Tattoos and Transformations

by Melody Snow Monroe

  Her friend sucked in a bottom lip. “I don’t think he’s jealous of Clint, but rather he’s upset with himself for not agreeing to be with you.”

  She shook her head. “That makes no sense.”

  “I know, but that’s Morgan. He’s tightly wound. Everything has to be in place or he’s not happy. That’s why the ranch is doing well. He has excellent attention to detail, and I think you’re one detail that doesn’t fit.”

  “I’m the square peg in the round hole?”

  “Precisely.”

  “Maybe if he comes to the opening, he’ll see that I’ve changed, and that I’m not the flighty girl he knew.” Jade smiled. “We can only hope.” She snapped her fingers. “Did you remember to order the sheet cakes?”

  “Yes, and I even ordered an extra one for Jessie.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t believe you don’t know.” Dakota rarely got the scoop first.

  “Know what? Is Jessie pregnant?”

  Dakota laughed. “No. Not that I know of. Maybe she wants to find

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  a time to announce it to the family, but according to Cody, she wrote a romance novel about a female television reporter in some fictitious town in Texas who uncovered all this dirt going on in town, but her boss wouldn’t let her air it.”

  “That really happened to her.”

  Dakota smiled. “I know, but she had to change the names to protect the innocent, and to protect the guilty, too. Anyway, she got an agent who sent it to a couple of the big houses. It went to auction and finally sold to a big publishing house.”

  “No way.”

  “Way. Her advance is big enough to set up her mom for life.” Jade’s eyes widened. “I’ll have to give her a call.”

  * * * *

  “Why should I go?” Morgan didn’t like Clint and Jade pressuring him to attend Dakota’s gallery opening.

  Jade threaded her arm through his. “Come on. It’s only for an hour. Mom and Dad will be there, as will half the town.”

  “All the more reason not to go. The place isn’t that big.” Seeing Dakota smiling at half the town didn’t settle well with him.

  Clint pulled Jade away. “Come on. We don’t need Mr. Sourpuss.” Jade seemed to agree. “Besides, by staying home, Dakota will know for sure that he’s been secretly in love with her for years, but that she’s way out of his league.”

  Fuck. “That’s not true.” He hoped his tensed shoulders didn’t give anything away. “Fine. I’ll come.”

  They shared a triumphant glance. “You can drive yourself so you can leave early.”

  He liked Jade’s reasoning. “Fine.”

  He grabbed his keys and followed Jade and Clint out. It might have been a waste of gas to take three vehicles, but if Dakota so much as flirted with another guy, he’d have to leave. For the opening, he 80

  wouldn’t be surprised if she donned her punk look and went full-out with the piercings.

  Parking was a mess, but all three found spots about five blocks away. That was good. He’d get in, congratulate her on her success, and get out.

  Jade did that possessive thing and looped her arm through his. He glanced down at her. “Where are your husbands? Shouldn’t you be with them?”

  She chuckled. “Logan and Parker are helping Dakota set up.

  You’ll get to see them.”

  That was not what he meant. He didn’t want his sister dragging him through the crowd only to deposit him in front of Dakota.

  The bell above the door to the studio chimed. While there were a lot of people inside, there was still plenty of room to walk around. He nodded to Heath, who seemed to have been roped into serving the drinks.

  “I’ll have a glass of wine.” He could use something stronger, but only wine, soda, and water were the options.

  Once he got his glass, his sister dragged him into the main gallery.

  He unhooked her fingers. “I can check out the paintings myself.” She smiled. “See that you do. I’m going to say hi to Mom and Dad.”

  Morgan stepped in front of the first landscape. He’d seen two or three of Dakota’s paintings, but the one of the Grand Teton had an emotional draw he’d not seen in other paintings of the area. So as not to block the view from the other onlookers, he moved to the next one.

  He recognized the setting. The large yellow flower was one in front of his house. What amazed him was the detail of his home in the background. She’d captured the tranquility and beauty of the place.

  “You like it?”

  Dakota.

  “It’s remarkable.” He could have lied, but why should he. She had talent. He spun around expecting to see more of the pink-and-blue

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  hair. Instead, she had on a conservative red business suit. Her subtle pink lipstick made him want to kiss her. “Wow.” She grinned. “What was that for?”

  “You look so…”

  “Respectable?”

  “Yes.” The last time he’d seen her, her legs had been spread and her tits begging for him to suck on her. Maybe he had been a fool not to take her up on her offer. Stop that thought.

  “I’m a business owner now. I need to appeal to those with money.”

  So this was yet another costume. He had to admit she still had the same air about her as the girl in the yellow dress. “You’ve done well.” It was the truth.

  “Thank you.”

  Clint sashayed over and wrapped an arm around her waist. The fact she didn’t break eye contact with him despite Clint’s appearance made his cock hard. His brother leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  “I’ll let you two bond.” Clint slipped away as quickly as he’d come.

  Damn. He swept his gaze down the aisle and spotted some strange-looking photos. “You take all of these?”

  “My work is on this wall and the back wall. The other side contains works from the area artists.”

