Haleigh's Ink (8 page)

She hid her face against his chest, but he didn’t want her
to hide. Not from him. He tipped her chin up and kissed her again. Nothing more
than a quick, intimate union, but her pretty brown eyes twinkled, making his
heart swell.

“Why do you keep kissing me?”

“I can’t help myself.”

They swayed to the music for a few measures in silence then
she said, “You said you had to beg for it. Why would you have to beg?”

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, stalling for time,
considering what and how much he should reveal. He decided honesty was the only
option and he leaned in close to her ear. “He is my Dom, and I am his
submissive. He dominates me in the bedroom, or the office at the shop if the
mood strikes him, because that’s what does it for both of us. We’re equals
everywhere else.” She didn’t pause, or pull away. He decided to see that as a
good sign. “There’s this place—”

Another guy on the dance floor elbowed Kyle in the ribs,
jostling both of them.

“Hey, sorry man, didn’t watch where we were dancing.”

“No problem.”

The other couple danced away, but more couples moved closer.
Kyle snagged Haleigh’s arm and moved off to a corner.

She stared up at him with big doe eyes. He wanted to possess
her. Seduce her. The ache to be with her was so strong he had to stop himself
from swaying toward her.

“We want to share our dynamic with you. We’ve been somewhat
open about playing with other women.” Haleigh stiffened and he soothed her
cheek. “Mostly helping out the other members. Not much full intercourse, just
simple stuff.”

“How simple?” she asked through gritted teeth and he barely
caught his triumphant smirk.

“I’ve never been with a woman before. Ever.” He brushed his
lips across her collarbone, making her shiver. “But I’ve always wanted to be
with you.” He nibbled on the skin of her neck, trying to step away, but she’d
grabbed a hold of his shirt.

“I want you too, but I’m not experienced. Have no clue what
you’re telling me.”

“You’re submissive, Haleigh. You want to please someone
who’s able to take control, but only what you willingly relinquish. You have an
obvious pain fetish since you almost came by Scott piercing you.” Her irises
darkened as he spoke. “I heard your moan in the shop when you saw us making
out. Was it because you were watching two guys kiss?”

She nodded jerkily, her exhales coming in short pants as he
continued. “That makes you a voyeur too. Plus, at least part exhibitionist if I
had to guess after what you did with Scott. Anybody in the front section could
have heard you.”

He watched her bite her lip and then lick it, leaving a
moist trail of wetness from her tongue. “You should go and have the other
nipple done. Just make sure I’m there. I want to be there to help this time.”
He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and she exhaled on his hand. “We want to
take you, Haleigh girl. We want to pull you down the rabbit hole.”

“Take me where?”

He whispered it in her ear, “To The Library. A private BDSM
club where Scott and I are members.

She panicked, and asked the oddest question. “But what if
you don’t find me attractive?”

Being tazed wouldn’t have been more shocking.

“You’re beautiful. Inside and out.” She opened her mouth to
say something, but he caught sight of Scott moving toward them. “Hold on.” He
grinned. The timing was perfect.

Under her breath and below the noise of the crowd he could
have sworn she whispered, “Not anymore.”

Scott stepped around several tables to reach them. Kyle’s
smile lit the room. Haleigh wouldn’t meet his gaze and she already looked
poised to run, but he didn’t expect her to be easy to win over.

He’d walked in while they’d been immersed in some heated
conversation, and he liked the way Kyle touched her. He had more Dom in him
than either of them realized. What a fucking turn-on.

He approached and Haleigh was already making excuses that
she needed to leave. “I can’t stay longer. I’ve got an appointment really early
tomorrow morning. I can’t miss it, so I need to get home and get some sleep.
I’m really glad we got to talk.”

“Thanks for listening.”

“I’m glad you finally told me what happened. It means a lot
to me that you trusted me with it.”

“What are friends for?” Kyle laughed.

“Getting beer,” Scott grunted before Haleigh could reply.

“You could get it yourself,” she countered.

“But what other excuse will I use for sending Kyle away so I
can talk to you? I’m here to offer my sincerest apology for taking delicious
advantage of you last weekend.” He didn’t say it like an apology, more like a
sensual reminder, and it hit its mark. She lengthened her spine, her chest
filled on a sexy inhale and she craned her neck slightly to one side.

