Page 37 of Open Road (Tattooed Hearts Duet 3)

“Seriously.” He leaned down, getting into my space.

Sighing, I placed my stuff down, feeling Slade vibrating next to me. He was two seconds away from punching this man and ruining his opportunity with his dad. Stepping in front of him, he pulled me into his body, holding me to his chest. It didn’t matter, though. It worked to keep him from lashing out at the stupid jerk in front of me.

“Sweetie, I’ve tried to be nice. But maybe I need to spell this out for you clearer. This isn’t the school playground where you can insult me and make me want to work for you. I’m not a toy for you to win away from Slade. Tattooed Hearts is more than just a parlor to me. It’smyheart. Slade and I have a bond that transcends anything else. Nothing you offer me will ever measure up to the love, belonging, and pride I have every day when I work with the man I love. Now, please, vacate our area and stick to your own.”

His eyes heated with embarrassment, and I realized we’d drawn a crowd, but I didn’t care. I was tired of him trying to bait us. “Bye, now.” I waved him off, sitting back into Slade’s lap, his arms circling me more. I felt him chuckling into my back as he hid his face.

Lee’s face was bright red, but he pulled away, stalking off, knocking a few things down as he did. The girl sneered at me before following. I waved at them, not caring, just hoping they’d stay gone this time.

“Peach, have I told you how much I love your sass?”

“Hmm?” I tapped my mouth, pretending to think about it. “I think you told me you hated it, actually.”

“Never,” he growled, his fingers tightening, sending shivers down me. “It’s one of my favorite things. Especially when you use that mouth to suck me off,” he whispered, making my breath catch. Rubbing my legs together, I slapped his arm, knowing he was trying to distract himself, but I wasn’t really one to be horny around a crowd of people right before I had to take a tattoo gun to someone.

Standing, I narrowed my eyes at him as I moved back to my seat. “If you want to ever experience it again, then I’d keep it controlled,sir.”

His eyes heated, and I realized I’d just poked him even more. Turning, my cheeks reddened as I tried to focus back on the drawing on my page. I had a dream catcher sketched in no time, and I was tweaking it when Mia and Paul returned with food.

“We got a little bit of everything,” Mia said, setting down some plates. Simon and Zane were behind them, grinning as they caught my attention.

Slade stayed in his own bubble, drawing something I couldn’t see. He’d covered his arm over it, leaning so no one could catch a glimpse of the page. While he worked, I chatted with his dad and Mia, Simon telling us what he would do for the makeup portion of the competition this time.

“It was amazing, Lenn. Everyone kept asking me about your hair, saying how much they loved it,” he gushed.

I swished it back and forth, loving how it felt. “Well, it is fantastic.” I blew him a kiss, loving that he was getting recognized. Before I knew it, it was time for his competition, and he gave me a kiss for luck as he strolled away. Mia decided to go with him, wanting to watch him work.

“You ready, Noxy girl?” Zane asked me.

“Yeah, I am.” He nodded toward his brother, a question in his eyes. I shifted my eyes to his dad, and he understood.

Slade suddenly stood, walked over to his chair, and began to prep. I’d only seen him this singularly focused once before, and that was when he tattooed me. When he had everything ready, he looked up, realizing we’d all been watching.

“Dad, you ready?”

“Oh, is it time?” he asked, walking over.

“Yes, for you, it is.” He didn’t say anything else, but I could see all of his hopes and fears as he waited for his dad to take a seat.

“Do I get to see it?” his dad asked.

“I’d rather you waited until the end.”

His dad assessed him, considering something before he nodded. Settling back as he rolled up his shirt sleeve. Slade immediately fell into his professional role, transferring the design to his skin. He looked at it, smiling, before pulling out his gun and beginning. He watched his dad as he made contact, relaxing when he didn’t jump up off the table. Zane moved over and started to talk to his dad, distracting him.

Slade didn't even seem to hear when the announcer came on, stating that our competition would be starting. Carol arrived, and I showed her the design. Together we made a few tweaks before I printed it off. Once I had her in the chair, I zoned out, losing myself in the process.

When the time ended a few hours later, my body was tight from being in one position for so long. I sat back, stretching my fingers as I looked at the tattoo. We’d weaved bits of color and shadowing into it, and I loved how it had turned out.

“I love it,” she gushed, pulling me into a hug. Patting her arm, I looked around, seeing we’d drawn a crowd.

That was when I realized it was for Slade's tattoo. I wanted to gasp at its beauty, but I didn’t want to disturb him as he finished. It was one of the most intricate designs I’d ever seen him do. It was a story about him, his dad, his mom, and his brother. There were things to represent them all: a baseball, daisies, airplanes, and roads that ran down the middle with some state signs of where they’d lived. There were even the stars and letters we’d written. It was beautiful, and I hoped his dad would appreciate it. It covered his entire bicep. How he’d completed it in four hours was a testament to his commitment.

He stood back, handing his dad a mirror. He looked at it, his eyes shiny with tears as he took in the details. When he’d taken in all angles of it, catching all the small details, he looked at Slade, and I wondered if he was seeing him for the first time.

“It’s magnificent, Son.” Paul pulled Slade into his arms, holding him tight.

Zane placed his arm around me, pulling me into his embrace, and I knew he was also feeling emotional. For so long, he’d been the bridge between the two, stuck in the middle of his family.

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