  He headed down to the smaller prints. It took a moment to grasp what he was looking at. They were photos of grapefruit with amazingly detailed scenes. “You did this?”

  “Yes. I like to create tattoos. I practice on the grapefruit.” His sister rushed up. “It’s time to cut the cake.” Damn. He had a proposition he wanted to pose to Dakota.

  Dakota turned toward him. “I need to do this.”

  “We need to talk.”

  She smiled. “Okay. Later.”

  He followed her to the front of the store. She turned around and whistled. The crowd noise slowly lessened. “May I have everyone’s 82

  attention?”

  This would be her big moment, and he was proud of all she’d accomplished.

  She tilted a cake upward. Instead of the frosting saying something about her store, it said, “Congratulations, Jessie. Hope you have a best seller.”

  He had no idea what was going on. The noise level rose. Dakota held up her hand. She proceeded to tell the group about Jessie’s new book and how a lot of publishing houses wanted her story.

  She grinned. “This is an achievement of a lifetime. I know Cody and Shane are terribly proud.”

  He looked over and watched the men hug their wife. A bit of melancholy struck him. He wanted a relationship like that.

  Perhaps what affected him more was the fact that on Dakota’s big day, she was willing to divert the attention to someone equally deserving. At that moment, he realized that Dakota had changed on the inside.

  After she talked about how Jade had helped her get her start, she thanked his parents.

  “If it hadn’t been for Spencer and Lisa Callen, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to try painting. Their loving ways made me what I am today. So thank you.”

  His opinion of her rose tenfold. His sister stepped forward and helped pass out the cake. Morgan looked around to see if her father was there. He wasn’t. Poor Dakota.

  After she accepted all the accolades, he moved over to her. “Can I speak with you in private?”

  Her eyes widened. “Sure. We can eithe
r go upstairs, or step in the back.”

  The last place he needed to go with her was up to her apartment.

  “In the back will be fine. It’ll only take a minute.” Her brows pinched, but she didn’t question him. When she led him into a small space where Jade had had her furnace, she faced him.

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  “What’s up?”

  “You have to promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”

  Her lips firmed. She held up her hand, acting like she was taking an oath. “I swear.”

  “I’m the owner of the D’Ink Coda tattoo parlor.” Her mouth opened. “No shit. You?” Her gaze searched his arms.

  “Yes. And no, I don’t have any tattoos. It was a business decision to purchase the store.”

  “Harley has no idea.”

  He gently clasped her arms and pulled her closer. Her scent filled his head and made his body respond. Damned cock. “You can’t tell him.”

  “Okay. Do Clint and Jade know?”

  “Only Clint, but I swore him to secrecy. Please don’t mention this to Jade.”

  She stepped out of his hold. “Why are you telling me?” At least she didn’t say something about him not even liking her. “I think you have an amazing talent, and I wanted to see if you’d be willing to work a few hours a week at the store. I know your gallery will take up a lot of your time, but even one day a week would be great.”

  Her breath hitched. When her eyes sparkled, his cock hardened.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes.” Please agree to this.

  She got that devilish look. “I’ve never tattooed a person before, even though I’ve studied how.”

  “I’m sure Harley will be willing to help you.” She bit on her bottom lip looking way too sexy. His hardened cock was urging him to steal a kiss, but his conscience told him to keep away.

  “Okay, but on one condition.”

  She better not say she wanted to fuck his brains out, because if she 84

  did, he’d just have to do it. “What is it?”

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  Chapter Nine

  This was probably the dumbest thing Morgan had ever agreed to do, but part of him was thrilled to go into business with Dakota.

  Seeing her in action would give him the chance to judge her in a professional manner. So far, most of his interactions came from watching her with his sister, and then again when she’d been naked with his brother.

  Christ. The image of her pressing her finger into her pussy was still etched in his brain. After that episode, he’d gotten little to no sleep. Maybe that was what had driven him to be in this situation now.

  He still couldn’t figure out what she had been thinking when she flaunted her pussy like that. According to Jade, Dakota rarely dated and had hardly slept with anyone. Damn, but the woman had fried his brain and made his cock too hard too often.

  He returned his attention to the promise he made in order to get her to work at the tattoo parlor. Once he told her he wasn’t ready to have his father see the tat, she promised the tattoo she’d create for him would be inconspicuous.

  Morgan waited until after dinner to go over to her place, but when he got to the store, the downstairs wasn’t lit. Since Dakota was renting the factory from his sister, he knew the routine to get in. He pressed the button that would ring upstairs.

  His damned palms were sweating. What was up with that? It wasn’t like he was afraid of needles, but rather that he was afraid that once she had her hands on him, he’d give in and make love with her.

  Once he did that, their fate would be sealed.

  The light popped on, and Dakota pulled open the door. “I wasn’t 86

  sure you would come.”

  Blood rushed from his head to his groin. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and she had hairclips to hold back her hair. Her jeans had some holes in them and her T-shirt was actually rather baggy. To say she looked adorable was an understatement.

  “I want my business to survive.” Her shoulders tensed. Damn. He shouldn’t have said that.

  “Come on upstairs. I have my instruments of torture ready to try out my technique on human flesh.”

