Barber Shop Ink: Always Blue in Memphis

by Penny Blush

  “Hedge, answer me,” I demanded.

  She was straddling that damn saddle stool, having unzipped both of the thigh length golden zippers to the top of her thighs making it easier to sit in that insanely tight skirt. The red leather gaped open exposing her silk covered legs all the way up to the lace tops of her stockings. Her posture was straight but relaxed as she wielded the black onyx blades of her straight razor, which she had pressed against the man's throat.

  “Memphis baby, you need to watch your tone with me,” her eyes remained fixed on her work, her tone light but serious.

  I put the coffees and the bag of pastries down on the reception desk. I hadn't moved from the reception desk. It was safer for everyone if I stayed where I was until I figured out what the hell was going on.

  "Baby Girl, you better start talking."

  Then I caught movement in the window from the corner of my eye. Growling, I stomped over to the window dropping the shade, disappointed cries from the bastards standing outside rumbled through the blind covered glass.

  Too fucking bad, Hedge is mine, and I don't share.

  The sound of the toilet flushing at the back of the shop caught my attention. I turned and saw a heavily pregnant woman in maternity scrubs waddled out.

  “I swear, this kid enjoys tap-dancing on my bladder,” she laughed climbing into the other barber chair remaining in the shop. “Looking good my love," she said to the man in the chair. "When you're finished we are going home, having a shower, you’re feeding me and then putting my giant whale-sized ass into bed. I plan on sleeping until this kid is born,” she smiled contentedly rubbing her belly. “Oh hello,” she said only just noticing that I was standing there.

  Hedge stood, the flap of red leather between the two open zippers falling, covering her exposed legs save for a hint of black lace. She checked the lines of the man’s jaw making sure that the line she had been razoring was straight.

  "That …" she said indicating with a flick of the black blade in my direction, "… giant, hairy, moody mountain man, is my boss and constant pain in my ass," she smiled winking at me.

  I growled low in my throat in response.

  “Fine, spoilsport,” she rolled her midnight blues at me. “Memphis Blue this is Jenson Beckon and his wife Mary, an old friend of mine."

  "Who are you calling old?" Jenson asked winking at her.

  “You know what I mean. We have been friends forever, not that you’re old,” she gave him an eye roll.

  Great! So now I felt like a real asshole.

  After a round of hello’s Hedge announced, “Jenson, buddy you’re done,” she removed the cape, brushed off his shoulders, telling him to stand still while she makes quick work of sweeping the hair on the floor away.

  “Thanks, kid, I feel like a new man,” Jenson said giving her a bear-hug.

  “Not a problem,” she hugged him back and then waved him off as he reached for his wallet. “Jenson, your family you know I won’t take your money,” she scolded, moving to Mary to say goodbye.

  “So, you and the Kid hey?” Jenson asked, dropping the bills he had offered to Hedge into the tip jar on the reception desk.

  “Erhum,” I mumbled the noncommittal reply.

  “You know if you hurt her…”

  I clasped a hand on his shoulder, "Buddy get in line," I smirked, "It's a long freaking line."

  “Jax is first?” Jenson smirked

  "Yup."

  "Good, but so that you know…"

  I cut him off, "I know, I should consider myself warned."

  Jenson gave me a look that projected the threat that he was thinking, then nodded, holding his hand out for me to shake.

  “Daddy, Mumma needs help,” Mary called holding her hands out for her husband.

  “Come on Mumma Bear let's get you home."

  After another round of goodbyes and hugs, I walked Mary and Jenson out the back door as Hedge finished cleaning up. I locked the back door and turned to find Hedge standing on the bottom step leading to her apartment sliding the zips back down on her skirt.

  “Come with me," she said turning, ascending the stairs. The red leather of her skirt hugged the curve of her ass, her hips swaying seductively with each step. No words were spoken, the only sound was the click of her heels on the wooden steps and the soft clunk of her door unlocking. She held the door open for me as I walked inside.

  "Sit," she pointed to the couch. "Stay," she added as I sat.

