SAWYER

1.

It was just one tattoo for the day but it took me hours. Greg was an old friend of Cass’s from back in his Rockstar days. He wanted a massive back piece, from his neck down to his lower back. Cass was booked solid for weeks so he asked me to do it as a favor. I was fine with that. Greg came in with a whole bunch of pictures and drawings and albums covers and logos for bands he played with. Basically his entire musical career in a folder and he wanted me to turn it into a back piece.

The tattoo was going to take several visits and long hours, but when I was done with it, it was going to be something special.

I even let Tate talk me into filming the entire process. Greg signed off on it too, not afraid of the camera.

I respected what the purpose was. To show the artistry of the tattoo. A lot of people just saw the finished project and never really understood what went into the creation of a tattoo. So I had to endure Prick standing in the doorway as I looked through the folder of stuff from Greg. And I had to pretend Prick wasn’t hovering over my shoulder with a camera as I sketched a handful of ideas, trying to figure out what patterns and shapes worked better than others. It wasn’t just simply slap some stuff on a piece of skin and hope for the best. You had to figure out the right way to do it, depending on the person’s body type and size and all that stuff.

When the outline was done, I patched Greg up and sent him on his way.

I sat there alone in my room and spread all my ideas out on the chair. Greg wanted a lot of colors on this one. Which was fine. I could handle colors. I could handle the shadings and anything else needed.

I turned my head and saw Prick standing there with his cellphone, recording me.

“We’re done,” I said and stood up.

Prick didn’t move the phone. He just smiled.

“You fucking moron, turn it off,” I growled.

I scooped up my drawings and put them on the table. Then I charged after Prick.

“Look at him go,” Prick said. “The original. The Saint himself.”

I put my hand over the phone. “That’s enough, brother. I’m tired. Bad enough I let you assholes convince me to do this.”

Prick ended the video. “That’s going online, bro.”

“I’m sure it is. Thanks.”

I pushed past Prick and found Tate at the front of the shop, talking to Danielle about rearranging the items in the glass counter. He forever had a goddamn folder in his hand.

“Try organizing it like this,” Tate said. “Get people to ask questions about this stuff. And the second someone says anything, you get Prick to finish the deal.”

“We’re putting the fate of our business in Prick’s hands?” I asked. “Jesus, I better learn to write a resume.”

Tate looked back at me and laughed.

“I can sell water to a guy in the ocean,” Prick said.

“Of course you could,” I said. “If he’s in the ocean, he shouldn’t be drinking salt water. You need fresh water to drink.”

“Oh,” Prick said. “Well… I could sell ketchup… no. Wait. A ketchup popsicle to a… how does it go?”

“Wow,” I said. “I feel dumber just standing here.”

“Prick,” Tate said. “Stick to what you know.”

“I got some raw footage of our hero here,” Prick said nodding toward me. “Really nasty too. Cursing at me. Ready to attack me.”

“Post it,” Tate said.

“Fuck all of you,” I said. “I’m leaving.”

I made it all of three steps before I was eye to eye with Cass.

“Hey, brother,” he said.

“Cass.”

“Thanks for taking on Greg’s project. Means a lot to me.”

“It’s what I do. Tattooing.”

“That’s a big one.”

“Doesn’t bother me.”

“Wish I could have done it. Can’t compromise my schedule too much anymore these days. Too much family to take care of.”

“Of course, brother,” I said.

“How’s your family life going?” he asked.

“It’s tricky. Trying to feel it out.”

“I know the feeling. One day I was a single guy tattooing people. The next day a woman shows up and says I have a daughter.”

“I can’t imagine,” I said. “But I know Jason isn’t my kid. So to be in his life takes a little different route for me.”

“Well, don’t fuck it up.”

“Oh, is that all, Cass?”

“Just be there, Sawyer. That’s all you need to do.”

“That’s where I’m going now. I need a breather from here for a moment.”

“Have a good one, brother.”

We shook hands and hugged and I finally got the hell out of St. Skin.

I rode over to Kate’s, knowing she wasn’t going to be there. Her friend, babysitter, whatever she was to Kate, answered the door.

“Maggie, right?”

“Sawyer, right?” she asked back.

