by Kate Stacy
I love every single piece Adam has inked onto my skin.
They’re all beautiful, gorgeous and meaningful in their own way.
But today, Adam is giving me the tattoo that will fully set me free from the scars of my past.
He’s almost finished with the final details.
Two black crowns against vibrant watercolor.
His dark against my light.
Masculine. Feminine.
Us.
I can’t wait until he’s finished.
Not only because I’m eager to see the finished piece, but because his needles are having the usual effect on me. Adam can’t give me a tattoo without making me come when it’s finished. It’s no secret.
I’ve been sitting here for over an hour, growing wetter by the second. My panties would be drenched if I were wearing any.
That was a special little surprise for Adam, one he discovered as soon as I sat down.
I let out a sigh when the buzzing stops, knowing he’s finally going to relieve me of my misery.
He doesn’t miss the breath of air.
A salacious grin spreads across his face and he chuckles in that low, dark, dirty way that makes me want to pin him to the nearest surface and plant my pussy on his face. The thought alone makes me squirm, and since I no longer need to worry about him messing up my ink, I shift my body in the chair and squeeze my thighs together.
“Problem, Princess?” he teases as he cleans and covers the fresh ink.
“Nothing you can’t fix.”
“You need me, baby?”
The words leave his lips like foreplay.
“You know I do, Adam. Stop fucking teasing me and touch me.”
“You can wait another minute,” he taunts, removing his gloves.
I whine playfully and tease him, dragging the hem of my skirt at a slow pace up my thighs.
When he gets a peek of my bare pussy beneath the fabric, he groans.
Positioning himself between my legs, he trails his rough fingertips up the insides of my thighs until he reaches the apex. He’s not surprised to discover that the needles have done the work for him, my body is primed and ready. It doesn’t stop him from leaning forward and swiping his tongue up through my center.
“Fuck, Princess,” he groans, gripping my thighs tight. “I love how your body comes alive in my chair.”
He pulls my clit between his teeth and flicks his tongue, making me cry out his name.
“I’d tell you to hush, baby, but I know you get off on knowing the guys can hear you.”
I look down at him and smile, cocking up one brow.
“You could always invite Cannon in here to watch,” I tease.
“Don’t make me flip you over in this chair and spank your ass, Princess.”
“Mmm,” I groan dramatically. “Sorry, sir.”
He pins me with a stern stare from my sarcastic retort and I try hard to keep a straight face, but I can’t. My laughter rings out through the room, but it’s silenced quickly with another swipe of Adam’s tongue. He eats me furiously, not giving me another chance to speak.
His fingers slide inside with ease, hitting all the right spots as he works to bring me to the edge.
Heat builds in my core, the pressure so intense I swear I’ll combust.
A single nip of his teeth and I fall apart.
Throwing my head back, my body arching off the chair, my inner muscles clamp down around his fingers in rhythmic waves. My thighs shake and tremble, and my breath comes out in harsh pants.
I close my eyes, lost to the incredible sensations moving through my body.
When I open them, Adam is hovering over me, his body pressed to mine.
“Never again, Presley. All those assholes out there might know what you sound like when you come. They should consider themselves lucky, because it’s fucking beautiful, baby. But that’s all they’re ever going to get. Those fuckers will have to jack off to your sexy as fuck Instagram pictures like the rest of the men in the world. This right here...” He runs his hand down my side. “This is only for me.”
He leans in, nipping my bottom lip.
I whimper and his mouth crashes into mine, owning me with a punishing kiss.
“For the rest of our lives, Presley,” he pants. “I’m the only one who will ever see you like this. Your gorgeous body, sated and relaxed, flushed from the pleasure I give you. That’s fucking mine, Princess.”
“Yours,” I agree, melting under his touch.
He kisses me one last time and pulls away.
Inside, I’m smiling like the cat who got the cream.
Jealous, possessive Adam? He’s sexy as fuck. I love getting him all worked up.
Oblivious to my inner musings, he moves to the sink and washes his hands and face, slipping on a pair of black-rimmed glasses when he’s done.
I must have missed him taking his contacts out.
“You’re killing me, Adam,” I groan.
He turns to me and lifts a brow.
“You know I love when you wear those. They give you this hot, nerdy vibe and it makes me wet.”
“Christ, Presley.” He drops his head back and takes a deep breath. “I really wanna fuck you right now, baby, but we don’t have time. Your brother’s expecting us.”
Knowing he’s right, and not wanting to disappoint Holden, I slide out of the chair and head to the bathroom to clean up.
Holden is throwing us a party to celebrate our latest contract.
Adam was right.
