by Adele Niles
“I don’t know.”
Bradley chuckled. I felt silly, but didn’t say anything. “Come sit. Let me finish cleaning and I’ll do some sketches.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “I trust you.”
He looked back up at me for a moment, nodded once, and went back to cleaning. His station was decorated with framed pictures. I assumed it was all art he’d done. His style was interesting, with lots of swirling, almost tribal-looking patterns. I recognized many of them as animals—predators, every single one—but some I couldn’t identify. I assumed they were abstract drawings and didn’t dwell on it too much.
Bradley finished his cleaning and busied himself with a sketchbook. My heart leapt into my throat. This was real. He was doing art for me, for my first tattoo.
My hands were shaking in my lap.
He did some quick sketches before turning the book to me. He’d done a few different things—a sketch clearly based on a photo, shaded with hatching to give it depth. Another was a simple line drawing; a third was cute, almost cartoony.
But the fourth one was stunning. He’d done a single S-shaped swirl, the bottom wider and rounder than the top. A curved line divided the bottom into two halves, with dots down either side. Two little curls came off the top part, indicating antennae.
“That one,” I said, tapping the fourth one. It was distinctly his style, and beautiful, and I loved it.
“That one?” He circled it, then stood. “Let me make the stencil. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
He walked away for a moment while I waited. When he returned, he perched on a stool, rolling closer to me. “Where do you want it?”
“Ah… here.” I tapped the inside of my right arm, close to my elbow. It could be hidden with long sleeves there, but easily show when I wanted it to.
“Arm on the rest.” Bradley took a moment to place the stencil. When I was happy with where it was, he wet the back, transferring the stencil to my skin.
This was it. I licked my lips nervously, looking up at him. He had so many tattoos.
“Does it…hurt?” I asked.
He shifted closer. His leg bumped against mine.
“Nothing to worry about.” He broke into a grin. “Just a little prick.”
I glanced down. We were so close together. He sat with his legs apart, and I could see it clearly through his tight jeans, long and thick and perfect.
“I’d say it’s anything but a little prick,” I replied.
He looked up at me, needle poised, eyebrows raised.
It was my turn to grin. “And I think when we’re done, I’m going to want more.”
Chapter Seven
Bradley
I couldn’t stop stealing glances at her tits.
Having Lora in my chair was a dream come true. She was being a champ, too. She made a few faces, and took a lot of deep breaths, but didn’t cry. She barely made a sound at all. The quiet was good. Between my work and the fact that I could see straight down her shirt, I was tapped out on my ability to focus.
It didn’t help that Lora wasn’t exactly subtle. She kept glancing downward, her eyes on my cock. I was already half-hard just from being so close to her. The little glances weren’t helping.
I needed to stop looking down her shirt.
That wasn’t going to happen.
I lifted the needle from her arm.
She let out a sigh of relief and opened one eye, looking at me. “Done?”
“Done.” I nodded, pushing my chair back from her and turning away. I cut a piece of bandage and turned back to her.
She sat staring at the inside of her arm, a smile on her face.
“You like it?” I peeled the backing off the bandage.
“I love it.” She nodded, holding her arm out to me.
I covered the fresh tattoo. “Good. Let me grab you the care instructions.”
I rose, leaving her to examine the new ink, and walked toward the front.
Zoe handed me a sheet of instructions as I approached.
“How much?” she asked.
“Regular price. No discounts or anything. It only took me about twenty minutes, so.”
“Right, hundred even.” She tapped on the tablet as we talked. “Send her my way when she’s ready and I’ll check her out.”
I nodded. “Right. And after this, I’m out for the night.”
“Gotcha.” She nodded, although the look she gave me was suggestive. “Have fun.”
“Whatever, Zoe.”
I brought the instructions to Lora, folded neatly, and put them in her hand. “Here you go. Enjoy, all right? Follow the instructions and call the shop if you have any questions or concerns. Once it’s healed, we’ll see if you need a touch-up, okay?”
“Okay, yeah.” She slipped the paper into her bag without looking at it. Hopefully she’d check them later and see my note. “Thank you. I’ll, um…see you around?”
“Yeah. See you soon, Lora.” I gave her a nod.
She smiled, then turned away, going up front. I watched her for a moment, then started cleaning my station. I wanted to get out of here fast tonight.
* * * * *
“Here by yourself tonight?” The girl behind the bar slid me another beer, leaning forward and giving me a great view down her top.
I took a moment to look at her full breasts, framed by her curls of pale blond hair.
“For the moment,” I replied, winking at her.
She smiled. Pretty girl, blond and blue-eyed, all-American looking.
But still, she wasn’t Lora.
How had I let that girl get so deep under my skin?
I didn’t usually come to The Machine Shop. It was a little out of the way, a little rougher than The Republic, but it was also quieter. Nobody I knew really liked it. The chance of Kenzie wandering in with her friends, or any of the guys from work coming with some girl, were slim.
A good place to go for a little privacy.
The girl folded her arms at the counter, bent at the waist. Gorgeous body. “Well. If you’re looking for company later tonight, my shift ends at nine.”