Kyle noticed it too and shifted closer to her. She recovered
quickly, shaking herself out of it. “Uh huh,” was all he got verbally from her.
But it was a start. He cleared his throat.

“All right. Keep your pants on.” Kyle rolled his eyes and
kissed him quickly, sending tingles along his flesh.

Kyle faced Haleigh again. “I’ve got your number but you
don’t have ours. Let me see your phone.” She gave it to him and he started
whizzing through it faster than Scott could keep up. He added them in, going so
far as to take pictures of both of them to add in their contact screens.

He handed the phone back, leaning in close to kiss her.
Indecision was plain on her face, she couldn’t decide if she was relieved or
disappointed at the brief contact. Kyle tried to soothe her. “Take a few days
to think about everything, then come see us at the shop. Hopefully, all three
of us can talk and see what the next step is.”

“Maybe.” Yeah, hard nut to crack. He was glad they’d had
enough time for Kyle to at least put the idea in her head.

Kyle hugged her, and she returned the gesture, snuggling in
but still trying to fight it. One foot dangled over the hole in the ground, but
she scrambled to stay on the vanilla soil she was certain was meant for her.

“Scott, something on draft or on the rocks?”

“Draft is good.”

“Bye, Butterfly.” He kissed her one last time then
disappeared into the growing crowd.

Haleigh followed his progress, lingering on him until too
many people stood in her way.

“I’m glad you told him,” she admitted.

“About what, Haleigh?”

“You know,” she added a bit louder. Her voice turned edgy
and he decided he really liked it with that rough edge. Her unfettered
responses were so much more appealing to him.

“What part are we talking about? The part where I pierced
that pretty nipple of yours, you climaxing on my mouth or you running out like
the room was on fire?”

Her breath left her in a whoosh and she stood there with her
soft lips parted oh so slightly.

When she didn’t say anything in response, he stepped closer,
probably close enough for her to feel the heat pouring off him. “Complete
honesty is the only way a D/s relationship can work.”

Her eyelids flared in arousal she probably wasn’t even aware
of.

“I want you to stop by the shop some night this week, and
the two of us will pierce your other nipple. You don’t strike me as a coward,
and the pain isn’t what you ran from that night. You were scared, but it was
more than Kyle finding out what we did. Did Kyle tell you who he was? Who we
are and what we are together?”

“He told me why he walked away, and that you helped him find
himself.”

“Is that all he said?”

He waited for her to answer. She chewed on her bottom lip,
and it was all he could do not to lick it for her. “He said you want to take me
to a club. A private club, and show me how it can be.”

“Sounds like he gave you quite a bit to consider. Did you
tell him the real reason
you
didn’t find him in the time since you went
to college?”

Her gaze snapped up to his, and he knew he’d guessed right.
“How could you know why I—”

“I don’t know what it is, but something’s there putting that
fear in you. I don’t expect you to trust me…yet. But Kyle deserves the truth,
same as you did.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Or is it that you don’t want to risk him hurting you if he
knows the truth?” He stared at her, and she stared right back. Never flinched,
never gave any indication she heard him except…the light in her eyes died. He
held her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Sometimes you have to lay your
heart on the line before you can truly live. We’re more alike than either of us
would care to admit,” Scott added after she blinked away her tears.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because we both love him.”

She was quiet for a few seconds and surprised him by
answering so honestly. “Yes, I guess you’re right, but the difference between
us? He’s already chosen which one of us to love in return.” She spun around and
walked away with her lovely blonde hair flowing behind her.

“We’ll see about that, princess.”

She was out the door way too fast for his liking. A group of
guys glanced her way as she left, and then back at Scott. He raised a brow,
narrowing his eyes at them. They couldn’t look away fast enough.

Scott took a seat as Kyle joined him, setting down two
beers.

“Why do you call her Butterfly?”

Kyle took a drink, setting the glass on the table. “A
nickname from when we were growing up, because she was so dainty and beautiful.
She’s just like joy embodied.” Kyle paused, lost in the past.

Something about her called to Scott, not only the Dom, but
the man as well. He wanted to claim her and he barely knew her. The possibility
of having her as a third threw his arousal into high gear, and made his heart thud
heavily in his chest.

