Page 29 of Thorns of Deceit
My breath caught.
Inside, nestled carefully among layers of packing straw, were blank white canvases of various sizes. Beneath them, a sleek wooden stand lay folded, its brass hinges gleaming faintly in the light.
My fingers trembled as I reached inside and lifted it, the weight both familiar and thrilling.
Beneath the easel, tucked neatly in custom-cut compartments, were rows of paint tubes in every color imaginable, their labels foreign and elegant. There were brushestoo, thick and fine, still wrapped in paper, and jars of mediums and solvents, each stoppered tightly.
I couldn’t find words.
Aiden nudged my shoulder gently. “Well?” he asked.
I turned to him, blinking back the sting in my eyes. “When… How…”
“Your expression when you talked about painting told me everything I needed to know, so I placed an order right away,” he explained.
Holy shit, was this man for real?
“Did I get the right stuff?” he asked, peering into the box. “We can get more.”
“It’s perfect,” I whispered.
He smiled, pulling out item after item for inspection. “Thought you might like it. Contractors will come Monday. We’ll pick a room with the best ventilation and get it set up as your studio.”
I chewed on my lip nervously, suddenly all too aware that this man—husband or not—had been showering me with gifts while I had absolutely nothing to give him in return.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. I did have one thing to give him.
“Aiden?” I started, and he hummed his response. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”Oh my God. I couldn’t believe I was proposing this. But it was too late to take it back.
His big frame stiffened and he turned to face me, his eyes finding mine. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
Dejected and more than a little embarrassed, I looked away, my shoulders slumping. “Oh, okay.”
His hands cupped my face and forced me to meet his gaze. “Consider this and the clothing a gift, Raven. They were given freely and don’t require anything in return.”
“What if I want to…”
He shook his head. “Maybe, but?—”
“Then let me just sleep in your bed,” I interjected. “After all, we should get used to at leastthat.”
He eyed me for several heartbeats before he nodded. “Just sleep.”
I smiled. “Yes, and you can keep any night monsters away.”
“Considering I’m one of them, it’ll be my pleasure.”
I was slowly but surely falling under this man’s spell, and I couldn’t even resist it.
TWELVE
AIDEN
The morning after Raven’s cooking disaster, sunlight filtered through the bedroom, outlining my young wife’s curled-up form. She lay at my side in the fetal position, wearing sleep shorts and a camisole. Her raven hair obscured her beautiful face, and while I held on to the vow that I wouldn’t fuck her, I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to resist the temptation.
Especially when I woke up twenty minutes ago with morning wood determined to give me a serious case of blue balls.
I peered over at Raven, ignoring the urge to ravish her, and made a quiet promise to myself. If I failed at all else, I wouldn’t fuck up protecting her. She was mine now. My responsibility.
