly maintained blond strands on top of my head.

THIRTEEN

HALE

Did I tell Syd that she’s not allowed to move her lips or open her eyes while I do her makeup, even though I’m doing one of the lightest applications I’ve done for a client in years?

Absolutely.

Is it because I’m nervous that if we start talking, one of us might say something weird and, well, make things awkward between us?

Bingo.

At least she obeys.That’s a nugget of information that I’ll be saving for later.Then again, she could just be scared of getting poked in the eyeball with a makeup brush or tweezers as I apply rhinestones right before she goes on stage in front of a massive crowd. Either way, I’m taking it as a win. The hand that only leaves my waist when I step away from the chair to grab new products, though, is feeling awfully possessive and may be saying something on its own.

“You know, I never usually let our regular makeup artist put this much effort into me,” she mumbles, seemingly trying herhardest not to move a single muscle in her face. She’s taking my no-talking rule seriously.

“There’s a lot of photographers here tonight, and I know Estrella’s going to take some kick-ass shots. The rhinestones will bring everyone’s attention straight into these gorgeous blue eyes, just like it should be,” I murmur in return while I carefully apply each stone in an outlined wing shape around the outer corner of her eye. The silver stones are small, but will catch the perfect amount of light paired with her dark eyeliner. A stunning contrast of light and dark, especially with her facial structure.

When she peeks open an eye, I’m standing there admiring not only my work, but her beauty like an idiot. Pretty sure she sees the entire image of me, slack-jawed and all, but she still chooses to grab my hand and pull me between her legs where she sits.

“You’re the expert, baby. Are we done?”

I melt when she calls me baby. My insides turn warm, and the feeling of Sydnee locking her arms around my body while looking up at me is pure heaven. I still have so much to learn about this girl, but everything in me is assured I won’t mind the time it’ll take.

“I guess.” I pout. “Are you sureeeeee I can’t do anything with your hair? I saw these really cute bubble braids with beads on Pinterest, and I promise I can work fast?—”

“I bet you can, but I like my hair exactly like this. Just straightened, it’s kind of my signature thing.” She smiles at me, and I accept her protest, but I don’t like it.

“Straight is so boring, though.” I cross my arms in front of my chest, which inevitably pushes my body away from hers.

“Trust me, my hair is the only part of my body that’s straight.”

Don’t ask me how, but that cheesy line was so fucking sexy, especially when she follows it up by uncrossing my arms for meand wrapping them around her own neck, which pulls our faces only inches from each other. I can smell, almost taste, the minty freshness of her breath, and it takes me right back to our shower from this morning. Goddamnit, if I’m not just a fool for physical touch.

Her chin lifts slightly and mine dips so that we’re breathing the same air, both with shallow breaths. I barely register the sharp inhale before she sits up a little straighter and her lips brush mine.

When my lips mold with hers, I realize that silencing her was pointless. Anything we could’ve needed to talk about is being worked out in this kiss. It’s not rushed; it’s not a kiss full of eager lust. It’s an explorative kiss that has me buzzing.

Our kiss is saying,I want to keep kissing you, for a while.

My hands find the sculpted lines of her jaw before I startle myself with realization, jumping back and removing herself from my position that was nearly in her lap.

“No way. No ma’am, no ham. You are not ruining my work.”

She begins laughing, lips blushed, even though I hadn’t made it to applying any product there, and I realize it’s because she’s stolen mine from my own lips.

“Dammit, now I have to touch this up.” I sigh, frustrated, yet still my heart feels full of whatever the hell is building between us.

I can hear the sounds of the crowd only a couple hundred feet away, and for some reason, my own nerves are heightened. It’skind of shitty of me that I’ve never been to one of Neon Cherry’s shows until now.

Colby is the last to sit his grumpy ass in my chair tonight, and that probably explains my nerves more than the crowd outside. There’s something slightly unsettling about giving a man your heart, more so than letting him make you come. Just because he has talented fingers doesn’t mean he can be gentle with my actual feelings.

When he sits down, he doesn’t say a word at first. He just watches me move around him, taking him in and deciding what he needs before he faces the fans.

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