“Just stick to snowflakes and reindeers.You’ll be fine.”
I stand.“Keep an eye on Mom for me, okay?”
“Relax.Luna’s got her.”
“I know.”I give her a grateful look.“Just still… watch her.”
“Will do,” she promises.
With that, I head toward the face painting stall.
I’m cleaning my brush, waiting for the next person, when I catch the familiar scent before I even look up.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Adrian smirks as he leans down slightly.“What can you do for me?”
“What do you want?A full Santa beard?A little reindeer nose?”I smile back.
“Actually,” he says, voice laced with amusement, “I was thinking Spiderman.”
“You’re joking, right?”I deadpan.
“Not at all.”
I squint.“You want me to paint you as Spiderman?”
He shrugs.“What can I say?Childhood dream.Today feels like the day.”
I let out a laugh.“Dr.Whisperer will have a field day with this.”
“Good.Let them.”He flashes me a warm smile.
“Alright then.”I dip my brush into the paint.As I lean forward, he closes his eyes, and for a second, I just study his face.Long, sloped nose, thin lips, chiseled jaw, a hint of stubble, thick dark lashes resting against his cheeks, strong eyebrows.His skin is smooth, and I’m so close, I can hear his breathing, feel it even.My heart thuds hard in my chest, my hand trembling slightly as I move.
One of my hands finds its way into his hair, tilting his head just slightly, and God help me, his hair is soft.This is doing something to my body.It’s suddenly so hard to concentrate.
Just as I finish the first stroke, a small voice pipes up.“Cool.Is that Spiderman?”
Adrian cracks an eye open.“Does it look like Spiderman?”
My little brother, Felix, beams at him.“Yeah.Can I be Spiderman too?”
“Are you sure?What about Batman?”
“No, Spiderman.”He crosses his arms.
“Alright, you’ll have to wait your turn.”
He surprises me by standing right beside Adrian, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.Adrian stiffens slightly, eyes going wide in shock, but he doesn’t push him away.I watch him closely, expecting some discomfort, but instead, he just lets out a breath and adjusts to Felix’s closeness.
I go back to work, my fingers finding their way back to his face, tilting him slightly again to finish the details.His eyes flutter shut, and I swear I see his jaw tic, like he’s struggling with something.
God, he’s handsome.I just want to tip his chin up and kiss him.
Thankfully, I finish before that thought can fully take over.Felix bounces on his toes.“My turn, my turn.”
Adrian rises to his full height.“So?How do I look?”
