Mel was standing next to the counter, talking to a tattooed woman dressed in a tank top and tight leather pants. The stranger was gorgeous, with short blond hair and a wide, sexy grin that was fixed on Mel. While Regan watched, the woman tossed back her head and laughed at something Mel said, her eyes sparkling. Idly, Regan wondered if the blonde was more the type Mel would’ve normally gone after. She was aware of how irrational her train of thought was even as she hopped willingly aboard. And why not? She looks sexy, a little wild, so fucking confident.
At that moment, Mel gestured back toward where Regan sat and swung her head around to grace her with a look of pure devotion. The blonde also looked over and gave Regan an amiable wave and an open, easy smile. Regan nodded, blushing, and bent her head again to study the book in her lap.
Okay, so I’m an idiot sometimes.
She was just flipping through the last pages of the thick album when Mel dropped into the seat next to her. She reached over and brushed her knuckles across Regan’s cheek in greeting. “How’re you doing?”
“I missed you,” Regan said.
Mel’s eyes lit up. She leaned close and whispered, “I’ll never know what I did to have a woman like you miss me. And I missed you, too.” Retreating, she said, “I think you’re going to like the artist I just spoke with. Her name is Sasha and she seems really nice.”
“Cool,” Regan said. “When will she have time?”
“Apparently it’s our lucky day. Her next appointment called and cancelled. She can see us in about thirty minutes.” Mel leaned over and murmured under her breath, “She’s family.”
Regan chuckled at Mel’s sly observation. I saw the way she was looking at you. “I figured.” But then I also saw the way she looked at me. “She’s a lot less intimidating than I was expecting. I’m sure she’ll be great. Did you show her your sketches?”
Mel looked down at her drawing pad, which she held on her lap. “Yeah. She really liked them, actually. Asked if I ever thought about apprenticing as a tattoo artist.”
“Yeah?” Regan asked, snaking her arm around Mel’s shoulders. “That’s really cool.”
Mel cast embarrassed eyes to the floor. “I don’t think it was a flirting thing, either. I mean, maybe it was—”
Regan nudged Mel with her shoulder. “While I have no doubt that she couldn’t help flirting with such a hot chick, what she said about your drawings was true.”
“Thanks.” Mel gave her a gooey look. “You’re right, she was flirting. And she’s cute, but I’ve only got eyes for this gorgeous redhead I know.”
“Lucky her.”
*
“I have to tell you, this is my lucky day.” Sasha looked back and forth between them with a salacious grin. “It’s not often that I get not one, but two, beautiful women in my chair. Why don’t you two take a seat and we can talk about what to expect?”
Regan sat down on a stool next to a horrifying-looking chair that looked suspiciously like the one she’d sat in the last time she had a tooth filled.
Too bad I can’t ask for nitrous here. Regan took in a room that was medically clean and stocked with a number of unfamiliar tools and instruments. It looked like a dentist’s office, a comparison that did nothing to calm her down.
Flashing Regan a knowing grin, Mel gestured at a hard plastic chair next to Sasha’s stool. “How about you take that chair for now, sweetheart? I’ll sit in the scary chair while we talk.”
No doubt about it, Mel knew her well. “Sounds good,” Regan said.
“Got your sketchbook?” Sasha asked Mel, who handed it over with an embarrassed smile. Flipping to the drawing of the Druid Spiral of Life, she nodded at Mel. “So this one is for you. Lower back, you said?”
“Yeah,” Mel confirmed.
Sasha turned the page, briefly studying the labrys, then lifting her smoky blue eyes to Regan. “And this one is for you.” At Regan’s nod, she glanced toward Mel and said, “This really is a beautiful drawing. Subtle, but very elegant. I’m telling you, from what I’ve seen here, you could do this professionally.”
Mel’s eyes were locked on the floor, so Regan took it upon herself to give Sasha a confident nod. “She’s an amazing artist. Too modest, though.”
“Your work will do justice to my gorgeous subjects, that’s for sure.” Sasha winked at both of them, eliciting a hot blush from Regan and a quiet snort from Mel.
“So do you need to see our IDs or something?” Mel asked.
Sasha accepted the driver’s licenses and debit cards that Mel and Regan offered. “I’ll be right back,” she said, then retreated into the hallway and closed the door behind her.
