Amonth with Wyatt had flown by, and I was happier than ever.
I’d never pegged myself as the relationship type, but Wyatt was insatiable in bed and a constant, stable sort that balanced me out. I would never have expected that anyone could tolerate my ADHD ass long term, but he weathered it with ease.
He’d supported me in my hundreds of daily meltdowns leading up to the tattoo convention. I couldn’t pinpoint why this event was so important to me—maybe because I was responsible for this stall and Owen trusted me to represent the business—but I wanted the day to go perfectly. And my anxiety shot into the stratosphere.
Wyatt had been there with Nyx and me to set up, and he was sticking around for the whole shift. Even Harper planned on showing today to support us, and while I’d initially been worried about how she’d react about me dating her dad, we were closer than ever. And Iappreciated the external connection even more since she was leaving Alchemy Ink in a few months to head to vet school.
“How’re you feeling?” Wyatt whispered in my ear, his hand on my shoulder.
We stood at the booth, the sound from the sheer volume of people in the convention center amplified. Bright lights beamed down from the ceilings, and the space echoed. I leaned against him, soaking in his sturdiness. Now that we were here, some of the anxiety had faded—here, I was just going to be piercing, which was something I was comfortable with.
“I’m feeling horny, thanks,” I murmured back. “Want to dick me down in the bathroom?”
He reached down and squeezed my ass, which was still sore after the intense spanking he’d given me last night. I’d needed the stress relief, and he’d delivered in the best way. I sucked in a sharp breath, the jolt of adrenaline and lust something I never wanted to fade.
“I’ll take care of you tonight,” he responded.
“Guys, keep your shit to yourself,” Nyx called over from the other side of the booth. Her girlfriend Becky had shown up to help as well, and we’d be seeing some other familiar faces here today. Most of my siblings planned on stopping by at some point, more to harass me than to get any actual piercings done.
“Ready for this?” I asked Nyx, a frisson of nerves running through me.
“Better question is, are they ready for us?” Nyx shot back, a cockiness in her voice that resonated in me too.
I’d made it here, and with Wyatt’s help, I’d remembered my supplies. As much as this was a significant moment, breaking new professional ground for me, I hadn’t needed it in the end.
The moment my mom had said she and dad were proud of me had been all I’d really been searching for.
So today I’d kick ass, show off my skills, and get new clientele with the man I loved by my side. Those three words had been bubbling up more as of late, and the urge to tell him roared inside me.
Wyatt squeezed my nape, his possessive, callused grasp sending a shot of lust right through me. Fuck, this man was so damn sexy. It was a miracle I got anything done with his dick in my proximity.
If anyone was worth risking my heart for, it was him.
“You guys ready for launch?” Harper called over from farther down the exhibition hall. Owen and August trailed behind her.
“Clearly, you guys have such faith in us,” I said, crossing my arms.
Owen stopped in front of the booth and shook his head. “Nah, I’m just realizing I should get some promotional shots to put on socials. You had a damn good idea, Rory. This sort of publicity is smart.”
Owen’s praise warmed my chest, but I wasn’t about to have a full-on emotion fest here on the floor. “Don’t worry, Daddy Owen. We know it’s because you’re ancient.”
“Excuse me?” Wyatt muttered by my side, and he pinched me. I yelped.
Harper smirked at me. “You walked into that one, babe.”
“Also, Daddy Owen?” Wyatt asked, his brows raised.
I shrugged. “I mean, look at him.”
“Digging your own hole, I see,” Owen said, a grin on his lips. “The brat knows I’m not interested, and neither is he, Wyatt. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, I wasn’t worried.” Wyatt’s smug voice was nuclear-grade hot. Unf.
“Damn, this event looks like it’d be fun,” August said, glancing around at the other tattoo artists and piercers with their setups. “Can I work it next year?”
Owen snapped a few photos with his phone. “Yeah, I think this’ll be a regular thing, so long as you all want to do it. Too much noise for me, personally.”
“Okay, old man,” Nyx teased.
