“Yeah, that wasn’t why,” he said and is avoiding my eyes now.
“Now, you’re confusing me. Did you get the danger tattoo because you were getting a blow job by the principal’s wife in his office and got caught with your pants down to your ankles—making you fall on your ass as he walked in? Or not?” I question, relaying the rest of the story that he told me earlier.
“Well, you have to admit, Harper, that is a dangerous situation to be in.”
“Yeah, I can’t really argue with that. I’m not sure it’s a good reason to get a tat in that particular place. It seems to me that’d be something you would never forget. Besides, having the word danger written on your dick should have a cockier, if not sexier meaning,” I instruct, completely speaking out of my ass. It worked though because I get to hear Hunter’s amazing laughter.
I can’t think of any reason you’d want to put a tattoo on your dick. That just seems extremely painful. I’m not a guy, but I can’t imagine it would be pleasant—unless you liked pain. Maybe Hunter does. Maybe he’s into that kind of thing. This is a little concerning. I find myself biting my lip. I want to ask him, but we’re not really in the place where we should talk about that. I’m not sure we will be again. If I was to ask him if he has that kink, then he might think I plan on having sex with him again. Which I’m not—planning to have sex again, I mean. I’d like to. He was an amazing lover. The next day sucked, though. I don’t really know what we’re doing together, but I’ve had a really good time eating bologna sandwiches and then afterwards showing him my latest project that I’m working on for Grifter. Now, we’re back in my office and we’ve been talking for over an hour. That is veryunusual for me. I work—almost constantly—through the day. If I break for lunch, it’s a quick bite while going through bills and things. Still, I’ve had so much fun, I really don’t want Hunter to leave yet.
I’m crazy.
“What are you thinking in that gorgeous head of yours, Harper?” he asks.
“Um … I was just wondering if you had a pain kink I don’t know about?” I finally ask, ignoring my nerves and the small voice that says I shouldn’t push my luck here. I even manage to beat down the blush that tries to hit my cheeks. Besides, asking him that seemed better than confessing how I didn’t want him to leave. If I had told him that, I’d also blab about how this is the best date I’ve ever had in my life. Of course, now that I’ve asked if he had a pain kink, I’m kind of wishing the ground would swallow me up whole.
“I’m into anything you want, Harper,” he says softly. My head jerks up to look into his eyes and my breath stalls in my chest.
“Hunter, I don’t. I mean, we’re not?—”
“I’m not about causing or having pain. Some people do and that’s great for them. Now, if you want to rake your nails down my back and dig them into my ass while I’m fucking you, I will tell you right now that I amabsolutelydown for that. I also loved spanking your ass the other night. I want more of that.”
“I don’t see that happening again, Hunter. So, there’s no point talking about it. Whatever we had happened and now it’s done. I mostly asked because none of what you explained about being with that seriously disgusting Crumley chick, seems worth having your dick tatted, because that had to be serious pain.”
Okay, turns out I can lie to Hunter as well as I do to myself. I’m actually kind of proud—at least I am until Hunter decides to speak again and ruin my mood.
“Harper, lie to yourself if you want, but this thing between us isn’t going away. I felt it the night we were together. I just stupidly thought you were one type of woman looking for a good time. That’s my idiocy. You have to realize that I’m here today because I know how fucking ludicrous I was, and how much I’ve missed you every day since I had to watch you walk away. I know I hurt you. I know the shit spouting out of my mouth was horrible. The thing is I have a big ass mouth, and I let my pride get in the way. For future reference, Harper, I’m an asshole, too. I’m going to do my best to keep a handle on that?—”
“Hunter, stop. We?—”
“To be clear, I’m getting a handle on it because I want you in my life in whatever way I can. That said, you need to know that I want to end each day with you in bed beside me and waking up with you in my arms, still there the next morning.”
“You can’t say that. You don’t even know me,” I mutter. If he had said all of this to me the morning after being with him, I would have told him I loved him. God, until just this minute I didn’t realize how insane and twisted I truly am.
“I can and I’m going to prove it to you. I just need you to give me a chance.”
“I don’t think that would be smart for either one of us,” I argue, ignoring the way his words make my heart skip a freaking beat.
“Agree to have dinner with me and I’ll tell you the real reason I have the tattoo,” he bribes.
“Tell me and then I’ll decide,” I try to bargain.
“Nope. You want that detail, you’ll have to earn it, Harper.”
“You know, my nameisBeau.”
“I know. I like calling you Harper. It’s the name I whispered into your ear when you came all over my cock.”
I bite my lip, to keep from moaning. He’s telling the truth. Apex and Sabre had been there that night. I was talking toHunter when they called me Harper. Hunter picked up on it at once with a grin, telling me that he had my name now. I never corrected him, mostly because I liked the way he called me Harper.
I liked it a lot.
“Come to dinner tonight,” I invite before I can stop myself.
Instantly, his lips thin out. “Fuck, baby. You have no idea how much I want to.”
“Why do I sense a but here?”
“I have a night planned with my boy. I let my parents keep him one night a week—sometimes two. For the most part, I keep him, Harper. I never want him to think that he’s in my way or that I don’t want him. He gets enough of that from his mother.”
