Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
She snorts and pulls her hand away from me. “No. Ew. Some weird redneck would see us and get off on it, and that’s disgusting.”
“You have quite the imagination, you know.”
She laughs and pulls her hair back from her face. “Oh, I know.”
The drive to Missoula doesn’t take long, especially on a beautiful, late-spring day, and just a few hours later, we’re pulling into the parking lot of the place where we have an appointment.
“A tattoo shop,” she says, and when I look at her, she’s grinning, practically dancing in her seat. “Is this where you go?”
“Usually. Rich, the owner, has done 90 percent of my work.”
“What about the piercings?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, those, too.”
“Fun. Let’s go.”
She waits for me to open her door, and I lift her out of the truck and gently set her on her feet.
“I’d prefer to carry you.”
“It’s okay, caveman. It’s not so bad today.”
She grins when I narrow my eyes at her, but she takes my hand and threads her fingers through mine.
“Come on, let’s go have some fun.”
For the first time in my life, I’m walking into Rich’s shop, Vintage Ink, when my heart isn’t broken and I’m not looking for a way to hurt my body so I can ignore the organ pumping in my chest.
It’s a completely different experience.
“Holden,” Rich says with a smile. The man is forty-five and the size of a football linebacker, and aside from his face and scalp, he’s covered in ink. He has a beard that a gang of bikers would be jealous of, and he looks like he could kill someone with his bare hands.
Because he probably could.
He’s also the kindest man I’ve ever met.
“Is this her?” His eyes move from me to my girl, and his gaze doesn’t leave her face. He doesn’t leer at her or check out her body.
Because he’s my friend, and he’s not a piece of shit.
“If by her you mean his wife, yep. That’s me.”
Rich’s gaze whips back to mine in surprise. “Wife?”
“This is Millie,” I confirm with a nod. “My wife.”
“Holy shit, that’s a turn of events. Does this mean I just lost your business?”
Rich knows why I spent so much time under his needle, and I can’t help but grin at him.
“Nah, I’ll just be in here for different reasons.”
Millie tucks herself against my side and gives me a squeeze.
“Well, slap my ass and call me Susan,” Rich says. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“You, too. Holy cow, you are one big work of art.”
Rich blinks at her, I frown down at her, and she shrugs.
“You are. Is that weird?”
Rich starts to laugh, and I join him, and Millie grins at both of us.
“What can I do for you, Mrs. Lexington?”
Millie’s cheeks darken with pleasure, and it makes me want to puff my chest up.
“Well, I’d like to have both nipples pierced, please. Wait.” She holds up a hand while my heart stutters to a stop. “Do you have a buy-two-get-one deal? Because if so, let’s throw in the clitoral hood, too.”
Again, he stares at her, and I lean down and press my lips to her ear.
“If you think this morning was intense, just wait until we get home, baby girl. Absolutely fucking not.”
Millie bites her lip and then busts up laughing. “It was too easy! The looks on your faces. I don’t know, I’ve heard good things about the nipples, but—”
“Fuck no.”
She smirks and then turns back to Rich, who’s folded his arms over his chest, watching us with a wide, amused grin.
“I just want a little heart with a date on the inside of my left wrist.” She glances up at me, and then back to him. “With an H.”
With an H.
“We can get that designed easily,” he assures her before turning to me. “And what about you? You said when you called that you’ll both be getting work.”
“I want her name on my left ring finger.”
“No.” I stare down at Millie’s horrified face. “No, Holden.”
“It’s my finger.”
“They’re my tits, and you won’t let me pierce them.”
Rich snickers. “I’m gonna go get the design going for your missus. You two work this out while I’m gone. Here, write the date on this for me.”
Millie complies, and Rich saunters away. I close my hand over Millie’s throat.
“I’m getting the ink, Millie.”
“It’s too much pressure.” This comes out as a whisper, and I frown.
“What do you mean?”
She licks her lips. “My name on that finger. Forever.”
Moving closer, my lips hover just inches over hers as she looks up at me with those gorgeous eyes.
“You’re all over me, baby. Every single one is you. The rose was just the start. There is nothing on this arm that doesn’t represent you.”
Her jaw drops, her eyes widen. “What?”
“Every single image represents you or how I feel about you. So putting your name on me is nothing. Because you’re permanently printed on all of me, including my heart.”