Page 57 of The Tattoo Artist

“Can I sleep on your bed?” She asks, I nod my head as she walks ahead and drops onto my bed, snoring already.

I turned my head and see Ares sitting on my chair, casually flipping through my sketchbook. “So, what did you do today?” He asks, I make my way toward him settling down on my desk, and he took my swinging leg, spreading them as he fit in-between, his presence sending a jolt of excitement through me.

“I was actually shopping,” I reply, smirking as I brushed my fingers through his soft hair while he looked up at me.

“What were you buying?” He questions, his eyes locking with mine.

“Lingerie,” I whisper, feeling a surge of arousal as my hands fell to the sides of his face. He slowly stood, towering over me, and his grip on my neck tightened slightly.

“Show me,” he demands in a low, husky voice.

“I didn’t buy anything; it was so expensive.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I chuckled, sliding off the desk and heading to close my cupboard. “Why would I tell you?” I asked playfully.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

Without hesitation, he reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a sleek Black American Express card. I raise an eyebrow in surprise as he held my bottom lip, gently opening my mouth and tucking the card inside.

He leans in, pressing a soft kiss on the side of my lips, leaving me breathless. “Use it, it’s yours,” he murmurs against my skin before heading towards the balcony.

I quickly took the card out of my mouth, “Ares!” I whisper loudly, realising that Catherine is still asleep. I hurriedly put on my trainers and rush after him as he made his way down the balcony stairs.

“Ares, I don’t need your money,” I said, trying to catch up with him.

“I know,” he replied calmly, opening his car door. “My favourite colour is red, by the way.”

I rolled my eyes playfully and tucked the card into my bra.

“I’m going to spend all your money.” I threaten him.

He scoffs, “let me know when you do.”

I grinned, feeling a surge of playful energy between us. “Oh, don’t you worry,” I tease, leaning back in the passenger seat as he started the engine. “I’ll be sure to give you a full report on my spending spree.”

Ares chuckled, his eyes flickering with amusement “Looking forward to it.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

ALEXANDRA JONES

ISWIFTLY STACK THE BOOKS INTO THEIR RIGHTFUL shelves, completing the task in just twenty minutes. Clark was on his way to pick me up, and I was excited to finally go shopping with him, armed with Ares’ card. The thought of using his card brought a smile to my face. All of a sudden, I felt two hands covering my eyes, and the familiar scent that envelopes me told me it is Ares. “Guess who?” He whispers playfully.

“James?” I tease, but as he dropped his hands, I turned around and saw it was indeed him.

“Do I need to kill James?” He jokes or I think he was, I playfully push him away while continuing to tidy up the books.

“Ares, what do you want?” I ask, curious about his sudden appearance. He slowly raised the butterfly necklace, and my eyes widened in astonishment. “You got it?” I gasp in delight.

He nodded, and without a moment’s hesitation, I grab his face and kiss him passionately. He seems a bit taken aback but held onto me tightly, deepening our embrace. His presence made me feel safe and loved, and I couldn’t resist the connection we had.

“If I knew you’d kiss me like that, I would have gotten it earlier,” he chuckles, teasing me.

He turns me around gently, and with utmost care, he placed the necklace around my neck. It is a beautiful moment, but suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through my head, and I stumbled back, finding support in Ares’ arms.

“Hey...hey, are you okay?” He whispers; concern etched on his face.

---