  Her footsteps disappeared back down the stairs. I sat in the still quiet of her living room, the peace drawing my exhaustion out. What I wouldn’t give for a decent night’s sleep. I sunk down on the cushions, laying my head on the back of the couch, closing my eyes contemplating my own stupidity. Once again, my mouth and, jumping to conclusions had gotten me into trouble.

  The smell of coffee wafting up to my nostrils made me open my eyes. Hedge was sitting on the coffee table in front of me a coffee cup on one side of her, the bag of pastries on the other. She was leaning forward her elbow resting on her knees, holding a coffee out to me. I must have fallen asleep, either that or she's stealthy like a ninja. I didn't even hear her return, not the rustle of the paper bag that held the pastries, or the scrape of pulling the coffee cups out of the cardboard cup carrier.

  "You look like you need this," she said as I took the coffee.

  She picked up her cup, and I watched as she brought the lid of the cup to her cherry red painted lips, taking a sip. I watched her throat shifting as she swallowed. A smear of lipstick left behind on the rim of the lid. Her eyes never left mine. She sat watching me, studying me, her gaze intense.

  "I am going to ask you some questions, and you are going to sit there and listen," she said quietly.

  “Hedge I ….” She raised her hand cutting me off, the slow shake of her head let me know I should not be speaking. "No, you don't get to talk. I will speak, and you will listen. I am going to ask you some questions, and you can answer with a nod for yes or a head shake for no. Do you understand?"

  “Hedge just let me ….” Again, she raised her hand stopping me mid-sentence.

  “Do you, understand?”

  Growling at her extreme bossiness, I nodded.

  "I will ask you some questions. You will sit there and answer and not move, is that clear?"

  She was sitting in front of me covered in red leather and black silk, looking me dead in the eye, making demands, with a soft low, authoritative voice and it made me hard. I don't think I have ever been so hard. If it were anyone else, I would have told them where they could shove their orders and that they could kiss my ass as I headed to the door. But this was Hedge, and at this point, I would give her whatever she wanted. I nodded.

  “Excellent. Good boy.”

  “Do you think the way you behaved downstairs was acceptable?”

  The questioning had begun.

  The way I behaved? What about the way that she behaved? I mean she was… She was… She was giving her friends a haircut. Yep, I’m an asshole. But she was the one who had the crowd gathered ‘cos she was showing so much fucking leg!

  She raised an eyebrow at me waiting for my answer. I had a feeling she knew exactly, what was going through my mind.

  I shook my head.

  “Do you think it’s acceptable that after the last few months, after what happened in the shadows under the stairs, after the conversation that we had in my bed, for you to snarl at any other man that I happen to be speaking to?” She paused giving time for her words to sink in

  “I didn’t snarl," I said under my breath.

  Hedge raised an eyebrow at me, challenging me to argue. Yeah okay, so I may have snarled a little.

  I shook my head.

  “Have you seen me come storming in starting a vagina war because you were speaking to another woman?”

  I couldn’t help the smile breaking across my face, as I tried not to laugh while mouthing ‘Vagina War’?

  "The female version of a pissing contest, now answe
r the question."

  I shook my head.

  She sat watching me for a moment longer before her expression changed and mischief danced in her eyes.

  “Memphis, do you like me?”

  What sort of question, was that?!

  I nodded.

  “Do you want to spend time with me?”

  I nodded.

  “Do you want to … Kiss me?” her voice had gone all breathy

  I nodded.

  She ran her palms down her thighs capturing the pull tab of both golden zippers. “Memphis do you want me to undo these zippers?”

  I nodded emphatically as she oh, so slowly slid the zippers open. The golden teeth were separating to reveal her silk and lace covered thighs. On the one hand, I desperately wanted to ask her if this game was over so that I could pull her onto my lap and kiss the daylights out of her. On the other hand; I was having way too much fun.

  “Memphis, do you want to see what’s under my skirt? Do you want to see me naked?”

  “Hedge,” I growled, leaning forward elbows on my knees, officially done playing her game.

