Page 32 of Forbidden Intent

“You still haven’t answered my question.You wouldn’t be dodging it, would you?”

“Not at all.In case you haven’t noticed, my dad isn’t like typical dads.He’s pretty chill, not to mention covered in tattoos himself.He did ask to see my final design before I got it done, but other than that he was cool with it.”

“Your dad is definitely not normal.”

“I’m guessing your dad wouldn’t have been as cool about it?”

“Are you kidding?I was twenty when I got my tattoo and he still makes snide remarks about it—how it makes me look like a heathen.”

“Do you only have the one?”

“Yeah.I’d love to get a few more, but…” I pause, sure that if I confess this to her, I’m going to come off like a total wimp.

“But what?”

Taking one hand off the wheel, I slide it through my hair in a nervous gesture I’ve never been able to kick.“Uh, well…I’m kinda afraid of needles.”

When she doesn’t say anything right away, I glance over to see her eyes wide and her mouth parted.

“You’re messing with me.”

I shake my head.“Unfortunately, no.”

“You’re afraid of needles?”

“Yup.”

“How is that possible?I’ve seen pictures of your tattoo.It’s huge.”

I lean my elbow on the door and slide my hand quickly down my face.Fuck, this is embarrassing to admit.“I passed out when he did the first letter.But I couldn’t just have a giant R on my side, so when I woke up, I told him to finish the tattoo no matter what.Since he’s a buddy of mine, he did it.I’m pretty sure anyone else would’ve said no fucking way.He made me sign a special consent form and then got started on the second letter.I passed out a few more times, coming in and out during the process.He’d stop when I was coming to and then once he felt I was stable enough, he’d start again.”

“So did you feel the pain or was it just the idea of the needle?”

“Oh no, I felt it.But ultimately it was probably the needle.”

She looks out the front window absorbing that information.“Wait a second.Rise A.That’s what your tattoo says.You toldRock and Roll Magazinethat it meant Rise Austin, as in where you got your start.But it doesn’t, does it?”

I stay silent.

“Oh my God.You never finished the tattoo.”

“It was too much, okay!My body went into shock and Pat refused to do any more.I’ve been too chickenshit to get it done.”

She bursts out laughing and then immediately covers her mouth.“I’m so sorry.I shouldn’t laugh, but oh man, that’s hilarious.This whole time you’ve been playing off this cool tattoo and it’s not even finished.”

She continues to apologize for laughing, and even reaches out to place her hand on my arm, giving it a quick squeeze before removing it.I can’t find the heart to give her grief for mocking me because this is the most relaxed I’ve seen her.If it’s at my expense, then that’s fine by me as long as she stays like this.Her shoulders aren’t held so tightly by her ears and her laugh fills the car better than any song on the radio ever could.

I could stay like this all night, but right then we pull up to our destination—my favorite mini-golf course.

We get out of the car and head toward the entrance.Tamsin is silent beside me, and it concerns me that I’ve made a critical error on my choice of date.Maybe I should’ve taken her to a fancy dinner and a movie instead.Fuck, it’s been so long since I’ve gone on a real date—hell, since I’ve even bothered trying to impress a woman.

“You okay?”

She turns her piercing hazel gaze on me, and I hold my breath at the seriousness in her expression.“Did you pick this because you think of me as a kid?”

Horror streaks through me.What the fuck?

My mouth gapes like a fish out of water, and I can feel the words stumbling over themselves to get out of my mouth, but before I can make a peep, Tamsin’s expression cracks and she bends over laughing.

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