Page 23 of Forbidden Harmony

He was all business and she wondered why itwas disappointment that she was feeling.

His warm fingers slid across the back ofher shoulder and hooked under the shoulder strap of her bra. He slid it downher arm and she tried not to shiver at his touch. He pressed the stencilagainst her skin before carefully peeling it away. He picked up a large hand mirrorand stepped in front of her, holding it up so she could see her back in thefull-length mirror.

“What do you think of placement?”

“It looks good.”

“Too big?”

“No, I don’t think so,” she said.

“You sure?”

She nodded. It actually looked exactly theright size and she was a little amazed by Preacher’s ability to gauge the correctsize. “I like it.”

“Let’s get started then.”

“How much?” she said.

He paused. “What?”

“How much for the tattoo?”

“Hundred,” he said.

She had been prepared to pay a lot more andwas already planning in her head exactly how long she’d have to eat ramen to payfor this little moment of madness. “That seems too low.”

“It isn’t.”

She crossed to the couch, incredibly awareof the fact that she was in just her jeans and a spectacularly ugly beige braand grabbed her wallet from her purse. “Should I pay you now?”

“It doesn’t matter. You can pay me afterif you prefer.”

“I’ll do it now.”

His crooked little grin was weirdly sexy.“No refunds if you hate it.”

She smiled at him. “I’m sure I won’t hateit.”

He ran her card through and printed her areceipt that she stuffed into her purse. He walked away to his station andafter a moment, she followed him. She studied the tattoo bed as he pulled a rollingchair out from the under the drawing table and brought it to the station.

“Can you straddle this?” he said.

“Yes.” Holding the back of the chair tokeep it steady, she straddled it and tried not to flinch when Preacher sat on thestool behind her and she felt his warm breath on her back.

“What colour would you like?”

“Pink,” she said. “I like pink. Is that too,um, girlie, do you think?”

“It’s your body and your ink,” he said.

“Right. Pink it is then.”

It took him another twenty minutes to setup his equipment. He showed her the needles he would be using, all of themstill encased in their new wrapping before pulling on gloves.

“This is my first tattoo,” she said.

“Yeah, I figured. Are you afraid ofneedles?”

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