Skin Deep

by Alicia White

  “I’ll think about it more,” he said.

  “Complete honesty. Tell me what you’re thinking,” Nicholas fired back, and Damon wasn’t sure he really wanted to say anything about what had happened with Selene the night before.

  “I’m not sure how I feel about sharing Selene. I’ve loved her since we met. I was her first, and I want to be her last. This whole dynamic, I’m not sure she would even be okay with it.” He was honest, but he didn’t tell him everything he was thinking.

  “I appreciate your honesty. Thank you. I don’t want to share Selene with just any man who is interested. I want to share her with you, a man who loves her and cares about what happens to her. I know that she has a tough appearance, and I wasn’t sure how to approach her at first. The more intimate we got, the more I realized how much she needs to be told what to do. She’s a beautiful woman and completely submissive. I think this would be a great relationship for her. She gets to have you and me.” Damon knew the truth behind his words. Selene definitely loved to be told what to do, especially during sex. The question remained, would she want to be with them both?

  “I’m assuming you have a plan. How are you going to introduce her to this lifestyle? What makes you think that she’ll actually want both of us? It might be too much for her.” Damon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned farther back, propping his legs out. He wanted to look relaxed, but he felt anxious. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to confront Selene and have this particular conversation. How many women wanted to be shared? Didn’t women prefer to be in a one-on-one relationship?

  “The only way my plan will work is if you’re on board with this. Take some time to think about it. When you’re ready to move forward, then we’ll talk. I know that she loves you, and I know that she cares about me. She won’t need to choose between us. She can have us both.” Nicholas pushed himself off the glass and walked to the door, opening it.

  Damon stood up and walked out of the room, going toward the garage where the car was parked. He moved slowly, thinking about all the possibilities. He wanted to talk to Selene and ask her some questions before he made his decision and got on board with Nicholas. Now that their conversation was over, the silence no longer felt uncomfortable. He opened the driver’s door, got in, and headed back to the Olympus.

  When Nicholas got out of the car, Damon turned in his seat and made eye contact. He only nodded since he couldn’t seem to find the words. Nicholas closed the door and walked back into the casino. Another security guard took his place, so Damon got out and headed to see Selene. He just needed a few minutes to talk to her so that he would be able to complete his shift.

  Damon felt uncertain for the first time in a long time. When he reached the front door, he stopped himself from going in to see her. The place was busy. He looked through the window and found Selene with her back toward him. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she was leaning over, working on a tattoo on some guy’s forearm. He didn’t want to interrupt her work, so he stepped back and went back to the security office. He planned to talk to her later, though.

  Chapter 6

  Selene’s head pounded. She sat up and stretched out her back, wishing her day would end soon. She quickly walked to the back room and grabbed two gel caps and her water bottle, swallowing them instantly. She had been thinking about Damon all day, wondering why he hadn’t come by to check on her. He usually did whenever he was working. She sat down in one of the chairs, tuning out the music and the loud conversations. She felt tired, but mostly she was worried that her relationship with Damon would be changed forever.

  She had also been thinking about Mr. Nicholas Elias, the owner of the Olympus casino and her official boss all day, and that annoyed her. He had been coming into the shop for so long, and she knew next to nothing about him. They always flirted, and she was actually interested in him. Finding out who he was, she felt more used than the moment after they had in the private room. She was still trying to figure out if she could pawn him off on another tattoo artist. Maybe she could call in sick the day of his appointment and send someone in her place? Eventually, though, they would end up running into each other. She just hoped it wasn’t anytime soon.

  “Selene…your appointment’s here.” Lexi’s voice grabbed her attention, and she stood up and walked out of the empty employee area to the loud shop. She just needed to get through the day, and then she could go home and take a nap. Selene headed to the front counter and saw her client standing there with a huge smile.

  “Hey. I’m Selene.” She stuck her hand out and her client, a petite blonde, shook her hand in return.

  “Hi. I’m Blair.” Her voice was soft, and she acted shy.

  “So, what kind of tattoo are you wanting today?” Selene put her hands on the counter and waited patiently as the girl pulled a picture out of her purse. She opened the paper and laid it on the counter. Selene studied the lines. It was simple tattoo of three puzzle pieces that were fit together to create a perfect circle.

  “Where did you want to put this?” Selene watched the girl step back from the counter. She pointed at her left hip.

  “Okay. Why don’t you come on back?” Selene decided to take her to one of the private rooms since she was going to have to pull her pants down. She didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable in front of everyone. “Go ahead and relax. I’ll just be gone a few minutes.” Selene went to make a stencil of the picture and knew that while she was gone, Lexi or one of the other assistants would be readying her area.

  Selene walked back into the room, stencil in hand and ready to start. This tattoo wouldn’t take long, and she planned on taking a break and getting some food. “I’m going to need you to push your pants down and show me exactly where you want this.” The girl blushed, and Selene wanted to laugh or at least try to put her at ease. She had done so many different tattoos on so many different parts of the body. It wasn’t that big of a deal to her anymore.