An image of a tattoo climbing along her spine took shape in
Scott’s mind, and he hoped she came to the shop again. He wanted to get his
hands on her for quite a few different reasons.

Scott stared at Kyle, wondering how long it was going to be
before he accepted he already loved her. Over the last week of them talking
Kyle hadn’t admitted his true feelings. He only acknowledged she was the one
woman he’d wanted to sleep with. It would have been much easier if he could
simply order Kyle to admit it, but when it came to love the lines of submission
and domination were forever blurred.

She showed up.

Scott knew she would eventually, but he was still shocked
when his heart surged against his ribs as she walked through the door.

Soon he was going to salivate whenever the chime on the shop
door went off. Pavlov had nothing on his reaction to this little blonde pixie.

Today she wore jeans and high-heeled boots, with a white
blouse and a brown sweater thing that flared behind her on each step. She also
had a black bag Mary Poppins would be proud of slung over her shoulder.

Damn, she was pretty.

It was always a combination of naughty and nice with her.
Girl next door meets Playboy Bunny. He swore she had no idea the naughty
resided beneath her skin. She challenged him to peel away the layers to expose
the goddess he knew lay underneath. Vulnerability and steel wasn’t a
combination he’d thought he would witness seamlessly woven together, but they
were synonymous with her.

It had been more than a couple days since either of them had
talked to her. He didn’t want to admit that he’d been nervous she wouldn’t show
up, but he was aware of the tightness in his chest easing at her mere presence
in the shop.

She spotted him at his tattoo station and he said, “I’m
finishing up. I’ll be ready for you in a sec.”

She grinned, walking over to see the smiling face of a
golden retriever staring at her from the right pec of the guy sitting in front
of Scott.

He added highlights in white, turning the photograph into what
he hoped was a 3-D work of art. The subtle shading, the sparkle in their eyes—if
that didn’t come out right the tat would never be perfect.

“What’s her name?” Haleigh asked as Scott set the gun aside.
He hosed the guy’s chest with a squeeze bottle, catching the excess with a wet
rag below his ink. He wiped it down one last time, checking to make sure the
likeness was perfect.

“Gretel. She was the best dog ever. I lost her a couple
months ago.” The guy answered with obvious sorrow, but undiluted fondness.
Haleigh bent over to take a closer look, studying the ink, which was just as
alive as the photo sitting on the tray alongside his gun.

“And you’ll get to see her every day, now, smiling back at
you in your reflection.”

The guy stood, hovering his fingertips over the ink. He
studied it in the full-length mirror by the front windows before pulling on a
button-up shirt. He settled it in place, letting it hang loose, showing off his
new memorial.

“Just like she did every day I had her.” He shook Scott’s
hand, “Stellar job, man. I appreciate you working me in on short notice.”

“Anytime, Max. Let me get you bandaged and you can get outta
here.”

“Excuse me? Umm, could I take a picture…before you leave? Of
the tattoo I mean.” Haleigh asked Max.

He smiled and said, “Sure.”

“Scott, is it okay?”

“As long as Max’s cool with it, it’s fine by me. Take your
time, I’ve gotta clean up anyways.” Scott yanked his gloves off, tossing stuff
in the trash. He cleaned his gun and gathered everything he needed to
re-sterilize in the autoclave.

The entire time he was aware of Haleigh. She moved Max
several times, like a woman moved furniture. She even snagged the photograph
from the table and took quite a few pictures from different angles with Max
holding it up next to his chest. For several, she stood on one of the chairs to
peer down at him.

She and Max were bosom buddies by the end of their impromptu
photo session. She wrote something on a small notepad she’d pulled from her
bag. Could have been a phone number, email address or Max’s dick size for all
Scott knew.

He wouldn’t acknowledge the fact he wanted to lay a wet,
possessive kiss on her mouth and growl at Max when he taped on some gauze. If
it hadn’t been for Oscar working on a huge piece up the rib cage of a woman
laid out on his table, he might have. But he sure as hell didn’t want to have
to explain anything to Oscar again, so he kept his feet planted firmly in the
here and now instead of mauling the clients.

At least Duke was in the back piercing some dude’s junk and
he didn’t have to worry about him witnessing him channeling a pit bull.

The door chime registered Max’s departure. He raised his
chin in Scott’s direction then walked to his Harley.

