The Make-Up Artist: Part 2

Chapter Nineteen: The Confession

As you stand with your back pressed against the door, you begin to notice a feeling that's even worse than your impending embarrassment. That would be the pain emanating from your foot. You look down at it to see that your big toe is already turning a slight shade of blue and your toenail looks a bit gnarled. Great. You try to take a step and realize just how bad it actually is when the pain shoots like needles through your entire foot. Hobbling away from the door, you make your way over to Taron's bed and collapse down onto it. Pulling your foot up slowly to balance it on the thigh of your other leg, you release the buckle on your boot and carefully peel it off your foot. OUCH. Peering down at your toe, you barely register that the shower has turned off and the bathroom door is creaking open.

"Everything ok?" You hear Taron's voice call from the other side of the room. You are still examining your maimed toe when you glance over at him to find him standing in the middle of the room, a towel draped loosely around his hips and his body still dripping wet. Good Lord. You pull your eyes away from him immediately.

"Geez Taron. Maybe put some clothes on?" You ask, hoping that your cheeks aren't as red as they feel.

"Sorry", he says chuckling. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be in my room." You stare back over at him blankly.

"Um, you were the one that booked adjoining rooms", you retort condescendingly.

"I know, I'm just teasing", he says then glances down at your foot that you're still cradling. "What happened?"

"I stubbed my friggin toe", you answer, looking back down at it. Taron crosses the room immediately and is by your side in seconds. As he peers down at your foot, the proximity of his half naked wet body next to you is almost too much, and you lean away slightly to catch your breath.

"Oh, you really did. That looks kinda bad", he says as he leans over you to study your toe. The water from his hair drips down onto the floor as he moves to sit across from you on the bed and reaches out to take your foot in his hands. The wet warmth of his palms on your skin gives you a sudden chill and you have to stop yourself from physically shivering at his touch. You glance up at him to see tiny droplets of water still clinging to his lashes, his hair tousled and wet, his skin shimmering. And... he smells fucking amazing. You involuntarily lick your lips then catch yourself and force yourself to focus. Get a grip.

"Taron it's fine, just go get dressed", you say as you pull your foot from his grasp and start to rise from the bed. You feel the need to get away from him before you say or do anything you'll regret later. However, the sudden rush of blood to your foot causes the pain to surge even more and when you try to put weight on it, you nearly crumple to the ground. Taron is quick as he stands abruptly and catches your arms before you can fall. Your hands go instinctively to his shoulders to steady yourself and as you grasp the dampened bare skin, you suck in a breath at his intimate closeness.

"It's not fine", he says in a voice three octaves lower than before which makes your pulse do overtime. You look slowly up into his eyes which turns out to be a mistake when you see dark pools of emerald residing there. Taron stares down at you for only a moment before clearing his throat and for once, he's the one to release you, but not all the way. He backs his body away from yours, but then lowers you back down into a sitting position on the bed and carefully lifts your leg to stretch it out onto the mattress. Once he has you settled, he releases you fully and backs up about a foot from the bed. "I'm going to go get dressed and then get you some ice. Don't move", he instructs while staring down at you, his body still looming a bit too close, his heat radiating toward you in waves.

"Ok", you all but squeak, then watch him turn and grab his bag and retreat back into the bathroom. You let out your breath in a whoosh and feel a bit of the pain release with it. He returns moments later wearing baggy sweats and a hoodie. "Is that what you're going out in?" You ask as you watch him cross the room to sit and pull on some sneakers.