“No.”
His fingers dug into my back. “I want to help.”
“This is not helpful,” I told him roughly.
“Oh.” Seth slid away, settling back onto the couch.
Immediately, I missed the contact. Unable to take the distance, I crawled on top of him before nestling against his chest.
Seth kissed the top of my head. “Sorry.”
“No, I need to apologize. Painting is a sensitive topic.”
“I get it.” He shook his head. “No, actually I don’t, but I’m not trying to push you. I like your paintings, and I think you like to do it.”
I stared down at his lovely face, tracing the curve of his cheek, the line of his jaw, and the arch of his brow. “I want to paint you,” I declared, even as my stomach soured with guilt.
“M-me?”
“Yes, you. Only you.” He was the center of my universe. The one thing that mattered above all else. Seth was all I saw and the only thing I wanted.
“O-okay.”
I trailed a finger down his neck. “Naked?”
The color of his face deepened, as I knew it would, making me chortle.
He frowned, but Seth pressed a kiss to my lips. “Jerk.”
The words pest, mean, bully, and pull floated through my mind, making my head tilt, but I let it go. One day, I would paint him naked, capturing his perfection. It would take time before he would allow me to, I imagined. I hadn’t even seen him naked yet. I stifled a groan. That would be a sight to behold.
“Shirtless, then?” I proposed. Seth would refuse, but I wanted to bring more color to his cheeks.
A slight smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. “Sure.”
My mouth fell open, and my cock started to come to life. “What?”
“I will pose shirtless.”
“Really?” The metal teeth securing his jacket clacked softly as I pulled the tag down. When it opened, I slid my fingers down his simple blue shirt, not one I’d bought him, playing with the hem.
“If you’ll paint right now, I’ll take my shirt off.”
“Can I take it off of you?”
“Sure.”
I drew Seth up with me. Slowly, I peeled his jacket off, dropping it to the floor. His brown eyes never left me as I hooked my fingers around the hem of his shirt and tugged it up. My knuckles dragged against his skin, sending bolts of electricity up my arms. Awareness grew in my body, and heat flooded my limbs from the simple touch.
As I lifted the shirt up, Seth raised his arms, so the fabric smoothly slipped off. The shirt fell to the ground in a puddle, and my breath turned harsh. His skin was paler on his chest than on his arms or face, though there were a few darker circles. Moles or freckles was the term, but I couldn’t differentiate between them. His muscles had some definition and his stomach swelled. Hair scattered over his pectorals and near his dark brown nipples. I really wanted to touch one, to lave my tongue over the nub, but I resisted.
“You’re lovely,” I told him, fighting against my growing cock. I wanted to bury myself inside of him until we both trembled from pleasure.
He placed my hand on his chest. Seth did not release me so my fingers couldn’t wander as I would have liked, but I loved touching his smooth skin.
After a few moments, Seth pushed me away. “Where do you want me?”
Beneath me, I thought.
