He wasmymate.
Nobody else’s.
A possessive urge flickered in my chest. It demanded that I claim Brady here and now. Part of me felt like I’d die if I didn’t blurt out my love confession right now... but humans were delicate creatures. Hell, Brady didn’t even know the truth about what I was yet. I had to approach this the right way.
Brady was still staring at the ink cups. I had to get his attention somehow.
With my spare hand, I reached out to touch Brady’s shoulder. He froze, then eased up as he turned to face me. His eyes were bright and expectant, brimming with cautious hope. I saw in his shimmering gaze that he liked my touch. He liked all of this.
Good thing there was more where that came from.
A rush of courage flowed through my blood. The hand I rested on Brady’s shoulder moved up to gently cup his chin. The peach fuzz of his jaw tickled my skin, and I felt the rapid thrum of his pulse in his throat.
He blushed adorably, as usual.
He enjoys this, I thought, satisfied with his reaction.
But I couldn’t stare into Brady’s eyes forever. The tattoo needed my attention. I reluctantly drew my hand back and watched disappointment wash across Brady’s face. At least that confirmed he shared my feelings. Or maybe he just liked to be teased. I was very good at that.
“You said nobody’s ever called you perfect before,” I murmured. “So let me be the first. I’ll tell you anytime you want. Day or night, whether I’m busy or not... I’ll drop everything to call you perfect, Brady.”
“Stop,” Brady said with a frail laugh.
I grinned. “That I can’t do. Someone’s got to make up for all the times other people have treated you as less than perfect.”
Brady’s cheeks looked like autumn apples. His eyelashes fluttered as he blinked rapidly. “You’re a sweet talker, TJ...”
“Try truth teller.”
My grin widened as Brady grew more and more flustered.
But I was so focused on his face that I didn’t notice where his hand went. It snuck onto my knee, cupping it like I’d cupped his chin earlier.
A jolt went up my spine. I’d touched Brady, but this was his first time touching me. Even when he fed me fries, he was careful to avoid grazing my lips by accident—which had been partially my scheme all along.
But now Brady had no reservations. He touched me of his own free will. His fingers slowly caressed my knee in a sensual circle. It wasn’t much—an almost innocent gesture—but it made my cock rock-solid.
When I glanced at Brady, a tiny smirk danced in the corner of his mouth. He knew what he was doing, the smug tease. Then again, it was my fault for egging him on.
Not that I minded. This was exactly how I hoped our time alone would end up...
But then Brady removed his hand and gave me a knowing grin. “You’d better finish the tattoo first. Otherwise it’s never going to get done.”
Was Brady insinuating what Ithoughthe was insinuating? My twitching cock sure seemed to think so.
If so, I knew I had to work fast—and his remark was all the motivation I needed.
Seven
Brady
Excitement buzzed around me.The lines of my cover-up were complete, and most of the color was packed in, too. Only a few petals needed finishing touches of red ink as TJ finished the shading.
But the tattoo wasn’t the only thing I was excited about. Our flirting session left me breathless. I didn’t even know I had so much courage, but TJ awakened it in me.
And it wasn’t one-sided, either. TJ liked our little flirting game. After all his compliments, I felt lighthearted and giddy. They came from an honest place, and his reaction to my light teasing earlier didn’t seem faked.
My heart backflipped. Could TJ be into me? Or was my wild imagination running loose, seeing things that weren’t as deep as I thought?
