by Hope Ford
His hand goes to the base of my neck, and he holds me tight as he leans his forehead against me. “Well, that sucks you feel that way, because that’s all I’ve been able to think about all week.”
I suck in a breath and pull back, but he doesn’t let me go far. He’s holding on to me so that I have no choice but to keep staring into his eyes. “You have?” I ask and then shake my head. “Look, Trey. I’ve had a kid.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I’ve met him. His name is Lane, right?” he jokes before steadying his gaze on me. “I know you have a kid, Katie.”
“Okay, but my point is that I don’t have a body like the ones you’re probably used to seeing. That’s all. I don’t know where this is going or anything, but I mean I want to see you naked… I mean, God did I say that out loud?” I pull back my shoulders and take a deep breath. “Yes, it’s the truth. I do want to see you… but I don’t want you to see me.”
His hands go to my shoulders and squeeze. “Katie, baby, we’re going to see each other. That’s all there is to it.”
“Yeah, but…”
One of his hands travels up my neck, and he cups my jaw. His thumb strokes across my cheek, and he’s searching my eyes, but I’m not sure why. “Katie, honey, I’m going to ask you again. Do you trust me?”
I don’t even breathe he’s so close to me. I can feel his hot breath caress my cheek next to his thumb. I nod my head.
He licks his lips, and my gaze follows his tongue as it sweeps across his lower lip. He smirks. “Good.”
He leans in and presses his lips to mine before I even realize what is happening, but as soon as we touch it’s like my whole world stops. As his hand cups my jaw tighter and his other arm goes around my shoulder to pull me closer, all my senses are on high alert. When his tongue strokes across the seam of my lips, I moan, and he takes the opportunity to push his tongue into the depths of my mouth. “Ummm,” I moan.
I can feel his lips pull into a smile as he deepens the kiss. I don’t know what to do except to hold on for dear life. I’ve been kissed before. Hell, I was married. But I can honestly say I’ve never been kissed like this. It’s as if Trey wants to be as close as he possibly can. And he’s not going to stop until he succeeds.
When he pulls back, he’s breathing hard and resting his head against mine. It’s then I realize that somehow I’m sitting on him, straddling his lap. His hard cock is pressed up between us, and oh my God, I’ve climbed onto his lap, and I swear my lower body has a mind of its own because I’m pressing down into that bulge as it glances across my clit. I drop my head to his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
His arms go around me, and he pulls me tighter. The moan leaves my mouth before I can even think about stopping it. The ridge of his cock is right against me, and I swear just two or three more movements like that and I’ll be coming just from dry humping.
His hands are holding me to him and he’s kneading my butt. I don’t want to, but it’s just like me to start being responsible. “I’d say we’re giving my neighbors a show.”
“Probably,” he says against my ear. His voice is deep and sex-filled. “You ready to go?”
I pull back and look into his eyes. They are darker than I remember them being and filled with desire… for me. “Why don’t we just stay here?”
He groans and pulls me in, my sensitive breasts pressed into his chest. “I would love that… but first we’re going to the shop.”
I almost open my mouth to argue, but I don’t. I’ve said it over and over to him… that I trust him… now I just have to show him.
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“Am I sure I want to put my ink on you? Fuck yeah, I’m sure.”
8
Treyton
I don’t know what it is or why it’s so important to me, but I really want to tattoo Katie. I want to feel her skin under my hand, and I wasn’t lying: I’m dying to put my mark on her. She’s nervous, really nervous, but now that I know she’s not afraid of the pain, it’s more of her showing me her body, well, I know I can put those fears to rest because right now, I’d give fuckin’ anything to see and touch her.
I’m holding her hand as we walk into Savage Ink. The new receptionist is working at the front desk, and I pull Katie under my arm. “Katie, this is Emily.”
The new hire barely smiles. “Hey Katie, it’s nice to meet you,” she says before turning her accusing eyes back on me. “Thank goodness y’all are here because Dawson is being an ass, and if I had to deal with him the rest of the night on my own, I’d probably lose my mind.”
