Surprise me. Two words you don’t expect to hear when someone is about to get a permanent body modification, but as soon as the words left her pretty little mouth, I knew what to do. The day we met, I had sketched something random and it would look amazing on Cori. I flipped back through the book and found it. I had no idea why I drew it at the time, it wasn’t my normal style, but with her sitting in front of me, eagerly waiting to see what I came up with, it made perfect sense.

“You sure?” I knew the piece would look incredible on her but didn’t want her having any tattoo regret the next day. Especially with me being the one to do the work. The last thing I wanted was her pissed over a huge tattoo that I surprised her with.

“You asked me to trust you. I trust you.” Cori’s eyes locked on mine, and I was lost in the warm amber color for a moment, realizing she was giving me far more than the permission to tattoo her. If she was sure, I was sure. I cleaned her forearm and she settled back in the chair, leaving her arm propped on the arm rest so I had access to it. Her eyes were closed with a tiny smile playing on her mouth. After making a stencil of my original sketch, I placed the stencil on her arm and popped on my black gloves. I got my ink ready, started the gun, and got to work. It was a big piece, so our whole evening would be spent in Needles, but I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend time with her. Well, except maybe with her under me, screaming my name.

“Want me to talk to you?” A few places the needle hit caused her to suck a breath in and I figured conversation would keep her mind off the process. Cori nodded without opening her eyes. It blew my mind how much she trusted me. I was permanently altering her body and her eyes were closed. It was what I had asked her for, and Cori gave it to me. There wasn’t much she hadn’t given me. “Your family is amazing. I like your dad, nice guy.”

Cori smiled. “They are. Ari is the only complete bitch, but we love her anyway. Meredith, my little sister, had a meltdown thing I guess. Her boyfriend was a complete abusive ass, but she followed him to college in Colorado. No one has heard from her in two years. I miss her like crazy. It’s silly but I text her old number once a week and pretend she reads it. We begged her not to go with him, but you know it all when you’re eighteen.”

Not having siblings meant I didn’t understand, but the sad look on her face told me her sister leaving was still fresh, “She’ll come to her senses. People do crazy shit when they think they’re in love.”

“You mean like staying with a verbally abusive drug addict?” Cori’s sad smile made my jaw clench.

“Yeah, like that. What are you doing about him, by the way? I want to know you and Ax are safe, ya know?” Truth was, I wanted to know Cori wasn’t leaving me for her ex. The bastard didn’t deserve either one of them. Cori and Ax were everything good and beautiful in life, but he threw it all away. Her tolerating my sorry ass was bad enough, but going back to that jackass would be awful. I was falling in love with her—them. Axel had me wrapped around her opinionated little finger and I loved it. Not having them in my life would be like losing a limb, part of me, but I wasn’t ready to tell her.

“My attorney is going to fight to keep the order of protection in place. I’ve tried to get his parental rights severed for years, but so far, no luck.” I paused to watched Cori swallow back tears. “I’m not afraid of Richard. I’m afraid of him owing money to someone and that someone finding out he’s been released.” I went back to work on her arm. “I didn’t answer your question, did I? You want to know if I plan on listening to Wanda’s bullshit, right? You want to know I’m not going to leave you to go back to Richard.” I didn’t answer because it was exactly what I wanted to know. Cori and I had no time at all under our belts, but her ex was the father of her kid, no matter how shitty a father he was. They had a history and she had loved him.

I neared the end of her tattoo in silence. I couldn’t address the thought of Cori being gone so quickly, but telling her that I was in love after a few weeks wasn’t an option either. The amazing sex was one thing, but getting all weird and emotional was out of the question. Cori had come out of her shell for me, given herself to me, but on a deeper level it meant nothing. It didn’t mean she loved me, even if I was a complete goner. Having never been in love, or even attached, didn’t mean I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.

“Done.” I wiped the excess ink from her arm and got a bandage ready for it. Cori blinked her eyes open and gasped. Her hand went to her mouth, eyes wide while she studied her forearm. Dread settled in me. Fuck. I knew it was a mistake to surprise her, not make her pick something.

Cori’s whiskey eyes filled with tears. “Griffin, this is beautiful. It’s perfect. I can’t believe you just did this.” I blew out a breath and looked over the piece. It was a good one. A dandelion puff in black near the bend of her arm extended into seeds blowing toward her wrist. Tiny swirls of light blue wind moved the seeds along to their destination.

“You like it?”

“Honey, this is amazing. I can’t believe you drew this with a needle on my arm. It’s perfect.” Her other arm went around my neck when she came off the chair at me. Cori landed in my lap and left tiny kisses all over my face. It wasn’t supposed to turn me on, but my cock hardened and I crushed her against me. Cori felt it and wiggled her ass at me, giving me a sly smile and a harder cock.

