Bare Skin: A Billionaire Romance (26 page)
Read Bare Skin: A Billionaire Romance Online
Authors: Leah Holt
Coiling her fingers into mine, her hand disappeared into my palm. “Come here, I want to show you what I just finished.” Her smile brightened, as her hair floated like silk over her shoulder.
Willow walked forward towards the easel in the center of the room. Her hand felt clammy and was trembling against mine. Her fingers twitched under my touch, tapping anxious music across my knuckles.
Is she nervous?
The tick in her fingers was giving away her nerves, even though she was gleaming with a bright gorgeous smile. Her teeth were bared, lips curving up in a high arch. But that twitch was giving me a different sensation.
“Alright, so this is my newest painting. I made it for you, and I wanted to give it to you now before I lose my strength to do it.”
“Do what?” Arching a brow, I jokingly said, “Are you about to propose to me?”
Her usual laugh wasn't there, it was timid and forced out. I watched her spine snap straight, ribs tensing with each breath.
What is going on? Why does she seem so uncomfortable all of a sudden?
“Go check it out.” Her hand tugged me forward, pushing me around to the front of the canvas.
Stepping around the thin wooden frame, I let my eyes engulf an amazing image. Willow's talent was incredible, her ability to capture the world around her in paint, it was jaw- dropping.
Everything she made was full of feeling and emotion. I was always awestruck, falling into her painting and experiencing the picture.
“Wow, Willow, this is incredible.” Scanning the painting, it blew me away.
There was a set of massive hands, perfectly drawn out with every detail. The fingers curled up, small lines braising the knuckles. The huge pair of hands were cupping a small set of feet, crossed over each other.
The tiny feet looked so frail, as if the hands were keeping them safe from the world around them. It was the perfect image of protection, strength, and life.
“You really like it?”
“Are you kidding me? The way you highlighted everything in blue, with the bright white and gray shadows, it's unbelievable.”
“Did you look at the hands?” Her fingers came up and pressed her bottom lip into her teeth.
Leaning in, I let my eyes look more closely at the thick, strong hands. “Yeah, the hands are great, they look so real.”
“No, really look at them. Do you notice anything?”
Squinting my sight, my nose crinkled up intensely. “What am I loo—” My voice lost its sound, falling into loose air. There was a light scar across the middle knuckle, a second scar rode the bridge of the thumb. “Are these my hands?”
Willow nodded, bringing closed fists under her chin, mumbling yes from the back of her throat.
Staring at the image, I took in how much she paid attention to my hands. Every detail was there, the vein that ran over the outside of my palm, the tiny hairs that bristled across each finger.
But what was the meaning? Why did she capture my hands holding such small feet?
What is the reason for this one?
Tiny feet... My hands...
Rolling the thoughts through my head, my heart stopped. All the air in my lungs broke free, rushing out in one heated, long breath.
“Willow... Are you...” I couldn't ask her. The words wouldn't form across my tongue, they sat there dormant, unable to move.
Tears filled her eyes, her smile growing slowly across her jaw. “I'm pregnant.”
My eyes grew to the size of the moon, every muscle in my body burned with a deep seeded fear.
I'm going to be a father.
Holy shit, I'm going to be a father.
But then that fear transformed, the burn turning into an intoxicating excitement. My heart that had stopped, suddenly burst with drumming thuds, the rhythmic pulse fueling my veins with boiling tremors.
“You're having a baby, we're having a baby. Willow, we're having a baby.” Lunging forward, I scooped her tightly into my arms. “We're having a baby!”
Willow released a heavy breath, the gush exploding out as if she'd been holding her breath for minutes. “We're having a baby, Kash.”
Cupping her face in my palms, I drove my lips firmly onto hers. Slipping my fingers over her shoulders, I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her up.
And we kissed, a long, passionate, love-filled kiss.
Forever I had thought I wasn't worthy of bringing life into this world, that my faults and past wouldn't allow me that type of love.
A child needed love, guidance, a role model. And with what happened... How could I ever give that to a baby?
But now, none of that mattered. My mistakes didn't define me, my mistakes didn't rule my life anymore.
I was going to be a dad, we were going to bring a new life into the world,
together.
And when the fear had subsided and the excitement took hold, I realized that my life that was already perfect, just got even better.
Together we would raise this baby, together we would cherish and love this child.
Because together, we were perfect.
Willow was my heart, she was my love.
And this baby, this baby would always have the same.
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G
rowing up in a small town with little to offer, Leah Holt's imagination was able to run wild. She loves to write romance with intense alpha guys, the ones we all desire but dare not admit to. Who doesn't love a bad boy riddled with muscles and tattoos?
Having limited opportunities in life, writing has become an outlet for her to let out all of the dirty, forbidden thoughts inside of her head.
If you want to chat with her, you can email
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