His gaze shifts to where my finger lingers close to his cock. He instantly grows hard. I can’t help but chuckle at the sight of his erection pressing against his jeans.
“A surprise?” he asks.
“Yes.” I grin. “Now strip off your jeans and get comfortable. I’ve got work to do.”
* * *
“All done.” I dab at the excess ink, and then sit up to admire my work. It turned out better than I envisioned.
“Can I look now?” Chase asks.
I refused to let him look at it until it was complete. It is, after all, a surprise. “Just a second. Let me clean it.”
It’s about fifteen minutes past closing time and we’re the last two in the shop. Rob was off today. Felix came in to finish up on a client tattoo and had planned on sticking around to close up for Rob. I offered to do it, so he didn’t have to sit around and wait for me to finish.
I study the lines of my art, now permanently inked on Chase’s body, and a wave of nervousness washes over me. If he hates it or thinks is stupid, I’ll be crushed.
He must see my hesitation because he reaches out and places his fingers under my chin. He gently forces my eyes to meet his. “Whatever it is, I know I’ll love it.”
“I hope so.” I take a deep breath. When this idea first came to me, I thought it would be perfect. Now I’m second guessing myself. “Okay. Look.”
The words rush out of me, but he doesn’t move his eyes from mine. Instead, he slides his hand around my neck and pulls me to him. His grip tightens, causing his fingers to dig into my skin in the most delicious way. When he holds my neck like this, it screams mine.
I never thought I’d enjoy the idea of belonging to someone—not after how the MC treated me like property. But I want to belong to Chase. Dare I say, I need it.
He presses his lips to mine. I prepare myself for a deep, passionate kiss, but that’s not what I get. It’s way too quick, and I miss his lips the second he pulls away.
When he shifts his eyes to his tattoo, my heart rate kicks up and not in excitement. I’ve never been so nervous about a design before in my life. Probably because nothing I’ve done has ever been this personal for both people.
Chase’s expression falls serious as he runs his finger along the edge of the cornstalk, and then down the long leaf that leads from his hip toward his groin. Sitting at the end are two ladybugs. They’re close—the way two lovers would huddle together. On the other side, running along the remaining edge of the leaf is a single word in a script font. Protector.
I study him while he studies it. His expression shifts from surprise to curiosity to something really close to awe. When he turns his gaze to mine, the look in his eyes steals my breath. Every ounce of doubt or worry I had over whether or not he would like it vanishes.
Before I can ask him what he thinks of it, his mouth crashes to mine. “It’s fucking perfect,” he mumbles against my lips.
I can’t hold back my smile. “You like it?”
“I love it.” He pulls me down until my body is spread over him like a blanket. I push against him, trying to avoid pressure on his tattoo. “Chase! You’re going to hurt your hip.”
“Pain is not what I’m feeling right now, baby.” His arms tighten around me, and his growing erection presses into my lower stomach. “We’re alone, right?”
“Yeah.” I raise a brow.
“Good.” He grips the back of my neck. “Because I need to be inside you right the fuck now.”
“We can’t!” The objection comes out of me louder than I intended. “Someone outside might see us,”
He looks around and takes in the bright overhead lights and the large wall of windows with a perfect view of the parking lot and busy road. His eyes travel around the shop. He must see something he likes because he smiles and slaps my ass.
Before I can register what he’s doing, he’s on his feet with me wrapped up in his arms. “What are you doing?” I chuckle.
“Felix locked the door when he left, right?” He nods toward the entrance.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because I’m taking you around this corner where I can fuck you in private.” As soon as we’re out of sight, he sets me down. “Pants off.”
He spins around and heads back into the main room, leaving me panting against the wall. “Where are you going?”