“So, princess, you ready to have a matching pair or did you
come by because you missed me?” Haleigh palmed her camera like it was an
extension of her arm and walked up to him with a slight sway to her hips. It
made him ache to adjust his cock because tenting his slacks was a foregone
conclusion if she wasn’t careful.

“Not exactly.”

“What? Still scared about the piercing? You handled it more
than fine last time, and this time I’ll be the perfect gentleman.” He drew an
imaginary halo over his head as he teased her.

“You and perfect gentleman in the same sentence are quite a
stretch, don’t you think? Would you mind if I asked Oscar’s customer if I can
take pictures of her tree during their session? I’ve got something in mind I’d
like to try to put together.”

“Knock yourself out.”

Haleigh beamed and Scott figured he knew what Santa Claus
felt like on Christmas morning.

She crouched beside the woman lying naked from the waist up
and before long they were both smiling and talking like they were old friends.
She snapped photographs while Oscar inked Cheyenne’s side. Haleigh moved a lot
until she found the right angle, gently positioning the woman, snapping dozens
of photos.

She kneeled next to her, spoke for a few minutes afterward,
writing down something on her spiral. She brushed the woman’s shoulder.

Haleigh packed up her camera and Oscar said, “You like it.
Taking photographs I mean. You love it a lot, huh?”

She practically glowed with delight. “I’ve always adored
taking pictures. Capturing something permanent or fleeting. It’s amazing how
you can assume everything is perfect for a shot then pull them up on the
computer, and something’s just not right. Or maybe one you were sure was going
to be awful turns out amazing. Happy mistakes can create the best memories.
It’s relaxing for me and I do really enjoy it. I’ve been considering making a
career out of it, actually. My mother doesn’t approve, but I’ve decided I need
to find what makes me happy.”

Scott watched her for a moment before asking, “Now what?”

“Will you tell me about your tattoo?”

Okay…
Not what he thought they would be discussing,
but whatever. “What do you want to hear?” he asked as he gestured for her to
sit on the couch. He sat beside her and they faced into the shop.

“Why did you decide on that artwork, how long have you had
it, who did it…everything.”

The soft buzz of Oscar’s tattoo gun in the background calmed
Scott, so he stretched his feet out in front of him and clasped his hands
behind his head. He was quiet for a moment, processing all of the reasons
behind his tattoo.

“His name was Simon, my younger brother by two years.” He
chuckled as he remembered. “He was my best friend from the instant he was born.
He’s been gone almost fourteen years.”

He went quiet, and appreciated that Haleigh didn’t push or
ask questions he wasn’t ready to answer. All she did was caress his thigh and
wait. Comfort wasn’t something people offered him very often nor would he
accept it if it was. With her it was different. He intertwined his fingers with
hers, unable to keep from touching her.

“I did the art for the piece, and then took it to this guy
outside of Houston. He was the best I could find and this had to be killer.
Sang Young ended up becoming my mentor and he taught me everything I know. He
was amazing.”

“You never got any others?”

“Tattoos?” Scott asked and she nodded. “It’s the only ink
I’ve put on my body and it will be until something else equally important comes
along.” He remembered and grinned. “Simon and I, we watched out for each other
growing up. We were kind of scrawny and got picked on for whatever reason kids
come up with in school. He was always there for me, even though he was ill. He
was younger than me but he was a fierce protector. I pictured him being my
guardian so that’s why he has a white robe and the wings that span my
shoulders.”

“How did he die?”

“He had a bad heart. Born with it, actually. I felt guilty
growing up healthy and he had so much trouble. He started having issues in
grade school. Doctors passed it off, and then they found this murmur. He
couldn’t have been more than ten. He had valve problems, and surgery wasn’t an
option because he was almost guaranteed not to make it off the table. My
parents were bound and determined to find something or someone to fix him but
it just wasn’t meant to be.”

“I like the name Simon,” Haleigh added when silence
stretched between them.

Nostalgia hit him square in the solar plexus. “We use to
play ‘Simon Says’ all the time. It was actually the last thing he said to me
before he passed. ‘Simon says, be happy’.”

Duke and his customer walked out of the back, thankfully
distracting both Scott and Haleigh. She discreetly wiped her eyes, and Scott
blinked away the emotion choking off any more words from erupting.

