Page 31 of Cinnamon Strudel
“You did,” she closed her eyes and inhaled his soothing cologne, “and you held it.”
Morgan spread kisses over her cheeks and nose before climbing off the bed to locate her clothes. “I believe now that I’ve eaten, so should you as well,” he joked, helping her redress.
“You don’t want anything? I mean… In return?”
“I don’t and who ever taught you that better pray me and my brothers aren’t around to find out.” Morgan then pulled her to her feet and tugged her to follow him back to the kitchen.
Morgan
They ate in silence, and he would have given his left kidney to know what was going on in her mind. Or at least to have been able to read her expression. When she stood to clear the table, he refused to have her do it and sent her to warm up the bed for him.
Judging by the tippy taps on the tile, Blue was right on her heels. After a few moments her gorgeous laugh filtered back down the hall. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot—up.”
Ah, yes, Blue had waited for her permission to get on the bed. Hewasa good boy after all, and Morgan was pleased to know Blue was just as well behaved with Ruby as he was with him.
In the bedroom, he went straight for the closet, swapping his jeans for sweats. When he emerged again, Ruby asked, “How long did your tattoo take?”
“Far too long,” he chuckled, rounding the bed.
“I was a total pansy,” she giggled and in the same breath she added, “I’m sitting in the middle.”
“I thought you would be all curled up by now.” He sat beside her, leaned back and, unable to hide his smile when she took his hand, entwined their fingers. “So no more tattoos for you?”
“Maybe, but nothing as big as yours. What made you go with a floral mandala?”
His smile brightened. “Now that you say it like that, I’m wondering if I got what I asked for.”
There was a pause as Ruby took his hand into her lap. “What about: A geometric based mandala that happens to look like a very manly lotus flower.”
“Much better.” With his free hand, he rubbed over his sternum where the ink was centred. “I didn’t really have a picture in mind, but I knew that I didn’t want anything tribal.”
“So, you just let him work his magic?”
“That’s right. How did you come up with yours? Did you draw it?”
“I did. It took me far too long because every time I came up with a concept I truly enjoyed, I couldn’t bring myself to have it permanently on my skin.”
“But you did it eventually.”
“Only because I chose a spot where I didn’t have to see it constantly.”
“So in case you hated it, you could ignore its existence.”
“Basically.” He could sense that Ruby had more on her chest and maybe even asking about his tattoos was just a way for her to break the ice, so he stayed silent while she drew shapes over his arm. “I enjoyed today.”
“I did too.” Feeling daring, he lifted their hands and kissed each of her fingers. “Especially when you fell apart for me.”
Her breath hitched oh so slightly, and she finally admitted, “I’ve never managed to do that.”
“What made this time different?”
“A lot of things.” She reclaimed their hands in her lap and smoothed her thumbs over the back of his knuckles. “I think it was mostly the realisation that you weren’t getting frustrated with me. Rick always got annoyed when I took too long.”
“Did you pretend to finish with him?”
“Often. By the end he sensed that I wasn’t enjoying myself as much. So, I would just finish him off and let it be.”
He cocked his brow, unable to help the snarky tone that came out of his mouth. “And he thought that was acceptable.”
