Page 17 of Mark Us Little Bear
A grin tugs at my lips, “Good morning, Princess.” I zoom in on that exhausted smile of his, “How was your night?” This man’s dedication to work is beyond admirable and so is his will to help anyone who asks for it.
“Eventful.” His lids close and open haphazardly.
“Why did you stay in Luka’s place?” It’s eight-thirty in the morning and I may have slept three hours overall because he wasn’t here. I know it’s stupid because we’re not together but I worry when he’s out.
“He needs help this morning so I offered to stay for the night and leave before my appointment.”
It’s today, fuck.
“Do you want me to come with you?” I remove a few dark strands that fall on my face to the side.
His eyes follow my movements, never leaving the screen once. “Nah, it’s good. I’ll let you know the verdict when I return.”
“You better,” I point one finger to the screen.
His soft chuckle sounds like a soft whimper and I’m a goner for this shit. Coming here, I never expected to develop all these feelings toward him so effortlessly and fall for him.
“You look good.” He says with no motive but a playful grin.
“I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.”
“Then you’re a natural beauty.”
“Are you trying to make me blush?”
“Did it work?”
“A little.”
“Just a little?” he contemplates for a moment, “Then I should try harder.”
I swallow thickly, my heart racing and I feel it in my throat in seconds. Now, my cheeks are a hundred percent red. I love it when he doesn’t give in so easily even though he wants to but continues to torture me sweetly with his words and actions.
His mind tries to keep him safe from another heartache, but his body speaks a different language.
“I gotta go and get changed. I’ll see you later.” Ronnie announces and I can hear Luka in the background making them coffee.
“Okay, stay safe.” I end the call, knowing I need to occupy myself until I find something to do so I decide writing can help.
I put my headphones on, music blasting at full volume—that is how everyone should listen to music. My fingers push the keys in the same rhythm as the song, and I find comfort in both actions.
Luka gave me great advice yesterday: life takes from you as much as it allows you to take back. The opportunities are out there, waiting to be harvested. We can’t blame others for our lack of incompetence. If you want something, make it happen. Go and get it. Stop saying to yourself that it’s impossible. The only people who can limit us are ourselves.
My dad used to say the same thing. He pushed me to want more for myself, he didn’t pressure me, just showed me how much he believed in me and my abilities to grow and become who I am today.
I started sketching when I was in seventh grade and a year later, I started selling them at local events with Dad’s help. He had a mouth that could sell water to a shark.
I chuckle to myself.
To become the best you need to learn from the best, that’s how I got here. Luka’s style mirrored my own. Monsters, strange beings, and sexual art are what I tend to gravitate toward but even with four years under my belt as a tattoo artist, I’m still learning every single day.
Two hours go by quickly in front of the laptop while my spicy thoughts take over and translate into words on a page. Once I finish, I scroll up to Amber’s chapter, I promised to read it later, didn’t I? Well, I think now would be considered later.
An amused smirk turns into a bite on the lip, flame spreading through my chest as my eyes drink her detailed descriptions. Swiping my tongue over my dry lips, I snatch a cookie from the jar, needing to bite into something.
The tension between us is rising and an unstoppable jolt of passion crosses through me as the husky sound of their voices envelops me. Their touch is gentle, yet firm, and has me mesmerized far beyond what it should be.
Damn, she’s good at this.
