by Shaw, Leia
He made introductions, and Scarlet couldn’t help but notice the assessment in the couple’s eyes. It wasn’t a simple curiosity about what their relationship was with each other and to Malachi – they seemed to be looking for something else.
“Showing them the shop?” Winter took a sip of her coffee. It was such a normal activity and comment from a woman that looked like she’d just stepped out of a mutant superhero movie. Her hair was bleached pure white, which was especially creepy with the pale blue of her eyes. The facial piercings looked appropriate and went with her black tee that had a picture of Eddie Munster on it.
Mack, on the other hand, had dark hair and eyes. He was one of the prettiest men that Scarlet had ever seen, with high cheekbones and a sensual mouth, but there was something about him that screamed danger. Creepy, kinky danger. After Reece had taken a good look at him, she slid partially behind Scarlet, as though her Domme would protect her from the scary man.
“Yes,” Malachi answered. “Scarlet is getting her first tattoo.”
“A tattoo virgin? Don’t worry, it’s not that bad.” Mack smiled, but instead of being comforting it was chilling.
Winter laughed. “You say that about everything. And I can assure you, some of it is very bad.” She seemed to realize what she’d said, and she looked back at Scarlet. “Not tattoos, though. They don’t hurt much at all.”
“The experience is relative, but I have a feeling Scarlet will manage it fine,” Malachi said meaningfully.
Winter collapsed back against the bench seat. “Phew. Safe to talk? That was all the vanilla I had in me.”
Malachi barked a laugh. “That was like, two sentences, Winter. You need to practice talking to other people.”
She shrugged. “Most people who come into the shop are either kinky or kink friendly. The rest of the time we’re either jamming or I’m tied down to something. My social skills are a little rusty.” Her tone turned sarcastically adoring. “Mack says my ball gag makes me pretty.”
“I’m surprised you’re hanging around here. You closed shop at five, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. We were supposed to meet a guy here to drive him out to the house. We’re still looking for a drummer. The last few have sucked ass.”
“Easier to have them follow you out than give them directions?”
“Yeah, no doubt. Sending him out without a guide is mean. We’ll give him another few minutes then head out.”
The wind was picking up off the ocean, making Scarlet wish she’d brought a hoodie. “Hope he shows.”
“Thanks.” Winter grimaced. “Me too. We have a bet going, and you don’t want to know what Mack gets to do to me if the guy’s a no-show.”
The latter wound a finger into Winter’s hair and gave it a gentle tug. “Little does she know, I paid him to fuck off,” he rasped.
The girl shivered.
“Okay Morticia and Gomez. Try not to freak out nice people just going for a stroll. I’m going to get this tattoo started before I fall asleep in the middle of it.”
“Yep.”
Malachi flicked his fingers in the semblance of a wave and walked on. The street was still empty, and Scarlet wasn’t sure whether to feel bad or excited for Winter. From the look the girl had on her face, it seemed she didn’t know how to feel either.
“Good luck,” Reece said, looking at Winter.
Mack chuckled darkly. “She’ll need it.”
By the time they caught up with Malachi, he’d unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. The tattoo shop was bigger than Scarlet had expected, with modern furnishings and clean lines. Pieces of framed art lined the walls.
“Did you do all of these, yourself?” Reece asked, moving slowly from one frame to the next.
“Most of them. Gemma did this one and the one over there.” The one they were looking at was a detailed, realistic-looking gargoyle.
“That’s based on the first tattoo she did for me, the day she was hired. Cross was the guinea pig.” He laughed. “Little did I know what I was getting them into by arranging that.”
“Poor you. You lost your best friend that day.” Reece smiled and went to touch his arm then withdrew at the last second.
“Yeah, I can’t compete with two women, and he’s not my type, so I don’t even want to try. They’ve been really good for him. Besides, he works next door and lives upstairs. It’s not like I don’t see the guy. He just has his hands full.” He led them behind the counter and into a private station, where they couldn’t see the foyer or the front window.
