CHAPTER 7

PENELOPE

I am face down on his horizontal tattoo station, my dress straps are around my elbows and I am breathing deeply. I shake my head slowly as I look at the floor.

Tanner talked me into this tattoo on my shoulder where I could choose who sees it. It is a gorgeous drawing though. I tense as he cleans my skin, careful to keep the dress covering my breasts. He explained that the straps needed to be moved and I managed that before lying down so he could manipulate it a little lower.

“Is this going to hurt?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says with a chuckle

He finishes and I close my eyes as I try not to think about my dress bunched around my thighs. I kicked off the heels earlier and crossed my legs, trying to appear casual even though I am tense. I jump as I feel his hand on my calf, rubbing slowly as he massages my skin.

“You need to relax, Penelope. I am going to take good care of you.”

His hands are hot and soothing all at once and I take a slow breath. It isn’t just the tattoo that has me worked up here and I look at the floor again.

My pussy aches for his touch as he strokes me and I part my legs to give him more room. He sucks in his breath and slides his hand up slowly as I let out a long sigh. I know that I am facing anyone who might come back here and it wouldn’t be too obvious what is going on but still, this is risky.

There are the sounds of tattoo guns, music and voices around us as he starts to speak, but I heard him clearly. “We should keep this all business but it stopped being that for me from the moment I saw you. I want to slide my hand up and touch you. Fuck you with my fingers until you’re relaxed so I can mark you,” His words were so domineering and I felt his finger tickling the back of my knee. “I want to finish this tattoo and take you home with me, Penelope. I want you every way that you’ll give yourself to me even though you might think that’s wrong.”

I came not that long ago, but I’m ready for more. I shift my body around as he starts to make the slow descent up my inner thigh. The heat he causes burns my skin as I shiver, unable to fight this anymore. He finds the lace of my new underwear and pushes past them. He holds me with his eyes as he runs his fingers along my wet folds. I gasp as he inserts a finger and then a second finger inside of me.

He fills me with his fingers and touches me with the hard stroke I need. He tells me to pull up my dress a little more. I bite my lip to hold in the moan as his finger finds my clit, stroking it as he moves inside of me. I do, mortified by my willingness. His free hand climbs up my body to cup my breast as I lift away from the seat, playing with my nipple as my eyes close.

“Mm-mm,” I quietly moan as I memorize the sensation of this man touching me.

“You’re going to come,” Tanner says in a low voice, with a hint of a growl, “and then I am going to do this tattoo on you, Penelope. Then we’re going to my place so I can fuck you the way that I’ve been wanting to since I met you. You do things to me that I can’t ignore.” Tanner curls his fingers inside of me and I shake before releasing, a scream in the back of my throat as he squeezes my breast hard.

“That’s my girl,” he leans in to kiss my lips and whispers across them as he pulls away. “You can scream my name later.”

I drop against the leather, breathing deeply. I fix my dress and my underwear Tanner gets up to wash his hands.

“Pen? Where are you?” I glance up to see Mollie peering in with a towel covering her chest.

Her eyes widen. “Are you getting a tattoo?” She asks.

I gesture with a smile to the paper that Tanner made up as she runs over, taking it all in.

“That’s it, Mollie. We got to talking about it and he had the same vision.”

“Same with everything that Trinity does for me,” Mollie murmurs as she gives me a curious look. “Tanner does portraits though.”

“I do mostly portraits. I imagined it as she is talking and it’s easy work. How’s your piece coming along?” Tanner asks as he comes back in. Mollie turns to show him. “That’s great.”

I feel shy because she is half naked in here but neither of them seems to notice. “Thanks. Want to go to dinner with us after and discuss ideas?” Mollie asks as she turns around. Tanner glances at me and then at the clock as he seems to calculate something in his head.

“Yeah. I can tweak the schedule a bit after I get this done.” Tanner sets up some stuff as Mollie watches, moving her eyes to mine. I could tell that she is excited about the tattoo and smile at her.

Trinity peeks around the corner, holding two coffees in her hand as she stares for a moment. “A tattoo?” she asks as Tanner looks at her with a nod. I see the look that she shares with Tanner before leaving as Mollie lingers for a moment.

I wish Mollie was there the second I feel the needle in my skin, I gasp as I grip the seat. What the hell am I thinking? This hurts.

I hear him soothing me and telling me that he’ll be as quick as he can as I nod. It took me an hour as a kid to get my ears pierced. I knew then that I wasn’t brave this way and I wish that I thought it through before I picture the design. It’s gorgeous and everything I ever imagined in my head and Tanner got that.

I relax and focus on the sound of the gun as I push away the pain. This is new for me and with him, it feels right. Everything does. I know that it takes a while as I breathe through the process but Tanner talks me through it. He helps me up as I hold my dress to my body with a shy smile and turn my back to the full-length mirror as he hands me another one. I hold it carefully and look over the tattoo with a growing smile. It is gorgeous and I meet his eyes in the mirror. I drop the mirror gently on a table.

“Thank you, Tanner.”

“I think that’s some of my best work,” Tanner tells me as he steps forward. “I’m going to check on something and I’ll be right back.” I adjust my dress and sit back down to wait as he comes back in. “Hey, my last appointment bailed. He’s in a band and they got a gig. Want to go get some dinner at the diner down the street while Trinity finishes?”

“Sure,” I reply as he leads the way and peers into Trinity’s station. He lets them know the plan and I show off my new ink. Trinity gives him a long look as Mollie sends me a thumb up. He covers my tattoo with some cream and a bandage. I smile and Tanners lead me out of the shop with his hand on the small of my back.