Page 39 of You Found Me in the Dark
I looked up at him, speechless. I threw my arms around him. It was instinct—like my heart reached for him before my brain could catch up. I hugged him tight, cheek pressed to his shoulder, the image burned into my mind.
“Thank you,” I mumbled. “Seriously, it’s beautiful.”
His arms came around me, firm and sure, like he hadn’t expected it, but once he had me, he wasn’t letting go. I sighed into his warmth, his steady breath. And then—oh. Oh. My eyes widenedslightly.
Yup. His cock was hard.
I bit my lip and pulled back, just enough to glance up at him with a grin I knew was full of trouble.
“Well,” I teased, “someonereallylikes flowers.”
Reed’s eyes went wide, then narrowed. “Wren?—”
“Hey, I’m flattered,” I grinned. “You’re truly committing to the full custom art experience.”
He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. His ears turned pink. “You’re the worst.”
“Not what your body’s saying,” I whispered with a wink.
He threw his head back and laughed. He grabbed his sketchbook again, muttering something not safe for work. But the tension? Still humming, crackling under the surface.
“So,” he said, voice steadier now, “where are we putting this thing?”
I thought for a second, then tugged my shirt down off my shoulder, revealing the smooth curve beneath my collarbone.
“Here?” I suggested, brushing my fingers along the spot. “Visible. But subtle. Something I’ll see every day.”
His eyes dropped to the spot, and he nodded slowly. “That would be perfect,” he murmured more to himself. “Soft lines, just hugging the bone.”
His fingers brushed the area, mapping it out. Clinical. Professional. But my breath still caught.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Let’s do it.”
“Strip and get on the table, ma’am,” he said sarcastically with a grin as he turned around.
I rolled my eyes with a laugh and climbed onto the table, slipping off my shirt. I knew he wasn’t serious, but I wanted to see his reaction. I wanted to see if I could keep flustering him the way he kept flustering me.
25
REED
Iturned back around, ready to walk her through the setup and tattooing process. I started to wheel the table over and nearly knocked over everything.
She was already lying on the table, shirtless, just waiting for me. My brain short-circuited. After a few seconds, I realized I was staring at her. Her body was incredible. She was lean but curvy. Her tits at this angle looked fucking fantastic. Judging by the size, they would have to be more than a handful. I could see her rosy pink nipples through her white lacey bralette. My throat went dry.
“Jesus, Wren,” I coughed, doing my best to keep my eyes—mostly—where they were supposed to be. “Are you trying to kill me?”
She smirked, all innocent mischief, like she knewexactlywhat she was doing. “You said strip and get on the table.”
“I wasn’t being serious.”
“Oh, I know.” That wicked smile didn’t budge.
She was loving the power shift. The way I stood there,completely wrecked just from the sight of her. I cleared my throat, trying to reel it in, but the way she looked at me, her chin tipped up and her eyes lit with something between a dare and desire, made it impossible to focus on anything but her.
“You know this isn’t helping me concentrate,” I said, stepping in, letting my hand skim along the curve of her collarbone. It was the spot where I was about to leave a mark she’d carry forever. Her breath caught.
“It isn’t supposed to, Reed.” She whispered. “Just work.”
