Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22788 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22788 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Caleb didn’t dawdle. He got through the final payment, briefed the customer on the aftercare for a second time, and booked a follow-up appointment. He also liked to bring his customers back two weeks after a completed tattoo so he could check it over. If he had any concerns, he’d organize for one week after. So far, nothing had gone wrong, and two weeks later always seemed to work.
Closing the door, he made his way back into his reception.
“You know, I always figured this place would be dark. Like you see on the movies, with black furniture, black or red walls.”
Caleb laughed. “I have to work here all day, and besides, like you, I do like to see everything clean.”
Mae smiled. “I have never been inside your tattoo parlor before.”
“And, do you like it?” he asked.
“Yeah, I love it.” She looked around. “All these designs ... are they standard, or are they your own?”
“Some of them are standard. A lot of people want to get a dolphin or a love heart. Some Chinese lettering as well. Other pieces are more specific and what I have garnered over the years.”
“When did you realize you wanted to be a tattooist?” Mae asked.
He looked at her and saw that she wasn’t just making conversation, she was genuinely interested. He rubbed at the back of his head. “It started with just drawing, to be honest. I have notebooks of ideas and I’d spend hours in class doodling. Then, one day, I grabbed a marker and just started to draw something on my arm. My dad said it was so good, he nearly gave me the belt.”
Mae’s mouth dropped open.
Caleb laughed. “Trust me, some days the belt was showing leniency.”
“Wow,” Mae said.
“I wasn’t a great kid, but my dad was a good dad. He did the best he could.”
“I’m so sorry,” Mae said.
“We both know what it is like to experience loss,” Caleb said.
“Yeah.” She nodded her head.
He saw her look around the room. “Anyway, Dad saw what I did, and then he got me to show him how I did it. I ended up drawing some designs on his arms, and he said I would make one hell of a tattoo artist. From that point on, it just seemed to stick. I know there are some bad ones out there, but I wanted to be one of the good ones. He helped me with a deposit on this place. He got to see me open, and he was my first client. He got me to write Fuck Cancer on his chest. He wanted it all fancy.” Caleb felt his throat start to burn.
He and his father had their differences, but he had tried, especially after his mother had passed. She had fallen at work, hitting her head, only she hadn’t told anyone. She had gone peacefully in her sleep. It had broken his father’s heart. His dad never found anyone else, nor remarried.
Caleb just tried to figure things out after losing his mother. Steered clear of anything resembling a family, and now, as he looked at Mae, he realized he wanted it all with her, and the truth was, it fucking terrified him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” he said. “It fucking hurt, but Dad was a fighter, and he fought as long as there was breath in his body.”
Mae went to him and placed her hands on his face. “We’ve both lost people, and it doesn’t matter what we keep telling people, that pain doesn’t truly go away.” She sighed. “We learn to keep moving, because the world doesn’t stop. You’ve still got bills to pay, and no one truly cares what we’ve lost.”
He cupped her cheek, then leaned forward, kissing her.
After he saw the client out, he’d closed and locked the door. No one else was coming into his shop tonight. The blinds were drawn. They had all the privacy they would need.
And so, he kissed her, pulling her in close as his cock thickened. She let out a whimper and he lifted her into his arms and carried her through to his office, a separate room he and Pete shared. He placed her on the desk, after pushing everything out of his way.
“We can’t do this,” she said, putting a hand to his chest, but he did see her hesitate.
“Why not?”
“What about ... health and safety?”
Her lips looked so sexy with how swollen they were. “I clean everything, baby. Trust me.”
He lifted her dress, and now she had put on a pair of tights, and he quickly pulled them off her. Unfortunately, he heard them tear and knew he would have to replace them. Not that he minded. Her panties were his next victim, and tonight he was not into being gentle, but taking control.
Pulling her to the edge of his desk, he unzipped his pants, grabbed his cock, and then stared deep into her eyes, as inch by inch, he started to sink inside her. He watched as she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and that was so fucking sexy, he felt his balls tighten.