“To me, it does. But are you rubbing my head because you like it? Or because I like it? It could fall under the acts of service category if it’s because I like it.”
“Can it be both? I like it. You like it. We’re both winning.”
One of those annoying snort-laughs bubbles out of me before I can stop it. Fucking hell, why am I so awkward?
“That might be my favorite of all your laughs. Maybe… your belly laugh, though... and that tiny, jumpy one, the one when you’re trying not to laugh at all, but it’s like you can’t possibly manage to keep it all inside and little pieces sneak out. Fuck, now I don’t know which one’s my favorite. They’re all the best ones.”
Holy shit, he likes my gigglesnort? I must still be asleep. Or I really did hit my head harder than I thought the night we met. He didn’t show up until after that happened. This could all be a dream.
I reach up and wave my hand around until it makes contact with his arm, and try to get a grip on his skin between my thumb and finger. But those damn muscles make it impossible.
“What are you doing?” he asks in an amused tone.
“Trying to pinch you,” I answer as I keep crab-clawing my way around his bicep.
“Why?”
“To make sure I’m awake. That I didn’t dream you up.”
My head bounces on his leg as he laughs. “You’re supposed to pinch yourself, Minx.”
“Why would I do that? It hurts.” I. Can. Not. Get. A. Hold. Of. Any. Skin. On. This. Man.
I’m not complaining.
But I’m still not convinced this is real. I sit up and lean toward Lil, pinching a spot on her arm.
She jolts awake with a roar. “Ouch! What was that?” She rubs her hand over her skin, glaring at me.
“Hmmm… maybe this isn’t a dream,” I muse.
“For fuck’s sake, Ariana, how many times do I have to tell you that’s not how it works?” Lil exclaims. When Luca chokes on a laugh behind me, she aims her laser eyes at him.
“I don’t know, how many times have you told me already?”
Her gaze comes back to me. Her expression says she’s over my shit. “This year? Last year? Forever?”
I groan and climb to my feet. “I don’t know. I’m too tired to think anymore. I’m gonna go dream inside this dream.”
Chapter 44
Ink and cum? Sounds like a good time to me
Luca
Ifind my girl outside by the pool with Lil and Mia, sipping an iced coffee. I grab her around the waist and kiss her. “I’m running out with your dad for a bit.” Her pink one piece kind of has me wishing I wasn’t.
Ariana frowns at my arm, even though she can’t actually see the small wound under my sleeve. The bullet only grazed me the other night. The assholes who were selling tainted cocaine weren’t happy about their operation getting shut down. “Hey, maybe no getting shot or whatever today, yeah?”
She’s not actually asking me to make that promise, but I can make a different one. “I’ll do whatever it takes to come home to you, baby.”
She nods and pulls me in for one more kiss.
Marco and I drive down to the warehouses and check in with the guys there. When we’re done, we head to the tattoo shop. Lee’s been working on the tattoo on my back. Like me, the tree didn’t have roots when I got here. But that’s changed. I know thisis where I belong. My roots are here, with these people. My roots are wherever Ariana is.
After finishing up some details and adding my latest win to my arm, Lee and I talk about an idea I have for a sleeve. He makes an outline of my bicep on paper and starts drawing baked goods. Cupcakes, cookies, cake slices, macaroons, and doughnuts, all of which will be bright like my Ariana. I want her all over me.
Marco hands over a stack of cash, and gives one of his signature boss-man nods on our way out.