“Sawyer’s here?” Jason’s voice yelled.

Next thing I knew, he was charging through the apartment toward me. He pushed past Maggie and I hurried to crouch down and catch him. I lifted him up as Maggie stared at us.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Just wanted to stop by and say hello,” I said, knowing I was full of shit.

“Right,” Maggie said. “She’s working.”

“I know that. That’s why I’m here.” I looked at Jason. “Hey, big guy. I can only stay for ten seconds. Sorry. I needed to talk to Maggie about something. But, if you listen to Maggie and be extra good, I’ll come by later, okay?”

“Promise?”

“I totally promise.”

I put Jason down and we fist bumped. He went back to playing and I faced Maggie.

“That kid really likes you, Sawyer,” she said.

“I know.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk about something.”

“Coming to talk to me behind Kate’s back. Why do I feel like this isn’t going to be a good thing?”

I laughed. “So I guess you know the story of Saint.”

“Right. You’re Saint. But you’re also Sawyer.”

“Something like that,” I said. “I need your help.”

“You need my help,” Maggie said. “Right. Please tell me you’re not planning on hurting Kate. Or leaving.”

I took a deep breath. “Just hear me out for a second before you get pissed at me.”

* * *

2.

I kept my promise and came back to see Jason. We played for a good hour before he had to start getting ready for bed. I had to admit that this whole seeing him for a little while wasn’t feeling all that well inside me. I needed to plan something out for me, him, and Kate for a weekend. A chance to hang out all day and do whatever he wanted to do. Truthfully though part of me wasn’t sure about how close Kate wanted me to get. Believe me, I had no intention of breaking anyone’s heart in this situation, but I wanted to completely respect her wishes as Jason’s mother.

We did the normal bedtime routine, complete with both me and Kate drawing pictures for Jason. He sat up in bed, under the covers, a blue pillow with a green dinosaur on it behind his head, looking like a king as he gave us orders as to what to draw and how to draw it.

I went with a coiled up viper with a really detailed face. A really nasty looking snake that would be willing to take on anything that got in its way. Kate went with a lizard that looked like it had the body of an iguana and the head of an alligator.

“So, are you deciding which one is better?” I asked Jason.

“I’ll sleep on it,” he said without hesitation.

I burst into laughter.

The kid was something else.

We fist bumped and hugged. I gave Kate some privacy and started to pace around the kitchen. I paused at the card on the side of the fridge with her lawyer’s information on it. I swallowed hard, wishing I knew more about the situation and wishing I could do something to make her feel settled and happy.

I kept a close eye on the door as Kate came from Jason’s bedroom.

“You’re up to no good,” she said. “You’ve been acting weird all night.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I need to talk to you right now.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll keep it simple.” I nodded to the door. “I need to go.”

“You need to go? Okay. Everything okay?”

“No, Kate, I need to go,” I said. “Like leave. Right now.”

“Leave,” she said. “As in…”

I walked toward her and put my hands to her arms. “You’re coming with me.”

“What?”

“We’re leaving. Tonight. You and me.”

“Are you crazy? What about Jason? What are you even talking about?”

I couldn’t keep a straight face for much longer though. I smiled and pulled her toward the door.

“Sawyer, this isn’t funny,” she said. “I have no idea what…”

“Look,” I said.

I opened the door.

Maggie stood there, smiling and waving.

“What is this?” Kate asked.

“We’re leaving,” I said. “You and me, darling. Maggie is going to hang out here for a few hours. To keep an eye on Jason.”

“What… are you serious right now?” Kate asked.

“Yeah,” Maggie said. “I can get some work done.”

“I need to pay you then,” Kate said.

“I took care of it,” I said. “I’m trying to take you out, darling. Can I do that?”

“Right. Yes. Of course.” A smile finally crept across Kate’s face. “Take me out…”

“Yes,” I said. “I talked to Maggie today and we’re good.”

“You did this today?”

“He stopped by,” Maggie said.

“Uh… Jason just went down,” Kate said. “He should be fine. Maybe I should tell him I’ll be gone.”

“Kate, it’s me,” Maggie said. “He knows me. He won’t worry.”