When they were alone, Regan turned to regard Mel anxiously. “I’m going to throw up.” She was only half-joking.
Mel wrinkled her nose. “Not really, right?”
Regan rolled her eyes in response.
“How are you doing otherwise?” Mel asked. “Is Sasha okay? She’s not making you uncomfortable or anything, is she?” She looked slightly shamefaced. “The flirting.”
“No. Flirting is fine.” Allowing a small grin, Regan added, “So is Sasha. Mighty fine.”
They shared a conspiratorial smile, then Mel asked, “So, you’re still nervous?”
“Terribly.”
“Would you feel better after a kiss?”
The corner of Regan’s mouth lifted into a reluctant grin. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Mel narrowed the distance between their faces, until their breath mingled in the almost non-existent space separating their lips. “Should I check and see?”
Regan’s eyes slid shut at the feeling of Mel’s lips just barely brushing her own. She felt consumed by the scent of Mel that surrounded her, and the heat of Mel’s body leaning into hers. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to Mel’s and slid her tongue inside her mouth, moaning as Mel met her stroke for stroke.
I’m less nervous already.
Regan reached up to entwine her hand in thick dark hair just as the door to the room opened again. She broke their kiss with an embarrassed little gasp.
Sasha chuckled. “It’s okay. Last-minute pep talk, right? Happens all the time.” Sasha returned their driver’s licenses and cards.
“Have we decided who’s going to go first?” She directed a gentle smile at Regan. “I take it you’re the nervous one. Do you want to go first and get it over with, or watch Mel so you can see what to expect?”
Regan darted her eyes over to Mel. If I have to sit here and watch her go under the needle, I’ll probably never go through with it. “I’ll go first,” she answered in as brave a voice as she could manage.
Mel rose from the dental chair with an admiring little grin, and wrapped her in a strong hug. “Feel free to break my hand if you need to,” she whispered into Regan’s ear. “It’s going to be okay. I love you.”
“Hey, I need that hand in good working order,” Regan murmured. “Thanks for the offer, though.” She settled down into the scary chair, and put on a brave face as Mel dragged the plastic chair over so she could sit close. A steady hand claimed hers, and Regan covered their enjoined fingers with the palm of her free hand.
She barely paid attention when Sasha began explaining the safety and sanitary procedures the shop employed, outlining the precautions as she assembled equipment. She tried hard not to think about what was coming as Sasha pushed up her sleeve and prepared her arm for its impending ink. Regan concentrated only on the hand in her own and on the strength she drew from Mel’s touch.
She wasn’t certain how long she’d been sitting in the chair when Sasha reappeared at her side with Mel’s labrys design in her hand, ready to transfer the image to her skin. “Here?” she asked, and positioned the paper over Regan’s right upper arm.
“Yeah,” Regan croaked. “Right there.”
Sasha gave her an enthusiastic smile. “This is gonna be really cool,” she said, and pressed the transfer to pale skin.
Mel peered over at Regan’s arm, nodding h
er approval at the placement of the design. “It’s going to be sexy as hell.”
“Definitely,” Sasha agreed with an easy smile. “I wouldn’t let this one out of your sight when I’m done with her. Cute girl like this, bad-ass tattoo—” As she spoke, she applied ointment over the transfer.
“Oh, I don’t plan on it.” Mel’s serious tone belied the light mood, drawing Regan’s eyes to her face.
Regan’s warm feelings faded a bit when she realized that Sasha had picked up a wicked-looking little tool, which she wielded with a confident hand.
“Now, Regan, I’m going to make a little dot on your arm with the needle before I put any ink on you, just so you can see what it’ll feel like.” Sasha laid a comforting hand on Regan’s arm. “Now is the time to jump, if you need to.”
Well, thank God my initial reaction to that needle isn’t going to leave a permanent badge of shame on my skin if I end up chickening out. Regan gave her a resolute nod. “Okay. Thank you.” She took Mel’s hand in a tight grip.
Sasha turned on the needle, and a foreboding, high-pitched whining noise filled the air. It immediately set Regan’s teeth on edge. “Here it comes, okay?”
