Page 50 of Dravin

“What did you think I’d listen to?”

“Solely death metal,” I deadpan. It earns me a snort, so that’s some progress. I search around for the remove. “Why is there no volume?”

“There was, but they turned it off when you got here so that you wouldn’t have to rage at me over the noise. This way, you can just chew me out in your regular speaking voice.”

“How kind.”

I take the sucker from my mouth and slick it along his bottom lip. I make an animal sound under my breath at how hot it is to see his mouth go so red. As soon as his lips part to tell me to quit, I shove the sucker in.

I tilt his chin up, silencing his protests. “Seriously, Dravin. It would be nice to do some things halfway.”

He has to talk around the sucker and his words are adorably muffled. “It’s not in my blood.”

“I’m pretty sure your blood is now solidly thirty percent ink.”

“Probably at least ten percent metal too.”

“Death metal? I knew it.” I cup his face between my palms. “I’m worried, okay? I’ll admit it. I nearly had a nervous breakdown when Tarynn called. They were worried that you were having some kind of allergic reaction. Just have a few bites and we’ll get you into bed and I can stop losing my mind a little bit.”

Fuck, I said I wasn’t going straight for the manipulation, but I was wrong. Is there such a thing as good guilt?

“Sometimes you just have to let yourself hurt. Even if it feels like you’re going to tear out of your body and go insane, eventually, it’ll heal to the point where it’s bearable.”

My breath catches because I know he’s not talking about the tattoo. I instinctively change the subject. “Please tell me they gave you some numbing cream.”

He snorts.

“That’s what I thought.”

“They have good sprays.”

“You got your whole back and freaking ass done by four freaking people! Are you actually insane or do you just do these things because you think they’refunny?”

“I mentioned that I wanted to get a tattoo. Crow joked that the best way to start is to jump right in. He had this beautiful piece he’d drawn.”

I change my angle so I can check out his back again. I’m more distracted by his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and rippling muscles.

“It’s smudged under the bandage. It might be clear, but it’s kind of bunched up. I don’t know. I can’t really see it.”

“You will.”

“Will I? The whole thing? Your ass too?”

He sighs. “That’s the last thing you should be doing.”

“But it’s the only thing I want to do.”

“Stare at my rear?”

“Stare at it. Touch it. Taste it. Your cock too.”

“Kael!”

“Shhh. They’ll hear you. At least call me fucking Amy or whatever it is on that ID. Or Calliope.”

“I fucked up earlier. I said your name.”

He looks so miserable at the mistake that I swing around and kiss his forehead and his cheek. He stiffens, which starts off another round of hard shaking. I remove what’s left of the sucker and pass him the juice. “Drink some and then I’ll help you go get food.”

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