Chapter 8

The paint dried quickly, not smudging or distorting if Mhairi accidentally caught a patch she didn’t mean to. Several times I ran my finger over it, expecting it to feel strange, but it was only slightly rougher than my normal skin. Whoever had designed this paint had done a good job.

It was only as Mhairi knelt to continue the design downwards from my stomach that either of us hesitated. Her cheeks flushed briefly as she brought the paintbrush down, creating a branch that travelled down my sex.

Looking away, I hoped I wasn’t doing the same, but it was a vain hope. My face grew hotter as she continued to paint.

She was just reaching my thighs as my bedroom door flew open again and Yaru strode in, moving his bulk at an impressive speed. Struggling to keep up was a mouse-like man, a pencil goatee barely covering what would have been a weak chin.

Yaru’s eyes went straight to Mhairi. Immediately, he frowned.

“I had hoped you’d be further along than this by now,” he said, coming right up. “