"Don't touch my things, Alexander." Cathryn couldn't jump out of the bed fast enough. She almost flew to where Alexander stood, tripping on her blankets and almost twisting her ankle.
Alexander looked behind over his shoulder and turned quickly to catch Cathryn who was stumbling like she was drunk.
Falling back into his arms, Cathryn groaned as she breathed in her mouth.
She muttered when the canvas tumbled over each other.
It was a mess.
Now she had to clean them up and arrange them again.
"Fuck." Cathryn realized her hands were clenched, almost snapping the bones, when she felt her head throb again.
"Are you okay?" Alexander asked, his voice low, gravelly, deep as he froze at the close contact.
"Do I look I'm okay?" She moaned as she felt her heart beat accelerated then slowing down.
It was an irregular thing that it scared her.
Should she go to the hospital?
"You should lie back down." Alexander said.
Of course. It didn't take a genius to know that.
Cathryn inhaled and exhaled a few times, trying to get herself under control.
The surroundings spun as she clutched her head. The dizziness she felt worsened when she stood up from her bed, moving her head abruptly.
She had felt lightheaded and unsteady hours earlier, why did she even attempt to stop Alexander?
"This is your entire fault." Cathryn hit him weakly with her fists.
Of course, it wasn't strong enough to hurt but it was necessary to express her indignation. "I hate you."
"Calm down, baby." Alexander wrapped his arms around her waist and Cathryn had felt so nauseous, she leaned half of her weight into his body and buried her face in his neck.
His fresh and clean masculine scent calmed her down.
Closing her eyes, she breathed in his scent and they stayed like that for a minute.
Well, Cathryn liked it too much that she wished she could stop time and stay like this forever.
Alexander hugged her tight and he could hear the laughter in his voice. "You must have liked me enough to paint me, huh?"
Alexander was a shameless motherfucker to even suggest that but it was as if she swallowed a lump in her throat. Steling her spine, she tried to physically detach from his warm snuggles.
Ohmygod.
She almost couldn't say 'NO' quickly as much as she would have liked so she settled for shaking her head to deny it, instead.
"Fuck you." She cussed at him and murmured, "Get over yourself, Alex."
"I wouldn't mind hugging you for a while." Alexander didn't let her go.
He rested his chin at the crown of her head and played with her hair.
"You shouldn't invade someone's privacy, you know?" The words rushed from her, ripe with displeasure and confusion. "Touching my paintings and such. I didn't want anyone to see them yet."
"Still you didn't answer my question." Alexander shot Cathryn a narrowed glance.
What little she saw of his eyes blazed with irritation. "Come to think of it, you keep deflecting me every time we were talking about serious stuff about us."
"What question?" She muttered, her tone heavy with sarcasm.
Dark curiosity pounded through him because there was only one logical explanation of why she drew his face in a large canvas.
He whispered huskily in her ear. "Do you like me?"
"I would pretend I didn't hear that question," Cathryn said as her fingers scratched playfully at his back.
Slowly, Alexander nodded. "I would pretend your answer was yes."
Honestly, the movement didn't hurt but the sensation of her sharp nails raking his shirt was too good. It evoked so much desire in him that she was too close to arousing him like he was a virgin teenage boy.
"I'll be going back to my bed just don't touch the unfinished paintings in the corner," Cathryn said as she leaned back.
Grinning languidly, he added. "I'll join you on the bed."
Cathryn raised her head and glanced up at him, narrowing her eyes, and her lips curled into a frown. She patted her chest. "Stay in your lane, Mister Black."
She was being so touchy.
Ugh.
Cathryn was an embarrassment to the Feminist's population.
Cathryn couldn't help it when she was so attracted to him and she was at a serious disadvantage because this bastard knew.
She didn't know how long she could deny her feelings.
Finally, Alexander laughed, let her go, and threw his hands up in the air in a placatory gesture, "What if I wouldn't, though?"
A pause.
Before Alexander could utter another word, Cathryn breathed, brushing a hand down her face. "Oh well, do what you want."
"Really?" Alexander whistled as he arched an eyebrow, worrying a hand over his shadow beard. "Can you finish the painting with my handsome face on it?"
"I'm not planning on finishing it." Cathryn's attention returned on him.
"But why?" Alexander shot her a glance and smiled at her so brilliant he could have blinded her. "I'll pay a hefty sum for it. Finish the painting and I'll pay for the commission."
Excitement blended with his impatience, each emotion feeding off the other. Minute after minute dragged by, and Alex tapped his foot against the floorboard, waiting for her answer.
He wasn't known for his patience.
"I'm tired of looking at your handsome face." Cathryn shook her head and smirked as if marveling at the defiance such an act required. "I don't think I would be able to continue with it."
It was like saying, "Screw you, Alexander." Ha. Take that!
Alexander replied pleasantly as he cupped her cheek with his hand, "I see you don't need the painting anymore when you already have me."