After hanging up, I shake my head. It’s my fault for not telling her, but I guess I just didn’t realize the impact this has on my family. They’ve never known me to be in a stable relationship, and honestly, I don’t even think they’ve ever met anyone I’m dating. Funny that Gabriel, the man I thought would be the death of me is the one bringing me to life.
I sigh happily looking back at my screen and finalizing my decision on font. He’s gonna shit when he sees what I have planned, but this is what I want. I finish selecting the font, then fire it off to my tattoo artist via text. It’s not much later when I get the design back and grin. It’s perfect. Smiling, I text Gabriel.
Did you finish your design for tonight?
I did. You?
I did. It’s gonna be beautiful.
No hesitation?
None. I can’t wait.
Neither can I, ma petite. See you in a few hours.
Definitely.
Tonight is going to be epic.
Hours later as we sit in the tattoo shop waiting our turn, I’m surprised by how calm I feel. Not only is this my first tattoo, but it’s pretty damn major to get something this personal. I’ve already decided it’s going on my left shoulder so it will definitely be seen. Gabriel paces the tiny waiting room as he studies designs on the walls. He won’t let me see what he has picked out even though I keep trying.
“Are you nervous?” I ask.
“No. You?”
“No. Are you gonna let me your design?”
He laughs. “Still no.”
I make a pouty face. “I’ll show you mine.”
“I don’t want to see it. I want to be surprised.”
“Okay. We’ll be surprised.”
A few minutes later, my tattoo artist, Tatiana comes out to greet me.
“You ready to get started, Mia?”
“Yeah.” I smile at Gabriel. “Time to get inked.”
He kisses me softly. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Mack will be out in just a sec for you,” Tatiana says to Gabriel.
“Thank you.”
She leads me to her station, and I pull my sweater off so I’m wearing just my tank top to give her access to my shoulder. She shows me her design on paper.
“Still what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Size is good?”
“Perfect.”
“Okay. Let’s get started.”
“Cool.” After she stencils it onto me and I approve location, I climb onto her table face down and prepare myself as much as I can for this experience. When her needle first makes contact I realize it’s not as bad as I thought and close my eyes. I can do this.
A FEW MINUTES AFTER Mia, I’m led to the back with my tattoo artist Mack. He’s not at all what I expected. He’s clean cut with trendy clothes, hipster glasses, but with some of the most detailed ink I’ve ever seen covering almost every patch of visible skin.
“How ya doing?” he asks, revealing an English accent.
“Great.”
“The design is still good, yeah?”
“Yes.”
He hands me the sheet of paper where he sketched it out. “You like the size?”
“I do.”
“All right then, mate. Let’s get ya started.”
“Okay.” I pull my t-shirt off and sit in his chair as he sets up his station. I hope she loves what I have planned. I chuckle to myself as I realize I’m about to do something I never expected. Get a woman’s name on me? It’s like breaking a cardinal rule of tattoos, but no matter what the future holds, Mia will always be important to me. She’s the one that saved me from myself, and she’s the only one that could.
“Thanks for shaving for me, mate,” Mack says. “Saves me some time.”
“I’ve done this before.”
“I see that. That’s nice ink.”
“Thanks.”
Mack stencils the design on me then hands me a mirror. “Good?”
“Perfect.”
“All right then, lie back. It won’t take me long.”
“Thanks.”
As he starts to work, my mind shifts to thoughts of Mia just a few seats away from me. I turn my head to see her face down enduring this for me. What a feeling to know I’m loved by such an incredible woman. Now in just a few days, we’re going to a sex club. I’m torn for sure. I have no idea if this is the right thing for us, but she wants it and after everything she’s done for me, this is the least I can do for her. I just have to hope it doesn’t trigger anything fucked up in me. As Mack’s needle vibrates across my skin, I close my eyes with nothing but images of Mia on my mind.
About forty minutes later, Mack taps my arm. “You’re done, mate.”
Opening my eyes, I sit up as he hands me a mirror, admiring his work. A smile spreads across my face when I see the arrow from the right side pointing to the new tattoo on the left side with a small antique map. In the center of the map, the word ‘Mia’, and around its edges, the border made of the word devotion repeated. You have to get close to even see the words since he did such a good job working them into the design. “It’s exactly what I wanted. Amazing. Thank you.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome. I love it. I want to add it to my online portfolio. It’s pretty bad ass.”
“It’s definitely bad ass.” I shake his hand. “Thanks again.” I look over at Mia who’s now standing up studying her shoulder in the mirror. She’s smiling so I think she’s happy with it. I walk over to her and as she gazes up at me, my heart actually feels like it skips a beat. Her eyes shift to my chest, then she looks at me again with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, Gabriel.”
“You like it?”
She covers her mouth with her fingers, before speaking again. “Oh my God.”
“Mia?”
“You did that for me?”
“Yeah. Do you like it?”
“It’s amazing. So amazing.”
“I thought, well the compass led me home, and you are home. You’re the map I’ll follow if I ever get lost again.”
“It’s so beautiful.”
“Like the woman who inspired it. Can I see yours?”
