Benji hauled the easel off the tarp, making sure to cover it with a sheet. Noah glanced at it but didn’t ask. He just reached up and dragged a thumb down Benji’s cheek, his hand so firm and warm that Benji almost swayed into him.
“You had some paint,” Noah said, rubbing gold between his fingers. “Now. How do you want me?”
CHAPTER 15
Noah gave it a few minutes before he finally took pity on him.
“Over my hipbones, too,” he told Benji from where he lay naked on the tarp. “Right along the divots.”
Benji nodded, rushing to obey. He’d painted thick lines of gold down Noah’s arms, around his nipples, circling his knuckles. He looked so uncertain that Noah would’ve called it off if Benji didn’t look sohungry. Every time he slid his paintbrush down a new part of Noah’s naked body, he’d get this disbelieving expression shot through with lust, like he couldn’t believe Noah was letting him do this.
“Good boy,” Noah said. He lifted his head to admire the shiny new lines along his hipbones. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful,” Benji blurted. He bit his lip. “Fuck, Noah, I don’t know what I’m doing. Tell me what you want already.”
Noah thought about asking what was under the covered canvas Benji had shoved aside to make room for him. But Benji had only been working on it for a few minutes, and he was so damn squirrely about it. He wanted Benji to open up, but he couldn’t rip him open all at once. He had to do it gradually.
“I want you to strip,” he replied.
Benji’s shoulders sagged in relief. He pulled at his shirt, and Noah watched proudly as his jeans followed. Once, he’d been so nervous about taking orders. Now he begged for it.
Benji knelt naked beside him, eager and waiting. His cock was already half-hard. Noah eyed it, imagining pinning Benji down and sucking him until he cried. Then he held his hand up.
“Give me the paint.”
Benji frowned. But he reached over and took the tube of gold paint from the supplies he’d discarded next to the tarp.
“Pour it into my hand,” Noah instructed.
Benji did, smirking. “Just don’t get it in my hair, alright? I hate that.”
“Noted,” Noah said.
Then he reached up and wrapped his golden hand lightly around Benji’s throat.
Benji let out a shocked groan. It was full of heat, and Noah regretted not trying this sooner. He added the smallest bit of pressure on the sides of Benji’s neck.
Benji’s eyelids fluttered.
Huh, Noah thought. The world was already narrowing down to Benji: cataloging his reactions, leaning into whatever made him moan the loudest or beg for more. Whatever made him sob in ecstasy and sink deeper into that headspace they both loved him in.
He let go of Benji’s neck. He leaned in, almost fast enough to miss the disappointment in Benji’s face. Then he kissed him, and the noise that Benji made wasn’t disappointment in the least.
Noah gripped his forearm, smeared the paint down his narrow chest, then gripped possessively at his thigh. He was running out of paint, but it didn’t matter. He had other ways of leaving marks.
He pulled back. Benji tried to follow, making a confused sound when Noah didn’t let him.
“In front of the mirror,” Noah said.
Benji blinked, pupils blown. He turned to look at the full-length mirror next to Noah’s cupboard.
“But the carpet,” he said.
“Fuck the carpet. I can get it replaced.” Noah smacked his ass, leaving a patchy golden handprint.
Benji jolted, another shocked moan spilling out of him. Noah carefully watched him, waiting for any sign of discomfort. But Benji’s eyes stayed glazed and hot as Noah rubbed away the sting, ruining the handprint he’d just made.
“There we go,” Noah murmured. “That’s what you like. Should’ve said the first time, baby.”