  Blair climbed off the table and pushed her pants down, climbed back on and lay on her side, exposing the area where she wanted the ink. Selene coated her skin in antiseptic before putting the stencil on her. She peeled off the paper, watching as a perfect outline stayed on her hip.

  “Does that look like the right spot? Once I start, I can’t change where it’s at,” Selene told her.

  “Yeah. It’s perfect.” She gave her a shaky smile, and Selene grabbed a clean pair of gloves. She surveyed all her supplies and then grabbed the tattoo gun. She pumped the foot pedal listening to the small motor buzz.

  “Okay. Ready?” When Blair nodded, she continued, “Outline first.” Another small nod. Selene usually liked talking to her clients. It helped them to concentrate on something other than the pain, and it made the time go faster for her. She hoped this didn’t turn into a silent client.

  “Does this tattoo mean anything?” That was always the first question. She always wondered why people put certain pictures or designs on their skin. She hoped that they did have some sort of significance.

  “Um…well, yeah it does.” Her voice sounded a little shaky, and Selene wondered if she was embarrassed or if the pain level was too much for her. The outline wasn’t taking long, and she knew this tattoo would be done quick.

  “Do you want to tell me?” She wiped her skin and made eye contact, trying to read her.

  “Each puzzle piece represents a person, and together it makes them whole.”

  “That sounds interesting. Is it your family?” Selene finished with the outline and wiped her skin. She added more gel and moved to work on filling it in.

  “Yeah. Me and my husbands.” Her voice came out a whisper, and Selene stopped to make sure she heard her correctly.

  “What? I’m sorry, I thought you said husbands as in plural.” She shook her head, thinking that maybe she was a little too tired.

  “I did.”

  “You have two men? Wow! I’m seriously impressed, maybe even a little jealous.” Selene went back to work filling in the puzzle pieces and think
ing how amazing it would be to have two men. Although, she realized then she would have two times the drama.

  “They don’t know I’m here. I thought it would be nice to get something that signifies all of us.” Her client relaxed a bit more, and Selene wondered if she had just been nervous about revealing her secret.

  “How does a relationship like that work?” She knew it wasn’t any of her business, and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to ask the question, but it was out of her mouth before she stopped herself.

  “It wasn’t planned.” She giggled, and Selene looked at her face, she was smiling broadly and looked really happy. “I went to The Club. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it. Anyway, I met Ashton first, and we went on a few dates before he introduced me to his brother Eli. I knew instantly that I wanted to have them both. I was attracted them equally. I’m just glad that they both wanted me and that I didn’t have to choose.”

  Selene finished the tattoo and rubbed some cream on it. She let Blair’s words float through her mind and wondered if it really was that easy. She wanted to ask more questions but kept them to herself. She had heard of The Club, a few of the tattoo artists were members, but they made it seem more like a BDSM thing than anything else, and of course, she never asked any questions.

  “Go ahead and take a look.” While Blair got off the table and walked to the mirror to inspect her work, Selene started cleaning up. She took the needles out of the machine and disposed of them in the sharps container. She took off her gloves and threw them away. She knew she had more to do but decided to wait until after her client left.

  “It’s perfect. Thanks.”

  “I’m glad you like it. They’ll give you an instruction sheet and some cream at the front desk.” Selene walked out of the room and gave Blair a moment to straighten her clothes. When she walked out of the room, Selene walked her back to the counter where Lexi was waiting.

  “Thanks, Selene. Have a good day.” She gave her a brilliant smile, and Selene shook her hand once more. She turned and went back to the room, knowing that she needed to clean up before she went on her break. She only had a few more hours left. If she could just get through the day, then maybe she could talk to Damon and fix everything.

  * * * *

  Nicholas worked the rest of the day in his office. He went through a few hundred e-mails, dealt with a guest complaint, and kept an eye focused on the TV screens, trying to capture a glimpse of Selene. He went over his plan. Step one was of course to get Damon on board with the plan. He had seemed interested but still a little guarded. At least he hadn’t shot him down altogether. Next part of the plan was to get Selene to agree. He couldn’t just ask her outright, so he set up little things to help ease her into the idea of being with two men.

  Blair was a total setup, and he knew Selene would figure that out eventually. The whole idea behind that was to get the idea in her mind without too much information. He wanted her to think about it and wonder what it would feel like. He had a multifaceted plan.

  He smiled to himself and went through the process of shutting down his computer. He needed food. He had gone without almost all day, and his stomach was growling loudly. He also wanted to go to the gym tonight. He loved feeling the endorphins pumping through his body as he pushed himself.

  Nicholas grabbed his things and headed out of his office and toward one of the cafés downstairs. He felt excited for the first time in a while. He had something to look forward to. It wasn’t a game. It was a challenge. The end result would be worth every moment. He had no doubts.

  Nicholas walked into his favorite restaurant and went straight to his regular table. He sat down and looked around. He saw Selene out of the corner of his eye, and he turned. She was at the order-out desk. He stood up and walked toward her, hoping he could entice her to join him.

