Chapter 20
Tuck
No fear about me turning into the monster he was.
No panic that my career is ending.[]
No loneliness.
I dim the lights, kick off my shoes and socks, and remove my slacks, then my underwear. I palm my cock as a breathless “Damn” comes from her.[]
“Come to me,” I purr.
She bites her plump bottom lip. “I hope you know how to use that thing.“[]
“Hmm, yeah, you’ll see. Come at me like you want me.”
I catch her in my arms when she jumps, her legs wrapping around my waist as we fall to the bed.[]
male hand waves at my face. Donny.
“What’s up?” I ask over the buzzing of my tattoo machine. I’m leaning over my client in the chair–not the best time to chat.[]
“Sorry to interrupt. I need to see you in my office when you’re done. It’s important.“[]
I stiffen. “All right. This is my last appointment.“[]
In my peripheral, he shoves his hands in his jeans, paces around my station, heaves out an exhale, and then leaves. My lips compress. Donny being out of his office is odd. He owns East Coast Ink & Gallery but prefers to stay upstairs while Harlee, his niece, manages the day–to–day downstairs.[]
I finish adding the green highlights to the leaves and set down my machine, dabbing at the tiny spots of blood on my client’s wrist.[]
“It’s beautiful!” Gianna gushes as she leans forward to take in the ring of daises intertwined with the infinity symbol around her wrist. Dressed in a pink Chanel dress, she’s a young twentysomething with a mane of blonde hair she loves to flick over her shoulder with long sharp pink nails. There’s a huge rock on her ring finger. A socialite with money, she’s our typical client on the Upper East Side.]]
I can’t wait to show my fiancé!” she says.]
1 push up a smile even though my head is banging and my throat hurts. A cold hit me a couple of weeks ago and won’t go away. I swallow the cough drop in my mouth. “Hey, you never mentioned how you found me.“]
“Hmm, a friend of mine. She actually bought one of your canvases in the front gallery.”
“Ah. I average three to four sales a year from the gallery.
“She’s an artist and a collector–paintings, sculptures.“]
Hair flick “Jewels. 1
Alt, lots of money, then “Cool Which one did she buy?“]
“Its an abstract of a house.”
All the purple Victorian done in acrylics. My locket hangs from a tree in the front yard.[]
“175, man, weiteresting” she says, choosing her words with care.
You did like it f
Shy waves a hand around. “Its a pretty house, but there was something off about it. It felt dark. I don’t know. It[]
made the wonder who lived there.” I did. Until I was kicked out[]
“Mel. My art isn’t for everyone.”
“Well, I adore you, darling” she bats her eyes of me. “And my tattoo is marvelousr{]
sule the came in six blonds ago and asked for something unique I worked on some designs for her; then we met at a coffee shop to go over the sketches. Since ale had an extended trip to Europe planned, we scheduled today for the tattoo:[]
his