“Let’s bandage it and get out of here.” I growled in her ear. I couldn’t wait to have her under me, screaming my name when I made her come. The bite I left on her neck had faded, but ink was forever, and I had put it there. Cori shook her head, moving to straddle me, letting me know really quick that we weren’t leaving. Fucking my girl in my shop? Yes, please. I slapped the bandage on her fresh ink and dragged her shirt over her head. Cori followed my example, taking mine off then tossing it in the checkered floor. Her gaze was locked on mine, her hands pressed against my chest, but it didn’t last long. I pushed her off me, jerked her shorts off, and her bare ass landed on the cold metal table, making her yelp. It turned into a moan when I rolled my stool closer and ran my tongue from knee to pussy. My fingers dug into the flesh of Cori’s soft thighs, keeping them spread wide while I teased the tender skin of her legs. When I finally licked up her sweet pussy, her body trembled and Cori gripped my hair. I glanced up enough to see her head thrown back and one arm bracing on the table. So fucking hot.

“Oh, God, Griff,” Cori whimpered, pleading while I teased her further. I latched on to her clit and sucked. My girl fell apart, pulling my hair, coming in my mouth. Her moans bounced through my shop, my name echoing from her lips off the walls and filling the room. The hold on my hair loosened and I backed off enough to free my cock from my pants. In one movement, I had Cori off the table and bent over it, ass in the air. I slid my hands down her spine then back to her hips. She panted under me, wiggling her ass against me. I had given her control every time we were together, trying to ease her mind, make her trust me, but it was time for me to take mine. I slammed into her with a tight hold on her hips. Hums of pleasure and gasps escaped her parted lips. Her nails dug at the metal table.

“You like that, baby?” I covered Cori’s body with mine, brushing the hair from her face, kissing across her shoulders. She nodded eagerly when I picked up my pace and I felt her pussy tighten around me, milking my cock. Her cries made me need more. The sensation and sounds made me fuck her harder, moving a hand to strum her clit while I kept her pinned to the table, biting her shoulder blade. I fucked her like I was punishing her and she loved every second of it. Cori cried out, clenching my cock in a vise grip, making me come hard. My balls tightened, and my nails gripped her hip hard enough to bruise, her orgasm pulling mine from me.

I laid over Cori, catching my breath, trying to keep on my feet. “I can’t breathe, honey.” She squirmed under me and I let her up with a smack on the ass, keeping one hand on the table for stability. My knees weren’t cooperating after that one. Cori’s cheeks flushed red when reality hit her that we had just fucked in Needles. She looked around like she forgot where we were. Pride swelled in me. I made her forget.

“Your place or mine?” I handed her a stack of clothes and she scurried to the bathroom.

“Mine.” Cori’s sweet voice came down the hall, still breathy from me fucking her. I threw my clothes on once I could stand without support and was wiping down the table when she came back in. Great sex or not, sanitation was important, “Uh, Griffin?” I tossed the towel in the trash then took two strides to wrap my arms around her, letting her burrow into my chest. “You didn’t use a condom.” My body froze, so did my pulse and breathing. What the fuck was I thinking? I asked her to trust me but couldn’t even play safe. Way to go, asshole.

“Fuck,” I grumbled, tipping her chin up to face me. I never forgot, never didn’t wrap it up, I was never careless. I was obsessive about rubbers to the point of getting shit from the pharmacist. “Baby, I swear I’m clean. Fuck, I am so sorry.” No wonder it felt so amazing. There was nothing between us, like it was supposed to be, but damn was I stupid. It was way too soon for stupid shit, and I had promised to take care of her, I told her she could trust me.

Cori shook her head. “It’s not that, I know you are. I’m just not on anything.” Her panicked amber eyes clashed with mine.

I held her tighter. “We can take care of it in the morning.” Cori nodded against me and I clicked the light off. I had never been so damn irresponsible, and I fucked up with the one I truly cared about. “Damn it, I’m so sorry, Cori.” She shook her head as we left, locking the door, and loading back into her Jeep. Cori stayed quiet, and it scared the shit out of me. I promised we could take care of it in the morning, but starting a family with her sounded like a future I could get behind. Me, Cori, our girls, and our baby was something I could consider. It was too soon, but someday. My train of thought had me all fucked up. I should have been freaking out that I may have just gotten my girlfriend pregnant so soon, but my mind was the complete opposite. Cori didn’t feel the same way, and I couldn’t tell her.