“Don’t look for an excuse not to hang with me,” I said.

“If you don’t, I will,” Maggie said.

“That’s very funny,” Kate said. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Of course,” Maggie said. “It’s the least I could do since you’ve been helping me with work.”

“So I’ve heard… I’d actually like to hear more about it. Are you her boss?”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

“Helping with work?” I asked.

“Yeah, Kate has been taking on work for me,” Maggie said. “Finally."

“Really?” I asked.

“I’m done with you two,” Kate said. “I’ll be outside waiting.”

I laughed as she left the apartment. I thanked Maggie for her help and chased Kate down. I slipped my arms around the front of her body and growled as I playfully kissed her neck. She squirmed and giggled. For a second, I was taken back to me and her when we first met. When time and life meant nothing to us. All that mattered was being together and pushing at each other.

“You’re crazy, Sawyer,” she said to me as I pulled her close against me, my front to her back.

“No. I want to do something I’ve never done before with you, darling.”

“We’re going to Paris?”

“Seriously? You can’t leave Jason for an hour.”

She stiffened and turned her head. “Is that a problem?”

We were inches from my motorcycle. I turned her around and faced her. I pinned her against my motorcycle and gently cupped her hands in my face.

“Kate, watching you with Jason and all you’re doing for him is better than anything in any other country across the world. I don’t need to see the fucking world when I can look into your eyes and feel it.”

I watched her swallow hard. “Shit.”

“What?” I whispered.

“You say stuff like that and I fall in love with you again. I thought I would only ever fall in love once and you keep making me do it over and over.”

“I just like knowing you can still feel it,” I said. “Come on, we have something to do.”

I climbed on my motorcycle and gave Kate my helmet.

There were a lot of dates I had planned in my heart for us to go on. With an appreciation for time now, I’d make all that happen. But for tonight there was one very special place I needed her to be.

I needed to make my mark on her for forever.

* * *

3.

“You brought me to where you work,” Kate said.

“Yeah, I know how this looks,” I said as I stuck a key into the back door of St. Skin. “But there’s good reason.”

“This is our hot date,” Kate said. “Why am I not surprised?”

“This is our first stop,” I said. “We’ve got things to do tonight, darling.”

“Right,” she said. “I mean, what’s more romantic than a tattoo shop?”

I put my hand out for her to take. When she did, I pulled her close and kissed her. “How about my hands all over your body?”

“I like the sound of that,” she whispered.

“Good. You’re getting a tattoo, Kate. Right now.”

“What?”

“I was thinking about it before. You never got a tattoo. You always talked about it. You lived this life with me for so long and never got ink.”

“Sawyer, this is really crazy.”

“Nothing big,” I said. “I know the perfect spot, too. And I know what I want to put on you.”

“Oh, so you’re picking out my tattoo?”

“Hell yeah,” I said.

“Is this how you do business?”

“No. You’re not paying though.”

“I’m sure I can work out an arrangement for payment.”

I laughed. “Yeah, darling, that kind of payment would work just fine.” I leaned down and kissed her. “But I’m still choosing what I want to put on you.”

I walked her into the shop and to the front. We stood there in the darkness and I held her close. There was something about being in silence with Kate that made everything somehow feel okay. The world was outside. The world was doing its thing.

“I remember when you came to look at this,” she whispered.

“The dream,” I said. “Amazing how time flies.”

“Yeah, I know. Scares me sometimes.”

“Why?”

“What’s time going to do to us, Sawyer? Promises are just words. Actions aren’t much better. You could be with someone for twenty years and then they’re gone.”

I faced her again. “I know, darling. Time gives us life and time takes life away. It’s all that in between shit that matters. You showed me that. I lost myself for a little while. But I’m here and nothing is going to change that.”

“The wildest part of that, Sawyer, is I believe you.”

“You should believe me.”

Kate reached up and touched my face. “I want you to do two things.”

“Name them.”

“Kiss me. And tattoo me.”

“Done and done,” I said.

I kissed her, tasting her, her body so tight against mine, there was a flirting intention for something more. And damn if my mind didn’t have a vision of putting her on the counter right there in the shop and having my way with her.

