Page 239 of Vicious Temptation

“I won’t argue with that one.”

Her smile softens, but she never stops working.

“You’re beautiful,” I say, losing myself in her eyes the way I always do.

She shakes her head, fighting a smile.

I wish I could freeze this moment and keep us right here, where Elena can’t reach us and the truth can’t tear apart everything we’ve built. I just need more time to find a way out of this before any of it touches Remi. Then I can give her all of me and love her the way she deserves.

“Done.”

She cleans away the last traces of ink and sets the machine aside. Tilting my chin with two fingers, she studies the numbers from one angle, then another.

“Hold still, Braga.”

Her thumb stretches the skin beneath my jaw again as she inspects one final line. Once she’s satisfied, she smooths a thin layer of ointment over the fresh tattoo and presses a clear bandage over it.

“There.” Her fingertips linger against my neck for a moment before she steps back. “Okay. Now you can look.”

I lift the mirror and stare at the number that marks the day everything changed between us. The day we crossed a line neither of us ever wanted to come back from.

Now it’s a part of me, permanently etched into my skin.

“Perfect.”

“So...” She sets the ointment aside. “Are you going to tell me what it means now?”

I set the mirror on the tray and reach into my pocket for the piece of paper I brought. When I hand it to her, she gives me a curious look as she unfolds it.

Her brow furrows when her mugshot comes into view.

Taking it from her trembling hands, I lower it to my lap, drawing her closer until she’s standing between my knees.

“My mugshot number is on your neck.”

“I wanted a reminder.”

“Of what?” she asks breathily.

“The best thing that ever happened to me.”

She glances from the photograph to the fresh tattoo, and I watch understanding slowly give way to disbelief.

“You really did this.”

“I really did.”

Her fingers rise toward my neck but stop just short of the bandage. “This is permanent, Thiago.”

“That was the idea.”

She lets out a shaky laugh as tears begin gathering in her eyes. “You took the number from my fucking mugshot and tattooed it on your body.”

“Technically, you did. And when you say it like that, it sounds a little unhinged.”

“A little?” She shakes her head at me. “This might be the craziest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

I smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”