Me
Good girl.
23
LEXI
Christmas Eve
Iwoke up feeling great. Things with Brandon had been going so well. The sex was straight fire, and he wasn’t pressuring me for more. I spent the past week being less of a bitch, and Brandon hadn’t overstayed his welcome. It was a perfect situation.
I excitedly got ready for the day. First up was my tattoo session with him, and then I planned to spend the day with him and his family. Ordinarily, I’d be freaking the fuck out, but it was Daphne who invited me, and she’d be there as a buffer.
I arrived at the shop a few minutes before my appointment and tapped on the door to let Brandon know I was there. He had let me know that the shop would technically be closed and to knock when I arrived. A gust of wind blew some flurries into my face. I shivered and pulled my collarup as I waited for him to open the door. Dressed for the day in fleece-lined leggings and an oversized sweater with a fluffy down-filled jacket that went to my knees and a hat and gloves, I should have been warm enough. I was not.Fuck this weather.
The door to the shop opened, and I pushed past Brandon to get out of the cold. I was pleasantly surprised to find the shop warmer than expected.
“Fuck, it’s so cold out there today,” I said as I stomped my boots on the mat to remove some of the snow I was tracking in.
“Yeah, no kidding. It was freezing in here when I got in.”
“When did you get here?” I asked.
“About an hour ago. I wanted to get here early and get the heat on for you. I figured it’d be cold this morning,” he explained. “Can I take your coat?”
I nodded, allowing him to help me out of my coat. “Well, my cold bones appreciate that. Especially since I’m about to be half naked,” I chuckled.
Brandon paused behind me, his breath on my neck. “I can’t wait.” And then he was gone, depositing my coat on the coat tree by the entry.Fuck, the effect this man had on me.I already wanted to jump his bones, but that wasn’t why I was there. We had work to do before heading to his dad’s later that day.
“Behave,” I joked. “This leg isn’t going to tattoo itself.”
He held his hand up with two fingers. “I’ll be on my very best behavior. Scout’s honor.”
“Ha! You probablywerea Boy Scout, huh?”
“I was not actually, but thanks for the compliment?” He started walking towards his station. “Come on, Sweetheart. Let’s get some color on that octopus.”
His station was already set up and ready, so we got right to it. Not bothering to wait for him to go out from behind the privacy screen, I kicked off my shoes and stripped out of my leggings and thong. I’d never been shy about my body, so why start then? He’d already seen all of me after all.
Brandon cleared his throat, drawing my attention. “What? It’s not like you haven’t seen all ofthis,” I said, motioning to my crotch area.
His eyes burned into mine. “That doesn’t mean I’m unaffected by the sight of you, Lexi. And if you want your tattoo finished this century, I suggest you cover up.” He threw a sheet at me and then stalked off into the back room.
He was cute when he was trying to keep it together, but I covered up and got into position on the table. I really wanted this tattoo finished, and I was willing to behave to make that happen.
Brandon returned a few moments later. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
We madesome really significant progress on my tattoo. One more session and it would probably be done. I’d missspending time with Brandon like that, though. He was comfortable to be around, although it was a little weird for me to be spending time with a guy with our clothes on. But things weren’t awkward or weird, and conversation flowed freely. Maybe I was growing more open to the idea of letting him in?
After we had finished with my tattoo for the day, Brandon suggested we check out the Christmas market a few streets over. He said he still needed to grab something for his dad, and I hoped I could find some last-minute things for my mom, who was impossible to shop for. If she wanted something, she’d buy it, so asking her what she wanted for Christmas was always a lost cause.
Bundled up in our winter gear, we exited the shop, where soft flurries falling from the sky greeted us. I pulled my hat down over my ears and tugged my collar up a little higher, thankful that the wind wasn’t blowing. It was still cold, but with only a couple of blocks to the market, it definitely could have been worse. I hated the snow, but turning to look at Brandon, I could tell he loved this shit. He was grinning like an idiot, and I swore I saw him stick his tongue out to catch a snowflake.What a lunatic.
The Christmas market had vendors of all kinds—most were local businesses. The enticing smells from the various food vendors made my stomach growl, but I was holding out for whatever Brandon’s dad had in store for us. We moved from vendor to vendor, holding up items we thought were cute or funny for the other to see. We laughed and joked. It was nice.
Brandon motioned to a food vendor and asked, “Did you want a hot chocolate or something?”