I contained myself as I walked her to my room so I could leave my mark on her for the rest of her life.

I shut the door and hooked up my phone to a wireless speaker and put on some music. I kept the volume down and started to get all my supplies together.

“Will you tell me what you’re doing?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “Trust me. I need you to take your shirt off.”

“Seriously?”

I stood up and smiled. “Not like that, Kate. Come here.”

I met her halfway and took hold of the bottom of her shirt. I lifted it up over her head as she gasped and shivered. I gently placed the shirt on a table against the wall. Now, I could tattoo any woman on any spot on her body. From the most basic areas to the most intimate and it wouldn’t bother me. I could turn off the guy brain and focus as an artist. But when it came to Kate, I was screwed.

She stood there in a bra and I felt my body already raging with a wicked need.

“Right here,” I said and touched the right side of her body, just below her ribs.

She jumped as gasped. “Does it hurt?”

“Like fire. But it’s worth it.”

“You could have lied to me, Sawyer.”

“No, darling, I’ll never lie to you.”

Kate let out a slow breath and swallowed hard again. She was flustered. She was nervous. And she was turned on.

I showed her to the chair and got her settled.

“Here, lift your right arm up over your head,” I said. I put her hand behind her head. “Just like that.”

I sat there and admired her body. I never had been so turned on by a woman mostly dressed before. I wasn’t exactly sure I felt comfortable with the way Kate made me feel. But if this was diving head first into another boiling pool of romance with her, so be it. Even if I got burned, scarred, went blind, never loved again, it was worth it just to be with her right now.

“Sawyer,” she said as I buzzed the tattoo gun a few times.

“Yeah?”

Our eyes locked. “I really do love you.”

“I love you too, Kate. I’ve always loved you. Everything I’ve said to you I meant. Who you are. What you do to me. This whole madness we’re wrapped up in.”

Kate smiled. “Okay. Do it.”

She shut her eyes and braced herself.

To be honest, I could have picked an easier spot to tattoo her. Getting ripped up on the side of your body, near your ribs, wasn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world.

But Kate did great.

The first few seconds, she jumped and groaned. I knew that feeling. A burning, ripping feeling but it would give way to something better. When your mind would shave away the pain and you’d focus on the feeling of the ink. Knowing a piece of art would become part of your body. The ink would be your story. And you could make up whatever you wanted.

Touching Kate while tattooing her was hard. My right hand touching her side, my fingertips dangerously close to touching the side of her breast. I would never care about something like that, but this was Kate. Everything about her drove me crazy. I was close enough to her that I could smell her skin. A sweetness that my tongue had enjoyed so many times before.

I finished the tattoo and sat back in my chair, damn near out of breath myself. I wiped the excess ink off her skin and took my gloves off. I admired the work and nodded. It had been one of the most stressful tattoos I had ever done.

“There you go, darling,” I said.

Kate twisted to look down at the fresh ink. “Sawyer…”

“It’s got a little bit of everything,” I said. “You, me, our past life, our current life, and our future.”

“It’s amazing,” she said. “The sun. The stars. The world. The heart.”

“That almost rhymes,” I said. “Look at you go. Getting tattooed, writing poetry.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “Just clean me up now.”

I admired the ink one more time. Every star was a different shape and meant something else. Past, present, future. Me, her, the shop, Jason. The world colliding with a heart. The opposite ends were in perfect shape but the pieces that collided mixed together. Exactly what Kate did to me. She took my world and took my heart and smashed them together.

I wiped the tattoo down one last time and slowly patched her up.

I glanced back at her shirt across the room and told myself it was way too far out of reach. Plus, I had her right there in my fancy chair.

My eyes slowly climbed up her body and when our eyes met, we both grinned.

I guess I was going to change our plans again.

* * *

4.

I kissed her wildly as my hand opened her jeans. She lifted her hips off the chair, making it easier for me to slide them down her legs. I hovered over her as she gripped the sides of the chair. I broke the amazing kiss as the desire to taste her skin was too much to force away again. I kissed at her neck and made a trail of quick kisses down to her chest. There I slowly took my time, kissing her with loud kisses at each breast, the tip of my tongue flirting along the edge of her bra, threatening to go for more.

