by Rachel Lacey
Ryan rolled up to a stoplight, and Emma leaned in. “Is it just me or are some of these cars coming a bit too close for comfort?”
“Just feels that way because you’re not used to riding in traffic. Don’t worry, babe. I’ll keep you safe.”
“You’d better.” He could hear the smile in her voice.
The light turned green, and he guided them through his old neighborhood until House of Ink came into view, a nondescript storefront lit with a neon sign.
Ryan rolled into a spot out front and cut the engine.
“Oh boy,” Emma whispered behind him.
“Nervous?”
“A little.”
“Don’t be. You’re in good hands with Stephen.”
“Tell me the truth,” she said, sliding to her feet. “How bad does it hurt?”
“Like a son of a bitch,” he answered with a grin.
“Hmm.” She propped her hands on her hips and eyed the front of the shop. “Okay, the truth is, I’m terrified right now.”
“Not too late to change your mind,” he said.
She lifted the helmet from her head and shook out her hair. “No way. Come on. Let’s go inside before I lose my nerve.”
He caught her hand and tugged her up against him. “Seriously. Be sure about this.” And he wasn’t just talking about the tattoo.
She pressed her lips against his. “I’m sure. This is something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the courage. You’ll hold my hand if I need you to, right?”
“Right.” And if he sounded a little gruff, it had nothing to do with the raw emotion stamped all over Emma’s face right now. God, she was amazing.
He locked their helmets on the bike and followed her inside. The place hadn’t changed since he’d last seen it, and the familiar surroundings hit him with a wave of nostalgia. He’d had a couple of good years here. He itched to pop into his old office, see how the new guy was doing.
“Ryan!” Stephen came out from the back and pulled him in for a hug and a clap on the back. “It’s good to see you, man. How’s it going?”
“Good. The new business is doing really well.”
“And you must be Emma,” Stephen said, extending a hand. “Stephen Betts.”
“Nice to meet you.” Emma was looking around the place, wide-eyed.
Ryan would bet she’d never stepped foot inside a tattoo parlor before. He sure as hell hoped she didn’t regret this—regret him—after the whole thing was said and done.
“The pleasure is all mine.” Stephen, for all his hulking size, shaved head, and heavily inked skin, was nothing short of a gentleman, one of many reasons Ryan had brought her to him. “Let me show you around the place before we get started.”
“That sounds great,” Emma said, curiosity gleaming in her eyes as she glanced around the lobby, eyeing the artwork on the walls. “Are all of these your designs?”
“Mine and my brother Sean’s. He’s not here today, and he was real disappointed to miss seeing you guys.” Stephen led her down the hallway, where several tattoos were in progress in rooms on either side of the hall.
Emma gave Ryan a wide-eyed look. He squeezed her shoulder.
“I’ve got your design all ready to be transferred,” Stephen said, indicating an unoccupied room on the left. “Restroom’s all the way down on the right if you want to freshen up, and feel free to help yourself to a soda from the mini-fridge across the hall. I know y’all had a long ride.”
“Thanks so much,” Emma said with a grateful smile, heading down the hall.
“Looks like the mountains have been good for you,” Stephen said, stepping into the room to get things ready.
“Sure have. Things going good here?”
“No complaints. Miss having you around.” Stephen cracked a smile. “Been thinking about riding up sometime to try out that zip-line course of yours.”
“Yeah? That’d be great, man. Any time.”
“New business. New girl. You’re puttin’ down roots, huh?”
Ryan straightened. “I’m going to stick in Haven, yeah. But Emma and I—”
Stephen put a hand up. “Not my business. Just good to see you looking happy, that’s all.”
Emma walked into the room then, Diet Coke in hand. She cracked it open and looked from Ryan to Stephen. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Ryan went down the hall to grab himself a drink and ended up meeting the new manager after all. By the time he made it back to Emma’s room, she was in the chair, fully reclined. Her skin-tight jeans were unzipped and pushed down far enough to reveal a flash of pink lace and enough creamy skin to knock the knees right out from under him. Stephen sat on his stool at her side, carefully transferring their design onto her hip.
