Page 21 of Watercolor Skulls

But does she?

She pulls away slowly. “I’m sorry. God, I’m so, so, sorry. I just, I’m just so overwhelmed. It’s perfect. You don’t know how much this means to me. And not just the tattoo, the experience. I’m alive. I’m alive.” She laughs and spins in a circle in front of me.

I’m going to hell. I’m sure of it.

She stops, staring in the mirror a bit longer. “I didn’t know what you meant by watercolor but this…oh my gosh this is better than I ever imagined.”

Wow, lots of compliments with this one. My chest puffs up a little more with each smile. Her eyes seem brighter, her complexion glowing a tad bit more than when she walked in. I did this. Me. I want to see if I can do more.

But that is impossible. She’s a client. A paying client.

She shimmies her jeans on, careful to keep the wrap I put over her new tattoo in place.

After she pays me my heart does this weird sort of nosedive right into my stomach. I don’t want this to be over. I should ask her out. No, she’s a client.

Client. Client. Client.

Chapter Eleven

Lily

???

As I’m paying I feel the loneliness creeping back in. I don’t want to leave. My eyes roam over Dan. I’m trying to memorize everything about him. He is so different than the clean shaven suits I’m used to.

He’s all man. He even smells manly. Like earth and trees. When I hugged him, I realized just how big he is and solid. I found myself fantasizing about things I haven’t let myself think about for a long time. It’s a part of me that I’ve tucked away.

Benjamin made it perfectly clear in the beginning what I was to him. I was the girlfriend that made him look good. I would eventually be the wife that stood by his side and popped out a few babies. That was it. He had sex with me, yes. I really don’t want to talk about it. It wasn’t good, for me anyhow. I don’t know about him. No, that’s not entirely true. He made it clear that he had women to give him the dirty sex he craved. I was just someone he used when it was convenient. Basically, I was there for the photo ops.

But Dan…I felt every touch of his fingers, every pulse of the needle as he drug it across my skin. It felt good. I know that’s weird to say and I’d never say it out loud but it’s true.

“So, what are we going to do next?” I hear myself ask. What am I doing?

He tips his head back and laughs. When his gaze drops, he pins me with a look that makes me clench my thighs together. “Ready for me again?” he asks, his voice gravelly and deep.

I clear my throat and drop my gaze to my feet. He senses my shyness and leans over the counter, chucking me under the chin with his knuckle. “Hey, I’m sorry that was rude of me.”

“No, no it wasn’t.” I force myself to face him head on. Big Dan excites me, and I haven’t been excited in…well ever. He’s woken something up in me and I want more. I crave more of him. “I think I can handle it.”

His eyebrows twitch, his mouth turning up on one side. “Well, then. I look forward to you becoming a regular. Call me once that heals up.”

Slowly I make my way to the door, I don’t want to leave. My hand pauses on the handle. The tattoo on my leg stings reminding me I’m alive.You only get one life, Lily, and it’s yours. Never forget that.My aunt’s words echo through my mind.

I spin around, catching Dan ogle me. Was he looking at my butt? I think he was.

“Dan, would you like to have a drink with me Friday night?”

His mouth falls open for a brief second, but he recovers quickly.

“I thought you would never ask.” He grins at me in a way that makes my insides quiver, and not in a bad way. “You want to meet me over at the Grey Wolf Bar at seven?”

Biting my bottom lip, I nod, then stumble out the door.

The bright blue sky greets me. I throw my hands out and take a deep breath. My little beetle waits for me, ready to take me on another adventure.

Feeling a burst of inspiration, I head to the hardware store. The young man at the counter laughs when he sees me. “You must have a big project. This is the third day you’ve been in.”

“Point me in the direction of your power tools.”

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