Page 14 of Developing Hearts (Pine Point Fixer-Uppers #5)

Chapter fourteen

David

The entire trip up the stairs, David could feel tension radiating from Mason. He couldn’t say why, but he was aware enough to pick up on it. The set of his shoulders, the sharp sound of his feet on each riser, the short, higher pitched voice he was using.

They made it out into the cloud-filtered sunlight of the deck, which was mostly quiet.

A slight breeze blew through, and it didn’t appear to be under active construction.

There’d been a little grumbling from the other condo owners when they were told they’d have to stay off it for two weeks, at least according to what David had overheard from the crew, but no stink big enough for him to get angry visitors to his door.

In fact, the only people who had paid him a visit at all since this renovation started were the Camachos, who brought him a gift basket as…

a thank you for not falling into their living room and breaking both his legs?

David wasn’t sure, but the snacks and wine had made for great provisions at the hotel.

“So what’s this actually about?” David figured there was no point beating around the bush. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t actually suddenly need my input about this.”

“Well, no one ever said I was a good liar.” Mason leaned against the railing and tilted his head back, pressing his Adam’s apple more prominently against his throat and revealing a tiny peek of soft, pale chest hair. “I just don’t think…this is hard to bring up, I guess.”

The clouds shifted a little, as there was some wind, and the sunlight intensified. Golden rays landed on the deck, and on Mason, lighting up his hair, warming his skin tone, catching in his eyes.

“I am so sorry, but I think this is it.” David fumbled open his sketchbook.

“I swear to God, I’m listening, but I have to…

this is what I’ve been missing, I think.

” He began to sketch in the rough shape of Mason, which he’d grown very familiar with over the past few days, so it didn’t take long.

“You really don’t need to worry about offending me.

I’m a low-paid back-end developer with a penchant for unfinished art projects.

My mom’s a chemist, my dad’s an architect, and my brother is a literal rocket scientist. I am very used to being the disappointment in a situation. ”

“You’re not a disappointment. Not to me.”

David smiled at that, and kept on drawing, glancing up now and then to monitor the light. He wouldn’t have it forever, so he needed to strike while he did. “I appreciate it. But if there’s a problem—”

“It’s bad timing to tell you that it’s the drawing. I think…let’s just call this the last one for a little while. I’m clearly not giving you what you need. Not a good model for anything.”

The curve of his cheek there, a few more lines to give the impression of his hair, tiny dark pupils to really make the contrast with the new highlights in his eyes. David was in the zone, and every time he added something, it felt more and more right. “Give me two minutes and I’ll prove you wrong.”

“You won’t. It’s…you’re an incredible artist, even if you seem pathologically incapable of actually finishing things.

” Mason laughed tightly, unnaturally. “You can capture everyone but me, so the obvious answer is to look for the variable that changes. I’m just not an attractive subject for a piece of art. ”

“Bullshit you’re not.” David could have fussed with the sketch longer, but the clouds had begun to drift back over the sun. So he turned the sketch book around and showed Mason the result. “Tell me you’re not a good model.”

Mason took the book and held it gently. He turned it a little, cocked his head to the side. “You…that’s good. That’s…I mean, I don’t think it’s accurate, but you drew a heck of a good picture. Might actually make someone want to look at me.”

“Okay, that’s enough of that.” David walked up and grabbed his wrists, pulling his arms down and looking straight across into Mason’s eyes.

“You keep making comments like that. It’s not cute, and it’s not accurate.

You have some idea of yourself in your head.

It’s not the one I have.” He tapped the sketchbook, right above where the graphite hairline met the blank highlight of Mason’s forehead. “This is the one I have.”

“It’s not a fucking coincidence that the chubby guy is the only one you had a hard time making look good.

” Mason jerked away from David’s grip and turned to look out over the Puget Sound.

His cheeks were scarlet, his chest heaving, his gaze distant, and he stayed that way for a few seconds before speaking again, voice thick and slightly hoarse.

“I’m sorry. I try not to cuss too much. But come on. You have eyes.”

“I do.” David considered his options, then stepped up and stood next to Mason, looking out at the gray and foaming ocean water in the distance.

“That’s why I wanted to draw you. I have eyes, and they like what they see.

” He hesitated, but now was clearly not the time to be subtle about things.

He ran a finger down Mason’s cheek. “When you smile, your cheeks bunch up into these apples, and you get little dimples on either side of your mouth.” He kept going, tracing slowly down Mason’s neck, his shoulder, his arm.

“And you look like you give amazing hugs, and like you could pick me up and sweep me away somewhere.” He didn’t touch Mason’s midsection, and flicked his fingertip away just before he reached his pocket, which would have been awfully close to straight-up feeling him up.

“I have eyes. And those eyes tell me that you’re gorgeous.

That’s why I couldn’t get anything right.

I had higher standards for you than the others. ”

Mason swallowed hard, throat bobbing. “You don’t need to butter me up, okay? I shouldn’t have freaked out.”

David grabbed Mason’s wrist again. He resisted, but not much, following as David pulled and led him around until they were once again facing one another. “There’s one more thing I saw that I really like about you. Well, a few more things but…” He pulled in close and pressed his lips to Mason’s.

The world froze, and even though the sun had disappeared once again behind the clouds, everything was warm and bright and golden until he pulled out of the kiss.

David nodded, and when he spoke, his voice had also gone hoarse. “Yeah. I was right. Nice lips. Good kisser.”