Page 80 of Hold Me Today

Goddamn him for making me want to swoon after he already had me orgasming on command! I laugh, because his good humor is contagious, and finally ease the bandage from his skin. The tattoo looks gorgeous against the ropes of muscles that work as the backdrop. As much as I want to trace the intricate black lines with my finger, I force myself to step back and give him space.

“Okay, we’re doing this then?” I ask.

He grins. “You sound nervous. Need to hold my hand?”

I swat his arm. Draw in a deep breath, then face the mirror. Immediately I drop my gaze to my breasts—the high-peaked nipples standing at full attention, thanks to Nick’s close proximity—and then lower, to the feminine cursive script. The words follow the natural, underside curve of my breasts, inked in delicate and thin font. It looks wispy, like if I breathe a little too roughly, the words might scatter away on a wild breeze.

“Without the night,” Nick says, voice pitched low, “there are no stars.”

I swallow, hard, hearing him repeat the words now etched into my skin even as I stare at them in the mirror for myself. My throat grows even tighter, and I press the back of my fist to my mouth. I don’t want him to see my lips trembling, but there’s no hiding the way I blink rapidly, chasing away the tears.

“It reminds me of you,” he continues in a deep rasp. “No matter how bad it gets, no matter what you’re trying to claw away from . . . just remember that you’reMinabecause of all those restless moments.”

I don’t stop to let myself think twice.

Twisting on my heel, I throw my arms around Nick’s waist. He hisses out, “Shit, tattoo,” and I immediately drop my right arm. One-armed hug it is, then.

“Thank you.” I kiss his chest, as close as I can get to his mouth since I’m barefooted. “Thank you.”

I feel him press his lips to the top of my head. Then, “My turn. Let’s do this. No arrows, right?”

I ease back and hop up on the counter. “A huge arrow, like I promised. Look and see.”

Slowly Nick turns toward the mirror, and I watch his expression, noting every change like I’m skimming through a flipbook. His brows rise first, and then his cheeks hollow out with a quick exhale. My own breathing kicks into overdrive, nerves eating away at me. Tentatively, he touches a finger to the top of the church spire.

“How . . .?”

Feeling a blush crest my cheeks, I bring my hands to my lap. “That first day I came to your office, I saw the miniature sculpture in the waiting area. It wasn’t done, but I couldn’t—can’t—get the image out of my head of you working on it. The patience it would take. The acute attention to detail it requires. It could belong to anyone, but I saw it and I knew that it was yours.”

His jaw works tightly. “I can’t seem to finish it. It’s the longest I’ve ever worked on a piece, but this one . . . I just can’t get it right.” He slides me a swift, searching glance that sparks goose bumps to life on my skin. “Maybe I will now.”

“Do you like it?” I ask softly.

His gaze hitches back to his chest, to the geometric-inspired church window inked into the side of his ribs. The lines of the tattoo are intricately Gothic, almost haunting in their austerity.

He reaches for my hand, his thumb brushing over my skin. “You know me too well,koukla. It’s perfect.”

No,thisfeels perfect.

And it terrifies me how much I wish it all were real.

26

Celebrity Tea Presents:

Nick Stamos Spotted Getting Tattoos With New Girlfriend—And We Have A Name!

Readers, the headline says it all, but I’m here to spill the TEA. Take a seat, pour yourself a cup, and let’s get down to business. You may remember recent reports ofPut A Ring On Itcontestant Nick Stamos stepping out with a mysterious woman. Well, a new source on Twitter claims that Stamos and his new girl (more on her in a minute) came into a tattoo parlor the source frequents. They picked tats out for each other, KISSED, and looked genuinely smitten.

“I was just coming in when they were checking out,” the source told Celebrity Tea, “and the moment I spotted Nick I remembered seeing your article! OMG, they were all over each other, and I secretly grabbed a video. By the way, he’s even hotter in real life. She is one lucky girl.”

Well, Dear Reader, we’ve done our homework (you’re welcome) and this Mysterious Woman is none other than one Mina Pappas of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her social media accounts are pretty sparse, but never fear! Looks like our girl Mina is opening a new hair salon—according to her Instagram bio link, anyway.

Did our boy Nick hammer his way into Mina’s heart? Is Savannah Rose aware that her former beau has already moved on? So much to discuss, so little time. One thing’s for certain, a little birdie told me thatPut A Ring On Itwill be airing sooner than expected, due to all the leaked footage. Grab some popcorn. Take a seat. It’s going to be a wild ride and you KNOW I’m down to deliver the tea, 24/7.

27

Nick

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