Brandon returned, and we repeated the same steps. I stood up and opened the sheet, but this time, he seemedsatisfied with the stencil sizing. “I think this size should work. Once I lay it down, I’ll have you check it out in the mirror. If you want me to make any changes, just let me know.”
He took his time applying the stencil, making sure all the tentacles lay where he wanted them to. Once he’d finished, he leaned back to take in his handiwork. “Okay, that looks perfect to me, but what do you think?” He motioned toward the full-length mirror nearby.
Keeping the sheet covering my front, I let the rest fall away as I took in the sight of my soon-to-be new ink. My mouth fell open, but no words came out. It was so fucking cool. I turned left and right, inspecting every angle. One tentacle wrapped around my thigh in the front, another stretched partway onto my lower stomach, and another one circled my leg to the back under my ass cheek. The rest of the tentacles trailed down the side of my leg. Even though this was just the outline, I knew it was going to be gorgeous when it was finished.
Brandon came closer. He reached out and pulled the sheet back up to cover my ass. “If this is going to work, I’m going to need you to keep that ass of yours covered.”
My cheeks flamed, and I quickly grabbed the sheet from him. I was so captivated by the stencil; I hadn’t even realized I’d exposed myself. “Sorry, it’s just. It’s so beautiful, Brandon, truly. I love it.”
Brandon’s eyes met mine through the mirror, and he gave me a grin. “Good, I’m glad. Now, let’s get started.”
I settled myself back on the table, making myself ascomfortable as possible. Brandon had warned me that this tattoo would require several sessions and that the first appointment could be pretty long and uncomfortable. After he had prepared his supplies, he positioned me and then asked, “Ready?”
I let out a shaky breath, feeling more nervous now that we were about to get started. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
“Okay. If you need a break, let me know. If at any time it’s too much, please tell me.” His left hand rested on my thigh near my knee, grounding me.
I nodded and gave him a tight smile as his tattoo machine buzzed to life. It sounds funny, but the moment the needle touched my skin, I relaxed. I guess for me, the buildup was worse than the actual tattooing.
Brandon was a true artist. As I watched him work, I was mesmerized. His focus was solely on the task at hand, with no inkling that he was as affected by what he was doing as I was. Although his touch was very professional, it set me ablaze. His brows furrowed as he concentrated, and the way his tongue peeked out from the side of his mouth as he worked was utterly adorable.
There was no way I was going to make it through several sessions of this. His touch tortured me. I wanted him so fucking bad, and he was just trying to do his job.
14
BRANDON
Lexi’s face said it all, but she was apparently too stubborn to admit that she was in pain. I glanced up at her again, for what felt like the hundredth time since I had started. Her eyes were closed, her brow furrowed.Fuck. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. Some people enjoyed getting tattooed, while others did not. I had hoped Lexi was the former.
I sat back and clicked off my machine. “Are you okay, Lexi? Do you need a break?” We had only just started, but she looked like she was being tortured.
Her eyes popped open, and her expression relaxed. “Oh, no, I’m good.”
“Are you sure? You look like you’re in pain. If you need a break, it’s no problem,” I offered.
She placed her hand on mine, still resting on her thigh. “I’m good. Promise.”
“Okay, but if you need a break, you gotta let me know.”Damn, she was a stubborn one. I turned the machine on again and got back to work. She set her head back and closed her eyes again while I did my best to keep focused on the task at hand. I’d never been that distracted during a session before. Don’t get me wrong, I always tried to be in tune with how my clients were tolerating the process and check in with them frequently, but with Lexi, I was hyperaware of everything she did: her furrowed brow, her deep breathing, her tight lips.
I continued to outline the octopus, paying close attention to Lexi’s reactions but also trying to curb my desire for her. Getting turned on while tattooing a client wasn’t something that had ever happened before, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with that. She had me so fucked up. I wanted to say ‘fuck this tattoo’and take her right there on the table. But I kept my touches professional, trying not to caress her leg when I had to touch it for support. When I got to the part that came across her stomach, I was so close that I swore I could smell her arousal. Or was that a memory from the other night?
She let out a soft—was that a moan?Or was she in pain?
“How you doin’, Sweetheart?” I asked, so close that my breath caused goosebumps to pebble her skin.Shit. She wasn’t in pain; she was turned on, too.
“Mmm, I’m good,” she definitely moaned that time. My hand trailed down her thigh, stopping behind her knee. She hummed and leaned into my touch.
“Sweetheart, I’m gonna need you to stop doing that ifyou want this tattoo to look good,” I chuckled, and then I sat up and turned off my machine. “You know, you’re very distracting.”
Her eyes popped open again, as if she’d only just remembered where she was. “Shit, sorry. I kinda zoned out there for a bit.”
“Listen, be a good girl and stay very still until we’re done. Remember what good girls get?” I said in a hushed tone.No one in the shop needed to hear our conversation.
Her eyes widened as she realized what I was offering.
“Can you do that for me, Lexi? Can you be a good girl?”
She nodded and lay back. After adjusting myself—because holy hard-on—I turned my machine back on.