Regan squeezed her eyes tightly shut and willed her body to relax as she anticipated the first touch of the needle to her skin. When it finally came, she flinched more out of reflex than because of the sensation. After a moment the painful pressure left and she released a shaky breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“How was that?” Sasha asked. “Not too bad, right?”
Regan managed a weak smile that grew when Mel planted a loving kiss on her cheek. “I was right,” she said. “It does hurt. But if I can deal with menstrual cramps every month, then I should be able to get through this.”
Mel grinned, showing Regan white teeth. “Who’s the tough guy now?”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see how tough I look when I start whimpering halfway through this.”
“And such a cute whimper, too.” Mel gave her a rakish wink, sending Regan into a fierce blush.
“If you’re done teasing your poor woman, I’ll just get started,” Sasha said. She wore a ridiculously big grin.
“Ready, baby?” Mel pressed a kiss to Regan’s earlobe. “Remember, you can still back out now. No big deal.”
The easy out injected Regan with sudden confidence. There was no way she was backing out now. Not when she’d come this far. “I’m ready.”
“Cool,” Sasha turned on the needle. “The outlining is going to be the worst of it; the shading won’t be nearly as bad.” Moving closer, she gave Regan a quick glance before she touched the needle to skin. “Here I come, okay?”
And then it was on her arm, a scraping, scratching pain that made Regan grit her teeth in irritation. Astounded that she hadn’t flinched, Regan prayed that she would be able to sit still for as long as the tattoo would take. If only she knew how long that might be. Are we there yet?
Mel leaned in close to Regan’s ear, talking low enough that she wouldn’t be heard over the whining of the needle. “You’re doing great, baby. Seriously. I’m prepared to tell everyone what a bad-ass you are.”
“That’ll make it all worthwhile,” Regan could hear the tension radiating from her own strained voice.
“Would it make it worthwhile if I told you how turned on this is all making me?” Mel murmured. She traced the tip of her tongue along Regan’s earlobe. “I promise to ease all your pain once we get out of here.”
Regan closed her eyes at that happy thought. Good idea. That’s just what I need to distract me right now…a hot fantasy about Mel. With that, she set to work conjuring up pleasant images to take her away from the needle moving across her arm.
Okay, so I’ve got Mel…and a pair of fur-lined handcuffs and a blindfold. She frowned in concentration. Am I restraining her or is she restraining me?
Mel whispered close to Regan’s ear. “What are you thinking about? I can just see evil thoughts flitting through your mind right now.”
Regan smiled. She’s restraining me. And she’s wearing leather. “Just puzzling out a string function in my head.”
“Uh-huh.”
Fantasizing worked wonders for Regan’s pain tolerance. Thoughts of Mel sustained her until her endorphins kicked in and the pain receded to a dull, irritating sensation. Sasha moved from outlining to shading, keeping up a light conversation with Mel as Regan sat in silent musing.
It took Regan a moment to realize that she was done when the whining noise ceased and the scraping sensation left her arm. With a smile and a shaky sigh of relief, she opened her eyes. Mel was giving her a proud grin, while Sasha raised an indulgent eyebrow.
“Was that it?” Regan squeaked.
Sasha snorted in amusement. “That’s it. Are you telling me that I have a gentle touch?”
“No.” Regan wrinkled her nose at the tattoo artist. “But my heart’s still beating, so I’m pretty pleased with you at the moment.”
Sasha tipped her head back and gave her a full, genuine laugh. “Oh, Mel,” she said in a throaty voice. “She’s definitely a keeper.”
“I know.” Mel wrapped a careful arm around Regan’s shoulders.
The way she beamed with pride made Regan’s heartbeat stutter, and she craned her neck to inspect her new tattoo. The bold black ink looked impressive against her pale skin, despite the reddened, swollen area that surrounded the design.
“I love it,” she breathed and looked up at Sasha. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, I love it.”
“I think that looks awesome,” Mel said, releasing a low whistle.
“Another satisfied customer. I’m really happy to hear it.” Stripping off her gloves, Sasha stood up and gathered the supplies she had used for Regan’s tattoo. “Let me get a bandage on Regan’s arm, take care of this stuff and get some new equipment together, and then I’ll be ready for you, Mel.” She stood, already in motion on her way through what was obviously a familiar routine. “I’ll go through the after-care instructions once you’re both done, okay?”
