by Marie, Kay
“This might be cold,” I warn her. She nods her head and I clean the area I’ll be tattooing. “I’ll put the stencil on, then let you check it out in the mirror before starting.”
“Sounds good,” she replies. I get the stencil ready and carefully lay it out in the middle of her sternum, a fraction beneath her tits. I smooth it out to ensure it transferred completely, then peel it up.
“Go ahead and check it out.” I hold my hand out to help her sit up. Her cheeks are a permanent pink. She stands, moving to the mirror. Her eyes go wide and a smile stretches across her face.
“Sketch, it’s fucking gorgeous.” Her eyes find mine in the reflection. Her cheeks deepen to red before she turns and comes back to the table.
“I’m glad you like it. Wait until it’s done.” I smirk. She lays back again, still smiling. “Let’s get started.”
20
Wren
Sketch rubs Vaseline over the stencil he placed, and the buzzing of the tattoo gun starts. He glances at me as if he’s making sure I’m truly ready. I give a curt nod and it’s all he needs. He brings the needle to my skin and I inhale a sharp breath. I have a high pain tolerance, but it still stings pretty good.
“Keep breathing,” he reminds me. “One of the worst things you can do is hold your breath.”
I let out a breath I wasn’t aware I had been holding. “Keep talking. That might help.”
“Your sternum is an intimate spot for a tattoo. What made you decide you wanted it there,” I ask her.
“I saw some other women’s tattoos in the same spot and thought they were stunning. It’s also a spot that no one will see it unless I want them to see it,” I tell him.
“Yours will most definitely be the best one I’ve tattooed or even seen,” he says. My cheeks heat up. I’ve always been extremely comfortable around Sketch but being around him topless, that’s a whole other level. Aside from his drunken kiss, this is the most intimate we’ve ever been. I wouldn’t want anyone else doing my tattoo.
“Tell me about you and Mad Max. I mean . . . Luke.” I’ve gotten so used to calling him what everyone else calls him in such a short time. Sketch applies more vaseline. With as much as he’s wiped at the tattoo, cleaning up blood and ink, the vaseline gets wiped away, too. It’s soothing when he adds more.
“He’s got you calling him that now, too, huh?”
“Yeah. I use all their nicknames. It’s the same as with you and Shade, so it doesn’t phase me,” I admit. “It’s honestly a lot like being at the clubhouse, only they all do tattoos all day.”
Sketch chuckles. “What you’re saying is, they’re a bunch of assholes, too.”
“Pretty much.” I giggle. Talking really helps drown out the stinging of the needle. I’m even more thankful for Sketch tattooing me because conversation comes so easy for us. It always has.
“Luke is my brother. Well, we are foster brothers,” he tells me.
“In all the conversations we’ve had, you never mentioned you were ever in a foster home or that you had any siblings.”
He shrugs a shoulder. “I’ve never been very good at talking about myself.”
“I’ve come to realize that.”
“I’ll work on it,” he says. “How have you liked working here so far?”
“Honestly? I love it. They’re assholes, but they’re nice assholes.”
Sketch stops tattooing, laughing. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
“Sure it does.” I giggle. He starts the tattoo gun again. “Have you met my brother? Or any of the other Savage Menaces and Riders?”
“Okay, okay. I get it.” His sexy grin sits across his face. My nipples harden against the pasties. I close my eyes, attempting to think of anything else.
We talk about random things. New movies, music, TV shows. We stop halfway through for a lunch break, ordering something off Food Dash. After we eat, it’s another two and a half hours before he finishes my tattoo.
“Alright, gotta clean it one last time and then you can check it out.” Sketch grabs a couple fresh paper towels, squirts them with green soap and wipes my tattoo off. He holds his hand out, helping me up. I stand in front of the mirror, staring at the tattoo in awe.
“Sketch, it’s even better than I imagined it would be,” I gush.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? I fucking love it.”
Shock crosses his face. “Did you just cuss?”
Heat rises in my cheeks. “Maybe,” I mumble.
