Carlyle
Smacking Valerie’s plump ass, I grinned when she whipped around at me with her spoon raised threateningly. She didn’t say anything, though she couldn’t, with all that grilled cheese in her mouth, and I wrapped my arm around her waist to kiss her shoulder.
“Couldn’t help myself.” Grumbling around her mouthful, she turned back to her incredibly late-night snack, and I left her be to hoist myself onto the counter. “So, what do you have to do now that you’re gainfully unemployed?”
“I’m gonna do what I should’ve done and focus on my art.” Swallowing her bite, she leaned on the counter to stare at her sandwich, and discomfort nearly shoved my heart into my throat. I didn’t want to stop touching her, and Valerie was the first woman— ever, I thought— who I hadn’t just up and left after finishing on her face. Reaching to brush the back of her hand, I clenched my jaw when her head snapped up as if she forgot I was there for a moment. “Uh . . . so, yeah. I’m going to try to sell my art. I only worked at that place because Natasha got me the job, and we were kinda broke at the time.”
“What kind of art do you make?” Passion chased away the darkness in her eyes, and Valerie took my hand to urge me off the counter at my probing. Watching her ass jiggle in her booty shorts on the way out of the kitchen, I grappled her hips to pull her against me. Inhaling a lungful of her musky, sexed-up scent, I kissed her neck and shoulder, and she hummed so pretty. “I bet you’ll have some inspiration after tonight.”
“Oh, totally. I’m gonna start drawing porn scenes.” Sticking my hands up her camisole, I squeezed and kneaded Valerie’s tits, and they spilled out between my greedy fingers.
“You should draw me like one of your French guys.” We walked down the hallway, but Valerie opened the first door on the left instead of the second. She flicked on the light, and I paused my shameless groping as I laid eyes on the magnificence that was her studio. Drawings of mundane scenes and people splattered on every inch of the walls and multiple easels sat in a circle facing outward.
“Wow.” Echoing her earlier awe, I pulled my hands out of Valerie’s shirt to look around, and stacks of notebooks piled up in the corners of the room. It was shocking howtalentedshe was, and my mouth dried as any words I could make slid back down my throat. Wandering towards the nearest easel, I swiped my hair away from my eyes to clearly look at what she’d been working on.
Everything was startlingly black and white and gray, and there was almost a film-noir-esque quality to it. A man stood over a woman, holding his hand out, and she had no face but still managed to look sad and defeated.
“I haven’t done much in the way of marketing myself. I’m not really good at it, to be honest. When I was in school, I won a contest, but most of the offers I got were free ‘for exposure’ bullcrap things like that, so I always turned them down. After I moved here, I kinda wished I hadn’t. I don’t have much of a social media presence.” Tearing my eyes off the drawing, I frowned when Valerie’s nose wrinkled in self-depreciation, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s a balance that I haven’t figured out yet.”
“You went to school for art, right?” Nodding, she huffed loudly in disgruntlement, and my frown deepened. “You didn’t like it?”
“I hated it, but I was on scholarship, so I had to go. My mom was on her way to jail, and there were some good things about it, like learning to use rendering software and stuff, which got me the job I just quit. It was just really hard for me because it was the first time Natasha and I weren’t together.” My heart ached for her, and I sauntered over to wrap my arms around her and squeeze. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of her, but the guy who called me from my mom’s phone, he sounded really amused, like he didn’t have to do it, but he wanted to and he was gonna enjoy it.”
“Valerie . . . ”What the fuck do I say? Oh, hey, just name drop me, and they’ll run away pissing down their legs?“If you ever feel scared, just tell me. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Money doesn’t solve all problems.” Rolling my eyes at that grumble against my sternum, I tangled my hand in her hair to tilt her head back. Valerie looked . . . anxious, like the threat of what may or may not happen was already looming, and I sucked up a breath through flared nostrils.
“That is complete bullshit. This is exactly the situation where money will solve the problem. I get it— pay it now, and you’ll be expected to pay it next time. But I guarantee you, Valerie, that won’t happen. Those guys are wannabes.” I couldn’t assure her more than that, and Valerie rested her chin on my chest to gaze up at me with those big, brown eyes that showed everything she was feeling. Kneading her head, I pressed my lips to her forehead, and her messed hair ruffled slightly from my sigh. “There are perks— you should see my movie collection.”
