Page 36 of Taken By the Biker Daddies

“I see.” Lauren nodded slowly, then she stayed silent, staring at the flower as she brushed her fingers against her lower lip. I wondered if she knew how alluring she looked doing that, though I doubted she was trying to seduce me on purpose.

Or was she?

When she turned to face me, I quickly averted my gaze and straightened my shoulders.

“Can I get a red gerbera?” she asked.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Was she asking me for a flower? Right now?

Then to my surprise, she shrugged off the jacket I had loaned her and started taking off her sweater. I quickly turned around.

What on earth was she doing?

“Do you think you could put it here?” she asked.

I took a deep breath and turned back around, trying to focus my gaze on only the patch of bare skin she was pointing to on the upper portion of her right arm. Damn, it was difficult.

My eyes just wandered over her red lace bra, which looked too small for her breasts that were nearly popping out of them - perfectly round, firm mounds of soft, smooth flesh that were just asking me to cup them, to feel them. I bet they would fit perfectly into my hands, too.

I resisted the temptation, though, dragging my gaze up to Lauren’s face and clearing my throat before speaking. “Are you sure you want a tattoo?”

Lauren shrugged. “Why not?”

The first thought that popped into my mind was that she was too young for one, but that was nonsense. She was no longer a child. That was obvious.

“It will hurt,” I told her the truth. “You’ll feel every prick of the needle.”

She gave another shrug. “I’m not scared of pain.”

This from the girl who used to cry from the tiniest scratch on her arm. I wondered how much pain she had endured to reach this new level of tolerance. A part of me felt angry at everyone who had hurt her. Another part simply admired her for her resilience.

“There are health risks as well,” I explained. “Of course, I take measures to prevent them, but you never know how your skinwill react in the future, whether it’s tomorrow or a year from now.”

Lauren nodded. “I understand, and I accept the risks.” She looked into my eyes. “I know you’ll take good care of me, though I won’t blame you if anything goes wrong. I accept all the responsibility for what I’m asking you to do.”

The intensity of her gaze and the seriousness of her words stole my breath for a second. We were still talking about her getting a tattoo, right?

I drew a breath and tried to focus. What was I saying again? Oh, right. The disadvantages of getting a tattoo.

“Then, of course, there’s the obvious fact that a tattoo is permanent,” I told Lauren, trying to sound as professional as possible. “You won’t be able to erase it, so you have to be sure you want it. What if you regain your memories and decide you don’t want a tattoo after all?”

“I want it.” There was no trace of hesitation in Lauren’s eyes or in her voice. “I know it’s something that can’t be undone, but maybe that’s exactly what I want. I promise I won’t regret it.” She placed her hand on my arm. “Will you give it to me, Jake?”

The question sounded both like a challenge and a plea, the ring of my name from her lips paired with the warmth of her fingertips sending a ripple of heat over my skin. Again, I had to remind myself that she was just asking me for a tattoo.

Nothing else. Nothing more.

And I didn’t have the heart to refuse her, especially after what she’d just been through.

“All right,” I told her. “Just sit in the chair, and I’ll get my stuff ready.”

Lauren’s face lit up with a smile. “Okay.”

I went into my office to prepare the stencil for her chosen tattoo, then sterilized all the necessary equipment. I washed my hands and put on my gloves, then I grabbed my shaving and sanitizing kit and went back to Laura.

She was already seated comfortably in the chair, her arm on the armrest. I tried not to glance at her breasts, focusing on preparing her skin for the tattoo. I had almost managed to slip into my zone as a tattoo artist, too, up until Lauren spoke.

“I’ve never been shaved by anyone before. It’s quite…nice.”

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