His Instagram grand gesture went viral and suddenly we became the “it” couple in the world of books. The first cover was a huge success, leading to a steady stream of requests for custom shoots. People love our chemistry, always commenting about how it bleeds through the photos. Apparently, an attractive couple and explosive chemistry make the perfect combination for hot as fuck book covers. You’d think people would get tired of looking at our faces, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Honestly, Adam hates it, but he does it for me.
We just signed a contract with a well-known photographer for a custom shoot. The author wants covers for a five-book series, with additional shots to use for promotional materials. I’m excited, and Adam is taking it in stride.
He once joked that the rest of the guys at Three Kings should pose as cover models. Now it comes up in discussion every time I come in the shop. I haven’t managed to convince any of them yet but give me time. I can be very persuasive.
Who knows what will happen? None of us can predict the future.
The sky’s the limit and I’m going to spend my life reaching for the stars.
Nothing can hold me back.
Never again will I let the words of another color my opinion of myself.
I can face anything life throws at me as long as I have my king at my side.
I’m out of the shadows now, standing center stage.
I no longer feel invisible.
Because Adam sees me.
He always has.
THANKS
Thanks for reading Scintillation. I hope you enjoyed reading Presley and Adam’s story. Theirs was my favorite to write so far. They’re my absolute favorite couple! Before you go, it would mean so much to me if you would take a few minutes to write a review and share how you feel about my story so others may find my work. Reviews really do help readers find books. Please leave a review on your favorite book site.
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ALSO BY KATE STACY
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Long Weekend Home
Stars Align Series
Supernova
Singularity
Scintillation
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you for reading Scintillation! Every b
ook read means the absolute world to me, but this one is so much more personal than the rest. Writing Scintillation was hard. Mentally and Emotionally. I’ve never put so much of myself, so much of my truth into a story before. Hell, just writing the dedication at the front of this had me in tears for over an hour. They’re still there now as I type, and they’ll remain long after I’ve finished. I truly hope you enjoyed the book and rooted for Presley and Adam along the way. Despite their rough start…their story is my favorite.
Now, I have some important people to thank…
Big thanks to every single reader, author, blogger, and bookstagrammer who has shared or posted about Scintillation. I couldn’t do this without you.
Tracy Atencio. Whenever the day comes that we meet face to face, don’t be surprised when I cry. I don’t have the proper words to thank you. You’ve been with me from day one, cheering me on and helping to make my dream come true. You are so much more than my editor—you’re my friend. I cherish your friendship more than I could ever adequately express (and I’m a writer!).
My Scintillation betas. Stephanie, Crystal, Rosalee, and Marnie. As always, thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to read my books before everyone else to point out my mistakes (especially the funny ones). You take silver and help spin it to gold. I appreciate you all!
Crystal aka Wifey. I owe you many thanks for all you do for me on both a personal and professional level. You’re my go-to when I get stuck and together, we come up with the best ideas. I can’t wait to see how some of our ideas play out in future books!
Rosalee. My soul sister. Did you know you’re my biggest fan? You knew I would be amazing at this even before I did. Your encouragement has made all the difference and I can never thank you enough. I love you, girl. And I look forward to many more years of friendship.
Derrick. Thanks again for letting me steal your first name. And thank you for being such a good sport while I had my fun writing this book and my husband teased you relentlessly. You may never read it, but I think I’m going to send you a copy anyways. Just in case.
Boyfriend. You get a shout out just because I can. Thank you for buying a paperback of every single one of my books just to show support. It means the world. I heart you.
Husband. MY king. Never above me. Never below me. Always beside me. There’s absolutely nowhere else you belong. I love you, babe. More and more with every day, with every year that passes. Thank you for holding things down at home while I pushed myself to write more than half of this book in two and a half days.
Mama. Thanks for all the extra help with the heathens while I write. Oh! And thank you for all the Chinese food you buy for me. You’re the best! I love you!
Heathens. You won’t read this until you’re older (or never, because that would make things far less awkward) but thank you. You’re my reasons to live and breathe, my reasons to continue pushing myself to follow my dream, to never give up. I do it for you. Because if I can—you can. I love the three of you to the moon and back.
UP NEXT
The LOVE & LIQUOR Series
Meet the men of 80 Proof!
Holden. Noah. James. Gabriel. Zane.
Holden’s book is up first.
Whiskey Temptations is a best friend’s little sister/virgin romance.
Coming to your Kindle soon!
Add it to your TBR today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kate lives in North Carolina with her husband, three children, and her extremely sassy cat. After nearly a decade of being a stay-at-home mama, Kate decided to use her southern roots and love of books to bring readers steamy, small-town romances full of angst. When she's not nose deep in her next manuscript, or spending time with her family, you can usually find her with her Kindle in hand.
Likes: Music, Mermaids, Tequila, Knee-high Socks
Hobbies: Baking, Cake Decorating, Photography
Kate stays up too late, swears too much, and loves hard.
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