Page 24 of The Bad Boy’s Homecoming (The Southern Hart Brothers #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY

Missy

Sparks Fly

A fter using all the blank canvases she had, it took Missy twice as long to wash the brushes and put away the paint.

She felt invigorated and exhausted all at once.

It had only been a few days since she hurt her hand, but it was like all the ideas were overflowing in her mind, and she had to get them out.

There were three new complete pieces of varying sizes, but the theme was clear.

She couldn’t stop thinking about how she felt when Levi had touched her, and it was depicted in paint now.

These were a full departure from the landscapes she’d been doing.

But it forced her to create a new page on her site, like a gallery with different rooms, where art enthusiasts could look for pieces based on their mood.

Next, she took pictures of each painting and posted them on her virtual gallery site.

Then she managed to find space for each canvas on the shelves that ran along the wall of the house in her studio, so they could dry.

Thankfully they were out of sight from anyone who passed by her studio.

Finally, she sent an email to Mr. Greer at the art supply store in town to see if her canvas order had arrived.

She just needed to ask someone to bring them to her.

As she sat down, her stomach growled and she realized she’d been in her studio most of the day alone.

No one had bothered her. Usually Mrs. Hart would pop in, but maybe she could see Missy had been focused.

She hadn’t heard or seen Levi either since breakfast. But it wasn’t uncommon for her to block out the world around her when she was in her artistry zone.

As she walked through the first floor, she saw that each room was empty.

She ended up in the kitchen and started to pull out a few things to make a sandwich.

But as she pulled out the bread, the side door opened and Levi walked in.

He’d kicked off his shoes. His shirt was drenched, his face red, and his brow was pebbled with sweat.

He smiled as he sucked in a few deep breaths and walked to the sink.

Without even bothering to get a glass he turned on the faucet and dipped his lips down to drink the water.

She watched, riveted, thinking of how his lips had felt on her mouth the night before, firm but searching.

Finally, he splashed some water on his face and then turned off the faucet and grabbed some paper towels.

“Did you finish your paintings?” he asked, his voice gruff.

“Yes, for today. Did you go for a run?”

He nodded. “I ran into town, visited the batting cages and then ran back.”

“Isn’t that, like, a six-mile roundtrip?” she asked, trying not to get caught checking him out.

He shrugged. “Seven but I needed that.”

“Did you have a good meeting with your agent?”

He moved closer and she stepped back but ran into the island. He stopped a breath away and set each of his hands on the counter behind her. She was caged in, surrounded by him.

“Yes.”

“Do you know where your grandmother is?” she asked. “She usually tells me if she’s going out.”

“It’s card night, at one of her friends’ houses. She said we shouldn’t wait up.” He was studying her mouth but now he moved his face lower to her neck and inhaled her, all the while careful not to touch her.

“I’ve lost track of what day it is,” she said.

“Something must be distracting you. How is your hand feeling? Do you need any more medication?”

“Not yet, but I was getting hungry,” she said, arching toward his hot breath on her neck, unable to resist wanting to get closer to him.

His mouth rewarded her when his lips pressed against her neck and his tongue darted out to taste her skin, leaving a trail of wet kisses over her collarbone.

“This is the perfect time for us to finish our conversation from last night, after you eat,” he said, trailing more kisses up her neck.

She was full-on panting now and lifted her good hand to grip his damp shirt.

Pulling him closer, she took over and kissed him back.

His angular jaw was covered in a days’ worth of scruff and the prickle against her skin enticed her to get closer.

His hands cupped her bottom and he pulled her into him, she could feel the bulge in his thin shorts hard against her hip.

With one hand she pulled at the hem of his T-shirt, moving it up his chest, but it was impossible one-handed. She grunted in frustration.

“Tell me what you want.” His words were gruff as he gripped her face in one hand. He kissed her like he was drowning and she was his last gulp of air.

“I want you to take this shirt off,” she breathed.

He leaned back and easily removed his shirt in one swift movement.

The coiled muscles of his chest were like a masterpiece, on display for her to enjoy.

She ran her hand up his well-defined abs, to trace the tattoo that was drawn on his ribcage, then leaned forward and tasted him before leaving kisses along a path up his throat.

He sucked in a breath. “What else do you want, Little Miss Magic?”