“With two women, I’m sure he does.” Scarlet turned, expecting to find him laughing, but the look on his face was contemplative rather than amused.
For a moment they stared at each other. Malachi looked away first. “So you’re sure you want little red riding hood and the big bad wolf on the back of your shoulder? This is what I drew up for you earlier. If you don’t like it, be honest. Or if there are details you want changed just say the word.”
Scarlet was filled with trepidation as she looked at it. It was exactly what she wanted. Little Red was staring at the wolf with big nervous eyes, and the wolf was looking at her like she was a snack. She chuckled.
“It’s perfect!” Reece grinned.
“What’s the joke, by the way? I’m feeling left out.” He moved to his trolley and pulled on gloves and started preparing an array of items.
“When the two of us first met, before we were dating, Scarlet used to give me these...looks. A little bit like how that Mack guy was looking at his girlfriend. She wasn’t just checking me out, you know? It was more intense than that. One day we were talking and I caught that look in her eye, and it made me think, the big bad wolf is going to eat me. It was hot and funny at the same time.”
He smiled. “It was probably her inner-Domme checking you out. I’ve heard it’s like that.”
“Maybe I should get a little paw print,” Reece said, smiling at Scarlet. “Then we’d match.”
“You think you’re brave enough?” Malachi started setting up little cups on a metal tray.
“She could do it,” Scarlet said, before Reece could answer.
“Well...” Malachi sat on a stool then motioned for Scarlet to come over. “You know where to find me if you’re serious about it.”
Scarlet’s stomach fluttered uncomfortably.
“Okay. You’re going to have to take off your t-shirt.”
“Reece, where’s the tank top?”
Her girlfriend looked at her blankly. “You asked me to get you a tank top?”
“Remember when you were getting changed? You said you’d bring it for me.”
Reece grimaced and looked guilty. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot. I can run home if you want. It’ll only take about ten minutes.”
“Or you could just strip to your bra and I’ll promise not to look.”
“I’m not wearing one. Oh well, what the fuck. It’s not like you two haven’t seen my tits before, and no one else will come wandering in, right?” She grabbed the bottom edge of her t-shirt and whipped it off.
Malachi looked like he was going to swallow his tongue. After a moment he unglued his gaze from her chest and turned to Reece. “Can you go lock the door, just in case? Having the lights on might make people think we’re open, even though I didn’t turn on the sign.”
“You’re such a prude, Mal,” Scarlet accused.
He snorted. “I don’t think anyone’s ever said that about me before.”
“I’m sure you’ve tattooed prettier girls in less clothing.”
“Our relationship is a little different. Some of them have offered to go down on me in exchange for free tattoos.”
“Seriously? That’s a little skanky.”
“They’re regulars. I know some of them pretty well, and I think they’re actually more interested in dating me than getting a deal. I’ve never taken them up on it, though. Jake talks too much in the shop sometimes, and forgets that the vanilla girls that come through might be of
fended. Some of them though…he mentions I’m a Dom and suddenly I’m like some guy they read about in a book. They start hanging all over me. They don’t seem to get that I’m just a regular fucking guy that lives in the boonies and has to work for a living. I’m not a fantasy, and I’m not perfect.” He made a sound of annoyance. “I couldn’t even keep Ivy happy.”
“You make us happy.” The words were no sooner out of her mouth before she wished she could stuff them back in. Too late now.
Malachi looked from her to Reece, then back to her. “Too bad you don’t need me around much longer, then.” Scarlet frowned. Maybe he wasn’t ready for things to be over yet, either? How could she even broach the subject? They were still going to be friends, though. It left the door open a little, at least.
He urged her to sit on the chair with her back to him. When she was settled, he wiped her skin with something wet, then placed the stencil on her back. He patted it then peeled it off. “Go look in the mirror. Tell me if it’s in the right place.”
Scarlet went to look. It was lined up where she wanted it. She took one long last look at her shoulder in the mirror, hoping the tattoo would look even better than the bare skin.
