Alexander shivers, then pushes his face up. “Maybe it’s time for a break.”
He gets the same look on his face from a long tattooing session as he does from sex, and the dazed, half-lidded expression lights my desire. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll work today, but the second we’re done and I let my focus slip, I know my hands will be all over him.
One year in, and we’re hornier for each other than ever before.
“How’s it look?” he asks.
I lean back and study the new ink, crisp beneath Alexander’s shoulders. It’s the very start of one of my cities, a special one that I designed just for him. It’s based on Chicago, with a long beach and one of those floating libraries that he loves.
Just like I hoped, it looks even better on him than it did on paper. “Brilliant,” I tell him, then wipe the ink and blood away. “Like, amazing.”
“Maybe Caesar will finally give you your own room?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I’m not scared of the old guy anymore. He’s actually a softie, if you can get past his gruff exterior, and it turns out that he’s as much of a sci-fi nerd as I am. But that doesn’t mean we’re best friends or anything. He hasn’t opened up to me in any meaningful way, and even after endless hours of training, I still have no clue when he’ll decide I’m ready to start taking my own clients.
Still, as my eyes drift across Alexander’s back, I get a deep sense of satisfaction. I really am good at this, and while I know I’ll have to practice for years to reach the level of all the other artists in the shop, my old anxieties about failing have faded away.
My phone starts honking from the table, one of my daily arms ringing out. I jump out to turn it off, and my Apple watch starts beeping, too, followed by the little digital clock I keep in my backpack.
Alexander laughs. “All three?”
I shrug as I fumble with the devices, silencing the racket. “Hey, it works, right?” It was Alexander’s idea in the first place to get multiple alarms going, and while I’m relying on them less and less, it’s still a good check against my forgetfulness.
“It’s time to shut down the shop,” I tell him. “We can do some more work on this later, if you want.”
Alexander shakes his head, still offering me a dazed, endorphin-drenched smile. “Later this week, maybe,” he says. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
“All the time in the world,” I answer, then lean down to take him in a kiss.
I turn to my backpack and fish around, then pull out the day planner. There’s a list of everything I need to do to close the shop written in the back, and I run through it every day before I let myself go. While I flip through the pages, Alexander stands, then wraps his arms around my shoulders from behind.
“You’re going to need a new planner soon.”
I wiggle my butt back against his crotch. “Are you talking dirty to me, Alexander?”
“You know how I get when I’m high on a tattoo.”
I do know how he gets, so after checking the hallway quickly, I half-shut the door and take him into a long, deep kiss. Alexander twitches and quivers against me, melting in my hands. I bring him back to the seat, then carefully clean his tattoo, kissing at his neck and whispering to him the whole time.
“You’re so sexy,” I tell him. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you.”
Alexander coos softly. “Me too.”
I pull his mouth in for another kiss, but the honking on my phone interrupts us, the backup reminder for when I ignore the first one. We both laugh, and I peck a kiss to the heart on his arm, then excuse myself. I rush out front right as Joey and Billie are leaving, chat for a second, and lock up the shop. All the tasks are routine now, but I still pause a few times, thinking carefully to make sure I didn’t forget anything.
There’s a commotion in the back. I figure Alexander is helping to clean up, but he should be resting. When I head back to check on him, though, he’s talking, and I hear a deep, rumbling voice, too.
“Oh, Caesar. I didn’t hear you come in.”
He’s standing there in the corner of Stone’s room, arms crossed. Alexander is in front of him but with his back turned, showing Caesar the new tattoo.
“I was just letting it breathe,” I say quickly, not wanting him to think I’d leave a new piece uncovered.
Caesar grunts, basically ignoring me. “This going to cover your whole back?” he asks Alexander.
“Eventually.” Alexander smiles.