I can’t help but laugh because it’s true; Dawson definitely has that effect on people. After meeting Emily, I figured she’d last one day. Looking at her, she looks pretty tough with her tattoos and piercings, but she was actually quiet and reserved. Then she met Dawson, and I found that she could hold her own. It takes a lot to deal with Dawson; he’s a jerk, and it seems like he can’t help it but there’s no way we’d fire him or anything. He’s too talented. So mostly, we ignore him. “Dawson is always an ass. Aiden and I told you that. You just have to ignore him.”
Emily rolls her eyes and finally smiles at Katie. “Are you getting a tattoo?” She looks Katie up and down and starts clapping her hands together. “Ooooh, are you a virgin?”
Katie’s eyes get big, and she starts to stutter.
I just shake my head at Emily. “Yeah, first tattoo. We’ll be in the back,” I answer and pull a completely flabbergasted Katie next to me.
It’s only once we’re in my booth and I pat the chair for her to sit that it dawns on her. She sits on the edge of the tattoo chair, her feet dangling over the high seat. “Tattoo virgin? I didn’t even know that was a thing.” She tilts her head to the side. “I guess I should have known, I just never thought about it but...”
I grab both her hands and pull them to my chest then lean in to kiss her to stop the rambling. I’ve learned the rambling is from her nervousness, and I don’t ever want her to be nervous around me. When I have her attention, I almost pull away until her legs open wider, and I fit myself between them. Her knees grip on to my hips, and I have no choice but to deepen the kiss. Fuck, I can’t get enough of this woman.
With both hands cradling her face, I pull back and look into her eyes. She blinks as if trying to focus. I stroke my thumbs along her jawline. “Are you trying to stall?”
She smiles. “You kissed me.”
I nod. “I did, but I think you were trying to take it a little further.”
“You think? I mean I pretty much invited you into my bed back at the house, but you wanted...”
I interrupt her with a groan. “I want you, there’s no doubt about that, Katie. But when we do this, you’re not going to be hiding your body from me. I thought this would make you more comfortable with me seeing you.”
She blinks up at the bright light and then back at me. “Yeah, this light is so flattering.”
I kiss her lips briefly and pull away. “You’re beautiful in any light.”
I go about grabbing the instruments and pulling everything out of the sanitizing enclave. “So talk to me, tell me what you want for a tattoo.”
I keep my back to her, hoping it will make it easier for her without having to look me in the face. I’ll give her the chance to warm up to all this, but soon, I’m hoping she won’t feel she has to hide anything from me.
She blows out a breath. “Okay, so I had a child.”
I smile at her over my shoulder. “Yeah, Lane, good kid.”
She smiles at me. “Thank you. Yeah, well, I gained weight with him, and to put it frankly, I have a bit of a road map on my belly, but one section, uh, of stretch marks are really deep. Craig always made fun of it. The rest of them are lighter but these, just wow. So I always thought I’d get something to make it look better. You know, so if I ever did start dating again, I wouldn’t be insecure about it.”
I almost snap the tattoo gun in half when she talks about Craig making fun of her and then again when she talks about
dating again, insinuating that another man is going to see her body. All of it puts me on edge. I mentally force myself to relax before I turn around.
“Lie back. Undo those jeans and tug them down your hips a little.”
Even as I say it, my cock hardens in my jeans.
She lies back and slowly starts to undo her jeans. She’s staring at the popcorn ceiling as she lifts her hips and pulls her jeans down a little. My God, I almost forget to breathe. I’ve done so many tattoos, and I’ve never reacted like this before. It’s like there’s a pressure on my chest that won’t budge. She’s curvy and thick, and I instantly take a step toward her. The shirt she has on has raised a little, but only shows a small patch of skin from it to her panties. I see a few marks at the edge of her panties, but they’re barely noticeable. She’s still not looking at me.
