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“I feel a little spoiled.” I meant it in the kindest way. “You’re doing all of this for us, plus cookies?”
She waved a hand. “Don’t be too impressed. I keep a tub of cookie dough in the fridge, and I would have eaten it raw, in a fit of frustration, if the two of you weren’t here to keep me busy.”
The whisper of sadness in her voice was obvious, but she moved on to the next subject before I could push the issue.
It was almost eight at night when we finished, but Tanner and I had a fully revised business plan and I felt great about the future of the project. Of everything, really.
“I’d prefer to keep out of the living room for one more night, since the carpet is still damp,” Daria said.
I liked where the thought was going. “We’d probably better stay in your room again tonight, if that’s the case.”
Tanner clapped me on the shoulder. “What did I tell you? Idea guy, right here.”
I was grinning as I put away my sketchpad. I knocked a box loose, and it clattered to the floor.
“What’s that?” Daria asked as I reached for it.
Tanner got to it first. “Edible body paint?”
I shrugged. “It was a gag gift, and I’ve never figured out what to do with it. It’s paint, so it goes with the paint supplies.” Probably a good thing that was knocked loose here, and not at Deacon’s. Inspiration struck. “I have the perfect idea for it now, though.”
“You’re on a roll tonight,” Tanner said. “Do tell.”
This was the point where I should put a pause on things and sayhey, where’s all of this going between the three of us after this week?But I wasn’t in the mood to ruin this moment. I fixed my gaze on Daria. “I have the perfect canvas in mind.”
18
daria
When Colin saidhe had the perfect canvas for his paints, my pulse kicked up in anticipation. My brain hadn’t caught up to why, until Colin looked at me.
“Tell me Daria doesn’t have the perfect body for a mural,” he said.
Tanner dragged his gaze over me. “She really does.”
Heat flooded my body. “I don’t…”
“You can say no.” Colin was really so sweet.
That wasn’t my issue, though. “I want to sayyes, I just don’t know how body painting works.”
“We need an old sheet or towels for the bed. Something you don’t mind staining,” Tanner said.
Colin nodded. “Then you strip down so I can do the actual painting.”
“Then we get to appreciate the final artwork.” Tanner made it sound so simple and obvious.
The spark of desire pooling in my belly and traveling lower thought it was anything but simple. I loved the idea, though.
If we were in a porn, the cut would have taken us past the next few minutes of trooping up the stairs, finding an old comforter, and covering the bed. How did such a simple but awkward series of actions raise my desire even higher?
Standing in my bedroom with Tanner and Colin, heat spilling through me, was already becoming addictively familiar. Tanner studied me with a playful smirk as he fiddled with the button on my jeans. I didn’t get the impression he was struggling so much as having fun.
Colin tugged my shirt over my head, and kissed along my bare shoulder. “Absolutely perfect canvas.” As he unhooked my bra, Tanner pushed my jeans and panties to the ground.
Standing in the middle of my own room naked felt weird. They’d seen me without my clothes, but this was different. We weren’t wrapped up in kissing and groping, and my stretch marks and less than perky breasts and cesarean scar were all on display.
I hugged myself, suddenly self-conscious.
