Page 32 of Sugar and Skulls

You know as well as I do that there is something undeniable between us. The push, the pull. The sparing, it’sallforeplay. She’s good at it and the most alluring part about it is she doesn’t even know what it does to me. Not that she’s naïve. No, innocent maybe the right word. She reeks of it. Unfortunate for her. Because it calls to the predator in me. I want to defile her, piss on her, mark her,make her mine.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.” I glare into the face of my best friend, my president.

Bill snarls in my face as Dan flexes his fists. I get it, they want to protect her. We’re all on the same page here.

“How does she know where your ink stops and starts?” Bill grinds his molars.

I drop my cigarette to the ground between us, grinding it into the pavement with the heal of my boot. My hand rakes through my hair as my eyes take in our surroundings. Lowering my voice, and leaning into his space, I give the information he won’t like. “I checked on her while she was showering and caught her clawing at herself.”

His eyes instantly soften, allowing me a glimpse of his soft spot. Continuing. I push the knife deeper, “The water was so hot it was scalding her skin.” I step back reigning in my own feelings about that night. “I went in for her.”

He stumbles back, leaning his ass against the concrete steps. I pause long enough for Raffe to pass behind him, heading into the shop. Raffe gives us a once over but continues inside. When Bill’s attention turns back to me I finish. “She caught a glimpse of me when I put my clothes in the dryer. That’s when she took the opportunity to make her escape. Don’t worry, I won’t get caught with my pants down again.”

“Did she tell you,” he swallows convulsively, “what happened? Who hurt her?”

“If she had we would be knees deep in blood and entrails.” I motion between the three of us.

He runs his hand over his face. “Sorry to jump all over your shit.”

Waving off his apology I l circle around him and Dan. He should hold off on the apology because he will most definitely be jumping all over my shit again. My skin feels itchy knowing Raffe is inside with Jesse alone. My head knows she’s too smart to fall for the charms of Raffe, but my heart is beating a war chant preparing my blood for a fight. I point to the door, maintaining enough sense to ask Bill for permission to leave the conversation. He nods once.

When I step inside my muscles lock down one by one. Forcing air into my lungs I control the urge to rip my pretty friend’s head off his shoulders. Her face is inches from Raffe’s cock. The fucker tips his face up at the sound of my entry. He winks at me with a shit eating grin on his face that is soon going to be shoved to the back of his nonexistent brains.

Raffe places his hands behind his head, relaxing into her chair in nothing but a t-shirt and tight-fitting boxers. My jaw clicks against the silence as I work my teeth together to keep my war cry buried in my chest. Jesse gives me a quick glance before returning her concentration to Raffe’s body. Her hand clenches around his thigh. His tongue snakes out to wet his bottom lip while cocking an eyebrow at me in challenge. Not sure if he is trying to make me jealous of him or her. He has never hid his attraction for me.

They are beautiful together. Her blue-black hair lying in ropes across his thigh. His chiseled jaw clenches with each brush of her breath over his skin. She’s so close to his crotch I bet she can smell him. He lowers one hand and hovers it over her head, not touching but painting a sinful image of his fingers wrapped in her shinny tresses. A torrent of blood gushes to my cock spurring me farther into the shop.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I stalk towards them slowly, stopping only when I’ve effectively crowded their space, towering over the both of them. Jesse instantly reacts to my presence. The hum in her hand halts. Her eyes climb up my frame. Slowly I release Raffe from my gaze and focus on her. She blinks rapidly before tearing her eyes from me to seek shelter in Raffe’s. Whatever she was seeking she didn’t find. Comfort, reassurance, safety?

Nervously, she pushes her chair away from us. She busies herself with the tools of her trade. My eyes go back to him, silently scolding him. He shrugs his shoulders, running his palm heavily down his dick in a punishing stroke.

His hands grip the chair as I lean over to inspect her work. The sound of approval I make in the back of my throat triggers him to raise his hips slightly. My eyes slide to his, promptly putting him back in his place. He dips his head in submission. He clears his throat. “I told you she was an amazing artist. Dan had been doing the piece but seeing as he’s letting her work on customers I thought it would be nice to have her finish it. You know since it’s her design and all.” He clamps his jaw shut and focusses his stare out the window, silently hoping my attention will wane even though moments ago he craved nothing more than my full attention.

I grab his thigh harshly turning it to inspect every puncture to his skin. When her hand shoves mine away I raise my head to glower at her. She snaps her teeth at me in a possessive feline way before patting his leg to draw his attention back to her. “Leave us alone, I don’t want to mess up Raffe’s fuckable Grecian body.”

“What did you say?” I growl.

She laughs.

I look around, snatching a chair and shoving it right up beside her.

She gives Raffe an exasperated expression. “Is he always this clingy?”

Raffe wants to joke with her I can tell. They have an easy camaraderie between them. But, he is aware of my arousal. It equally excites and terrifies him into silence. She laughs nervously when he doesn’t answer, her eyes darting between the two of us. Shifting away from me on her stool she braces herself against the side of his leg. “Ignore him,” she whispers against his thigh, sending goosebumps to break out over Raffe’s tanned skin. He stares at me over her head, pleading with me to spare her.

Too late.

Bill and Dan enter the shop giving the three of us a once over. Dan points Bill in the direction of his chair while storming over to us. “Jesse,” he growls. His eyes peruse over her current canvas. He tips his head this way and that as if he is searching for a clue to appear in the ink. A sexy smirk appears on her face while she watches him.

“Next time you secretly ink a cock on someone you’re fired.” He points at her, his finger a sliver away from her nose.

She smacks her gum and nips at his finger. “One and done. I don’t have a desire to tattoo anymore dicks on anyone.”

Raffe sits up straight in the chair and pulls his leg up for closer inspection.

“Not you, dumbass.” She shoves his leg.

He drops his leg, relaxing in relief against the chair.

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