The Muse's Undoing

“Not your brother, you mean?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

“Newsflash, princess, you haven’t stopped touching me since we walked in here. Everyone already assumes we’re fucking.”

“Well, they’re technically all wrong, then.”

The car ride to the Bronx is challenging. All I want to do is stare at Matthew. Okay, obviously that’s not all I want to do, but it’s the thing I can’t stop myself from doing. He reclines in the seat beside me, his legs spread, and his face turned toward me. My hand is resting on top of his in the middle of the bench seat, and we graze each other’s fingers with our fingertips. It’s erotic as fuck.

His eyes hood, his breaths deepen, his throat moves, and every now and then, he wets his lips in the sexiest way I’ve ever seen. Matthew’s always been beautiful, but he hasn’t always been this hot. Or maybe he was masking it around me. Not allowing me to see this side of him, which makes me wonder if he knows how powerful it is.

I mean, he probably does. It’s not like he’s ever lacked for a hook-up. Or a muse. “Do I inspire you?” I ask as we leave Harlem.

“Always.”

“How’s that?”

“I have to explain inspiration to you?”

“Explain how it works for you.”

“I’m not sure I can.”

“Try.”

“Do you ever have a thought that feels like it doesn’t belong to you?” he asks.

“Like just a random thought?”

He nods.

“Sure.”

“Okay, so it’s like that plus—and what if.”

“Give me an example.”

“I’ll give you an example when you get to the loft and see the piece.”

“Who inspired the piece?” I ask.

“An artist never reveals their inspiration.”

He’s so full of shit, and I love it. “Do the muses make you sign an NDA?”

He smiles. “I don’t do paperwork.”

“I wanna kiss you,” I murmur.

“Kiss me, then.”

I wish I had the nerve, but I don’t. Not in an Uber.

We keep staring in silence until I get snagged on another thought. “If I’m not doing it for you at any point, just fake it, okay?”

His face breaks in a laugh. He lifts my hand off the seat and kisses my knuckles. “Listen, if you’re nervous, you’re not the only one.”

“I just don’t know how it’s gonna work.”