by Alicia White
Skin Deep
Selene Foster and Damon Johnson have been close for years. They are more than friends—they are lovers. The dynamic of their relationship makes them both uncertain, since circumstances have prevented them from truly being together. They both left the West Coast when Selene turned eighteen. She was desperate to achieve her goal as a tattoo artist, and Damon wanted to be near her.
Nicholas Elias is the owner of Olympus, a hotel and casino off the strip in Las Vegas. He has been seeing Selene as a client for over a year. They flirt, they touch, and he hopes that they can have more. He invites both Selene and Damon to a members-only club where BDSM and ménage are welcome.
The three of them start a journey of exploration to see if three unlikely people can end up having a happily ever after.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 45,587 words
SKIN DEEP
Alicia White
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
SKIN DEEP
Copyright © 2012 by Alicia White
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-869-2
First E-book Publication: July 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
I wrote this book after watching Ink Masters, a reality show. I wanted to write about a woman with a tough persona and make her feminine at the same time. This was a fun write for me. I hope all the readers enjoy this story.
Do you love men with tattoos? Come to my Facebook page and check out the album titled Hot Men with Smokin’ Tattoos.
Happy reading!
Tattoos tell stories of crime and passion, punishment and regret. They express an outlaw, antiauthoritarian point of view and communicate a romantic solidarity among society’s outcasts.
—Douglas Kent Hall
Tattoos have a power and magic all their own. They decorate the body but they also enhance the soul.
—Michelle Delio
SKIN DEEP
ALICIA WHITE
Copyright © 2012
Chapter 1
The music was pumping throughout the shop as Damon Johnson relaxed in an adjustable vinyl chair at his stepsister’s tattoo shop, Skin Deep Ink, in Las Vegas on the strip in the Olympus hotel. He only let his younger stepsister, Selene, do the artwork. She had a steady hand and had been doing it for years. He knew her work was the best. He still remembered when they had moved to Vegas from back east. She had just turned eighteen, and he was twenty-three. He followed her because he loved her, had always loved her, and wanted to be by her side wherever she went.
His father had met her mother when Selene was only fifteen and he was twenty. He had been taking college classes, trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. She told him her dreams about becoming an artist, and he knew in that moment, he would do anything to make sure her dreams came true. They had been close, closer than most people had. The night of her eighteenth birthday when she had been sad over some idiot breaking her heart, they had made love. He had been the one to take her precious virginity, and he still thought about that night and relived it in his dreams, wanting to make it a reality once more.
Damon watched Selene tracing the outline that she had stenciled on his calf while the tattoo machine buzzed like a hive of bees. She wiped his skin as she went, getting the outline done. He watched her pour the colored ink into small cups. She didn’t look up at him, just stayed focused on her work.
The door opened with a chime sound, and Selene paused in her work to look up. The shop had four other tattoo chairs out in the open where people could watch the artists at work. The rest of the workrooms were private. From where Damon was sitting, he could see the whole shop. There was a lounge area with couches and a large-screen TV. In addition, a minibar had water bottles, juice, and baskets of snacks for customers. There were large glass windows facing the casino that reminded people that the city never slept. Light flashed, constantly shooting blasts of color throughout the shop.
“Hey, Lexi.”
“Selene. Hey. I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier to set up for you.”
“No worries. I’m just working on Damon.” Lexi Price walked right up to the chair he was reclining in and watched Selene work.
“What are you getting this time?” She peered over Selene’s shoulder to look. “Nice.”
“Do you think you can clean up a little and check the appointment book? It looks like we’re in for another busy day.” Selene stopped the machine, wiping Damon’s skin with antiseptic. “I think I have an appointment in an hour or so.”
“Sure. No problem. Is it with Mr. Sexy?” Lexi pulled off her sweater and hung it up as she walked to the front counter, exposing her full sleeves of tattoos in the small tank top she wore. Damon admired her body, covered in ink. She was good-looking, but nobody compared to Selene. Selene was petite at five foot three, had long, deep red-and-black hair, and the most amazing green eyes he’d ever seen. He didn’t feel guilty for thinking she was beautiful. They weren’t technically related.
Damon worked as security in the Olympus hotel. He liked being close to the shop jus
t in case Selene needed him. It made him feel useful.
