Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 123672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Meeting her gaze, I nod as my blood pumps just a little bit faster. “Let’s do it.”
29
KYAH
A thrill shoots through me as I transfer the stencil onto Alex’s skin. I’ve been playing around with this design for over six months, always making slight adjustments until it was perfect. I never really had a plan for it, but now that I see it stenciled across Alex’s chest, I could never turn back.
It looks incredible on him, and the fact that it’s my design that he’s allowing to be permanently tattooed onto his skin somehow makes it better. I knew he was screwing with me when he first walked into High Voltage Ink. All he wanted was a moment of my time to try and figure out where my head was, and I stand by what I said—I’m terrified of getting too close to him. My new stalker friend might have eliminated the whole Mason Ledger threat, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not a threat in himself. I don’t know what he would do if he knew there was a man in my life, and the idea of Alex getting hurt because I couldn’t control myself around him has haunted me for the past two days.
Not to mention, Viper is starting to become an issue. It was fun at first, a little innocent flirting here and there, but things are shifting with him, and I don’t like it. It makes me nervous. Viper isn’t the kind of man to hold back because something is right or wrong. He does what he wants and doesn’t care about the fall out, and I can see he’s growing impatient, especially now that Crew is gone.
With Alex ready to go, I sit back down on my rolling stool and get comfortable, trying not to focus on the way his abs seem to stare at me, demanding attention, and his deep V begging me to run my fingers across it.
These next few hours are going to be challenging.
The new guy took off twenty minutes ago and as the clock ticks closer to seven, I see Big Jim starting to pack up his things. I hadn’t planned a late night tonight. Hell, I specifically kept my schedule clear so I could enjoy a night off, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now.
Reaching for my tattoo gun, I lean in toward Alex, and just as I place my gloved hand over his chest, he blanches. “Ahh fuck. Okay,” he says, taking a deep breath. “Before you start, there’s something you should know.”
“Like what?” I say, my tattoo gun hovering over his chest.
“Shit, Mace. This is embarrassing. I’ve been trying to play it off and keep my cool, but now that the gun is right there, I gotta let you know,” he says, swallowing hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “I’m like . . . deathly afraid of needles. Like, shit my pants type of phobia.”
I grin wide, taking in the absolute fear in his eyes and loving every second of it. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t laugh at my misery.”
“Oh, it’s way too late for that,” I tell him, unable to wipe the grin off my face. “I’m going to be laughing about this for the next year. But do you need me to stop? It’s not too late to back out now.”
“Hell no. We’re doing this,” he tells me. “Now that I’ve seen that design, I’ve gotta have it. Besides, I’ve always wanted to cover myself in tatts but have never had the balls to face the tattoo gun, but now that it’s in your hand and I’m desperate to look tough, my ego won’t let me give up. Plus, I don’t think you’ll ever let me live it down if I were to bitch out.”
“You’re damn right about that,” I tell him, meeting his gaze. “You just need something else to focus on.”
“Like what?” he murmurs.
Taking his hand, I drop it down off the chair and to my thigh. “I’ll make you a deal,” I tell him. “Every time you start thinking about your fear of needles, I’ll let you slide your hand just a little higher up my thigh. And for every time you overcome it and start to relax, I’ll lose a piece of clothing.”
His brow arches just as I hear Big Jim hurry up with his things, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to get out of here as fast as he can. My gaze lifts, and I watch as he scurries out of here, stopping by the front door to glance back at me, a clear warning in his eyes that says, don’t fuck this asshole in my shop.
I grin wide, and Big Jim shakes his head, realizing his warning is lost on me, and as he walks out and locks the door behind him, I turn my attention back to Alex, turning on the gun in my hand. “What do you say?” I ask, watching as his eyes widen, gaping at the gun. “Do we have a deal?”