He squeezes my thigh. “Don’t say that. You’re perfect.”
I lift my shirt up to expose my rib cage, but that’s not enough for him.
“All the way off.”
I grit my teeth and pull my shirt off over my head and then lean back. He starts cleaning the area, and my traitorous nipples pebble from his touch. There’s no way my bra is hiding my reaction, and I try to make up excuses for it. “It’s cold here.”
As soon as I say it, I slam my mouth shut. He sees right through me. He knows what his touch does to me. There’s no hiding it.
His voice is soothing. “The sound is going to bother you more than anything.”
I lie back. “Go ahead. I’m fine.”
At least I’ll have something to remember him by since he’s determined we can’t be together. I flinch at the sound of the gun coming on, and there’s a sting at my side. I clench my eyes shut and sit tensely.
“Breathe, baby,” Jack tells me.
I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It helps, but I don’t open my eyes because I don’t want to see it.
I breathe through it, and my side seems to numb with each passing minute.
I’m not sure how long I sit here, but it doesn’t seem long before he turns the tattoo gun off. “All set.”
He avoids my gaze, and it kills me not to look down and see what he did. I watch as he cleans up his equipment and puts his things away, soaking up my last minutes with him.
I reluctantly put on my shirt. “Okay, well, I’m going to go.”
He looks at me, and it’s obvious he has something to say. I’m hoping he stops me, begs me to stay, and then tells me he loves me, but he does none of those things. “Let me lock up.”
I nod and walk to the front of the shop. We go out, and he walks me to my car. Nothing is said in the short distance, and even though my head is filled with all kinds of things, I don’t say any of them. He opens my door, and I sit down. He leans over, and I hold my breath, waiting for something… anything from him. “Drive safe.”
I nod, not trusting myself to say anything.
He shuts my door, and I waste no time starting my car and pulling away.
I get down the block when I see the single headlight behind me. I wipe at the stupid tear that escaped my eye and keep looking in the rearview mirror. As I drive across town and the bike behind me makes every turn I make, I know it’s him. He must be making sure I get home okay.
I suck back the tears. I can’t cry now. I’ll wait until I get home and he’s gone and then I’ll let my emotions go.
I pull down my road, and he follows me. I pull into my driveway, and he surprises me by pulling his bike in beside me instead of parking at the street.
I get out of my car as he turns his bike off. “Thanks for making sure I get home,” I tell him.
I walk up the steps and when I get to the door, he’s behind me.
I let out a breath. “Jack… I can’t do this.”
He takes the keys from my hand and unlocks my door. “Come on, we need to talk.”
He opens my door, but my feet stay planted where they’re at. “Jack, you don’t get it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear you say we can’t be together and?—”
He points his thumb over his shoulder. “Emily, get in the house.”
I put my hands on my hips. “No. I already have to think about last night and what happened between us every time I walk into my bedroom. I don’t need you filling my house with more memories that I’m not going to be able to forget.”
He grunts, picks me up over his shoulder, and carries me inside. He kicks the door closed, flips the lock, and then strides down the hallway to my bedroom. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I’m on him. “Are you kidding me right now? You think I’m going to sleep with you again?”
I pace across the room to put some distance between us. “I would be a fool to let you fuck me again. I’ll give it to you, younever lied to me. You said it would be one time, and I should have believed you instead of getting my hopes up.”
