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Taylor

T he delicious feel of Alice Wagner’s soft curves pressed against him and her head on his chest quieted the panic that had gripped him for the past hour. Maybe he could make this work. He kissed her head and breathed in her sweet smell.

“Can I ask you a question?”

She nodded, turning her head to look up at him.

“Why did you change your hair?” he asked, letting silky tendrils run through his hands.

“New Year, New Me,” she said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to get my life together this year.”

He cocked his head at her, not following. “Did you not like it?”

“I loved it... but you can’t be a grown-up with rainbow hair,” she said wistfully.

That didn’t make any sense to him. “Says who?”

“Says society . . . says my mother.”

“Fuck ’em.”

“What?” She turned and moved to sit up, but he couldn’t stand for her entire body not to be touching him, so he tightened his grip, keeping her there next to him.

“You should be able to look how you want to look. Also, what were you doing at the game tonight? Were you doing something for Sasha?”

“Ummm... well... my mom kind of butted in, and I think I might be working for Sasha now. It all just kind of happened.”

He hmmm’ed while he took in that new information. Having her around the center would be nice. He saw how much Conner enjoyed having Sasha on the road with them while the other guys had to do long-distance stuff for half the season.

“Is that what you want to do?” he asked.

She gave a big sigh, and he used to pause in the conversation to really look around her room. This room looked like Alice’s. The bed had a hot pink bedspread and yellow sheets with flower pillows. There was a furry purple rug. Colorful scarves and necklaces hung off the mirror on her dresser. Not to mention the colorful clothes strewn all over the chair in the corner or piled on the floor. And on the walls were covered in artwork. There were drawings of her family, colorful abstracts, even a colorful fever dream revolving around pop star Liam James.

Stunned in silence at the arena, he had questioned whether he really knew who she was. Though, after seeing this room, he knew who she was, and the black-and-white version of her he’d seen at the arena wasn’t it.

“I mean... I can work for Sasha... I’ll just be editing and scheduling videos. She seems like she’ll be a pretty good boss.”

“But is it what you want to do?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” She shrugged.

“Did you do all this art?” he asked, gesturing around the room.

She nodded.

“You’re so talented. Do you want to do anything with art?”

“I’ve tried... but I’m not always great at the business part of things.”

He nodded along, listening, wheels in his brain turning as he took her in. They had only known each other for a short amount of time, but he was sure there was a way she could do it. She might just have to find workarounds for the parts she’s not so great at.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked.

“Of course.”

Shifting on the bed, she sat up. She reached for a marker and pulled his hand into lap and uncapped it. The cool tip traced his forearm as she wrote something. Popping the top of another into her mouth, she yanked the cap from the marker and squiggled.

The crease crinkling her brow made him smile.

Finally, she capped the markers and gave him his hand back.

He examined his arm, and written on his forearm was I like you along with a heart with an arrow through the middle.

“I have a secret for you, too,” he said as he picked a marker out of the pack by the side of her bed.

He sat up and took her arm and, on her forearm, wrote I like you too in his neat block print.

“Hmmm,” she hummed. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Don’t keep it too safe. I want everyone to know,” he said. “Because—” He picked up a different color marker and wrote you’re beautiful on her other arm.

She looked at her arm, and the glassy quality of her eyes wasn’t lost on him.

“I have another secret,” she said as she picked up another marker. She held his blank forearm while she wrote. This time, she took more time and used more colors. When she was done, she let go of his arm.

His mouth fell open as he took it in.

Not only was it a beautiful piece of art, gorgeous lettering, and vines and flowers weaving between the letters, but the words You make me feel safe pulled at his heart. He had a feeling that she often felt unsafe showing who she truly was.

He sat up fully and uncapped another marker, drew a heart on her chest, and wrote You are safe .

Next thing he knew, they were writing kind words all over each other. Before long, she was covered in his neat block letters and some simple drawings, but she had made him a canvas. He was covered in her confessions and art, and nothing had ever felt quite as perfect as what was happening between them right now.

He laughed as she wrote God bless us, everyone on his lower stomach, the reminder of the cabin when they had spent the day watching The Christmas Carol . He had a hunch even then that this was something special. He was sure of that now.

