Free Brush Strokes by Dee Carney

but it
meant her future. Mr. Killian might still recoup some of his money;
she might still have his patronage. The freedom that knowledge
provided her could float a galaxy of clouds.
    “ Tanya, answer
me.”
    She opened her eyes in time to notice
Joe stalk across the room, his attention never leaving her face.
Nothing but sin stared back.
    Was something wrong with her outfit?
She always thought it was kind of cute. Brushing a hand down her
front, she replied, “Uh, the same kind of panties you
saw—”
    “ Fuck,” he moaned. He
didn’t stop until close enough to pull her to him. His gaze dropped
to her breasts and back to her face. “Do you remember where you
bought this thing?” His fingers slid beneath the black fabric of
her skirt, toying with the seam along her panties.
    “ Yeah.” The dark desire
facing her sent a rush of moisture between her legs.
    His lips moved to her jaw line, down
her neck. “Good,” he mumbled. “Because when we get back from the
opening, I’m going to ruin it.”
    Just like that, he sucked all of the
oxygen from the air.
    Joe pushed her backward, until her
back pressed against the wall. He kept that naughty, daring hand
beneath her skirt all the while. “Before we go, though,” he said
against her skin, “I want you to do one thing for me.”
    If he kept running his finger along
her crease like that, she would agree to anything short of murder.
She tilted her head, waiting for him to stop long enough so she
could raise her eyes to meet his. “Yes?”
    “ Right here. Right now.
Come for me.”
    His nearness made her senses spin, but
there was no way she’d turn that invitation down.
    Joe leaned in closer, his chest barely
grazing hers. His face hovered just above hers, his mouth within
grazing distance. He pushed the material of her panties to the side
and eased his fingers in. She wrapped one hand around his bicep
with the first touch on her clit.
    “ After the art show, baby,
I’m going to bring you to my bed.” He circled her nub, inciting
sparks of pleasure that rippled out in waves. “We’re going to
finish our art lessons. Touch.” A flick of his finger almost made
her knees buckle. “Taste.” Her head fell forward, stopping to rest
on the fleshy part of his neck. She cried out and he dipped inside
before tracing delicious circles on her sensitive spot.
    “ Joe,” she whimpered on a
breath. Every nerve tingled with excitement. With a readiness to
succumb to his assault.
    “ What do you think is next
after touch and taste?”
    A low humming filled her ears, the
sound of her blood racing through her veins. His words broke
through the noise, her mind zeroing in on his voice. Her intellect
trying to process his meaning. “I…I don’t…know.”
    “ Look at me.” His fingers
sped up, her hips rolled in time to match him, chasing the
sensation he provided. “Look into my eyes when you come. I want to
see what’s waiting for me when we return.”
    Her mind started to lose the battle.
How could she focus on what he said when her body screamed for
relief? All she knew was the way his clever fingers danced on her
flesh.
    She tightened her grip, knowing she
couldn’t stand it any longer. Her body would give out. She would
collapse in his embrace. At the end of it all, she would die a
sated, boneless death.
    As she predicted, she melted when the
first shockwave cascaded out, locking her vocal cords in place,
shutting her mind and body down. She looked into his eyes, past the
piercing blue and saw starbursts of silver and gold.
    “ Oh, Jesus, that’s
beautiful,” Joe murmured. He stood stock-still, the muscle of his
bicep the only movement between them except what her skirt hid. Her
harsh breathing the only other sound. At last she could stand no
more and her grip tightened, her lids fluttered closed.
    “ Joe,” she whispered. A
deep sigh escaped when he removed his hand, her body still tingling
in places from the echoes of orgasm.
    He kissed her lightly, and the