Page 77 of When You Give a Lawyer a Kiss

I hesitate, worry etched on my face. “Should I stop?”

“No. It stings, but I can handle it.” She gives me a confident grin, trying to mask the discomfort with a brave front.

I’ve tattooed hundreds of clients, but watching her suffer the slightest bit of discomfort makes me second-guess every stroke of the needle. What drives me forward is knowing this tattoo is important to her, and the trust she’s placed in me to get it right.

The rhythmic buzz of the tattoo machine creates a steady hum as I stay focused on making sure each line is precise. It’s difficult since I’m hyper-aware of every shift in Reese’ posture, and each soft exhale when I shift the needle’s position. When my gloved hand brushes against her skin, it sends an electric current rippling through me. Even the thin material can’t stop the visceral reaction I have to her. After what feels like hours, I finally finish, and when her emerald eyes shift to mine, the weight of our unspoken feelings hangs in the air.

I gently clean the area with another antiseptic wipe, and apply a layer of ointment to protect her new ink. Reese’s gaze moves to her wrist, a smile brightening her face. “It’s perfect, Dawson,” she says in awe.

“I’m glad you think so.” I carefully wrap the tattoo, her pulse quickening with every touch.

My fingers linger, and I can’t help lifting her hand to my mouth, placing a tender kiss below the area that’s covered by the protective wrap.

“I spent the afternoon with Grams.” Reese speaks up. “She told me I should sell the house.”

“Are you going to?” I ask hesitantly.

“Yes, I think I am.” She says, her fingers twitching in my hold.

A part of me is relieved that Georgia suggested Reese sell. Whether she chooses to move in with me or find her own place, I’m glad she’ll no longer be living in an unsafe environment. Still, I recognize this must be a difficult decision to leave the home she’s lived in her whole life.

I give her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m here for whatever you need.”

She chews on her lower lip, her gaze locked on mine. “There is one thing.”

“Which is?” I press when she doesn’t continue.

“I’m going to need a place to stay.”

“Is this your way of telling me you want to move in with me, Red?” I grin, my excitement barely contained.

“If the offer still stands,” she says hesitantly.

I motion for her to stand, guiding her by the hand to sit on my lap. When she’s seated, I wind my hand around her waist, nuzzling my nose into her neck.

“It does,” I assure her. “But if you’re unsure we can wait to take that step.”

My conversation with Martha & Colby made me see that as long as I have Reese in my life, everything else will fall into place in its own time.

Reese shakes her head. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you,” she states.

“But I’m paying rent. I don’t want a free ride, even if you’re my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend, huh? I like the sound of that.”

There’s no way I’m letting her pay rent, but we can figure out a way for her to contribute if that’ll make her happy.

She runs her fingers through my hair as she snuggles closer. “Something interesting happened at Oak Ridge today—two things actually. Grams had a new cashmere blanket that she kept on her lap the whole time I was there, and on the way out,April, one of the receptionists told me that an anonymous donor paid for all the residents’ fees for a year. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that now, would you?”

I give her a wry smile. “That’s incredibly generous.” I say, sidestepping her question. “I’d wager the person who did it must care a lot about someone who lives there. In fact, I’d go as far to say they must love someone related to that resident… her granddaughter maybe?”

Reese sits up in my lap, blinking in shock. “Dawson?” she utters, hesitating as if afraid to voice her question.

I graze my knuckles across her jawline, my gaze meeting hers. “I love you, Reese Taylor.” I state with conviction. “I love you so damn much, and I can’t imagine a life without you in it.”

She places her hand over mine, keeping it pressed to her cheek. “I love you too, Dawson, and now that we’re together, I’m never letting you go.”

“Never,” I vow.

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