Duke’s customer sort of limped out. Duke shook his head with
a smirk distorting his normally serious mouth. He was a six-foot-tall badass
dude with piercings all the way up one of his ears, several in the other and
one in his eyebrow. He wondered what Haleigh thought as she saw him for the
first time. Tats ran up his arms and Scott knew he had quite a few on both
sides of his torso. They looked like prison tattoos but the guy was loyal,
showed up on time and did killer work. The fact that he could double as a
bouncer when things got rowdy was icing on the cake.

Another couple of guys came in and Duke greeted them with a
handshake. One of the guys took a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded
it. They all bent over it, speaking about ink color and position.

“What does Kyle have? I couldn’t see anything on him. He
said he came in for some kind of pirate tattoo. What did you talk him into?”

Scott grinned. “He’s got a mosaic pattern on his left pec.
He actually let me draw directly on him before I inked him. It’s all black,
totally killer, but I’ve always wished he had a bit of color. He said I could
add to it anytime, but the right something hasn’t hit me yet.”

“Is that all he has, just one, like you?”

Scott weighed his next words carefully. “He has one more on
his thigh.”

“His thigh. On the outside?”

“Inside.” She scowled, making him want to kiss her mouth. He
ached to draw her close and cover her mouth with his own.

“But no one can see it there.”

“Exactly. He got it for someone he loved. If someone gets a
tattoo like that and hides it, it’s private. You’ll have to ask him about it
someday. Speaking of Kyle, do we need to wait for him to get here? I could call
his cell and tell him to hurry.”

He reached for his phone, but Haleigh stayed his hand. She
chewed on her lips and he bit his tongue to keep from offering to do it for
her. “I came tonight because I knew he wasn’t going to be here. I…I wanted to
talk to you alone.”

“Okay. Shoot. What did you want to talk about?” She tried to
take her arm back, but he flattened her palm on his thigh, running his
fingertips along the back of her wrist.

She was quiet, before blurting out, “Will you let me
photograph your tattoo? I’d really like pictures of it.”

Yeah, so not what he imagined they would be talking about.
“Why do you want them? Max’s Gretel? Or the Bonsai Tree, or Simon?”

“Photography is a hobby of mine.” She shrugged hastily. “If
you like the photos then maybe you can put them on your website. Plus, I
promised I’d send copies to Max and Cheyenne. I think you’d get a lot more
business if you advertised your amazing talents more. You and Oscar are both
really amazing from what I’ve seen so far. I’d like to help if you’d let me.”

Scott watched her intently as she spoke. He wanted to
capture each nuance of her pretty face. Her brow creased into a tiny vee every
time she answered questions. Her attention was so focused on him, and she was
so sincere in her movements and words he didn’t really know what to think.
Something in his chest stirred and it felt a whole heck of a lot like what he
felt for Kyle.

“I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Demille.” He stood and
helped Haleigh to her feet before grabbing the neckline of his shirt, yanking
it over his head. “Where do you want me?”

He couldn’t help but notice her eyes flared when he turned
to face her. His dick was more than happy to volunteer to take care of her
arousal. Made all those hours at the gym each week worth it.

Staring didn’t detour her for long. She grabbed the camera
again, then moved Scott over in front of the photograph wall and rapidly
snapped pictures.

“Why does he have blood dripping off of his feet? It’s not
on his robes anywhere. No stains, just his feet.”

“All of his wounds were on the inside. You met him and he
was like any other guy. We looked a lot alike, but on the inside he was
damaged. My heart bled for him, and I would have taken his pain if I could. I
was his big brother. I was supposed to protect him. At the end it was awful. I
could actually feel his pain, especially at night. We were sharing an apartment
after we’d both graduated high school and he tried to hide it from me. It made
no sense, but I could feel it as I lay in bed. I’d wake up in a panic some
nights and go stand in his doorway and watch him breathe until I was convinced
he was going to make it through the night. He didn’t want to be in the
hospital. Didn’t want to go out that way. Some nights after he fell asleep I’d
lie on the floor next to him.”

He didn’t notice she’d stopped taking pictures until she
stroked across the flesh of his waist like she had the first night they’d met
several weeks before. “Why did you draw him hanging from some sort of
crucifix?”