“You’re…amazing. That’s all. I’m just afraid…”

“Of what?”

“That you’ll see I’m a talentless hack next to you.”

“No two artists are the same.”

“Yeah, but some have talent, and others don’t.”

“If you enjoy art, you probably have talent. You wouldn’t do it otherwise. But that doesn’t even matter. I told you I won’t look if you don’t want me to.”

“You wouldn’t even be the slightest bit curious?”

I laughed. “I didn’t say that.”

The edge of jealousy was still there. I didn’t want Charlie flying off with my big brother tomorrow. But something dawned on me. How easily I laughed when I was in her company.

I’d laughed more in the last couple days than I had in years.

It felt good. Damned good.

“So you do want to see it.”

“Of course I want to see it! I’m an artist. I love art. I love looking at art.”

“Makes sense.”

“But I won’t look if you don’t want me to. Please, Charlie. Paint. Be an artist. Be true to yourself.”

She smiled again.

Then she began mixing colors.

“Okay.” She set down her palette. “Done. For now. Some of it needs to dry before I continue.”

I nodded. “All right.”

Watercolor wasn’t a medium I used a lot because of that very thing. I tended to like immediate results. I didn’t have the patience to let something dry before I moved on.

She rubbed at a few marks on her forearms. “Nice thing about watercolor. It’s a lot easier to clean up than oils.”

“True.”

I walked toward her, consciously avoiding looking at her work, though I had to force myself.

Honestly? I didn’t care if the portrait sucked. I cared that she painted it.

But I’d promised I wouldn’t look, so I didn’t.

I pulled her away from the easel and pressed my lips to hers. “How did it feel? How did it feel to have a brush in your hand again?”

She closed her eyes. “It was…heavenly.”

“It’s a part of you, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It works through me.”

“Charlie. Silver. Those are the words of an artist.” I kissed her again. “Come with me.”

I led her through my bedroom to the small bathroom and turned on the shower. “Just rinse off.”

Her eyes widened. “Aren’t you going to join me?”

I smiled. “If you insist.”

We undressed quickly and walked under the warm pelting water. I eased her hair out of her ponytail and then ran my fingers through it as it got wet.

My cock had jutted out in a full erection. Naked Charlie did that for me. Actually, it had been straining against my jeans during the entire sitting.