Page 27 of Inked Beasts

It’s clear from the groupies I saw at the tattoo shop today that the men don’t suffer from a lack of attention. And why would they—they’re gorgeous. So I know this won’t be anything serious with me, just old friends with amazing benefits while I’m back in town, spending time in this alternate reality.

All of this goes through my mind in an instant, as I reach out and touch one of his solid thighs, my hand not even coming close to spanning the width of it.

Gage’s hand comes to my cheek, and then his lips are on mine for a kiss I realize I’ve been waiting fifteen years for.

GAGE

Her lips are softer than I imagined. Her taste is sweeter.

And the way she responds to me is like something out of my fantasies, only far better.

I knew she’d return, and I knew we’d be together, but now that she’s in my arms, I realize all of my wishful thinking couldn’t begin to compare to how good the reality of it is.

My fingers sink into her welcoming curves as I pull her onto my lap and deepen the kiss. Her mouth opens to me, and my tongue finds hers, both of us moaning at the discovery.

Her knees come on either side of my hips, pressing against me, molding herself to my body as her hands slide around my neck and up into my hair.

And her breasts. Fuck, her breasts press into my chest, so perfectly full, so soft, so utterly feminine, and my cock kicks against my zipper, ready to claim her.

I wanted to take this slow, and I will. I’m determined to make this special for her and give her everything she needs, but right now, I need to touch her everywhere. I need to know every inch of her, and make every bit of her mine.

Her hands and mouth tell me she feels the same.

In sync from the start, both of us pull back for a moment to take a breath, our chests already straining to bring in enough oxygen to fuel the rush of desire. Our eyes meet, and so much is said without words.

I want you. I need you. I love you—yes, I’ve always loved her. And let’s fucking do this. At last.

The two-second break only intensifies the passion, and we’re back at each other, grabbing at fabric, kissing and biting, ripping away clothing to find more bare skin.

I flip her onto her back, flat on the sofa, and only when I have one of her nipples in my mouth do I pause to take another breath.

Her pulse pounds through her chest as I flick my tongue over her hardened peak, my lips wrapped around her breast. “Lexy.” Her name is a whisper. A prayer of thanks as I nuzzle the space at the center of her chest and brush my cheek against the delicate skin there.

“Gage.” Her hands urge me upward for another kiss before they tug at the back of my shirt.

I’ll give her everything she wants.

I rise up to pull off the t-shirt, and Lexy draws in a breath. “Fuck, Gage. Look at you.”

Her eyes roam side to side, from my neck down to my belt and back. She curls up so that her hands can trace the path her eyes made.

“How did you get a body like this?”

Her question doesn’t require an answer, but it does make me grateful for every hour spent at the gym.

“And this artwork.” Her fingers dance across my chest, my arms, my neck, down to the top of my jeans, and back. I wait for her to notice it, and when she does, her voice is a whisper. “Gage.”

Her eyes search mine, shift down to the tattoo that covers my heart, then back to my eyes, still searching.

I don’t know what I could say, even if I could speak.

“It’s me.” She presses her palm across the now-faded image, one of the first tattoos I ever got. It’s not recognizable as Lexy; in fact, no one except Kai and Thorn know that it’s her, but she knows because it’s a silhouette I drew of her long ago, a girl standing alone on a hill, her back straight and strong, her hair blowing in the breeze.

Her eyes are wide when I lean in to kiss her, and as I pick her up, her arms wrap around my neck and her body curls into mine.

When I lay her on the bed, her hands reach for me again, as if they’re on a mission to map my skin.

“Your body is so beautiful,” she says on a sigh.

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