Ryan leaned against the wall, one foot crossed over the other, hoping he looked nonchalant and not like the idiot who’d brought his girl here to have her skin inked before he’d gotten her naked, letting Stephen see parts of her Ryan himself hadn’t seen yet. The next hour was going to be pure torture. He gulped from his Coke, trying not to stare at that scrap of pink lace and imagine what the rest of it looked like.
At least he’d brought her here, where he could be sure Stephen wasn’t looking or touching inappropriately. The man was happily married and completely professional at all times. Nope, the only person in the room ogling Emma’s exposed hip and having X-rated fantasies was Ryan.
After Stephen had transferred the design onto her skin and showed it to her, he got down to the real business at hand. At Ryan’s suggestion, Emma had her ear buds in and was listening to music, eyes closed. She flinched when Stephen first touched the needle to her skin, and the room filled with the buzz of the tattoo machine.
Ryan watched for a few minutes to make sure she was okay. Her face scrunched up a few times, but she seemed to be handling the discomfort just fine. Emma’s tattoo was fairly simple. Stephen inked the black parts first, weaving an anchor subtly into the stem of the flower just as she’d envisioned. Then the poppy began to take shape in brilliant hues of red.
Ryan thumbed through e-mails on his phone and snuck peeks as Stephen worked, still wondering how the hell he hadn’t foreseen the problem with her bared skin and his filthy, sex-starved brain. But as soon as they got out of here? All bets were off. He ought to wine and dine her before he took her to bed, but fuck, he needed her in the worst way.
She’d said she wanted to be a little bit wild, but did she really mean it? He sure as hell hoped so because he didn’t know how to be tame.
Chapter Eleven
Emma stood in front of the mirror of their hotel room, jeans unbuttoned and resting low on her hips, staring at her new reflection. Her tattoo was sealed beneath some kind of Saran Wrap-like bandage that wasn’t exactly the sexiest thing ever, and the tattoo itself was red and sore, but…but she loved it.
It was perfect.
Absolutely perfect. Ryan’s friend Stephen had taken her idea and turned it into something even more beautiful than she’d envisioned.
Ryan stood behind her, his expression heated. “Only one thing sexier than a woman dressed to ride.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“A woman with a tattoo.” He slid her into his arms, his hands staying well clear of her freshly inked skin.
“Is that so?” She hadn’t had much of an opinion on tattoos until recently, but yeah, she was a big fan now, too. Ryan’s tats were definitely a turn-on.
“I lied,” he said, tracing his fingers over the edges of her bandage. “There’s one thing even sexier than a woman dressed to ride or a woman with a tattoo.”
She looked into his eyes, and the expression on his face could only be described as scorching. “What?” she asked, sounding breathless.
“You.” He crushed his mouth against hers.
Well, she had no idea what to say to that, but the way he was kissing her had rendered her speechless anyway. They were alone together in a hotel room, and her mind was about to overheat with all the possibi
lities. Ryan kissed her like kissing was an art form and not merely the precursor to sex. Although right now, sex was the only thing on her mind.
“A nice guy would take you to dinner first,” he said, his voice a low growl in her ear.
She whimpered. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want nice. And the only thing I’m hungry for is you.”
“Thank God.” He yanked her up against him, his hips slamming into hers. His dick strained the front of his jeans, making her burn.
She gripped his shoulders and jumped, wrapping her legs around his hips, and oh…Her back slammed into the wall, and he was kissing her like a man possessed, his body pressed against hers. This kiss was different from its predecessor—this kiss said he had to have her or die trying, and God help her, she was about to come just from the feel of him pressed between her legs.
“Hurry,” she whispered, rocking her hips against his.