“Who’s Mr. Sexy?” He tried to keep his voice neutral and uncaring, but the words still came out harsh.
“Nobody important. Just some guy that comes in once a month for a regular appointment. He’s doing a huge back piece and sleeves. Biggest thing I’ve done on one person. He can’t spend more than a few hours here, though, so it’s taking longer than it should.” Selene went back to work on his tattoo, doing some extra shading, making the colors pop off his skin.
“How long has he been coming in?” He knew it wasn’t any of his business, but he couldn’t help himself.
“I don’t know, six or nine months. Something like that.” She shrugged her shoulder and concentrated on his calf.
“Do you want to go out tonight? There is a really great Steampunk art show happening. I thought maybe you and I could check it out.” Selene stopped the machine, put it down, and wiped his calf off. She applied ointment and stood to stretch her back.
“Yeah, that sounds fun. Pick me up when you’re off work.” She pulled the rubber gloves off and tossed them into the trash. “Check it out in the mirror, then I’ll wrap it for you.”
Damon walked to the mirror and checked out the design. It was special to him. She had drawn it for him years ago, and he had waited until this moment to get ink done.
“How do you like it?” she asked.
“Gorgeous.” He walked over to her and cupped her head, digging his fingers into the thick mass of red and black. He wanted to lean in and take possession of her lips, but he didn’t. “Like you.” She leaned in and pecked him on the lips before moving away. His cock throbbed under his jeans, and he once again thought about sinking into her wet heat. There was so much he wanted to say and even more he wanted to do, but he couldn’t chance it. He didn’t want to mess their relationship up. There was too much to lose if it didn’t work out.
“Let me get the cream, and I’ll tape it up for you.” He watched her walk away to grab the supplies she needed. He stared after her and knew that he needed to formulate some sort of plan. The sweet pecks and hugs, the dates that weren’t really dates, and the occasional dirty talk and groping weren’t working anymore.
She walked back over to him and kneeled down, applying the ointment. He watched her, wanting to unzip his jeans and beg her to suck his cock. His mind kept playing different scenarios, and he adjusted himself, hoping that she didn’t notice. He didn’t know why she didn’t have a boyfriend or at least a fuck buddy. Maybe she did and she was able to hide it, but he doubted it. She couldn’t keep a secret worth a damn. Either way he knew that he would be consumed with jealousy if she did.
“All right. You’re done. Don’t forget to apply ointment, keep it moist. I’ll see you later.” She kissed his cheek, and he smiled at her before turning and heading out into the casino.
* * * *
Selene stood in the middle of the shop and watched Damon walk out the front door. Their relationship was too crazy. She couldn’t even explain it to anyone without receiving weird looks. They didn’t really grow up together, and for that, she felt a little less sick about the situation. He was five years older than she was and ever since meeting, they had a strong bond. He took the “older sibling protector” thing literally. The day of her eighteenth birthday, everything changed, and things were never the same again.
Her boyfriend had broken her heart, and she had run home sobbing. Damon had been there, had opened his arms and held her for hours. A sweet peck for a thank-you turned into her stretched out on her bed naked and Damon loving her body more than any other man ever had. He was an absolutely gorgeous man, shaved head, big muscular body, and her tattoos marking his skin. She pretended that he belonged to her, that their unfortunate circumstances weren’t in the way, but then reality crashed down, and she didn’t know what to do.
“Selene…I’ve set up the back room for Mr. Sexy. He should be here soon. You good?” Lexi’s voice brought her back to the present and she nodded and smiled, pretending that everything was fine. “Everyone else is due in at different times today, so if you need anything, just shout. I’m going to run and get a coffee. Do you want one?”
“Yeah. Can you get me a large iced latte? I’m feeling a little tired,” she said.
“No problem. I’ll be back in a bit.” Lexi walked out the door leading into the casino and Selene relaxed a little more. She loved working first shift. The shop was quiet, and she was able to get some actual work done. When the place was packed, it was harder to focus, although the atmosphere was more upbeat. Today she was tired, and she knew her appointment would be in soon. She didn’t tell anyone that she truly liked Mr. Sexy, also known as Nicholas. She didn’t know his last name, and she preferred it that way. The less she knew, the more she fantasized.
