Page 8 of My Shining Stepbrother

I open my eyes and look back down at her. She is in her zone, and I don't want to ruin it, but my mouth speaks before my brain thinks. “You have a very light hand. It's nice.” What the fuck did I just say to her?!

Her small, light, and soft laugh makes my head feel fuzzy. Her angelic voice sings to me in more ways than I could imagine. “I try not to lean into it too much to avoid unneeded pressure.” She didn't even look up, but I could hear her smile in her voice.

“Well, it's appreciated from this side. It's also a nice change-up.” Fuck, I think I have forgotten how to flirt.

“Are you saying Ricky is heavy-handed?” she questions me teasingly.

How do I get out of this one now?

I begin to think for a quick second before I find an excellent way to put it into words. “He doesn't have a heavy hand but is a bit heavy-handed.”

“Really? That's ironic. He is the one who taught me about being light-handed.” She says with shock, but I can tell she isn't surprised by it.

“Then let that be our secret. Wouldn't want him to have his feelings hurt, would we?” I joke, but I am serious at the same time.

She shows me the smile, and it lights up her face. This woman is wrecking my world and stealing my soul and heart. What the hell is happening to me?!

- Rose -

Once I finish the tattoo and set the machine down, I sit back and check it over. I might be a tad biased, but it looks incredible. Hades is holding Persephone with her back pressed against his chest. One arm is covering her breasts while his other hand is covering her lower area. It's raw and vulnerable. It’s filled with their lust and love.

I pull off my gloves and discard them before looking at his face. “What do you think of it? You said raw and vulnerable, so that's what I aimed for.” I carry the strength and pride in my voice, hoping it will show how much I put into this piece.

He doesn't skip a beat with his answer, though. “I think it's perfect, Rose. His god-like stature wrapped around her goddess-like body is perfect. I might love it more than my back. It's perfect and what I wanted, even without me telling you. It's phenomenal.” His eyes meet mine, and I can feel his honesty as it pours from his lips.

The smile on my face is one that I've never felt before. He loves it; he truly, honestly loves it. Does he know she isn't a goddess, though? “She technically is a goddess.” I want to know how much he knows about Greek mythology. It could be I want to hold him here a bit longer to be in his presence or that I want to know more about him.

“Technically, no, she wasn't. She should have been, though. She was more powerful than some gods, even for being a demigod. She didn't know her strength, though, which was her downfall.” He winks at me, and my heart flutters. This man is a different breed of human.

“I love your thoughts on her. She stood her ground, but with the knowledge of her power combined with Hades’power, they could have ruled the realms.” I respond to him, looking back down at his naked leg with a racing pulse.

“She underestimated herself….” His words were quiet but not unheard by my ears.

“I guess I know a little about that…” My reply was just as soft but heard by his ears. I look up into his icy-blue eyes for him to pour into me.

“You're a fantastic artist Rose. I hope you see that.” His eyes turn to a grassy green as he stares at me.

“I'm starting to see that. Thank you, Reese. Today has been a great opportunity.”

I stand up from my chair, turning around to wash my hands. Maybe he is being nice because of our parents, but something tells me it's more than that. Perhaps this thing between us is more than in my head.

“What do you do for a living?” I ask him, primarily curious but trying to get him to stay longer.

He rubs the back of his neck nervously before answering my question. “Let’s just say that I'm a businessman.” He only says it with half confidence leading me to think that there is more to it than that.

“Okay… and what kind of business do you have?”I ask him curiously. I want to know the whole truth behind it.

“I have several businesses, but I have one main one. Maybe we will talk about that another time. Give me your phone. I want to give you my number if we need one another.” He quickly pushed off the business conversation before jumping into the phone. Was there more to his business? Was he an evil man?

“Yeah, sure, here.” I give him my phone, not wanting to think he could ever possibly be a bad man. He has been nothing but pleasant and genuine to me since the day we met. He puts his number in my phone and proceeds to call his number, so he has mine.

After handing me the phone, he rubs his hand down his face. He looks like he is fighting with himself now but doesn’t let it show all that much. He opens his mouth, and the words I knew would be coming soon fall out. “Well, I better get back to work. I have a lot of things to do.”

I give him a shy yet sad smile and respond. “Yeah, I should too. It was great seeing you, though.”

His response is the same as he nods his head. Just like that, he leaves, and I’m watching that god of a man walks out of the shop. I want to follow him and climb him like a tree, but I stay where I am.

After a few minutes, I return to my booth and start drawing up some random designs. My mind keeps drifting to him and his body. I look down at the drawing trying to focus, but I find myself drawing Hades again, only this time he is nude with a massive cock in his hand. A thought bubble appears above him as he thinks of Persephone touching herself.

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