“I never thought a cuss word could be cute. Coming out of your mouth, it sure as hell is.” Sketch laughs. “Mind if I take a picture of it before we wrap it up?”
“Sure.” I move to stand in front of him. There’s a hitch in his breathing. He clears his throat, reaching for his phone.
“Stand back a couple inches.” He’s holding his phone up, and I take a step back. “Perfect.”
After he takes a picture, he turns his phone around for me to see. He cut out as much of my boobs as he could.
“Mind if I use this in my portfolio,” he asks.
“Not at all.” I give him a small smile.
Over the next week, Sketch and I spend as much time together as possible. I see him at the shop Tuesday and Thursday when he has clients. The other days, he’s helping the new Savage Menaces and Riders at their, what he called, temporary clubhouse. Tonight, I promised the girls I would go dancing with them after I was done at the shop. The Mad Tatter is open until midnight tonight, but Luke said they won’t even need me after seven.
“Where are you headed?” Cheshire stops me as I walk past his station to leave.
“Out with the girls,” I tell him.
For a brief moment, he has a calculating look in his eyes. “Have fun.”
“Always do!” I wave to the others as I walk out. Twenty minutes later, I’m walking into the house.
“Hey!” Aria is sitting in the living room as if she’s been waiting for me to get home.
“Hey.”
“Okay, don’t be mad . . .”
“What did you do,” I ask.
“I may have invited Clutch and some of the guys to come dancing with us.”
I roll my eyes with a smile. “Of course you did.”
“They’re going to meet us there,” she tells me. I nod and head to my room.
“I’ll be ready in twenty,” I call to her over my shoulder. A squeal rings out as I close my door.
“First things first,” I mutter to myself, walking into my bathroom. My hair still holds the loose curls I did to it this morning. A light touch up to my make-up and an outfit change and I’ll be ready to go. I bought a new outfit for tonight. I grin to myself, imagining Sketch’s reaction when he sees it.
Once I’m done fixing my make-up, I grab my new outfit out of my closet. Skintight, distressed jeans paired with a black crop top. The top has slashes in the front that start small just above my boobs. Each one gradually gets bigger as they go down. It’s perfect for showing off my new tattoo. It’s not a shirt I can wear a bra with, so I go with pasties. I finish my look off with a pair of black ankle ribbon lace-up stilettos. With one last glance at myself in the mirror, I walk back to the living room.
“Who are you and what have you done with Wren?” Aria’s eyes are wide as saucers.
“Woah! Sexy lady!” Harper smirks. “Are you trying to get laid tonight?”
My cheeks heat. “I really wanted to show off my new tattoo.”
“As you should. It’s amazing,” Harper replies.
“So is that body!” Aria laughs. “You’re going to have all the guys chasing you tonight.”
“You know she only has eyes for one, though,” Harper says to Aria.
“She’ll no doubt have his full attention tonight, too.” Aria grins at me.
“Alright, alright. Leave the poor girl alone,” Elena says. “Everyone ready to go? Our Uber is right down the street.”
“Let’s go then.” Aria stands from the couch and
leads us outside. We walk out as our Uber pulls into the driveway. Pulling up to the club, there’s a line of people waiting to get in.
“Please tell me we don’t have to wait in that line.” It comes out more of a whine than I intended.
“You would be correct. Follow me.” We follow Aria to the bouncer.
“Hey, Beckett,” she purrs out.
“Come on in, ladies.” Beckett moves the rope to let us in. I give him a smile as I walk by him. This nightclub is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. On the left and right, private booths line the walls. They’re big enough to fit eight to ten people in them. Along the back wall is a bar with at least four bartenders. The wall behind the bar is a mirror and lined with bottles of alcohol. There are some tables scattered about, but the majority of the place is a dance floor.
That’s just the main floor. There’s a second level that overlooks the first. If I had to guess, I’d say there are more booths and another bar up there as well. I’ll have to take one of the girls to check it out with me. The four of us make our way to the bar.
“The guys should be here soon,” Aria tells me. “Clutch said they reserved a booth.”
