Page 26 of Reckless Roses
She doesn’t question me, doesn’t even take her eyes from the sky as she tosses her forearm across my lap. I press dots into her skin with the pen, connecting them to form the constellation. She giggles as my pen slides along her arm, and I realize she must be ticklish there.
I wonder if my brother knows that.
I finish the constellation, placing her hand back in her lap. “Raise your arm and then find the constellation in the sky that matches the one I just drew.”
Her arm shoots in the air, a bright smile spreading across her face as she studies her skin and the sky. “You are a genius, Augustus.” She traces two fingers over the ink. “This would be cool as a tattoo. When are you going to tattoo me, by the way?” Elena turns her head, shooting me an unconvincing scowl.
“Your body is too pretty for me to practice on,” I say before I can think hard enough to stop myself.Fuck. “I mean—I don’t…” I groan, face flushing with embarrassment. “I’m not going to risk scarring you forever in the same way I don’t care if I accidentally give Leo or Everett a fucked-up tattoo.”
I stare at my hands, feeling stupid.
“Augustus,” she says, waiting patiently until I find the courage to meet her gaze. Elena’s smiling, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think I was making her blush. But I do know better. It’s my brother who makes her blush. “I know what you meant,” she continues, turning back toward the sky with that same smile on her face. “Plus, we both know you love my tits.”
I groan, wiping a hand down my face as she laughs at me.
She has no embarrassment when it comes to her body or the way she catches me looking at it. I have infinite levels of humiliation that my best friend is well aware of how attracted I am to her.
After a moment of silence, Elena says, “I want matching tattoos. ”
“That worked out poorly for Leo.” I sigh, lying down next to her, the grass beneath me soft, the sky above vast and endless.
“Don’t worry, Augustus.” She smiles sweetly. “I’m not an evil succubus here to suck out your soul, force you to fall in love with me, and then disappear without a trace.” I watch her from my periphery as she looks toward the stars again. “Plus, you’re my best friend. I’m never going to look at a representation of you on my skin and wish it wasn’t there.”
I stare after her, speechless. Only three thoughts filter through my mind as I get lost in the depths of her endless brown eyes:
God help Darby Andrews if she ever shows up in town again.
I’m already in love with her, have been all my life, whether she forced it or not.
I want her on my skin, too.
Elena pats the ground on her other side. “Come sit over here.”
“Why?”
She raises her opposite hand. “I want you to practice. Give me a tattoo on this arm.”
“What do you want?” I ask.
“Something that reminds you of me.”
I smile to myself; it’s not the first time I’ve thought about tattooing Elena’s skin. I fucking dream about it, in fact. The idea of permanently marking her gives me a sense of satisfaction I’m desperate for. If I had it my way, I’d tattoo my name on her right now.
But she’s not mine. I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t want to fuck up her skin for eternity. My skill level is phenomenal for my age and experience, but it’s not good enough for her yet. She’s too perfect—too pristine—and the first time I ink her, I’m going to make damn sure it turns out as flawless as she is.
I sit up and crawl over her, trying not to think too hard about the way it feels when her thigh grazes my groin. I suck in a sharp breath as her body presses beneath mine, because that’s another thing I only allow myself to imagine in my dreams.