“It’s going to be so hot!” Reece pulled her close and kissed her. The kiss deepened and eventually Malachi cleared his throat.
“Far be it from me to interrupt the two of you, but it’s going to take a while. If all the blood rushes to my cock, my brain might not do a good job with this tattoo.”
Reece’s eyes danced and she opened her mouth as though she was going to make a sarcastic sexual comment, then she shut it again.
“What’s the matter, kitten? Are you thinking about what happened the last time you teased me about that?”
Her face turned bright red and she pulled Scarlet back to the chair. “Shut up. Sir.”
Scarlet hopped back up on the chair. “Sticking a ‘Sir’ in there doesn’t really mean you can get away with that, Reece,” Scarlet warned. “Do you need another lesson in how to speak politely?”
“No. But he’s not going to be my Dom past tonight so I shouldn’t get used to calling him Sir. Don’t you think it’d be kind of awkward for me to say, ‘Hi Sir,’ when I pass him on the street?”
Though her tone was flippant, and maybe even a little bitter, Scarlet knew there was real emotion lurking there.
“I guess that’s true,” was all he said in return. A strange sadness hung heavy in the air for a moment. Then the tattoo machine buzzed to life.
Scarlet’s heart leapt to her throat. What if she was a wimp and fainted? She’d feel like such a tool. Not a helpful thought, as it just made her more nervous, which made her heart race faster, which made her a little woozy.
Settle the fuck down.
He made contact with her back and she exhaled. It kind of tickled and was only mildly uncomfortable. The sensation didn’t change much for the first few minutes and she started to relax.
“Tough girl. See? I told you it wasn’t a big deal.” He and Reece carried on a conversation for a few minutes, but she stopped trying to keep up. She was in the moment.
The tickle and scrape of the needle started getting to her. She had the urge to shift around to get comfortable, but she didn’t want to screw up whatever part Malachi was working on. He hit a sensitive spot and it sent goose bumps up the back of her neck into her hairline. She tried not to whimper. It wasn’t that it hurt, it just...
She gritted her teeth and tried to push away the sensation. This was ridiculous – it wasn’t supposed to happen, or he would have warned her, right?
A few minutes later her jaw hurt from clenching it so hard. Her underwear was damp. It was all she could do to be quiet and not show it on her face. The buzzing stopped and Malachi fiddled with something and grabbed another little pot of ink.
“How are you holding up?” Reece’s question was hard to focus on.
Scarlet finally squirmed into a more comfortable position then froze as she realized her girlfriend was looking at her – curious.
Belatedly, Scarlet remembered that she’d asked a question. “Hmm? Fine. It’s a little painful sometimes, but not bad.” She needed to readjust her jeans. The seam was pressing against her clit, which she felt like a hard, throbbing nerve ending – her underwear wasn’t providing much protection. Reece was frowning at her, so Scarlet couldn’t shift enough to make a difference.
“What’s going on? Your voice sounds weird. Does it hurt more than you’re letting on?”
“If you want we can take a break.” Malachi’s hand dropped onto her opposite shoulder and his thumb rubbed the spot between his hand and her neck for a moment before withdrawing his hand.
A small noise caught in her throat. “No, I’m fine.” Had that sounded nonchalant? She just wanted him to turn the machine back on.
The buzzing recommenced, and Scarlet bit back a sigh of relief. He started tattooing again, and she gasped quietly, but no one heard it over the noise. Maybe she should have taken the break he’d offered, if only to calm down.
Shivers shot up her spine again, and her nipples got rock hard. Sweat slicked her skin. Reece had picked up a magazine and was leafing through it.
The seam of Scarlet’s jeans was commanding her attention again, pressing against her. She rolled her hips forward, increasing the pressure. A moment later Malachi hit a very sensitive spot. Her breath hissed through her clenched teeth and she squeezed her eyes shut. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“You okay, Scarlet?” Reece leaned against Scarlet’s knees and gently brushed her lips against hers.