  “Selene. How are you? Would you like to join me?” He smiled at her and really hoped that he didn’t sound too needy.

  “No thanks.” Her voice sounded neutral, and he wasn’t sure why she would brush him off.

  “Please. Whatever you ordered can be brought to the table.” He looked around and made eye contact with the server. He watched him turn with her bag and go back into the kitchen.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea…Mr. Elias.” Her voice turned cold, and he realized that he never really did apologize for misleading her.

  “I can explain everything. Please, come sit down with me.” He held out his arm and waited for her to take it. She stared at him, arched her brow, and he wondered if she would reject him. It took seconds, but it felt like minutes had passed. She reached out and took his arm, and he finally felt like he could breathe. He felt her hand rubbing his arm, and he smiled. He walked her to his table and pulled out a chair for her sit down in. She sent him a questioning look, and he stayed behind her chair, waiting for her to sit down.

  She sat down, and he pushed her chair in, loving the fact that she was here with him. “Thank you for joining me.” Nicholas went to his chair and sat down. He stared at her, her beautiful, thick hair, her gorgeous green eyes. Looking at her, he realized that she was the full package.

  “How is it that I didn’t know you were Nicholas Elias? How is it even possible that you are the owner and I never knew?” She stared at him with a serious look on her face, and he knew that she needed to know the whole truth before they would ever be able to be together. He had kept a lot from her on purpose, wanting her to look at him as a client and not the owner of the place she worked. Now, he wanted her to look at him as her lover instead of a client.

  “I came to you for a tattoo. I had heard how good your work was. I didn’t want you to be nervous, so instead of just saying I was Nicholas Elias, I got to be just Nicholas. I really liked that you just thought of me as another guy, instead of the owner. I got to be me.” He stopped talking when the server walked over with his usual lunch and whatever food Selene had ordered. He put the plate in front of him, and his mouth drooled. He was so hungry, and now he had some company, he wouldn’t be alone for lunch.

  “A burger and fries? I didn’t expect that.” She sent him a sideways smile, and she looked between their plates. They had ordered the same thing. She had good taste. This particular café served the best burgers in town.

  “Of course, I’ve always been a burger fan and these fries are fantastic. I hate shoestring fries and I hate potato wedges. These are the most amazing steak fries you’ll ever eat.” She stared, giggling, and it was music to his ears.

  “You’re very passionate about your fries.” Her face was flushed, and he loved seeing the sparkle in her eye. His new goal was to make her laugh every day.

  “I’m passionate about many things.” He winked at her, grabbing a fry and dipping it into some ketchup before taking a bite.

  They both dived into their food, making silly faces at each other. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to just be around her. He could just be himself. He had no worry that she would judge him. He watched Selene take a huge bite of her burger, trying to be sexy. She pouted out her lips, opened her mouth up wide, and took a slow bite. He wanted to laugh, but instead he mimicked her and she almost choked. She started laughing, tears streamed down her cheeks, and he moved to her side, rubbing her back.

  “Are you okay?” He leaned into her. He rubbed his right hand in slow circles on her back, and with his left hand, he moved his fingertips up and down her left arm. Her skin was so soft, and he moved his face closer to her hair, wanting to smell her. She smelt like a mixture between strawberries and honey.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry. That was so funny. Your face was priceless.” She laughed a little bit more, wiping her eyes.

  “You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her bare shoulder and brushed his cheek against her.

  “Th–thank you.” Her words stammered out, and she bit her lower lip. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, especially since they were in a public place, so he backed off and went to sit down. She licked her lips and smiled at h
im.

  “This looks cozy.” Hearing Damon’s voice, Nicholas turned from looking at Selene to look at him. He was standing next to their table, jaw clenched, arms across his chest. Nicholas knew immediately what he was thinking, so he shook his head, hoping that he would understand without having to say the words.

  “Hey…Damon.” Selene stood up from her chair and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Damon’s body language changed quickly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, widened his legs, and leaned down, pulling her against his body. Nicholas watched as Damon closed his eyes. They looked good together. He wondered for a minute if he was wasting his time trying to push the three of them together. Then he realized that he did want a ménage relationship, and he really wanted Selene to be that woman.

  “We were just eating dinner. I was going to come look for you.” Selene pulled back from the hug, and he felt like a voyeur.

  “Okay. Are you done eating?” Damon stared at her. It didn’t seem to matter that he was sitting here, they were in a world of their own.

  “Yeah. I just need to pay.” She smiled.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of the bill,” Nicholas said, standing up. “I’m glad that you could join me.” He was so glad that he was able to spend some time with her outside of the tattoo shop.

  “Thank you, Nicholas.” She moved around Damon and hugged him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, never once taking his eyes off Damon. He needed to see Damon’s response. They made eye contact, and Damon watched him with a half smile. After another few seconds, Damon nodded slightly, and Nicholas smiled. Maybe this would work. Hope blossomed again, and he hugged her tighter, wishing that he wouldn’t have to let go of her.