  Hedge stood, pushing me back into my seat, she ran her palms up the opening made by the zippers, as she slowly stepped backwards.

  "Well maybe when you learn to stop acting like a possessive jerk you'll be able to," she smirked raising a challenging eyebrow.

  It took half a second for her words to register and for me to act. I sprung off the couch as she squealed, turning on her spiked heels taking off towards the bedroom. She could run, but I was faster. I caught her around the waist halting her half-ass attempt to escape, little Red leather wearing Riding-hood trying to out run the big bad werewolf.

  “And just where do you think you’re going?” I asked dropping my voice making it rumble, through my chest. I leant down kissing along her neck to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

  “Away from you!” she squealed in laughter as I spun her around throwing her over my shoulder.

  “Mmmmm, this ass," my voice thundered, and I couldn't help smacking, her plump red leather clad ass that was in the air.

  “Memphis put me down,” she squealed and laughed as her tiny fists pounded on my back.

  I lowered her down the front of my body, unnecessarily slowly both of us moaning as her body slid against mine. Her dark midnight blue eyes smouldered with heat and lust. I moved in slowly like I was going to kiss her, her eyes slowly closing in anticipation, at the last moment I changed direction kissing her shoulder making her gasp. I continued my lazy trail of kisses across the top of her shoulder to the spot where her shoulder met her neck. I lightly grazed my teeth across her skin, and clutching at my bicep she whispered my name tilting her head to the side to expose the delicate line of her neck.

  “Baby you're teasing me again,” her voice low and husky. “Unless you’re planning on making sure that this little game ends happily, you need to stop,” she groaned as I lightly licked and kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear.

  “Baby Girl, there is nothing that is going to stop this.”

  "You've stopped us before."

  “Baby Girl I mean it, never again,” I smashed my lips against hers, our tongues feverously fighting, tasting, claiming, owning. I mumbled against her lips, "the world could be on fire, I could have a gun to my head, and I wouldn't stop this." I eventually broke the kiss, stepping back. It was now my turn to be in charge. "Now…" I smirked at her, "… Sit."

  I gently pushed her shoulders, just hard enough for her to lose her balance causing her to fall backwards, lightly bouncing on the bed.

  “Memphis,” she warned.

  "Baby Girl, you don't get to talk. I will speak, and you will listen."

  I couldn't help but smile at her put-out reaction to having her words used against her. I stepped forward using my boot toe to gently kick her feet apart. Then nudging her knees apart, I took a long hungry look at her beautiful, black silk and lace covered legs. With her sitting on the edge of the bed and me standing, her eyeline was level with my thick hard cock. She licked her cherry red lips raising a questioning eyebrow at me. I shook my head, as much as she wanted my cock and as much as I wanted her to have it, this was my turn. I wanted something more, and I was going to get it.

  Holding her gaze, I dropped to my knees in front of her placing my hands on her knees. Falling Back on my haunches, I took a moment to look at her sitting on the bed like a goddess seated on a throne.

  My goddess.

  I started to move forward, but she stopped me by placing the spiked heel of her boot on my chest. With both the thigh zippers of her skirt undone, the red leather centre panel fell between her legs blocking the view of my prize but exposing more of her delectable legs.

  “Stop right there Memphis Blue,” she ordered digging the heel into my chest a little harder. “What do you think you are doing?”

  Sliding my hand around the outside of her ankle, I lifted her leg off my chest kissing the inside of her ankle, then resting it on my shoulder. I kissed her calf looking her in the eye.

  “Apologising.”

  Chapter 24 Hedge

  Have you ever had one of those moments where you know, you can just tell that something is different? That there is something extra special about a particular moment in time that makes you think, that out of all other occasions, this is the one you need to pay attention to and document. That this is the one moment in time that you need to save. You can feel that this event is going to be so monumental that you wish time would just stop and you wish that someone could take a picture and capture the moment. That you wish that you'd be able to preserve it all - everything you see, taste, touch, smell and feel. Keeping the moment safe, protected and locked away so every once in a while, you can take the picture out and just through looking at the image, you can relive the moment?