“Okay.” Regan couldn’t take her eyes off her inked upper arm. Amazed, she whispered, “I really did it. I can’t believe it.”
“Not regretting it already, are you?” Mel teased in a gentle voice.
“God, no.” Regan looked up at Mel, feeling giddy with pleasure. “This is really cool. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It means so much to me to share this with you,” Mel whispered, and leaned forward to claim Regan’s lips in a quick, hard kiss. “This is something I’ll always remember.”
Regan looked down at the tattoo with a smirk. “And really, how could you forget?”
Sasha moved to Regan and started a careful wrapping of her upper arm in cellophane and tape. At Regan’s interested look, she said, “This way you can show people without taking the bandage off before your twenty-four hours are up.”
Great, I can show it to Mom and Dad tomorrow. She caught Mel’s eyes and gave her a broad smile. Of course, meeting my girlfriend and seeing my tattoo in the same night might just kill them.
“You’re all set,” Sasha said when she finished securing the protective wrapping over Regan’s arm. “Now you can sit back and relax while I do Mel.”
Regan coughed at Sasha’s word choice, earning her a playful smirk from Mel as they swapped chairs.
“How are we going to do this?” Mel asked. “Should I take off my shirt?”
Regan watched Sasha’s lips twitch with evil intent. Now there’s an opening you could drive a truck through. Instead of taking advantage of it, Sasha gave Regan a contrite smile. “If you’re more comfortable that way,” she said in a neutral voice. “We can always just push the shirt up if necessary.”
Mel hesitated a moment then tugged her T-shirt over her head, leaving her in just a sports bra. Smiling, Regan allowed her gaze to linger on the play of muscles under her lover’s skin.
“I’ll warn you now, the lower back is probably one of the most painful areas
to have tattooed,” Sasha said. “I have one myself and while it’s not too bad, I just want you to be prepared.”
“That’s okay,” Regan said. “Mel’s a self-proclaimed tough guy.”
Mel rolled her eyes and settled onto the dental chair on her stomach. “At the very least, I’m sure I’ll be okay as long as I have Regan to hold my hand.” She shot Regan a crooked grin that made her stomach flip-flop.
“God, you two are sickeningly cute.” Sasha shook her head. “I’m going to need an insulin injection after you leave.”
Regan laughed along with Mel, her initial discomfort about being in the tattoo shop all but vanished. Conquering one fear makes the others seem more trivial, doesn’t it?
Soon enough Sasha had Mel’s transfer prepared and positioned over Mel’s lower back. “Right here, you think?”
Regan stood up and leaned over, studying Sasha’s placement. “Yeah,” she said, and looked down at the side of Mel’s face. “You trust my judgment, baby?”
“Better than my own, sometimes,” Mel mumbled. She rested her head on one arm, the other stretched out alongside her body.
Regan sank down to sit in the plastic chair and took Mel’s free hand in both of hers as Sasha applied the needle without the ink.
“Okay?” the tattoo artist checked.
Mel gave a cocky grin. “No problem.” Raising an eyebrow at Regan, she whispered, “Because I know how you love a tough guy.”
Regan leaned in and lowered her voice. “I love you, tough or not. Even if you were the biggest chicken in the world.”
“If you’re ready, Mel, I’ll get started.” Sasha sat with the needle raised in a confident hand and a kind smile that she directed at Regan.
“I’m ready,” Mel said. When the needle was brought back down onto her skin, she grimaced. “God, that’s unpleasant.”
“Well, you’re putting on a braver face than I did,” Regan said. “I’m impressed.”
“I’m screaming inside, trust me.”
Sasha snickered, but never moved her eyes from her work. Her focus soon drew Regan’s attention to the emerging design on Mel’s body and once she got over the sight of the needle and ink piercing Mel’s skin, she was fascinated. The artwork made Mel’s strong, supple back look even more sleek and powerful, and the slow ritual of applying it began to seem erotic rather than painful. At one point Regan became aware that she was licking her lips as she watched Sasha’s hand work over Mel’s skin, and she gave Sasha a bashful chuckle when the blond artist cast her a knowing smirk over Mel’s head.
Infinite Loop Page 29