  Great. He followed her to her apartment, enjoying how her cute ass swayed and swished with every step. While he’d been here a few times, the fact that Dakota was renting Jade’s factory made all the difference in the world. She’d changed out some of the photos, but pretty much the place looked the same as when Jade had it.

  “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry. I’ll do my best work on you. You are, after all, the boss. Yesterday, I stopped by the store and asked Harley for some pointers.”

  He hoped he wouldn’t regret this. He followed her into the bedroom, and the second he spotted the bed, his thoughts ran in all the wrong directions.

  Focus. On the counter sat a disposable razor, alcohol and swabs, and her inking paraphernalia. He figured since she was the artist, she wouldn’t need to transfer the design.

  “Take off your pants.”

  “What?”

  She planted a hand on her hip. “You said you wanted it in a place where no one would see the tattoo. It’s either your ass or your cock.” He swallowed his smile. “I’ll do the ass. Turn around.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” While she rolled her eyes, she did as he asked.

  After he kicked off his boots and dropped trou, he removed his underwear and carefully placed his briefs inside his folded jeans. He

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  wished his cock wasn’t hard as a rock. He lay facedown on the spread, hoping she never learned how much he wanted her. “Okay.”

  “First I need to shave the area I’m going to tat.”

  “I’m not hairy.”

  “All of us have fine hair. You don’t want the skin to get infected.” He kept his mouth shut and let her do her thing. She shaved the area and cleaned it with alcohol. Her fingers were quick and sure, but having her fingers on his ass invaded his mind. He was having a hard time keeping his mind off of her and the image of her naked.

  “What are you going to tattoo?” He was pleased he kept his tone conversational.

  “Something that fits you.”

  “What?”

  She patted his butt. “You’ll have to trust me.” He wasn’t sure he liked the chuckle in her voice. “I do trust you, but this is permanent so I want to know.” She better not be a smart-ass and tattoo a heart with his name and her name inside.

  “Fine. I’ll be tattooing a black panther.” He liked that. Such a fine animal represented power and control.

  “Why did you pick that?” Is that how she saw him? She said it would fit him.

  “It reminded me of you.”

  “Cool.”

  He’d hoped she’d elaborate, but instead she got straight to work.

  The first prick made him clench. Her giggle shot right to his groin.

  She tapped his butt. “None of that. If you tighten up, there’s no telling what this thing will look like.” Clint was the one who often scolded the women about clenching their asses when he was about to have anal sex with them. Morgan forced his mind to clear, but it was damned hard with her palm on his rear and a needle pricking him.

  She took her time. Whether it was to tease him or because she wanted to make the design perfect, he didn’t know. From where the 88

  needle dipped into his skin, whatever she was creating wasn’t more than four inches long and maybe an inch high.

  She must have taken at least an hour before she sat back up. “I think that does it.” She put a large bandage over the area. “You’ll need to keep this on until tomorrow. Then you can put on some cream.”

  He’d do the bandage, but there was no way he was slathering cream on his ass. “Can do.”

  “I’ll step out of the room and let you get dressed.” He wasn’t sure why his gut soured. Had he expected her to jump his bones? As soon as the door closed, he pulled on his jeans and boots, careful not
to rub against his new addition. He wanted to peel off the bandage to see the design, but he’d be good and wait until the allotted time.

  When she didn’t return, he stepped out of the room. From the noise, she was doing something downstairs in her living room. As he was coming down the stairs, she emerged from the kitchen carrying two glasses.

  “This calls for a celebration. First tattoos are a big step.”

  “Clint said you had a few.”

  “I do. But like you, they’re personal and I like to keep it that way.”

  He admired her restraint, though she hadn’t used any when piercing her face. To be honest, he could barely see the marking for the eyebrow ring or nose piercing.

  They toasted, and he finished his glass in a few swigs. He didn’t need to be standing around waiting for her to come onto him. “Thanks again.” He placed his glass on the coffee table.

  “I’ll walk you down since I have to lock up.” He wasn’t sure why he was disappointed that she allowed him to leave without even flirting with him. He had to admit her professionalism surprised him. When he slid into the car, he could tell where she’d placed his tattoo, but it wasn’t as tender as he’d expected

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  it to be.

  * * * *

  Morgan spent all night tossing and turning. With the new addition to his ass, every time he rolled over, he woke up. To be honest, he didn’t think that was what kept him up. It was the fact that Dakota really had matured. Maybe since he’d lusted after her all these years, he hadn’t taken a good look at her until now.

  Every time he saw her with Jade, she was the crazy punk kid he remembered. Now she’d changed. Seeing her in the red business suit made him realize that he’d been the one who didn’t look past his pre-conceived notions of her. The woman had an amazing talent, and getting to have her own studio seemed to be the impetus for her to change.

  From now on, he’d look at her in a new light. Hopefully, if she worked at the tattoo parlor, not only would his cash flow improve but he’d have an excuse to see her.

  Not that he needed an excuse, but since he’d acted like an ass, he needed to make it up to her. He could only hope that she’d forgive him for some of his cruel comments.