“Does it? Well. We’ll see.” I lifted my bottle toward her in a mock-salute, then put it to my lips for a long sip. She smiled, then turned to take care of some other patrons.
A soft hand landed on my arm.
I turned my head, grinning. “I was hoping you’d show up.”
Lora smiled at me. She was still in that cute flannel top, her hair down now. Her sleeves were rolled up, the tattoo exposed.
She looked so good. My cock was already responding to her presence.
“Thanks. For the note.” Lora sat down beside me.
“Of course,” I said, waving for the bartender. “Figured we’d both enjoy a drink.”
Lora ordered a beer, then turned to me and raised her eyebrows. “Just a drink? I thought you were going for something else.”
I chuckled. “I could be persuaded, you know.”
“And what would that take?” Lora’s expression went serious and she leaned one elbow on the bar, staring me down.
I smirked, mirroring her posture, but sipping my beer as I shifted. “Asking nicely tends to get people what they want.”
“Does it?” Lora smiled, then, and sat up straighter on her chair. “Well. Let’s see how the night goes, and maybe I’ll ask nicely.” She batted her eyelashes as she said it.
I laughed.
She took a long sip from her beer, watching me from the corner of her eye. I smiled at her, happy just to watch for a minute. I let my eyes roam over her body, taking her in. I couldn’t wait to get back into her bed tonight.
She turned in her seat. Her eyes swept over me, lingering between my legs.
It was so hot when she looked.
“So, I love my tattoo,” she said finally. “It’s perfect.”
“Yeah? Good.” I leaned forward to look at it. “I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. But all that really matters is that you’re happy.�
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She nodded. “I am. Really happy. And I already stopped to buy soap and lotion for it. Non-scented, sensitive skin formulas. The good stuff.”
“Good girl.”
Her cheeks went pink.
I grinned.
For a little while, we just chatted. Lora told me about the day at the bakery; I told her about the tattoos I’d done before hers. She listened attentively, patting gently at her tattoo as I spoke. She’d paid attention to more than just my note on the care sheet.
“So do you like this town?” I asked, after we’d had a few beers. “I know you moved across from another state. You like it here?”
She let out a laugh. “It’s amazing. I think I needed a fresh start, you know?”
I nodded. “Sure, yeah. I get that. It’s good that you got to start over.”
Lora nodded. Her smile faded just a little. “I always, you know. Felt like I had to impress people. Behave and be nice and all that. It’s fun to let loose a little. I feel like this is who I really am, you know? The girl who gets tattoos and goes out drinking with cool guys.”
I raised my eyebrows. “There’s a cool guy here?”
Lora laughed again. “Shut up, oh my god. You know what I mean.”
“I do. I gotcha.” I smiled, taking another sip of my beer.
I glanced toward the bartender. She smiled playfully, gestured toward my bottle. I nodded. Definitely needed another, especially if Lora wanted to talk about personal stuff.
“Anyway,” she continued. “I just really like how I feel when we hang out. Like I can be genuine. I wasn’t sure what would happen when Chris and I broke up, but I’m feeling pretty good now.”
Right, her ex. The whole reason I wasn’t supposed to be getting close to her. I took a long drink from my beer.
“And, you know. I’m just here to have fun.” Lora looked at me, smiling again. “And with that in mind, you want to get out of here?”
I knocked back the rest of my beer. “I thought you were going to ask nicely.”
“Oh.” Lora blinked, then smiled. She leaned forward. Her voice was soft, breathy in my ear. “Bradley, would you take me home? Please?”
Like I could resist that.
“Sure. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
* * * * *
She kissed me as soon as the door was shut, her body pressed to mine. I put my hands on her hips, wanting to keep her close.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day.” Lora pulled away from the kiss, taking a half-step back. “Come on. Bed?”
I followed her, pulling her into another kiss. I heard her let out a soft giggle. She held on tight to me, taking a step backward. I followed. I kept one hand resting on her ass, the other sliding between us to undo the buttons on her shirt.
“Bradley,” she murmured.
“Lora.”
“You’re so good at this.”
“I try.”
Her shirt came open, and I pushed it down her shoulders. There was a little lace on her bra. It was cute. I undid that next, while she shook the shirt down her arms and let it fall to the floor in the hallway.
She rose up to kiss me hard. I guided her around the corner, into her bedroom. Her hands slid under my shirt, pushing it up.
I let her go just long enough to take it off.
We stripped each other the rest of the way in a minute, then tumbled into her bed. Her tongue was in my mouth, her nails already digging into my shoulders. I put my hands on her breasts, squeezing them together. Her nipples were hard against my palms. She whimpered as I moved my hands.
“Bradley,” she breathed.
I lowered my head, tongue swirling around one nipple.
She threw her head back and moaned out loud.
I loved that sound.
I teased her until she was whimpering under me; I only touched her above the waist. By the time I slid one hand between her legs, she was dripping.
“I like knowing I’m doing a good job,” I murmured, thumb pressing against her clit.
She shivered.
“You do…an amazing job.” Her voice shook.
