Page 24 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

“No. I’m not an artist this weekend. I’m just a helper.”

“I leave next week.” I don’t know why I say it so abruptly.

“I know.”

“What if I changed my mind about getting a tattoo before I left?” Yeah, not sure why I just said that out loud either.

“I’ll be around until Thursday.” She leaves with a self-assured smile on her face.

I have exactly one week to decide. I text Jensen.

Thinking about getting a tattoo.

. . .

I don’t wait for his words to appear.

Wondering if you might want to come examine every inch of my body and tell me where I should get it.

I might have to go over you twice to be sure.

Door is unlocked and I’m already naked.

I’m a liar, but I can be naked by the time he gets here.

Barely.

“Whoa. Did you drive or take a plane?”

“I was close when you sent the first text. You weren’t naked yet when you sent me the last one, though.”

“But I am now.” I toss my underwear on the bed.

“Hands on the mattress. Bend over.” He reaches behind his back and locks my door.

“Ah, starting your inspection with my backside, huh?”

“Sure.”

I love when his smile turns devious. His eyes glimmer. He licks his lips, and steps toward me, counting as he advances. “One. Two.”

“A countdown? Is that supposed to scare me?” My toes curl in anticipation of his next move. There’s a tingling sensation at the base of my spine, making it nearly impossible to stand still.

“Three.” He lunges for me.

I yelp, but I don’t run away. He laughs, knowing he succeeded in scaring me. I’m braced for him to spin me around or push me onto the bed, but he sinks his hands deep into my hair on either side of my face and stares into my eyes. “You should know that I think of you as mine, Ivy Dell McAdams. I can’t tell you when it started, but if knowing this makes you uncomfortable, I need you to tell me. If a relationship isn’t what you want, say it now.”

“There’s no part of me that wants to say that. As long as you know that I’m not going to change for you, Jensen James Stinger. Not one bit. I’m still going to be me, even the parts that make you crazy. If knowing this makes you want to reconsider, you should do that now.”

“I’ve spent the past four years of my life considering and reconsidering, questioning every choice I ever made, and I have never felt more certain about anything than I do you.”

I blink tears from the corners of my eyes. His kiss is soft, and his fingers massage my scalp as his tongue finds mine. I don’t do romance, dammit.

He’s already changed me. “I guess you want to make love to me now, too.”

“Right after I’m done tattooing my handprint on your ass.”

And they say the perfect man doesn’t exist.

---