Picture Perfect

Chapter Seventeen - Tyler

Enjoy!

Love, Cam

♡

Chapter Seventeen

Tyler

It felt like I was floating through life for the rest of the weekend. I concentrated on painting the giant paintbrush and other hanging sculptures, playing music loudly while I sang along. I probably looked insane to everyone walking past the gallery, but I was having a great time. Every so often, I remembered the kisses, and my stomach would do a few flips.

God, it had been good. At first, during the board games night, I had wondered if I was just imagining the flirting, but Rowan's snickers and pointed comments had made me realise she was teasing him mercilessly over me. When he'd made the comment about giving me whatever I wanted, I'd been unable to fight the billion mental images that went through my head.

Nefarious purposes, indeed. I'd been about two seconds away from utterly caving to my baser instincts and pleading with him to take me to bed, but I'd managed to hold myself back. It hadn't been easy; Elliot holding me with strong arms, and his long, elegant fingers in my hair, and the unmistakeable hard length pressing against my hip as we kissed, making it almost impossible for me to remember how to make a sensible decision.

The only thing that kept me from leaping headfirst into his bed was Saskie. I had to talk to Saskie. And, ideally, Sorcha, because she at least had some experience with romance more recent than that of the last first date I'd been on.

"Daddy!"

I turned around to see Saskie bolting through the front door and straight over to me. It felt like a piece of my soul had been ripped away and I had been waiting for it to come back to me. She leapt into my arms and I squeezed her tightly, breathing out a sigh of relief that I hadn't realised I'd needed.

"I missed you!" she told me, hugging me as hard as a five-year-old could.

"I missed you too, turtlebug," I tried not to well up with tears. It had only been two days, for God's sake; I couldn't cry every time she came home. It was good training for when she inevitably grew up and moved out.

Sorcha cleared her throat loudly, and I held out one of my arms to enclose her in the hug. "Missed you too, Sorcha."

"I guess you've had more practice with me not being around," she teased, and then eyed the drying sculptures. "I hope you haven't just been doing this all weekend. You did get some fresh air occasionally, yes?"

"I went to Rowan and Adam's for board game night," I smiled reassuringly as we all pulled apart.

Sorcha's eyes glittered knowingly. "Elliot there?"

"Yes, and we performed terribly," I replied. "Adam and Rowan won four times, we only managed one."

Saskie was looking exhausted, probably from the travelling, and I suggested, "Hey, how about we all chill out, watch a movie, order some food?"

This was met with cheer from both ladies, and I made sure the sculptures were stable in their little stands to dry before I cleaned and put away the brushes, closing the paint lids. Sorcha took care of taking their bags upstairs and unpacking stuff that needed to go in the laundry while I did so, and Saskie changed into her comfy clothes for the movie.

"What do you fancy for food?" Sorcha asked, as I joined them.

"Happy with whatever," I replied. "Sask?"

"Cheese," was her only response, which gave us a fair range of options to choose from. She chose a cartoon movie that we'd seen before, and settled in to watch it. I knew she'd probably be asleep before it finished, but I'd at least get some food in her first.