At the bar, one of the male bartenders finds us instantly. Once we have our drinks, we set off to find the guys.
21
Sketch
This week has been busy as hell. We’re slowly getting the New Orleans clubhouse together. Next week, we’ll be focusing more on their businesses. They already have an auto repair shop so next on the list is a strip club. There’s one maybe thirty minutes from the clubhouse we found for sale. The previous owners couldn’t keep up with it anymore and sold it for dirt cheap. Gator and I will check it out on Monday to see what all needs to be done to fix it up and get more business in. It’s in a great location and has amazing potential.
For tonight, we enjoy ourselves. Gator told us about this night club last time we were in town. He mentioned knowing the owner and has plans to talk to them about turning this place into a club business. It would be a good business to have. Great atmosphere, good music. We’ll see what Gator can work out with the owner. Shortly after we’re settled in our booth we reserved for the night, a waitress walks up to take our drink order.
“I’ll get those drinks out right away,” the waitress says after we all tell her what we want. As soon as she walks away, a certain blonde hair, brown eyed beauty catches my eye.
“Hey, fellas,” Aria says. My eyes are locked on Wren. She looks sexy as sin in a black crop top that shows off her tattoo and her midriff.
“Hey, Little Bird. Nice tattoo.” I smirk and wink at her.
“Hey,” she says, nonchalant. She takes a sip of her pink drink, her eyes never leaving mine. Elena nudges her shoulder then whispers something in her ear, causing Wren to tear her gaze away from me. “Ches, why aren’t you at the shop?”
“My last client of the night canceled on me, so I thought I’d enjoy a night out,” he tells her. By her expression, I would guess she doesn’t believe what he said.
“Wren, come dance with me,” Harper says to her. Wren hesitates.
“I’ll watch your drink for you,” Elena offers.
“Thanks, E.” Wren hands her the drink, glances at me, then heads to the dance floor with Harper. I stand from my seat to let Elena slide in next to Cheshire, keeping an eye on Wren the whole time. Vegas and Outlaw leave the table to search for chicks to hit on while Gator is talking with Cheshire about the Mad Tatter.
“Why don’t you go ask her to dance,” Elena whispers to me. I watch her for another song before I make my way to her.
“Can I cut in,” I ask.
“She’s all yours.” Harper smiles. I take Wren’s hand and spin her around. Senorita by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes begins. I pull Wren close, so our fronts are touching. We move to the beat effortlessly. Spinning her a second time, I bring her back to my front. Her body melts into mine, and she lifts her arms up and around my neck. Her hips move in time with the beat, grinding against my front. I do my best to keep up with the music, but the mix of her scent and her body so close to me has me in a haze.
The song transitions into Call You Mine by the Chainsmokers and Bebe Rexha. Wren turns around in my arms, snaking her hands around the back of my neck again. Halfway through the song, her dancing slows. Our gazes locked on each other, something shifts between us. A strand of hair falls in her face. With a gentle finger, I slide it back behind her ear. The touch causes her eyes to flutter. When she opens her eyes again, there’s a trace of lust mixed with something else shining in them.
I lean down, brushing my lips against hers. A small gasp escapes her mouth as I slide my tongue along her bottom lip, tasting watermelon Jolly Rancher. Wren reciprocates the movement, her hand sliding into my hair. I take a risk and deepen the kiss. She sighs into my mouth, kissing me back. I pull away enough to rest my forehead against hers.
“That was . . .” I pause
“Amazing,” she finishes my sentence.
I chuckle, and her cheeks turn pink. “Yeah, amazing. There’s no way in hell I’ll be forgetting that kiss.”
“Sketch.” Her eyes are searching mine. For what, I’m not sure. I bring my hand up, cupping her face, caressing her cheek with my thumb.
“Little Bird, the ball is in your court. Whatever happens next is your call,” I tell her.
“So, if I wanted to do that again?”
“Just say the word,” I say.