  That was this moment.

  Memphis, big, beautiful, sexy as fuck Memphis Blue was on his knees in front of me. His beautiful opposing coloured eyes were looking at me like he was a starving man and I was being served up as his last meal. An animalistic growl rumbled up his chest, a sexy werewolf eyeing off the biggest, juiciest piece of steak he had ever seen.

  He does that a lot around me, growl. I'm not going to lie; I love it. It's a deep low rumbling sound that I feel all the way into the depths of my soul. It's a manly, alpha, possessive tone that turns me into a puddle and sets me on fire at the same time. It makes me want to dress up elegantly and go somewhere fancy where I can show him off saying, "back-off ladies he's mine," but at the same time, it makes me want to stay at home and slow dance with him in the kitchen as we cook each other dinner.

  It felt like excitement, passion, safety, comfort, home and, love and It scared the shit out of me.

  I sat on the end of my bed, with my legs slightly parted. The twin golden zippers that ran down both my legs were open high up on my thighs, exposing the lace tops of my stockings. The flap of buttery soft cherry red leather, hung between my open knees, covering the delicate black lace of my panties.

  Memphis, kneeling in front of me, looking all delicious, with possessive heat in his eyes, like he was going to devourer me, made my heart race and my panties wet. He shifted forward, attempting to place his hands on my knees.

  He had acted like a child earlier. A cranky child whose favourite toy had been picked up by someone else and in my house, naughty boys do not get rewarded for throwing a tantrum. I raised my leg, placing the spiked heel of my boot on his chest, over his heart, stopping him from getting any closer.

  “Stop right there, Memphis Blue,” I ordered, putting as much authority as possible in my voice. He smirked at me. I raised an eyebrow at him in response, digging my boot heel into his chest a little harder. “What, do you think you are doing?” I asked, leaning forward slightly, pushing my heel in further still.

  Memphis slid the powerful fingers of his large hand, slowly around the outside of my ankle, sending tingles straight to my core. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he
lifted my boot off his heart. His stunning dual coloured eyes sparkled, a slow smile raising the corner of his mouth as he rested my boot on his shoulder. His warm, soft lips kissed the inside of my ankle, making my heart jump.

  “Apologising,” he whispered, his voice a soft low rumble, making me shiver.

  “Do you know what you are apologising for?” I asked my voice breathy.

  He kissed my ankle again, his strong hand gently massaging my calf, making muscles that I didn't know were tense instantly relax.

  "For being a dick …" he replied, his lips moving against my leg as he spoke before he kissed me again. "…For unintentionally disrespecting you." He kissed my calf again; his fingers never ceased their ministrations as he slid his hand up towards my knee. "For upsetting my beautiful Baby Girl."

  The way he said, ‘Baby Girl’ made me shiver; my heart simultaneously exploding with joy and melting with need.

  "And are you, Memphis?" I asked, momentarily distracted by the kiss he placed on the inside of my knee. I sighed as he used his broad shoulders to push my thighs further apart, my leg sliding off his shoulder. "Are you sorry Memphis?"

  “So, very sorry, beautiful girl,” he whispered, kissing the naked flesh above the lace top of my stocking.

  “And you’re going to make it up to me?” I whimpered, “H… How?”

  Memphis took his time, trailing his fingers along the line of lace on my legs, considering his words. He slowly undid the remaining zipper on my left leg, pushing aside the cherry leather exposing my sheer black lace, cheeky style panties. He leant into me, my knees sliding to either side of his hips as he began gently kissing my lips. His hands slid over my hips to my ass.

  "Like this,” was all he said. He dragged me to the very edge of the bed, causing me to fall back onto the mattress.

  "Memphis," I moaned, my back arching off the bed as his large hands spread my legs wider so that his large body could fit in between them.

  Memphis skimmed his hands up my body, making me moan again. He growled as his large hands ran over the swell of my breasts, the boning in my black, vest style, corset top preventing him from pulling it down.