I hold my breath waiting for her to answer. It’s already hard being this close to her; I don’t know how I’m going to control myself when I get to touch her. She blushes from her chest all the way to her hairline. “I need to get it where people won’t see it.”
I suck in a breath, and then it hits me. “How old are you, Gracie?”
I say a silent prayer that she’s of age. I don’t know what I’ll do if she tells me she’s not.
“Eighteen.” She says it so softly, I have to ask her again.
“How old?”
She blows a breath, tossing the hair on her forehead up. She reaches into her purse and pulls out a wallet, then holds it up to me. “See. I’m eighteen.”
I take the wallet from her, not because I don’t believe her but because I want to know more about her. Gracie Franklin, born July 5th, 2003. Her address is on Hightower Lane, and I knew before I even saw it that she was from the other part of town. “Today’s your birthday.”
She nods, and even though she smiles, it’s a little sad. “I can pay you in cash... I can’t use a card... I’m not supposed to be here.”
I grip the wallet tighter in my hands. “Do you have a man?” I ask her gruffly, but even if she says yes, I’m not going to give her up. He’s obviously not a good man if he let her come here on her own.
She shakes her head. “No, my father would have a fit if he knew I was here.”
I sigh in relief. A dad I can handle. I couldn’t handle a boyfriend. I hand her back her wallet and watch her put it back into her purse. “It’s okay... I won’t tell.” At least not yet. But I don’t say it out loud. She may have a controlling father, but she’s eighteen, and I’m not going to let it go long without telling anyone that will listen that Gracie is mine. Even her father. “Plus, you’re in luck. It’s your birthday and I didn’t get you anything. So the tattoo is on the house. My gift to you.”
She looks at me skeptically. “That doesn’t sound like a smart way to do business. You give tattoos away on birthdays? What’s stopping people from just coming on their birthdays?”
I laugh because I can’t help myself. I was right, she definitely is innocent. “Just you, baby. You’re the only one getting free tattoos around here.”
Her eyes widen. “But I can pay... just in cash.”
I shake my head. “I’m not taking your money.” Fuck, baby girl, I should be paying you to touch your body. I shake my head to try to keep the dirty thoughts at bay. There’s no way I can tattoo her with a raging hard-on. “So where do you want it?”
She leans back in the chair on one arm. With her other hand, she points to her lower abdomen. “Here. But I need it so it will be covered by my panties or my bathing suit bottoms.”
Fuck. Me. I’m not worried about a hard-on now. I’m pretty sure I’m about to come in my jeans.
3
Gracie
This is crazy. I know it is. I’m being pulled in so many directions right now I don’t know what the right thing to do is. My father could bust in here at any moment. I don’t think he has a tracker on my phone, but who knows really? And if he does, I’m not the only one that will feel his wrath. Aiden will too, and I don’t want that.
“Can you lock the door? I don’t want... anyone to walk in while I have my dress up around my waist.”
Aiden nods and walks over to shut and lock the door. The fluid movements from before are now jerky and stiff. “Are you sure about this? I really can come another day,” I tell him, even though I know it’s not true. I don’t know when I’ll get to come here again.
“We’re doing this, Gracie. Unless you’ve changed your mind,” he says gruffly as he starts doing something with the tools on the counter.
“I haven’t changed my mind. I want you to put your mark on me.”
He grunts and bends over his arms on the counter as he takes deep breaths. In and out, in and out. I’m about to ask him if he’s okay when he turns toward me. His eyes are a dark blue now instead of the lighter teal from earlier. His jaw is tight as he moves next to me. “I want my mark on you.”
I know we’re talking about more than the tattoo, but all I can do is nod.
He blows out a breath. “Lift your dress, honey. Show me where you want it.”