Page 35 of Thanks for Coming Along

With each pass of the needle, he wiped away the extra ink, revealing the clean outline of "721" on her finger.

“It’s a date that changed my life,” Eden said softly, admiring the fresh tattoo. “July 21st. Something clicked in my brain that day, and I finally realized I was worth something. More than something—I’m worth everything.”

Ronan nodded silently, knowing the significance. It was the day she had sought help after waking up in a stranger’s house, the turning point in her mental health journey.

Eden smiled down at her new ink, a small but powerful smile. “I love it, Gordon. Thank you.”

Gordon returned her smile with a nod. “Glad you do. Now, it’s Tony Hawk’s turn,” he added with a wink, shifting his gaze to Ronan and his longboard abandoned next to his feet.

Ronan laughed, a little nervous, and explained what he had in mind: a small sparrow. Eden, meanwhile, skated aimlessly around the shop, her roller skates clacking against the floor as Gordon sketched out designs. They finally agreed on a simple design—a sparrow, no bigger than a silver dollar, diving gracefully with its wings spread wide.

Ronan sank into the chair and let out a deep breath. “Alright, let’s do this,” he said, trying to shake off his nerves.

“Where do you want it, Tony?” Gordon asked, holding up the stencil for Ronan to see.

Ronan thought about it for a second. “Back of my left arm.”

“You’re probably gonna need to take off your shirt,” Eden chimed in, her tone casual. “The shirt’ll just get in the way. Might as well make it easier for Gordon.” She shrugged, a small, mischievous grin tugging at her lips.Minx.

“Anything for Gordon,” Ronan replied with a smirk as he yanked his shirt over his head, tossing it at Eden. The shirt landed right on her head, blocking her face for a second.

“I don't want to be a pawn in your twisted horny game," Gordon muttered under his breath.

21

Eden

Eden was woman enough to admit that maybe she had gone too far. As Ronan's shirt hung over her face, she couldn't help but inhale the scent of him—spicy, fresh, and a little too tempting. It was like a shot of something heady and addictive, making her momentarily lose focus. She pulled the T-shirt off her head with a quick tug, her eyes instinctively finding Ronan, who was now half-undressed.

His chest wasn’t overly muscular, but it was solid and well-defined, like each part of him had purpose. She couldn’t help but notice how strong his arms looked—those biceps, the way his shoulders tapered down—like he could do some serious damage if he wanted to. The whole thing made her heart beat a little faster, a strange pull in her chest as she caught herself staring longer than she meant to.

What really caught Eden off guard was how effortlessly confident he seemed. It wasn’t the cocky, look-at-me kind of confidence; it was more like he knew exactly who he was, and he was comfortable with it. The way he took care of himself was clearly for his own benefit, not to impress anyone. And, well, she was definitely appreciating the results.

In all honesty, his devastatingly good looks posed a direct challenge to her self-control, but she couldn't really blame anyone but herself for that.

"Write a song about it... it'll last longer," Ronan teased, giving her a sly smirk. That's when Eden realized she’d been staring at him, and she quickly snapped her mouth shut. Her face felt like it was on fire, and she tried to hide her blush as best as she could.

God, was she actually drooling?Jesus, maybe Ingrid was right about her salivating. She couldn't even think of a sassy coming back because her lizard brain was in a full-blown misfire, and all her wires were crossed.

"Ronan, can you lay back and put your arm down?" Gordon asked, getting Ronan in position for the tattoo. Eden felt a bit of relief—thankfully, Gordon was taking over, because she was dangerously close to letting out a mating call.

Gordon carefully placed the stencil on Ronan’s tricep, right under the muscle. Ronan gave a nod, signaling it was good, and Gordon flipped the tattoo machine on.

"You need my hand, Murphy? Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the mean needle," Eden teased, unable to help herself from doubling down.

"Percy, you’ll do anything to touch me, won’t you?" Ronan shot back, raising an eyebrow. "First, making me take off my shirt. What's next?"

"Pants, duh," Eden replied casually, the room suddenly thick with tension. Had she crossed a line? Was she pushing her luck with her teasing?

"First tattoo?" Gordon asked, completely oblivious to the charged energy in the room. Meanwhile, as Gordon placed the needle on Ronan’s skin, Ronan didn’t even flinch—his eyes stayed locked on Eden, a silent challenge hanging between them.

"Are you gonna hold my hand, Devil?" Ronan asked, a gleam in his eyes. Eden rolled her eyes, but the smile that tugged at her lips gave her away. Her stomach did a little flip as she laced her fingers through his right hand, enjoying the warmth of his skin against hers.

"Yeah, it's my first tattoo," Ronan added, his voice a little lighter now.

"Any special meaning?" Gordon asked, continuing his work on Ronan's arm.

"It's for my Gran," Ronan said, his voice softening. "She loved sparrows. Reminded her of Ireland, and they were all about good luck and hope for her. She had these ceramic sparrows all over the house, convinced they'd protect us. She nearly throttled Sadie when she broke one when we were kids," Ronan added, a hint of fondness in his tone.

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