He took the pink marker and looked into her eyes before turning his attention to her leg where he wrote MINE in capital letters. Because it was the truth. After this, she was his, and he would find a way to prove to her he could be in a relationship and find ways to work her into his routine. She deserved to feel important, and he would find a way to make sure she felt that way.

His claim on her thigh had his cock stirring again, but sadly, he only had the one condom in his wallet. That wasn’t going to stop him from doing this, though. He settled between her legs and pushed her legs wide.

“What are you doing?” she asked, breathy.

“You know what I’m doing,” he said as he slowly bent his head forward and pressed a kiss to her center.

“Oh, fuck,” she gasped as he licked her slowly.

“Relax, baby. Let me take care of you,” he said as he settled in.

He wasn’t going to rush this. Earlier, they’d been overtaken by this need for each other, but he wanted to show her just how much she meant to him.

After he was finished with her, she lay, panting and sated, in the sheets. While the hair strewn across the pillow was a soft blonde, at least her body was covered in bright, colorful words and positive affirmations. Looking down, his body was much the same only the addition to the words were colorful drawing she’d made.

“I could look at you all night,” he said as he lay down, pulling her close. His fingers traced over the words written on her lush thigh as her mouth cracked open in a yawn. Which made sense because, when he glanced at the clock, it was after one. “But I’m wondering if we should hop in the shower.”

“You want to wash off all my wonderful artwork?” she asked in feigned indignation.

“I don’t... I also don’t want to deal with the guys and having the famous words of Tiny Tim written above my junk,” he said pointing to the God bless us, everyone framed by holly written on his lower stomach.

“If we must,” she said, moving to sit up. “Let’s go get all wet and soapy.”

He followed her into the bathroom off the bedroom. She stopped and looked in the mirror as he ran the water. When he turned, though, he noticed she’d slipped back into her room.

Phone in hand, she came back.

She tried to cover her breasts while taking a picture of her covered in his handwriting. Slipping in behind her, he cupped her breasts as she snapped the picture, looking into his eyes.

She set the phone down and brushed her hair. Taylor picked up the phone and looked at the picture. He hid her breasts from view, but the writing he’d left on her was visible as was the art she had covered him with. Not only that, but the way they were looking at each other conveyed the feelings he’d been taken over with since he got here. The adoration was written all over their faces. Adoration... and maybe even love if he was being honest, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to be quite that honest yet.

“You ready?” she asked.

They got into the shower, and rivulets of water chased down her body, leaving colorful little tracks as they slowly rinsed away the words.

He took the loofa off her shower head and squeezed some shower gel onto it. The sweet smell of peaches filled the air as he worked it into a lather.

“After I wash these words away,” he said as he rubbed the soap all over her luscious curves. “Please keep them in your heart.”

Soaping up her hands, she returned the favor. The soap was pastel, with traces of the bright marker all over their bodies. She reached up on her toes and kissed him, running her soapy hands all over him. They took turns rinsing each other off.

All that was left on him was the words on his lower abdomen. He thought she was about to wash them off, but he never knew what to expect with Alice. As much as he should hate it, he loved it. And this time, as she sank to her knees in front of him, he really loved it.

Her tongue traced over her bottom lip.

“Fuck,” he groaned out as she lightly licked the underside of his cock.

“God bless us, everyone,” she said from her knees, looking up at him.

It was all he could do to not stroke himself and come all over her pretty little face. But then she plunged down on his cock. She gagged, and her eyes watered. He was tempted to pull out and let her catch her breath, but then she worked him with her hands and mouth. His head fell back and hit the shower wall with a thud as he closed his eyes and focused on the pleasure.

He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it all work, but he would find a way to prioritize this woman and make sure she was a part of his daily routine. She needed to feel as special as he thought she was. He would never make this mistake again.

“Fuck.” His release was just about to take over and his hand found its way into Alice’s hair as she kept working him. “I’m going to come.”

With her hooded eyes, she looked up at him and nodded.

That was it. He exploded into her mouth, and she continued to slowly suck every drop.

She stood and washed the final words off his body before they dried off and collapsed in bed together.