If Reece so much as kissed her seriously, she was going to come. Scarlet frowned so hard, the muscles around her eyebrows hurt.
“Malachi, I think she needs to stop.”
“No,” she gasped. “Don’t stop, please. I can take it.”
“I’ll stop in a sec, just after I finish this part of the shading.”
The knotted heaviness in her groin was immense, and no distraction could stop it. “Oh fuck,” Scarlet whispered.
“What? Does it hurt? Are you okay?”
She was breathing hard, trying to think about anything to help her ignore Malachi’s machine, and his steadying gloved hand on her bare back. His face was close – his breath stirring the small hairs on the back of her neck. A moan escaped her. Her hips squirmed and the friction from her jeans had her almost there. She had to calm the fuck down.
Reece’s fingers brushed against her nipples. “What’s this about?”
“Fuck!” Her body hunched forward as she started to come. Reece caught her before she went too far. She rocked her hips once and pressed hard against the seam, her abused clit pulsing in time with her pounding heart. She felt her eyes roll back and a guttural noise escaped her. Whimpering pitifully, she pulled Reece’s face closer and then moaned into her mouth as she kissed her.
“Shit! Is she having a seizure?” Malachi had turned off the machine and was rubbing her back. Another huge shudder ran through her, then the drag of his fingers along her spine set off another strong, helpless orgasm.
Reece chuckled. “No. She’ll be all right.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Um... Scarlet’s back is a huge erogenous zone for her. I didn’t think of that when she planned this tattoo. I don’t think it occurred to her.” She kissed Scarlet’s forehead as she struggled to catch her breath.
Malachi laughed incredulously. “Oh fuck, did you seriously just get off while I was working on you?”
Scarlet felt her face get hot and she buried her face in Reece’s shoulder. “Maybe,” she mumbled. Yeah, she was an idiot.
“I’m not done yet. Can you handle more?”
“Yes,” she replied sheepishly.
“Let Reece know if it’s going to happen again, so I can stop working. I don’t think you want this to turn into a modern art piece.”
Scarlet rubbed her face with one hand, wishing the burning in her cheeks would go away already. She tried to just
own this, but this was too embarrassing. Why couldn’t she have just passed out like a normal person?
“Okay.”
He groaned and walked around the table to where she could see him. She couldn’t meet his eyes, but she noticed he’d stripped off his gloves.
“Look what you did!” He gestured to the hard-on bulging in his jeans with an accusatory air.
Scarlet swallowed nervously. There was something about Malachi’s cock that fascinated her – which was weird because she usually found guy parts ugly and a little silly looking. He was different though. She could deal with the fact that he was a man. Her feelings for him ignored his gender. “Do you need a moment? You can take a break if you want.”
He snorted. “I don’t want a break. I want someone to suck my cock.”
“You should dom Reece into doing it,” she blurted.
Silence fell. His gaze had shifted to Reece, whose wide eyes were boring into hers with some unspoken message.
“As much as I hate to say this, you shouldn’t make her do things like that for me. Don’t get me wrong, though, if you were both fine with it, I wouldn’t hesitate in accepting.”
He kept looking at Reece, and Scarlet assumed he was hoping she’d volunteer. Rather than looking interested, she seemed panicked.
“If you can finish this tattoo without laughing at my orgasms, and you promise never to tell anyone that getting a tattoo got me off, I’ll suck your cock myself.”
His mouth actually hung open. Now she had his attention.
Reece made a noise like she choked on something. “What?”
“But lesbians aren’t into guys,” he said slowly, like he was explaining it to someone who didn’t have a firm grasp of the language.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m bisexual, although I’m not attracted to many guys. You’re an exception.”
“You don’t say.” Malachi pinned her with a blue stare.”Is that why you kissed me the other day?”
“I won’t deny I find you attractive,” she hedged. It was more than that, but now wasn’t the time to get into it.