Page 21 of The Daddy Claus

The shop is one of the best in the state, if not the entire region. When you come from money like Slade does, it's not an obstacle. Everything is top of the line, from the tile beneath our feet to the furniture to the ink and equipment they use. He spared no expense, and it shows. He didn't spare expenses when it came to hiring his artists, either.

The walls in Coby's work area are covered with artwork, awards, and photos of the celebrities he's tattooed. Hollie gapes at them when we step inside.

"You know Laura Groves?" she asks, homing in on the picture of the curvy starlet and her giant husband, Kaiden Huxley. They visit from time to time. Kaiden grew up with Tate Grimes, a pediatric surgeon in town.

"Mmhmm," Coby says. "Sweet girl."

"Wow," Hollie whispers, clearly impressed.

Coby grins at me, amused. "Go ahead and take your shirt off. I'll be right back."

I jerk my chin in a nod, waiting for him to duck out of the room—literally duck. He's six foot seven. Once he's gone, I pull my shirt off over my head, setting it aside. It takes Hollie a moment to notice. When she turns around and sees me standing there without a shirt, her eyes immediately drift down my body.

A soft gasp escapes her lips as she sees what no one has in years.

"I didn't need to figure us out when the way I feel about you is written all over me, princess," I murmur, letting her see every bit of ink she's inspired.

"Jordan." She drifts toward me, her hand outstretched. "When…? How…?"

"I got the first one the day after we met." I point out the monogrammed initials inked over my heart. "I knew then that my heart was yours. Didn't think I stood a chance in hell of ever owning yours, but you had mine, baby girl." I touch another tattoo and then another. "I've gotten one every year since to commemorate the most important day in my life. I got one for every birthday, too."

I've been inking her into my skin over and over for the last five years, embedding her into my flesh like a brand. Every important moment, I commemorated with ink, turning my body into a canvas dedicated to her. I couldn't get undressed that night in the club. She would have known how deep my obsession ran. But maybe that's exactly what I should have done… put all my cards on the table then and there and let the chips fall where they landed. Maybe the last six weeks would have gone differently then.

I don't know. All I know for sure is that I belonged to this curvy little princess long before I let myself believe I could have her. There was never going to be anyone else for me. I knew that the day we met, and I accepted it. It wasn't a hardship. Loving her, even if I was only ever allowed to do it from afar, has been the best part of my life for the last five years.

"I don't know what to say," she whispers.

"You don't have to say anything, baby girl. But I'm not willing to let you spend another minute of your life thinking you're only an option to me when you're the most important thing in this world. Even when I couldn't have you, you were mine. Even when you didn't know, I loved you. Even when I was an idiot, I was obsessed with you." I reach for her, pulling her into my arms. "I didn't let you go that night in the club because I didn't care. I let you go because I loved you enough not to stand in your way if someone else made you happy. It would have fucking destroyed me to watch you love someone else, but I would have given you that if it's what you needed."

"I've never loved anyone else, Jordan," she whispers. "I've never wanted anyone else. When you let me go that night, I thought you didn't feel the same way I did. It broke me."

"That shit will haunt me for the rest of my life," I admit. "It kills me that I hurt you."

"I don't want us to be sad about it anymore. I don't want us to dwell on it anymore. Can we just… start over?" she asks, eyeing me hopefully.

"I have a better plan," I murmur. "How about we simply continue like it never happened? The last six weeks were a pause, nothing more. All except finding out you're pregnant, anyway. That definitely happened."

"I'm glad it happened." She licks her lips, staring at me. "Maybe I shouldn't have been, but I was so freaking happy when that test was positive."

"I'm pretty thrilled about it myself." I dip my head, nibbling on her lips. "My baby girl is carrying my kid."

"I am. You got me pregnant, Daddy."

"Fuck," I growl, pressing my erection against her belly. "Keep talking like that and Coby won't be finishing this tattoo today."

"What is it?"

I step back, turning so she can see my back.

"Jordan," she gasps. "Is that…?"

"It's you." It's her in a dress and mask, except she's carrying my kid instead of a drink this time. "It's always you, princess."

She runs her fingers over the tattoo, sobbing quietly.

I turn back to her, pulling her into my arms. Once she's where I want her, I press my lips to her ear, speaking the only other truth as I know it. "It will always be you, Hollie. Every fucking day for as long as I live, it'll only ever be you."

It’s beena long day at work, and I’m so ready for it to be over when the last player leaves the therapy room. Pregnancy isn’t a walk in the park. My back already hurts after my shortened shifts, and I’m battling intense exhaustion that came out of nowhere.

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