I grab on to her hand that is resting beside her. “Do you want to pull your panties down or do you want me to?”
She clenches her eyes closed. “You do it.”
I should try to comfort her, but it’s as if I’m too excited to see her. I pull her panties to sit low on her hips. Her hands go into fists, and she’s like a ball of nerves with her whole body closed up tight. Everything is clenching.
I look at the belly that she seems so unhappy with. Yes, there are a few faint lines, and I see the section that she’s talking about that is maybe a little deeper, but there’s nothing ugly about them. I lean over the table to get a closer look and follow the marks with my eyes. I’m already imagining the artwork that I could put there. I don’t know what makes me do it; I’ve never done anything like this in my life, but I lean over and kiss the end of the deeper mark. I kiss it and then I drag my tongue across the trail that leads farther down to the juncture of her thighs. She moans, and her hand goes to the back of my head. She grips my hair tightly. She doesn’t try to pull me away; she just holds me there. I kiss her stomach again and then rest my forehead on her stomach. I take a deep breath to give me the strength to pull away. When I get myself together, I raise my head and stare into her rounded eyes.
“You’re perfect, Katie. Just the way you are.”
She sits up, and I rise to a standing position to look her in the eye. I wonder if I went too far when she jumps off the chair and pulls up her panties and jeans quickly. “Take me home.”
“Katie, I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have.”
She spins around and puts her hands on my chest and looks up into my eyes. “Take me home and make love to me, Trey. We can do the tattoo another day... I need you.”
She turns to walk away, and I pull her back into my arms, her back to my chest. I know she can feel my cock digging into her because she presses even harder against me. Fuck, it hurts and feels good all at the same time. “If you’re doing this to hide from me...”
She turns slightly in my arms. “I’m not hiding. I’m going to strip down and let you see it all... but I don’t want to do it here with your coworkers.”
I pull her hips against me. “So a tattoo another day... you promise?”
She completely turns and stretches her body against mine. She leans up and kisses my ear and whispers, “I promise.”
“Fuck,” I hiss. “Let’s go, but stay close or else everyone is going to see exactly what plans I have for you.”
She walks out in front of me, and I stay close. We say bye to Emily, who is still complaining about Dawson, and we drive back to her house. She’s quiet, and I’m hoping that she’s not going to change her mind.
“You’re good with Lane. He really likes you.”
I reach for her hand on the console. I told myself I was going to keep my hands off her on the ride to her house, but I barely made it a block. “I really like him. He’s a great kid, Katie.”
She turns her knees toward me and sits facing me. Even with my eyes on the road, I can feel her watching me. “What is it?”
“Are you planning on having kids one day?”
My stomach turns at the question. I should just tell her and be honest with her now, but I don’t. I’ve never said the words out loud before, and I can’t imagine saying them now. So I say what needs to be said, without actually saying it. “No, I’ll never have kids.”
She leans back. “You don’t ever want kids?”
I can’t look at her. I just shake my head. “No.”
She’s quiet, and before she can ask me anything else, I ask the question that I probably don’t want to know the answer to. “What about you? Do you want more kids?”
She doesn’t even hesitate. “Yes. I want to get married again. I want to give Lane a brother and a sister.”
There’s an instant ache in my chest because I know none of that is going to happen with me. I’d give almost anything to be with Katie and give her what she wants, but I’m not that guy. I can’t be. I try to hide the sadness from my face and give her a small smile. She’s looking out the window now, so she doesn’t see it. “You’re a great mother,” I tell her and then silently add, I’m sure you’d be a great wife, too.
9
Katie
He doesn’t want kids... or a family at all, it sounds like.
The rest of the way home, the car is filled with silence. I shouldn’t ask. I keep telling myself that over and over, but when he pulls into my driveway, I can’t stop myself. I turn in my seat as he takes the keys out of the ignition. I remind myself to keep this light. I don’t want him to think that just because I want to have sex with him that I’m trying to ask for a ring or anything. “So... can I ask...”