“Yeah.” She turns and shows me the work on her shoulder and I realize quickly that the scrolled pattern surrounding the words ‘his devotion’ is actually my name. She got my name on her shoulder. As this discovery settles over me, I have a sudden desire to fuck the shit out of her. I’m so turned on, it’s like some kind of switch got flipped. She peers over her shoulder at me. “Do you like it?”
“I fucking love it,” I whisper. “We have to get out of here.”
Her brow creases. “Why?”
“I need to be inside of you. Right now.”
She smiles. “Oh. Okay, then let’s pay and get out of here.”
“Fuck, Mia.”
Turning around, she cups my cheek. “Pay the lady and let’s go.”
“Right.” In some kind of lust induced stupor, I pull cash out of my wallet, settle up for both tattoos, and grab Mia’s wrist to practically drag her to the car with me. I pull her around to the driver’s side, open the door, then quickly unbutton her jeans. She glances around, biting her bottom lip with a smirk on her face.
“You’re gonna fuck me in this parking lot?”
“I sure am, Mia. Pull your jeans down.”
“Down?”
“Down.”
She peeks around again, but it’s dark outside, and the lot is nearly empty. If a cop comes by, we’re fucked, but other than that, I think we’ll be all right.
As she does, I push her forward so that I can bury my face between her legs. She moans as I lick her pussy, spreading her ass cheeks apart so I can get my tongue all the way in there. With my other hand, I unzip my jeans and free my throbbing cock. I cannot wait to get inside of her again. Grabbing her by the waist, I pull her onto my lap, sliding her down over my shaft. I fuck her hard, even more turned on by the sound our bodies mak
e slapping together. I reach under her tank, yanking her bra down and gripping her glorious tits. God, this woman makes me insane. Every part of her is so amazing. As she bounces on my cock, she whispers my name, and how much she loves me, and loves my cock, and how devoted she is to me.
“Say it again,” I murmur.
“I’m… your… devotion,” she whispers, barely getting the words out from my rough fucking. “I… love… you… Gabriel.”
“Ah, fuck,” I whisper hoarsely. “Fuck, Mia, your pussy… shit.”
“Come inside me, Gabriel. Fill me up. Let it drip out of me. I love it. I love it.”
“Jesus, Mia.” I grip her neck from behind and plow into her as deep as I can go until I finally reach the apex and explode inside of her. Breathing hard, I try to come down from that amazing high.
Mia peers over her shoulder at me. “God, you’re fucking amazing.”
I can’t even talk because I’m so overwhelmed by everything she does to me. Every emotion she produces in me. Every thought she inspires.
“Take me home, Gabriel.”
I nod, and as she slides off my lap, my breath catches. I don’t even know what to say to her, except the only words I can.
“Mia…”
“What, baby?”
“Tonight… what you did for me…” I pause, taking a deep breath. “I just… I can’t describe it…”
“You don’t have to. I know.”
“You do, don’t you? You know what I’m feeling?”
“I think I do because I feel it too. A connection was made tonight that can never be broken.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Yeah, that’s it. It’s mind blowing.”
“I know.”
I lean forward and kiss her lips softly. “That was fucking hot too.”
She laughs softly. “Absolutely. I’ve never fucked in a parking lot before.”
“Believe it or not, neither have I. I just couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t wait a moment longer to be inside of you again.”
“I loved it. Now, let’s go home and clean up, then you can fuck me again.”
I laugh. “Perfect.”
STANDING IN FRONT OF the full length mirror, I admire the dress Gabriel presented me with earlier tonight. It’s beautiful, but I’m definitely feeling exposed. The delicate straps don’t seem strong enough to support my chest, but they’re doing okay so far. When I walk, the flesh of my cleavage bounces and I honestly feel like some kind of throwback bombshell from old Hollywood. It’s tight, a soft shade of pink, and to say it’s low cut is an understatement. The man has exquisite taste. I’ve decided to pin my hair up so my tattoo is on display, more for his benefit than anyone else’s. It’s not too bad just a few days after being done, and in the darkness of the club, I think it’ll be fine. At least, I think the club will be dark. I actually have no idea.
Exhaling slowly, I gaze at my reflection again, wondering if I’m really up for this. It was my idea. I pushed us to this, and I hope I’m not making a mistake. I hope it doesn’t trigger some memory for him that brings him back to a dark place, but if it does, I’ll be there to pull him back. I know I’m strong enough to do it. If my instinct is on point, this is the right thing to do for both of us. He’ll see that he can control himself, and I’ll see… well, I guess I’ll see why this sort of thing is exciting.
After spritzing on my new Prada perfume, I take a deep breath, pet Vixen, and walk out to where Gabriel stands gazing out of the French doors that lead to the balcony. When he hears the sound of my heels clicking on the wood floors, he turns around, and my breath catches. He looks amazing in a light pink dress shirt and black slacks. He’s wearing his new cufflinks which make me smile. I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on him later.
“Mia, mon amour, mon dévoué, tu es beau, une femme magnifique, et je suis honoré d’être ton homme.
Tilting my head, I smile. “You said I’m beautiful, a magnificent woman, but what’s the last part?”