I pushed two fingers into her. She felt hot around me. My cock was already hard, but it twitched at the thought of being inside her.
“Please?” She looked up at me, her eyes half-lidded.
“I like when you ask like that.”
“Bradley, c’mon, please?”
“Since you’re asking nicely.” I tore open the condom I’d grabbed from my back pocket and rolled it on.
When I looked up again, Lora was on her hands and knees, back to me. Her ass was thick and round, thighs quivering already.
“Like this?” she asked.
“Anything you want.” I moved to kneel behind her, gripping her hips. She wiggled them enticingly.
I gave her a little slap on the ass. She squealed.
I chuckled. Slowly, I thrust my hips forward. I slid into her easily, groaning in satisfaction as her pussy immediately tightened around me.
“Fuck, Lora. You feel so good.”
She looked back over her shoulder. “Fuck me.”
I wasn’t about to deny her that.
I held her hips tighter, thrusting into her. She rocked back to meet me every time. I closed my eyes and focused on how good she felt against me.
“Bradley.” Her voice was faint, muffled. She’d lowered her head to the pillows at some point. She rocked her hips back a little harder, grinding down on my cock when I was fully inside her.
My balls were starting to feel tighter.
I gave her another slap on the ass. She squealed again.
I wasn’t going to last much longer.
I moved against her, head bowed. I grunted as I thrust in deeper, harder.
Lora moaned each time I slid into her.
I closed my eyes tight. White-hot heat ripped through me and I buried myself in deep, going still. Lora cried out under me. I could feel her fingers moving furiously against her clit, helping her finish.
I lowered my head, resting it on her back. I was wiped out.
She dropped against the mattress. I went with her, lying against her back.
She lay still for a few minutes, panting. I stayed on top of her. Her heart was pounding.
“You know.” Her voice broke the silence, still a little muffled. “Kenzie told me to stay away from you.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. She said you’re bad with women.”
“Huh. She told me to stay away from you, too.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Said you were getting over a breakup and didn’t need a guy bothering you.”
“Oh.”
Silence fell between us again. Was she thinking about how mad Kenzie would be, too?
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t listen.” Lora shifted, moving her hips to get me off of her.
I groaned, sitting up to pull the condom off and knot the end. I had to stop her before she tried to make this more than it was.
“Lora, listen, I’m not the dating type.”
“Okay.” She rolled over, looking up at me.
Goddamn, she looked gorgeous. Hair fanned out around her head. She was flushed from her orgasm, looking up at me with those pretty eyes.
I raked a hand over my hair. “I just don’t want this to, you know. Turn into a bad situation for you.”
“It won’t.” She shrugged. “We can keep hooking up. I’m not looking for romance right now, Bradley.”
“Oh.” I nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Like friends with benefits?”
She smiled brightly. “Exactly. Friends with benefits. Keep it quiet.”
“Sneaky. I like it.”
Lora giggled. She sat up, yawning. “So, that’s the plan, then? Sneak around, hook up whenever we feel like it?”
“Hell yeah.” I nodded. “Sounds great.”
“Cool.” Lora yawned. “Let’s get some sleep, huh? I’ll take you back to your car in the morning.”
I nod
ded, moving to lie down beside her. We pulled the blankets up. Lora pressed her back to my chest.
I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
Chapter Eight
Lora
It was fun to hook up with Bradley.
We tried to be careful. We didn’t talk much when he came into Bakeology, and I didn’t take any more trips down to No Regrets. We’d chat when Kenzie invited me to go out for drinks with her and the guys, but made sure not to spend too long talking to one another. We didn’t want to look obvious to anyone.
But all it took was a text, and we’d be off. He mostly came to my place. We got bored in my bed pretty quick, and started fooling around in other places—the shower, the couch, bent over the kitchen counter. We went at it on the floor in the living room once night, too drunk to make it to my bed. My knees were carpet burned for a week.
We hooked up in our cars during our lunch breaks sometimes, too. There was a little alley between Bakeology and No Regrets that nobody ever came down, and it was a good place to park and have a quick fuck in the middle of the day.
This, though. Tonight? Here at Bakeology? This was risky.
I didn’t mind staying late at work to get a few batches of cupcakes made for a wedding we were catering. Kenzie had something else to do, and I was free.
I definitely hadn’t minded Bradley’s company, either. He’d pulled a chair into the back kitchen, and we chatted while I mixed batter, divided it out, slid trays of cupcakes into the oven. But then they’d had to bake, and what else were we supposed to do?
So I was bent over the island, my jeans down around my ankles. Bradley’s hands were tight on my hips, his cock throbbing inside me.
“Fuck me!” It felt good to say things like that. It felt good to demand what I wanted, rather than just ask. And Bradley always gave it to me, exactly how I wanted it.
“Fuck, Lora.” He was panting already, moving rapid-fire against me. Every nerve on my body was lit up with pleasure.
And then the bell that meant the door had opened rang.
Bradley pulled out immediately, yanking his jeans up. I bent to pull up mine.
“Lora?” Kenzie’s voice called out. “You here?”
Shit.
