Page 41 of Strip Bare

I hauled Xander away by the ear and he groaned before shrugging me loose.

"What the hell man?"

"Oh good, your tongue is still in your mouth. Only, you were so far down my sister's throat I wasn't sure it could be retrieved."

Saylor rolled her eyes but looked amused as she tidied her smudged lipstick with her pinky finger. It wasn't often I got to play overprotective brother, so she would let me have my fun.

"At least he bought me dinner first," she offered and I shook my head bemusedly.

"Just please don't tell me this is some kind of 'I'm only in town for a small amount of time, take me’ thing."

Saylor snorted. "Please. I'm not that desperate for sex."

I grimaced. "I really don't want to know."

Xander didn't look exactly pleased at her words either, which I found interesting.

"Well, I am officially grossed out. So I'll see you later."

Saylor waved cheerily as Xander ignored me, leaning down to murmur something into her ear that made her blush. Blush. I tried not to think about it. My sister was as unaffected by things as me most of the time, so I didn't want to devote brain power to what Xander had said to make her look like that.

I wandered the room, inspecting the different artwork on display. Some of it was more graphic-y fine art like Kit's, and others were detailed portraits or sculptures. For a while, I just ignored everything and focused on puzzling out the meanings and emotions behind each piece, until I arrived back at my own face, created with Kit's hands, and found myself unable to look deeper in the same way that I had with the other works. I couldn't trust myself to not see things that weren't there.

Nick and Kit were still talking and laughing together and I would have tried to tamp down the jealousy rising up inside if not for the fact that Saylor was headed this way, probably to say goodbye before they left for karaoke. But for the next few minutes, Kit was mine.

I strode over to him and slid my fingers into his, smiling tightly at Nick. His eyes dropped down to my hand intertwined with Kit's and his smile grew bigger.

Frustration rose high in my throat. Did he think that was some kind of challenge?

I tugged on Kit's hand and he turned to me, brows lowered in confusion as he took in my tight jaw. I took his face in one hand and let my thumb brush over his chin before tilting my head and letting my lips seal over his, swallowing his groan like it was better than oxygen.

I kept it brief, not trusting myself to not take it too far if I kept on kissing him like this. I pulled away, trying to slow my rapid breaths as Kit's eyes fluttered open, molten blue beneath his lids.

I glanced casually at Nick and found him talking to my sister, who'd reached us while I'd been kissing Kit.

She turned to us with her trademark smirk of mischief and leaned in close to the white wall where Kit's colorful display featured prominently. “Look Lee-Lee, you're a muse."

I shot her a look and she chuckled as Nick found his way to my side.

"It's about damn time you two fools stopped toeing the line around each other."

I blinked at him, too stunned to voice my thoughts as he nodded in Kit's direction and Kit smiled back.

"I guess we sold it," I offered to Kit as we watched Nick's retreating form.

"Did you invite him here?"

"Who? Nick? Why would I—" But Kit was looking over my head and I jolted in surprise when I saw why.

"Hey guys," Harley said as he walked over to us and Kit smiled but looked more like he was bearing his teeth.

"What are you doing here?" Kit said and I shot him a look as he added, "I mean, I didn't think you liked art."

"I've always been a fan of beautiful things," Harley said as his eyes ran over my face and he stepped closer to Kit. I swallowed as the feeling of being caught like a rope in a tug of war intensified. "Well, I'm going to make the rounds. I'll see you tomorrow?" He said it as if he were addressing the both of us, but his eyes were fixed on mine.

I nodded and he smiled before he walked off. Kit was very still beside me, like he was trying to keep something in.

"You know," he said, turning to look me full in the face, "it's hard for me to make a convincing fake-boyfriend when you're doing whatever it is you're up to with him."

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