“I’m honored to be your man.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you ready for this?”
“I think so. I don’t know what I don’t know at this point, right?”
“It’s new territory for me too to some extent.”
“Good. That makes me feel better.”
He smiles. “The rules?”
“Window shopping only.”
He creases his brow. “I’m sorry?”
“You can look, but you can’t touch. No matter what, right?”
“Right.”
“Voyeur game strong tonight.”
“You’re cracking me up.”
“I got jokes, remember?”
“I do.” He takes a deep breath. “Well, I guess we should go. Party starts at eight.”
“Okay.”
We walk out to the car together in silence. As we drive to our destination, I feel the nerves kicking in. I hope this isn’t weird. Oh hell, of course it’s going to be weird. But good weird. Maybe. God, I don’t know. My phone rings, startling me.
“It’s Sara.”
Gabriel nods. “Answer.”
I hit the button. “Hey, Sara.”
“Hi! Whatcha doing?”
“Going out with Gabriel. What are you doing?”
“Remember I said we were just gonna stay home?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, we got a last minute invite to a party and I thought I’d see if you guys wanted to meet us there.”
“Meet you at a party?” My eyes shift to Gabriel.
“What time?” he asks.
“When is it?” I ask Sara.
“Whenever. We’re going in like an hour.”
“Where’s it at?”
“Near work, actually. Those houses behind the golf course. I guess it’s one of his buddy’s from law school.”
“Oh. Well, we might be able to make it,” I answer as Gabriel nods at me. “We’re making another stop first.”
“A party?”
“Yeah, a party, some…” I pause, thinking quickly. “Some new friends.”
Gabriel stifles his laughter shaking his head.
“Okay, cool. Well if you think you’ll make it, text me and I’ll send you the address.”
“You got it. Have fun if we don’t see you.”
“You too.”
After hanging up, I turn to Gabriel. “Should we have suggested we might come?”
“Sure, why not? We might not even want to stay long where we’re going, and we’re all dressed up.”
“True.” I glance out the window for a minute. “Sara would shit her pants if she knew where we are going.”
“I imagine she would.”
“She’d be mad she wasn’t invited.”
He glances at me with narrowed eyes. “Huh?”
“She’d want to check it out. I doubt she’d do anything, but she’d want to see it.”
He laughs softly. “I’m still trying to erase the teenage version of her out of my head, so forgive me for struggling to imagine her at a sex club.”
“She’s nearly thirty, Gabriel.”
“I know, but I went to college, then New York, then Paris, only seeing her briefly during those years. She’s kept that childlike state about her all these years.”
“Yeah, she has. I like that about her too, but she’s definitely a grown up.” He’d die if I told him about our girl on girl convo.
“I’m sure she is.” He exits the freeway and turns onto the road leading to the house. We arrive at a gate where he presses the code we received via text and the gates open up into a very high end neighborhood. I don’t know what these houses cost, but they cost a lot.
“I want to buy you a house like this,” Gabriel says as we drive up the curved roads.
“I don’t want a house like this.”
“Why?”
“Too big. We’re not having kids, remember? What do we need a house like this for?”
“Status. Like wearing Louis Vuitton s
unglasses and carrying Prada handbags. You don’t need it, you want it.”
“Okay, you got me there. I like nice shit, but this is over the top.”
“We’ll find the perfect place.” He glances at me. “Your place is nice, just a little small.”
“Very small. I bought it a few years ago when the market dropped, so my mortgage is cheaper than rent.”
“Good investment.”
“Yep.”
“Would you like to house hunt with me?”
“In a year, sure.”
He laughs. “A year?”
“Yeah. If we make it through four seasons happily intertwining our lives, then we’ll house hunt.”
“I hope you expect us to make it after the body ink we just got.”
I laugh. “That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about in that space together, figuring out our habits, and how much personal space we need. Then we’ll know what we’re dealing with.” I grin. “Then you can propose too.”
“Ah. Okay then, in a year I’ll buy you a big house, because whatever you need, I’m gonna make it happen for you.” He squeezes my hand. “And a big ring.”
I smile then look out the windshield as we arrive at a house tucked back far away from the others. Two attendants stand at the end of the circular driveway. Gabriel rolls his window down.
“Invite please,” one man says. Gabriel hands him the phone and the man looks it over, glances at me, and hands the phone back to Gabriel. “Enjoy your evening, sir. Parking is to the left in the extended driveway.”
“Thank you.”
As we park, my leg starts to shake with nerves, and my stomach feels like it’s trying to crawl out of my throat. Oh God, I’m a mess.
“We don’t have to go in,” Gabriel says, touching my hand. “We can just go.”
I shake my head. “I’ve made it this far. Let’s see it through.”
“Okay.”
We step out of the car then walk up to the front door. On it is a sign that says, ‘Welcome Friends - Please Come In’. Gabriel squeezes my hand before kissing my cheek and opening the door. When we walk in, a woman is standing there holding a tray of champagne.
“Welcome. Are you new or returning guests?”
“New,” Gabriel says.
“Do you have questions?”
“Where do we start?” he asks.
Reckless Devotion: Book 2 Page 18