“Never.” His voice was a growl, his breath hot against her neck. He peeled her shirt over her head, baring her pink bra. A rough groan tore from his throat as he touched her breasts, then his hand slid down her belly, already exposed from where she’d been admiring her new tattoo. His fingers lingered at the edge of the clear bandage covering it. “This has been torturing me all fucking afternoon.”
“My tattoo?” Her skin tingled beneath his touch.
“Your skin, the tattoo…all of it. Killing me that Stephen got to touch you here before I did.” He was touching now, his fingers skimming the lacy trim of her panties.
Emma wanted to do some touching of her own. She gripped his T-shirt and tugged. He lifted his arms so that it slid over his head, and oh my, his chest. A dusting of dark hair covered his well-toned abs, thickening as it disappeared inside the waistband of his jeans. She ran her fingers through it and gave a light tug.
A rough sound tore from Ryan’s throat. He spun them around, tossing her onto the bed. Before she could move, he gripped her jeans and tugged them off, leaving her in only her bra and panties.
“So fucking sexy,” he whispered, nipping at her through the satin of her bra before he popped the clasp, freeing her breasts. He took them in his palms, bringing her nipples into aching peaks with his touch. “I’ve been about to lose my mind this past month, wanting to touch you.”
“Me, too.” She reached for him, sliding her hands over the smooth skin of his back.
“You’re even sexier than I imagined,” he murmured as his hands ventured lower, tugging at her panties. He palmed her ass and squeezed, making her gasp.
Her? Sexy? She’d been called cute. Athletic. Pretty. But Ryan was looking at her like she was a Victoria’s Secret supermodel, and then her panties were off, and she forgot how to think. He stroked her sensitive flesh, and she saw stars.
“Hurry.” She reached for the button of his jeans.
He hissed out a breath. “Really trying not to.”
“I think I can change your mind.” She lowered his zipper, and he scrambled out of his jeans. His boxer briefs strained with his hard cock. She gripped him through the cotton, stroking up and down, drawing a rough sound of pleasure from his lips. He thrust his hips against her hand, and the ache inside her intensified. She slid his briefs down, and his cock sprang free. So thick. So hard. For her.
It was like she went outside her body for a moment, seeing herself and Ryan naked in bed together. Finally. She knew she was grinning like an idiot, but she couldn’t help herself.
“What?” Ryan said, his voice all low and scratchy.
“It’s just…you and me…” She gestured between them, and without warning, a giggle bubbled up out of her. She slapped a hand over her mouth.
Ryan froze, his expression gone wary. “You having second thoughts?”
“What? No!” Her giggles vanished. “No…it’s more like, I can’t believe this is finally happening.”
“Yeah.” He reached for her, pulling her up against him, and then they were frantic again, kissing, touching, groping. He slid one big muscular thigh between her legs, his cock pressed against her belly, their bodies rocking together as their tongues tangled. He groaned into her mouth, and she couldn’t wait another moment.
She dove for her backpack where she’d put it down beside the bed, reached into the outer pocket where she’d dumped the contents of an entire box of condoms, and grabbed one of the foil packets.
Ryan watched her through heavy-lidded eyes, an amused smile on his face. “You came prepared.”
“Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.” She ripped the packet open, and he sat back, allowing her to do the honors. She rolled it onto him, feeling him thicken even more beneath her touch.
Ryan was breathing hard, his eyes glittering dark as coal in the dim light of the hotel room. As soon as the condom was in place, he pounced, pinning her to the bed. “Emma,” he whispered, his voice shaking slightly.
“Ryan.” She wrapped her legs around his hips, drawing him closer until the weight of his shaft pressed against her belly.
He stayed that way for several long seconds, while her body burned and his cock pulsed against her. Then he bent his head and kissed her. He reached between them, positioning the thick head of his cock against her entrance. She gasped, pulling him closer, urging him on.