“What magic do I have?”

“Enough to make me wonder what spell you’ve put me under.”

“Hmmm, I like that. I want you to take off the rest of your clothes and mine. Even though I know I shouldn’t.”

“Oh you most definitely should, and I will.”

He began to unbutton her oversized paint-stained shirt to reveal the tank top she’d managed to put on that morning. No bra or thick fabric to hide her hard dark-hued nipples from his view in the sunny kitchen.

“Emm…see? Magic. Your beauty is otherworldly.” His mouth dipped to cover one of her nipples over the fabric of the thin tank top and she was rocked with desire.

“You’re the one using all your talents on me.” She let her shirt fall to the floor. Then worked her one good hand into his hair as his mouth teased her other nipple.

“This is the best conversation I’ve ever had,” Levi said, before his mouth found hers again, and one of his hands slid down the front of her loose-fitted jeans. He cupped her heat, and she could feel the wet pooling before he even really touched her. Her core was throbbing for him.

Then the sound of a car door shutting seeped into the quiet of the world around them.

She moved her hands to his shoulders and then flinched in pain, having forgotten about her injury.

“Damn, who is that?” Levi said, taking her wrists in his hands. “Are you okay?”

She nodded fighting through the pain of her tender hand. Even wrapped in gauze it ached now.

When there was a knock at the front door, Levi picked up her shirt from the floor, and held it open for her to slip back on. Then he did three buttons to cover her back up.

“I bet it’s Brooke, to come check on my hand,” she said.

“I’ll go get the door, but when she leaves, we are going to keep talking,” he said with one more kiss on her mouth.

She watched as he adjusted himself, so it wasn’t obvious what they’d been doing and then strode to the door with his shirt off.

She knew exactly what Brooke would say. And less than a minute later it was confirmed when Brooke walked in with her cheeks tinged pink and she gave Missy the what the heck is he doing walking around shirtless for look.

“Missy, how are you feeling today? Dalton said you were in quite a bit of pain yesterday.”

She greeted Brooke with a big hug. They’d known each other for years.

Brooke had been one of Daria’s best friends, and Daria had married Declan in a whirlwind romance when he’d returned to Sandy Point after the army.

Daria had been like the sister Missy had never had and always needed.

Her death was the first time Missy ever really lost someone who had loved her as much as she loved them.

Then a few years later her Aunt Honey had died, and Missy thought she’d had enough loss to last a lifetime.

Brooke made sure to check in on her in law school and they would get together every time Missy visited home. When she moved back, she made sure to check on Missy even more. Brooke was the only one who knew everything that had happened away at school.

“Yesterday was bad, but actually today I finally painted again, and I haven’t needed the pain meds yet.”

“Well that’s a great sign. The skin healing and regrowth can be slow going and painful when it tightens or gets bumped. So you need to still take all the same precautions and protect this hand.”

“At least I didn’t reinjure it today, but I’ll be honest I’m not looking forward to this cleaning.”

“Do you want to take the meds beforehand?”

“Let’s try it without,” Missy said.

Levi reappeared with a fresh T-shirt on and proceeded to pull out all the supplies Dalton had left for them.

Then he busied himself making a few sandwiches, but once Brooke had Missy’s hand unwrapped and was ready to wash it under the sink, Levi was there to hold her other hand.

It didn’t hurt as much today, but she still gripped his hand tight and appreciated his soothing words of encouragement.

Once the hard part was done, Brooke sat with her at the table and Levi set two glasses of water down, as well as a plate full of sandwich squares and some fruit for them.

“I’m just going to shower while you two finish up,” Levi said and then gave her a wink from behind Brooke’s back.

Once he was gone Brooke stopped focusing on Missy’s hand.

“Um, did I interrupt something when I arrived? I tried texting to let you know I was on my way.”

“No, I was just finishing up with the paint and trying to fix a sandwich.”

“Oh and Levi just walks around sweaty and shirtless to help you out?”

Missy couldn’t help but laugh and blush. “He’d been out for a run and had just gotten back when I was making my lunch.”

“I think he planned on having you for lunch, and I better get outta here fast so you can get back to that. If that’s what you want too?”

Missy sighed. “Doesn’t that sound like a really bad idea?”