I stop when I see his face. He looks guarded, like he’d rather be doing anything except having this conversation. “Forget it,” I say as I get out of the truck.
I walk around, and he meets me in the front. “No, go ahead, ask me.” And even though he’s telling me it’s okay, I can tell it’s not.
I pull back my shoulders. “I’m just surprised, I guess. You’re so good with Lane. I figured you’d want to have children one day.”
He’s staring at me, and I’m so confused by all the emotions that cross his face. There’s so many it’s hard to count, but I know I see longing. He crosses his arms over his chest, telling me just how uncomfortable he is to be having this conversation. With a shrug, he says, “I just don’t. I never pictured myself with kids.”
I search his face. There’s something he’s not telling me. I wait for him to continue, and when he doesn’t, I nod and start to walk up the path to my house.
He reaches for me. “Look, if you’ve changed your mind...”
I haven’t, though. I only met him a month ago, so I don’t know why him not wanting kids bothers me so much. It shouldn’t... but it does. I let him pull me toward him. “I haven’t changed my mind...”
He leans down to look into my eyes. “But?”
“But.” I exhale. “Nothing can come of this. It will be like my friend Jamie says. You’ll be my rebound guy, no strings, no commitments, nothing. We’ll have some fun, and then we’ll go our separate ways.”
I wait for him to argue with me about it. He looks like he might. His lips are pressed together, and his jaw is pulled tight. I wait for him to say no, that he doesn’t like those conditions, or maybe I’m just hoping that’s what will happen. But it doesn’t. Instead, he slowly nods his head up and down. “You got it.”
I tilt my head to the side and search his eyes. “That’s all right with you?”
He huffs and pushes his free hand through his hair. By the time he’s done with it, it’s standing every direction, but he doesn’t seem to care. “It has to be... right? We want different things, so yeah, if that’s the only way I can have you, then yes, it’s all right with me.”
Even though I’m hurt, I try not to show it. I simply nod back at him and finish the walk up the stairs and into the house. He’s trailing right behind me. I turn my head but keep walking. “Lock the door, will you?”
I walk through the dark house, down the hall and into my bedroom. He finds me as I’m
standing at the end of my bed, undressing. There’s a little light coming in the window blind from the streetlight outside, but it’s still pretty dark. At least it is until he flips on the bedroom light.
I cover myself with the shirt I just took off. “Trey, what are you doing?”
He’s standing in the doorway with his shirt hanging in his hand. He’s staring at me, and I watch as his chest heaves as if he’s been running instead of walking down the short hallway. “I told you that I wasn’t going to let you hide from me.”
I clench the shirt tighter. “I’m not hiding, but I’ve never had sex with the light on.”
He closes his eyes, and when he opens them, they are shades darker, and he looks downright pissed. “I don’t want to hear about the other times you had sex.”
I can feel his possession from across the room. He wants me, there’s no doubt about it, and even though this can only be one night, I feel like he could want more. I just don’t know what’s holding him back. We stand here, staring at each other. I take in the muscles on his chest, his large defined arms that are covered in tattoos, and his hands that are big and flexing at his sides. He looks like a man that is about to lose all control, but I know he’d never hurt me. I don’t know how I know that, but I do.
He licks his lips, and I can’t help but remember back at Savage Ink and the way he touched my blemished stomach and the way he made me feel. He made me feel more beautiful in that one moment than I’d ever felt in all my years of marriage. Knowing that, I drop my shirt and take off my shoes at the same time. I want to look away or close my eyes, but I can’t. I lock my gaze on his and continue undressing. I slip my bra from my shoulders and let it drop to the floor at my feet. I undo my jeans and slide them down my hips before stepping out of them and kicking them to the side. When all I have left is my panties, I pull them down and kick them to the side before I stand back up to my full height and am completely naked.