My right hand moved from her jeans and playfully inched up the inside of her thigh. She was warm, her legs open, my fingertips finding comfort against her body. Through her panties I felt her burning with need. She rocked her hips to my touch and let out a long sigh of relief.

I pressed and twisted my fingers, feeling her softness giving way to me. I hurried to bring my hand to the top of her panties and slid my hand down, feeling her soft skin give way to wetness. My pointer and middle finger cut between her folds and I curled my fingers, testing her as my fingertips entered her.

My lips began their descent again. Moving over her breasts and down to her belly, feeling her breathing a little erratically as I let my fingers explore her depths a little bit more. I was gentle, loving, letting each inch sink into her, memorizing the way her body pulsed. When I curled my fingers and pulled back, she thrust at me. She wanted more. I needed to give her more.

I kissed down her belly faster, knowing where I wanted to be. I brought my hand to the top of her panties again and pulled, demanding them off. Kate wiggled her hips in front of my eyes as I stripped her down. I threw my right hand down her legs and made sure everything came off now. She was on the chair wearing her bra and her shoes on her feet. It was maybe the sexiest thing I had ever seen in my entire life.

And I was the one in control of this. We were alone in St. Skin, the music from my phone gently echoing around, but it was her moans and groans that threatened to be louder. Which was my plan anyway.

I kissed down her lower belly with peck after peck, feeling her body jumping, waiting for the ultimate payoff. I smelled her sweet honey a moment before I dipped my tongue into her, tasting everything. My right hand rested against her inner thigh, gently pressing to keep her legs open the way I wanted.

My tongue cut right to left against her slit as I drank what my fingers had made her body offer. I hurried down to the bottom of the chair and pulled at Kate’s waist, bringing her ass down to the edge of the chair. I hooked her legs over my shoulders and had her right where I wanted her. One of her hands grabbed my hair and pulled hard. The other hand gripped the side of the chair.

I went right back to work on her. I was thirsty and she was giving me everything I craved. My tongue swirled in every direction, thrusting forward as she bucked her hips at me. My hands rested comfortably to the perfect curve of her hips and I suckled against the soft nub of her clit. That’s where I settled and that’s where I refused to move until she came.

The closer she moved toward climax, the harder she pulled my hair, driving me harder against her. I loved the way she wasn’t afraid to do that, knowing exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it. Her other hand let go of the side of the chair and went flat against the seat as she lifted her ass off the chair. That allowed her to grind her beautiful body as hard and as fast as she wanted. We were synced up together, her lower half moving with the same speed as my hungry tongue. The noises of her pleasure filled groans and the sound my tongue made against her body officially drowning out the music.

She put her head back and began to let go when I took full control again. My hands slid up a little and I pulled at the small of her back. I engulfed her entire sex and savored her as she came. She collapsed down to the chair, whimpering my name as I stayed with her as she jumped off the cliff of desire.

I stayed with her until her body attempted to calm.

I pulled away and stood up, staring down at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life.

She looked at me with those vixen eyes and curled her lip as though she was mad at me.

She wasn’t mad. She wanted more.

I took her by the hands and pulled her from the chair. When she stood, I hurried to open my jeans and drop them. Before she could touch me, I pulled her to me and sat down in my chair. I kicked the chair back until it hit the counter behind me. My hands slapped against her hips and she cried out as I pulled her toward me.

Her hands went to my shoulders as she climbed on top of my me. She lowered her top half down first, wanting to kiss me. I slid a hand up into her hair and we kissed like we’d never get the chance to kiss again. With my other hand, I touched the small of her back again and brought her down against me.

As her body began to sheathe me, I groaned, praying to everything that I didn’t explode right then and there. Her body was still pulsing from the love letter I had written with my tongue just moments ago. She came all the way down on me, to the hilt, not an inch of my body not inside her.

She broke the kiss to bite my lip, her eyes open wide.

“Fucking hell, darling,” I growled.

Kate stopped biting my lip and kissed at my neck and groaned.

She whispered, “I’m coming again….”

I touched her waist and began to move her up and down my body.

I had found heaven. In her eyes. In her arms. In her body.

The only problem was that hell was waiting for us.