“Word.” She smirks, making me smile. I slide my hand into her hair, gently pulling her face to mine. I cover her lips with mine, sliding my tongue into her mouth. She’s bolder this time, circling my tongue with hers. At this moment, nothing else matters, nothing else exists. It’s just Wren and me. I hold her a little tighter, and she moans into my mouth again.
Slowly, she begins to pull away, sucking my bottom lip into her mouth before she does. Between that and the moan, my dick is rock hard and with as close as she is, there’s no doubt she feels it. Without her lips on mine, reality comes crashing back. The music seems louder than before.
“I think I need something to drink,” Wren says. A shy smile crosses her face.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Let’s head back to the table.”
As soon as we’re back at the table, she takes her drink from Elena. Elena and Aria are both looking at us with shit-eating grins. They’ve all switched seats while we were dancing. Gator is sitting on the outside with Cheshire next to him. Elena and Aria are in the middle with Clutch on the other side of Aria. I take a seat next to Clutch and Wren chooses to stand.
“You two looked hot out there,” Aria says. Wren blushes a deep pink. At that moment, Vegas and Outlaw walk up to the table.
“Well, hello, gorgeous,” Vegas says to Wren.
“Back off,” I growl out. Reaching for Wren’s hand, I pull her to my lap. Clutch, Cheshire, and Gator break out in laughter.
Vegas holds his hands up in defense. “My bad, bro. I didn’t know.”
“Now you do,” I grit. Wren turns so she’s sitting sideways in my lap and cups my face in her hands.
“Are you turning all alpha male on me?” She giggles.
“Would it be so bad if I was,” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I think I’d be okay with it.” Wren lets her hands fall from my face and leans into me. I wrap both arms around her waist, holding her close. She fits in my arms perfectly, as if she was made for me.
22
Wren
The next few weeks are similar to the first, only better. When Sketch isn’t working at the shop, he’s there the moment I get off work to take me home. He’s stayed the night with me every night since we went dancing. The only thing he’s done and continues to do is kiss me. He hasn’t once tried to take it any further, keeping his word about whatever happens next is my call.
We’ve had some heavy make-out sessions that I know have had to have left him frustrated. I know, because they’ve left me frustrated. I’ve wanted t
o take things to the next level, but I’m terrified. I’ve known for a while I wanted Sketch to be my first, but I’m not sure how to start that conversation without potentially scaring him away.
Tonight, he’s staying at the clubhouse while I have a girls' night with Aria, talking and drinking wine. My phone vibrates with yet another text from Shade.
I groan. “My brother won’t stop asking when I’m coming back.”
“Have you given any more thought about it? Or given any more thought to moving forward with Sketch?
“Sketch, now that is something I’ve given a lot of thought to.” I giggle. “But I’m nervous.”
“Just tell him you’re ready for the next step,” Aria tells me. “You told him what happened with Zack, so he knows you’re a virgin, right?”
“I mean, I didn’t exactly tell him I was,” I say. “I did tell him Zack tried to take my innocence.”
“Oh, then he knows. If he doesn’t, then he’s dumber than I pegged him for.” She laughs. “Anyway, y’all can have the house tomorrow night. I’ll be at the clubhouse with Clutch. I can get Harper and Elena to come with me.”
“All I have to do is tell him I’m ready? That’s it?”
“Girl, don’t stress it and don’t force anything. Invite him over to have a night in tomorrow. If y’all are having a moment, then let him know he has the green light,” she tells me. I give it some thought and decide to go for it. I send him a text.
To Sketch: Lazy night in tomorrow. Comfy clothes, Netflix, Food Dash. You in?
He responds right away.
From Sketch: Of course. Tell me what time and I’ll be there.
“Alright, so it’s happening,” I mutter.
“Eeek! My little Wren is growing up,” Aria teases.
* * *
I was a bundle of nerves for the rest of the night and woke up the same. I want this, with Sketch, but I can’t help being a nervous wreck. Aria, Harper, and Elena left for the clubhouse twenty minutes ago and Sketch should be here any minute. I’m pacing the living room, trying to stay busy when the ringing of the doorbell stops me in my place. I stare at the front door for a beat before moving to open it.