Page 19 of Dravin

“What do you want to start with? If you could? Which story?”

That’s not a hard question to answer. I’m just stunned that he asks it so easily. Something deep inside of me stirs to life. You know what’s sexy? Sure, muscles and symmetry, but truly sexy? Intelligence.

“Persephone and Hades.”

“Where he rams the pomegranate into her mouth?”

A bark of laugher escapes. “Something a little less token.”

“I’m sure whatever you painted would be beautiful.”

“Maybe not. Maybe that’s the point.”

“In its own way, then.”

Most artists don’t even understand that beauty isn’t the point of art. How does Dravin just…get it? How am I even talking with him so easily when I passed him off as nothing more than a brute without a thought in his head for anything other than villain stuff?

Right. Assumptions.

He rights the mower and pushes it into the shed. When he walks back out, he scratches the back of his neck. “I should be getting back to the club. I have a long night of going over their security with Wizard. I’m still learning the tech and their processes.”

Hmm. One thing that doesn’t come so natural that he’s still learning after two weeks. It’s nice to know that Dravin didn’t pop out of the womb as a fully formed stalker. I mean, no. I need to be kinder.Ultimate human tracking machine.

“I’ll send the women over.”

“What? I- here? When?” I never used to be a panicker, but the thought of having to host a bunch of strangers after they know I’ve been avoiding them, spikes my blood pressure.

“Relax,” Dravin tells me pointedly. “They’re nice people. I didn’t just say that to try and sell you on the idea. They’re not going to eat you for lunch.”

He pauses and I freeze up too. I have no idea why he’s watching me, but then I finally realize it’s because I still have his shirt on.

I whip it off, determined not to show how naked and exposed I suddenly feel. It didn’t bother me before he charged in here and covered me up like a Neanderthal.

“When are you sending them? I need to clean the place up. You saw how there are canvases and paints and crap all over.”

“If I mention it today, they’ll probably be over here in oh… a few hours.”

I can’t help it. I flip him off the same way I used to do it to Marcus. Before I even lower my finger, the gesture churns my stomach, nostalgia piercing right through me. My head is scrambled. I need walls and boundaries andreason. That’s a great thing to want, and a hard thing to achieve when every single thought in my head is jumbled and muddled. It’sbeen a very long time since I’ve had a clear mind. Far longer than a year.

“I’ll take that as aI’m super excited to kind of start over here and make the best of this place even though I don’t want to be here, Dravin, thank you so much for thinking of me.”

I snap my fingers at him and chuck his shirt at his smug face. Yes. Smug. It’s just unfair how good it looks on him too. He catches it easily and slips it on.

I can’t help but sass him one last time. “You should probably sit for like a whole back tattoo at once, or double sleeves or two full legs. Get all the club’s artists on board. They no doubt have them or know someone that they could get you in with on short order.”

“Tattoos are very permanent identifying markers.”

“Buy packs of stick on ones and fake it then. But you could always get them in places that don’t show.”

“That defeats the purpose of blending in.”

“Sounds like a real conundrum.”

I only realize now that he’s not looking at me. He’s studying the grass, the flowers, the fence, the lawn chair, the house. Anywhere but me. Is he trying to be respectful of the fact that I’m just wearing a bathing suit?

A little tendril of warmth unfurls in my chest before I shove it back down and smother it.

“Maybe go for the bike first,” I cede, without any sass. “At least that isn’t permanent, and it’s probably required if you’re part of a club.” I cock my head. “Do you know anything about mechanics?”

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