Spilled Paint

(Lawson)

I reach out to steady Skye. My hands grab her elbows, and I hold her firmly.

This wasn’t the way I wanted to tell her I’m one of these horrible rich people she seems to hate so much.

When I arrived here this morning, she was the absolute last person I expected to find in Kelso’s half-finished house. The asshole can’t even finish his own house on time. I’ll be sure to point that out to him.

Right now, I need to figure out a way to convince Skye to leave. I know Kelso, he won’t keep his hands off her for long, whether he has her consent or not. Not that any of his antics would ever make it into the newspapers; he must’ve spent more money in buying women’s silence than he has on this house.

There’s no way I’ll let him lay a finger on Skye.

“Thanks,” she says, looking at the floor.

I grab her chin and tilt it up to my face. Her cheeks are red and she keeps her eyes shifted down.

“Look at me.”

Skye remains frozen but I don’t let go of her chin. I rub my thumb over her bottom lip, in an attempt to soothe her. At last her eyes slide up my face, until they meet mine.

“I have to clean up my stuff,” she says.

“Let me help.”

Supplies are scattered over the floor, and I crouch to pick whatever up I can. Skye crawls on her hands and knees, gathering things. It’s distracting to watch her, and it makes me want to move behind her and pull her ass up against me.

We set back up the table she’s fastened out of a board and two folding chairs. Different paint colors now stain my right pant leg and the cuffs of both my arms. It doesn’t matter, I’d rather make her feel at ease. The faster I can do that, the sooner I can convince her to get out of here.

Once we’re satisfied the board is steady, we start loading it. Skye seems to have some organization system. I pass the fallen pieces to her and she puts the item where she wants it.

“What’s he paying you? I’ll triple it.” I say.

Her lips snarl. “No way, I’m not having you pay me off. I’m going to earn my way in life.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I’m not part of your entitled crowd. I prefer to earn my place in life.”

“What? You think I haven’t worked for everything I have?”

“No, but—”

“But what? I’ve worked hundred-hour weeks for the past decade. Does that meet with your approval?”

“Yes, but—”

“But what? It doesn’t fit with your little narrative?

“I don’t know what happens to you when you put on a suit, but it sure turns you into a prick.”

“It’s not me who changes, it’s you. I’m exactly the exact same. You, on the other hand, see what you want to see.”

Skye stops what she’s doing and stands, turning to face me with a small frown. “I do no such thing.”

I set down her brushes and cup her cheeks. Her eyelids become heavy, half shielding her brown eyes.

“You do, I’ll show you,” I say. I bring my lips to hers, and she readily submits to me. Our kiss deepens and I slide one hand behind her head, working my fingers through her hair to hold her in place.

She tastes so good I could stay like this all day, but I can’t risk Kelso coming in and seeing us kiss. That would only spur on any plans he has for Skye.

I pull my head back, trying to break the kiss, but she goes up on her toes, not letting me go. Enough. I hold her head in place with my hand and stand to my full height.

Out of her reach, I look down at her and ask, “Still seeing the big, bad rich guy?”

Her shoulders raise in a shrug, and she flashes a coy smile. “Maybe.”

“Is that an attempt to get me to kiss you again?”

Skye’s smile increases, revealing her perfect teeth. I release my hand from her hair and run my fingers down until I reach the small of her back. I snap her to me, the length of our bodies tight against each other.

Leaning, I put my face to the top of her hair. The flowery smell is divine and I inhale several breaths of it.

Skye is quiet, and I notice she’s trembling in my arms.

I kiss over her hair and bring my lips to her ears. I say, “I worry about you, is all. Trust me, Kelso is a first-rate scumbag.”

“Lawson? What the fuck are you doing here?” As if on cue, Kelso’s voice booms through the cavernous entranceway.

In a natural movement, I release Skye and leave her behind as I move to Kelso.

“Just helping your artist pick up her dropped paints.”

He glares at Skye and says, “That better not stain my floor, Ms. Simmons.”

I position my body between Kelso and Skye, shielding her from his glare.

“It won’t,” Skye snaps.

My breath pauses at her reaction, prompting me to smile broadly at Kelso.

“I’ve come to discuss the lawsuit. Shall we?” I offer, my left hand on Kelso’s arm and my right pointing down his hallway.

Stunned, Kelso looks around before he turns and leads me deeper into his half-finished house.

“You’re wasting your time,” he says.

“And you’re wasting your money. Do us both a favor and drop this legal crap. It’s straightforward enough to carve off your part of the business. We’ve always treated it as a separate division. You have no claim over the hotel side.”

“I built them.”

“Anyone could’ve built them. Why do you keep deluding yourself otherwise? It’s only your money you’ll end up losing, not mine.”

“If that’s the case, then why do you care? Why bother coming here at all?”

“Because you’re being a pain in the ass. I’m tired of wasting my time with it.”

Kelso leads me into his office, the first room in the house that’s finished. I’ll have to remember to point that out to him.

I hit Kelso with all the legal points I’ve spent the past two days going over with Julie. It’s a no brainer and even he must see that. But he has such a big ego, I have to be careful to give him a way of saving face or else he’ll dig his heels in and fight to the end.

Forty-five minutes later, I stroll out of his office, confident he’s seen the light. Kelso doesn’t bother getting off his ass to see me out, and that’s fine, I’ll let him lick his wounds.

When I get back to the entrance hall, Skye has a paintbrush in her hand and a serious look of concentration on her face. She’s so focused on her painting, she doesn’t notice me.

I creep over, and stand beside her.

“Looking good,” I say.

“I’ve just done the roughing in. You can’t even see anything yet.”

I shrug. “It’s still better than anything I could do.”

Skye tilts her head, examining her work. “Come back in a few days and judge it.”

“I don’t want you to be here in a few days. Kelso is dangerous. If you really must do these paintings, then paint them somewhere else and drop them off to him.”

“I need the light of the room they’ll hang in. Besides, one of his conditions was that the paintings are painted on-site.”

“Who cares about conditions, you need to paint them elsewhere.” My teeth are gritted.

Skye turns and squares her shoulders, and immediately I regret the way I worded everything. “How dare you just come in here and tell me what to do? Just because you wear a fancy suit, you think you can tell people what to do?”

I sigh. “Skye, I’m telling you this…”

She interrupts, “I’m sorry, weren’t you just leaving?”

“Not without convincing you.”

“Then you’d better get a sleeping bag. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Get the fuck out of my house,” Kelso snaps from behind us, making me jump. I hadn’t realized he’d left his home office. Guess he finally managed to move after the mental blow to the head I delivered him.

I look at Skye, but she turns away and messes around with her paints. Kelso moves toward me. The last thing I want him to realize is there’s any connection between me and Skye, so all I can do is glare at him, and exit the house.