With another rough kiss, he pushed inside. Pleasure surged inside her as he filled her. He stroked slowly in and out, building a delicious friction between them that was so good, so good…
“Christ, Emma,” he rasped, “you feel so fucking good.” He thrust harder, his hips pressing painfully into her freshly inked skin.
“Tattoo,” she panted.
“Shit. Sorry.” He shifted his weight, which somehow seemed to bring him even deeper inside her on his next stroke.
“Don’t apologize…oh God…yes…”
Ryan cursed under his breath then claimed her mouth for another heady kiss. His tongue stroked hers while he thrust inside her, and oh my God, it was like magic.
“Harder,” she whispered against his lips.
He paused for a moment and met her gaze, his eyes impossibly dark, and then he started to move again, thrusting harder, faster, until stars were dancing behind her eyes. He lifted her hips, adjusting the angle of their bodies, and oh shit.
“Yes,” she gasped. “More.”
He reached between them, stroking her with his fingers while he pounded into her, and she shattered.
“Open your eyes,” he said roughly. “I want to see you when I come.”
She opened her eyes as her orgasm crested. Their eyes met. Ryan thrust again, hard, then stiffened as he found his own release. They clutched at each other, panting, their bodies entwined as they rode out the waves of passion together.
He collapsed on the bed beside her, one arm thrown across his face. “Fuck. That was amazing.”
Yeah, it really had been, but to hear it from Ryan’s mouth? Even more amazing. Her body still tingled with pleasure. “It really was.”
* * *
Ryan came out of the bathroom to find Emma standing beside the bed, dressed in a slinky black dress that clung to her body just right. She’d put the black boots back on, and they nearly reached the bottom of the dress, revealing just a hint of her pale, smooth legs. Fuck, she was gorgeous.
“You look amazing,” he said.
“Thanks. I figured this wouldn’t bother the tattoo.” She patted her hip.
“Smart thinking.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her until they were both out of breath and his dick was straining the front of his pants. “We’d better go to dinner now before we wind up naked again.”
She nodded, reaching for her purse, a happy glow on her face.
And he’d put it there. He felt a primitive urge to pound his chest and shout it to the world. Instead, he took her hand and walked with her out of the hotel and down the street to the Onyx Bar. The place wasn’t trendy by any means, but the food was excellent and the décor w
as offbeat, with a bit of the edgy feel Emma seemed to be craving. There was even a club downstairs if she wanted to go dancing later.
“Wow,” she said as they stepped through the front door. “This is great.”
The dining room was decorated mostly in black, aside from the white-tiled floors. The music was loud, the lighting low. The perfect place to sit close and whisper in each other’s ears. The hostess led them to a small table near the back. A candle flickered in its center, casting shadows across the dark tablecloth.
Emma leaned in so that candlelight danced across her face. “I love this place already.”
“The food’s good, too.”
“Great, because I’m starved,” she said.
Their waitress arrived, and Emma ordered a strawberry martini. Ryan got a beer. Truthfully, as hard as it had been not to stay in bed with Emma all evening, he was starving, too, and the chance to take her out here in Charlotte was something he couldn’t pass up.
“I think this whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing is the best decision we ever made,” Emma said with a wink, a wide smile on her face.
“Yeah.” He still had a bad feeling it might backfire on them at some point, but right now? Right now he was loving every minute.
They both ordered steak, and three martinis later, Emma sighed dreamily into the candle at the center of their table. “This was fantastic.”
“Want to go dancing?” he asked.
Her eyes sparkled. “That sounds fun.”
So they went to the nightclub downstairs, and they danced. This time, there was no pretense between them, and he couldn’t keep his hands off her. Emma danced with a kind of wild abandon that he couldn’t get enough of. She flung her hands in the air and twirled, totally lost to the beat. With a sly smile, she backed up, grinding her ass against him. His dick turned to granite inside his jeans.
She spun to face him then leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I want to try something new tonight.”
“What’s that?”
She grinned, her hips bumping against his. “Surprise me.”