“What’s your favorite movie?” Humming as I rocked back on my heels, I glanced at the display around me as my mind churned leisurely.
“The Boondock Saints. Have you ever seen it?” My brows rose in surprise when she shook her head, and I smiled in childlike excitement. “Really? It’s hilarious. The second one doesn’t stack up, but as a standalone, it’s amazing. Let’s watch it. I have it on my phone.”
“This isn’t one of those situations where we’re gonna ‘watch’ something, and two minutes in, we’re gonna have sex, is it?” The carpet squeezed through my toes when I flexed them, and I shook my head to Valerie’s genuine amusement. “I’m not sure what that says about me, but at least it’s not a video game.”
“Oh, please. I don’t like video games.” Tightening my arm around her waist, I grabbed her hand to sway, and Valerie giggled at my scoff. A lightness lifted my chest, straightened my spine, and I grinned as I twirled her a little. “My little brother plays a lot of video games, and he’s a loser. It’s a proven association.”
“Aren’t all little brothers losers? It’s just me and Natasha, so I wouldn’t know.” Pulling her to my chest, I nodded firmly, and she laughed a beautiful sound before a door creaked somewhere. Against my chest, Valerie tensed, but I knew that Theo was still hanging around out in the hallway. Natasha’s slurring giggles floated down the hallway, and Valerie put her hand on my chest before telltale stomping rumbled underfoot.
Theo had slung the drunk broad over his shoulder, and Valerie left me to pop open the first door on the right. Her sister was trashed, and from the glare Theo shot me, it put a bit of a damper on things. We were together so often that I’d put levels on his scowls, and at least Illya thought it was funny.
“Theo, you can go back.” Leaning on the door frame as he set Natasha down with surprising gentleness— maybe, so she didn’t throw up on him— I almost felt bad for him. Almost.
When he straightened, he just rolled his eyes at me, and my lip twitched up as his curled in a nasty snarl.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Carlyle— a whole two hours before seven a.m. How generous. There’s absolutely no point in going back right now, or Illya will kick my ass for waking her up.” Growling at me as he pushed past, Theo shook his head and rubbed the cheek that Illya had so recently smacked. “That bitch can hurt when she wants to.”
“But it worked. Was there an update?” Only shaking his head again, Theo disappeared into the living room, but I never heard the front door open and close. Scratching my jaw, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how hard Isabel had gotten drugged, but she always had a weak constitution, so it wasn’t surprising.
At least that cunt hadn’t woken up while I was balls deep in Valerie.
“Illya’s the girl who got all the donuts that one time, right? That’s a really pretty name.”
“Don’t be fooled— she’s got bigger balls than me. I’m constantly impressed by her.” A strange expression rippled across Valerie’s face, and I cocked my head as I shuffled to pin her against the wall. “What?”
“At the time, I was a little jealous.” My breath caught in surprise, and Valerie tinged pink up to her ears as she ran her fingers through my check hairs. Staring studiously at my collarbone under furrowed brows, her confession rang in my ears even as it lengthened. “Before I realized that she was your sister or cousin or whatever.”
“This is gonna sound terrible, but Illya’s been through some shit, and I find her physically repulsive.” Grabbing her tits to squeeze through her pale blue shirt, I worked my knee between her thick thighs as she pursed her lips thinly. “I appreciate the sentiment, though, but, no, she’s not my sister or cousin, and I would rather gouge my eyes out than see her naked.”
“That’s because you’re a piece of shit who can’t appreciate scars.” Both Valerie and I turned to Theo, and I scowled as he held up the half-eaten grilled cheese she’d made. “Can I have this?”
“Uh . . . yeah? Help yourself.” He sat on the sofa, just making himself at home, and an irritated sigh escaped my flared nostrils before Valerie muffled a laugh in my shoulder. “L-let’s just go watch the movie. This is awkward. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Hey . . . ” Cupping her flaming cheek, I couldn’t help but smile at the embarrassment that flared in her eyes when they met mine. “It’s not so bad. Illya’s not my sister, but it feels like she is. No harm done, Valerie.”
“Yeah.” Her relief was kinda cute, and my smile widened as she worked her hand into my unfastened pants. “Can we watch it naked?”