She did his appointment in the back room on purpose. She didn’t want anyone else seeing him with his clothes off. She loved admiring his body as she tattooed him. She’d been working on him for a year now, but she didn’t want to tell Damon that. She faked as if he didn’t affect her, but things had been escalating each time he came into the shop. What started out as a kiss became a touch and even went further. She shivered, remembering his mouth on her pussy. That had only happened once, the last time they were in the private room together. She took a deep breath to calm down her beating heart and looked at the clock. He would be coming in soon.
The front door chimed, and Selene looked straight into Nicholas’s gorgeous brown eyes. He seemed to be the opposite of Damon. He was a clean-cut guy who wore expensive clothes. She imagined that he was a lawyer in some firm in downtown Vegas. He was tall and athletically built, not bulky muscle. He always dressed so perfectly, and she wondered if anyone actually knew what was under his clothes. Did he get the tattoos for himself or did he share them with someone? Looking at him now, he seemed out of place. On the other hand, maybe it was her that was out of place with him.
“Hey, beautiful. It’s been a while.” His voice alone was enough to cause her knees to feel weak. She smiled and stood straighter, not allowing him to know what he did to her.
“Hey, handsome. The room is ready, come on back.” She walked toward the room, and knew he was following her. This was their normal routine. The flirting just became more outrageous each time. It seemed like a great game to play, and she licked her lips in anticipation.
“What are we doing today?” Each time Nicholas came into the shop, he brought her a different drawing to add to the already-growing piece on his back and arms. They had been working on an amazing piece for a long time. He was getting a scene straight out of Greek mythology, a battle that took place on Mount Olympus. It seemed ironic really. The shop was inside the Olympus hotel, and here was her own Greek god getting a tattoo. She smiled every time he brought out another picture to add.
“We’ve done most of the gods and goddesses. I thought we could do Aphrodite today.” He took out the piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.
“I know the perfect place for her. Let me make this into a stencil. I’ll be right back. Do you want anything to drink?” she asked.
“Coffee please.”
“How do you like it?”
He sent her a flash of teeth. “Hard and deep.” She stared at him and smiled, picturing him on top shoving his cock into her. “A lot of cream and a dash of sugar.”
“Be right back.” She walked away, knowing she needed a few minutes to herself to get her breathing under control. She made the stencil and grabbed him a cup of coffee just as Lexi walked in to the shop.
“Here’s your coffee.” She walked over, and Selene tried to balance both their coffees and the stencil. “Is Mr. Sexy here?” she whispered and looked around.
“Yeah. Already in the back. See you in a bit.” Selene moved back toward the private rooms and took one last deep breath before opening the door and walking in.
Nicholas already had his shirt off, and she swallowed, wanting to do more than mark his
skin. They had been playing this little game for a while, and she wondered if or when anything would happen between them. A picture of Damon flashed in her mind, and she handed him his cup of coffee, feeling a little guilty.
“So where are we putting the goddess of love today?”
“I want to put her on my side.” He moved his body, showing her exactly where he wanted the tattoo. Selene moved forward and ran her hand down his side, watching as goose bumps rose on his skin. She loved the fact that she could affect this man just as he affected her.
“I have to shave you real quick. Luckily, you don’t have much.” She smiled, knowing that he only had fine baby hairs. His body was pure perfection. She watched him lie down on the table and get comfortable as she grabbed her supplies.
* * * *
Trying to keep his breathing under control, Nicholas lay down on the table as Selene moved around, making sure all her supplies were handy. His cock was hard and straining in his pants, and he moved his hand down, hoping he could adjust himself without her noticing. This happened all the time, and he was glad that most of the artwork was on his back so she had no idea how much he wanted her.
Selene put on gloves with a snap sound and grabbed a razor and shaving gel. She squeezed the gel onto her fingertips and moved toward him. He watched every move she made. As she moved toward him, he lifted his arm out of the way, making sure she had complete access to his side.
The first touch of her slick fingers on his body made him groan. He loved the way she touched him. It felt erotic even though he knew it probably wasn’t. She moved the gel over his entire side, from right under his armpit to his hip bone. His cock jerked, and he held his hand in front of it, trying to hide it from view.