Her house was dark when we parked in the driveway and I pulled her over for a long slow kiss. I cupped the back of her head, she held my bicep, and I devoured her lips. I couldn’t apologize enough for how stupid I had been, but if she was mad, she didn’t let on. “Let’s take this inside,” Cori whispered against my lips. I nodded, gathering up the presents I could reach. Cori hopped out and headed toward the door, glancing back to make sure I was following. I chased after her, bags in hand, and slammed into her back, nearly knocking her over when she came to a sudden stop. I dropped the bags and grabbed her by the waist when I saw why she had stopped. A man stood from his seated position on her front steps.

My heart thundered in my chest while they just stared at each other. I kept my arm around her, holding her back to my front, and waited for the man to move. Who the fuck is at her house so late? The guy was nearly my height, and built, but not quite like me. His blonde hair reflected in the street lights and his thick-rimmed glasses were pushed up into his long hair. Cori’s breathing stopped and started against my arm wrapped around her.

“You can’t be here.” Cori’s voice shook.

“Where’s Axel?” The man looked around, eyeing the Jeep. Then I noticed the present on the porch. A giant pink box with a pink bow. Richard. Bastard didn’t even know his own daughter hated pink. He took a step forward, and my grip tightened. I’d kill the fucker before he got close. He ruined his chance. Cori was mine.

“You can’t be here, Richard. Leave or I’m calling the cops.” Her voice was less shaky, more forceful. That’s my girl.

“Where is my daughter, Cori? You leave her somewhere so you can fuck this guy? Mom told me you were with some thug at our daughter’s party. How could you?” He took a step forward, and I moved Cori behind me, straightening to my full height, readying to beat his ass.

“Your daughter? Cute, Rich. Ax doesn’t even know who you are. You gave up the right to call her your daughter when you got sent to prison, you fucking asshole. Now fucking leave.” Cori stepped up next to me. “And take your shitty present.”

“I’m free, Cori. Do you not understand? I get how bad I messed up, but I’m clean. I’m sober. I want my family back. I can fix this.” Richard’s tone changed from anger to defeat. “We are starting off wrong. Send this guy home, we can talk and work this out. I’m not mad that you cheated. It’s been a long time and you deserve better, but I can fix this.”

Cori had her phone to her ear. “Last chance. I let you hold me back for years, let what happened define my life, but I don’t anymore and you aren’t ruining this for me.” Cori told the operator the address and what was going on. Richard stood still until she was finished and tucked her phone away. His eyes moved between us, obviously not trusting me. Good, you shouldn’t trust me.

“Cori, please.”

My girl took my hand, grabbed half of the bags I was carrying, moving us toward the house. I snatched the other bags as she pulled me to the house with her, “Leave, Richard, and stay the hell away from us.” I braced for him to reach for her as we passed, but the asshole watched us walk by into the house. Had he touched her, I would have fucking killed him. The fact that he didn’t even try spoke volumes. Richard was a coward.

I locked the door behind us and turned right in time to catch my girl. Cori fell into me sobbing. I scooped her up, carrying her to the couch. “I’m so fucking proud of you, babe.” I leaned back, stretching out and taking her with me. We laid like that until her crying stopped and Cori looked up at me.

“I’ll never go back, Griffin. Even if we don’t work out. I’ll never be with Richard.” Cori stroked my jaw, raking her nails through my beard. I nearly laughed. There was no way I was ever letting her go, so her statement was pointless.

“Good, you deserve better. Ax deserves better. Not like I was giving you a choice anyway. There isn’t anything to ‘not work’. I told you, your ass is mine now.” I squeezed her ass and kissed her head.

“When can this bandage come off? I want to stare at it.” Cori raised her arm and almost smiled.

“Tomorrow. Wanna move this to the bed?” We wordlessly left the couch, checking the locks again, and she changed before curling into my chest on the bed. We didn’t talk anymore, just relaxed, enjoying the silence. There was nothing left to say. Cori and Axel belonged to me, so her ex could deal, or answer to me.

When the cops knocked on the door, Cori didn’t even move, so I left her in bed to go answer the door and quickly explained what happened, showing my ID to prove who I was. I ensured them the guy left on his own, promising we would call if he came back. I closed the door, locked it, then went back to bed. Cori was on her stomach, with one arm tucked under her pillow and the other out next to her. The bandage on her new tattoo was facing up–even in her sleep, she was being cautious. I just stood at the foot of the bed staring. Cori was the sexiest woman I had ever seen, and I had seen countless women. Curves in all the right places, a pouty bottom lip, with the most amazing ass. She was so much more than that, though. Cori had the kind of soul other people wished for. Fuck me sideways, I’m a lucky bastard.