Six months later

Carter

After thinking about the missing piece to my puzzle, I knew exactly what to get for my last tattoo. Scully, the same tattoo artist who I have trusted with my ink since I moved to Philly, adds the final touches and cleans me up before holding up a mirror so I can see the masterpiece. It’s finally complete. I often wondered if it would ever end with the last tile, or if I would keep going in search of more.

The day Sydney waltzed into my life and stole my heart changed my life forever. I am no longer the man I was before. While my bedroom habits haven’t changed much, Sydney has gotten used to my dominance and respects my need to have that order in my life. She loves it. I know she gets off on it, especially when I’m out of town for away games.

“I hope she likes it,” Scully says to me. He shakes my hand, and I get up from his chair, keeping my fingers crossed that Sydney will approve of my choice.

“I hope so, too.”

He walks me out to the front counter, where I expect to see Sydney, but the chair I left her in is vacant. No one is here except for the receptionist. I stroll up to the counter and wait for her to glance up at me.

“Have you seen the dark-haired woman that I came in with?”

“Uh-huh.” She points her finger at one of the closed doors of the shop. “She’s in room number two with Tate.”

“What for?” I am so damn confused.

“Getting inked, of course,” she says as if I asked her a dumb question.

“She wants you to wait out here for her. You can have a seat over there.” She tilts her head toward a row of chairs along the long window that looks out over the busy South Philly street.

“Okay. Thanks.”

Scully slaps a hand on my back and shakes my hand with the other. “All right, brother. I have another appointment. Come back and see me when you’re ready for you next one.”

I shake his hand. “Will do. Thanks again.”

I take a seat and flip through my cell phone as I wait. Sydney doesn’t have any tats, and I never got the impression she wanted one. She’s full of surprises.

After what feels like an hour, the door opens, and Sydney walks out, laughing with a middle-aged balding man with ink from his neck down to his knuckles. She seems so calm and at ease as if she frequents tattoo parlors all the time.

“Hey, big guy.” She holds out her cheek for me to give her a kiss, and I do. “I have a surprise for you.”

“I hope it’s the kind I like.”

She winks. “You know it.”

“Well, let me see,” I say, impatient.

“Not in here.” Sydney rubs her hand up my forearm. “When we get in the Hummer, I’ll show you. Calm down, my love.”

Clutching her hand, I drag her out the door, yelling thank you to Tate and the receptionist. At some point, I will be back. Hopefully, the next one will be to commemorate our team making it into the playoffs. Things are looking up this season now that Alex is engaged to Coach and no longer moping around like he did the last half of our season.

And I sorted out my shit. All it had taken was opening up to Sydney about my past before I was able to let go of it. The dark part of me is still there, and will probably never leave, but with Sydney, I found acceptance and the light I needed in my life.

By the time we get into the Hummer and shut the door, I’m already clawing at her shirt. “Take this off,” I command.

“How do you know where I got my tattoo? For all you know, it’s on my toe.”

I shake my head, smiling. “Because I know you well enough to know that you would want it out of sight so that your parents don’t have a stroke.”

Meeting Sydney’s family was interesting, to say the least. They are the most uppity people I have ever met, and the complete opposite of the type of people I know. The only time I ever meet elitists like that is when we’re dealing with sports team owners or investors. It was no surprise Sydney was such a brat when we first met. But that rebellious side of her was always there, desperate to break free from the mold.

Sydney removes her shirt, like the good, girl I taught her to be. With the dark tint on my windows, no one can see inside. I lick my lips as her breasts come spilling out of a lacy black bra. Deep breath, I tell myself. As much as I want to stick my dick between her tits, I cannot get hard when I want to have a serious conversation with Sydney about my tattoo.

I grip the seam of my t-shirt and tug it over my head, giving Sydney a good look at my chest. While I take my shirt off around her most of the time, she says it never gets old after I hid from her for so long. She’s become obsessed with touching my muscles and running her hands over my tattoos. I like when she does it, something I never would have expected before I met her.

Turning, so my back is facing her, I stare out the window and wait for her reaction. It doesn’t take long before she squeals with excitement.

“Oh, my God, Carter. You…”

As soon as I hear her crying, I shift in my seat, so I can look into her eyes, hold her hand, and tell her it’s okay. “Don’t cry, babe.” I stroke her skin with my thumb, trying to soothe her.

“You have my name on your back. Our names. And…” She chokes on her words.

“Inside the last puzzle piece, I had Scully draw an infinity symbol. You see how the words break up some of the lines?”

“Yes. On the top part of the loop, it says, She’s the light,” Sydney says, tracing it with her finger, “and at the bottom of the loop, to my darkness. It’s in script writing, just like the tat on your wrist.”

“Beneath the symbol, I had both of our names interlinked to show the two of us joining together.”

“I love it.” She wipes her tears with the back of her hand. “You made a perfect choice.”

Some people may think I’m crazy to get the name of the woman I have been with for less than a year inked on me, but I know what I have with Sydney is permanent.

I take her hand in mine and gaze into her big, blue eyes. “You were the missing piece to the puzzle. I was always searching for something, but I never knew what I was looking for until I found you.”

“I feel the same way, big guy. I love you.” Her voice softens to a whisper.

“I love you, too, Princess. You’re the best chance I’ve ever taken.” I rub her jaw with my thumb and bring her face closer to mine.

Our lips brush against each other, and her breath sends a chill through my body. This is what love feels like. And this is what it feels like to have a woman’s love.

“I can already tell by the look in your eye that you’re about to throw me in the backseat and fuck me senseless. But, before you do that, let me show you what I got for you.”

She unhooks her bra, the left strap sliding down her shoulder. Taking her good old time, I get impatient, and zone in on her tits, losing my train of thought. Sydney was right about wanting to plow her in the backseat. That’s happening the minute we finish our discussion. Once she lifts her arm up, I take in the semi colon tattoo she got inked on her ribcage.

“What does it mean?” I ask, confused.

“Since I’m a writer, I wanted to get something that was meaningful to me. But I also wanted it to represent our relationship. Do you understand the purpose of a semi colon?”

“Yeah, I guess. To break up two sentences, right?”

“A semi colon is used when a sentence could end but it doesn’t. It’s also the symbol of our love. It’s a reminder that our love could have ended with my stupid games and that by changing my ways, I found something real with you. I might be the light to your darkness, but you are my voice of reason, the one person who keeps me on track. You have shown me there are more important things in life than money and power. I had both of those things, and I wasn’t happy. Your love healed me, Carter, made me complete.”

“You did the same for me, baby. I was a broken shell of a man before I met you.”

“You were never broken. All you needed was someone you could be yourself with, someone who loves every part of you.”

I press my lips to hers, taking in her sweet scent as I slip my tongue into her mouth. There’s so much passion behind the kiss, animalistic and intense like me, yet soft and sweet like Sydney. She rocked my world the day she had become a permanent fixture in my life. Because of this woman, I am whole again, no longer the shell I once was. But we saved each other, healed each other with our love. There’s no one else I would rather have shine a light on my darkness. Sydney is the one.

* * *

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