Chapter 5
5
HANNAH
“ T ell us all the dirty details,” Tara said.
“Was he dominant?” Rachel asked. “He definitely had that vibe.”
I rolled my eyes, leaning back against the hard wood of the cafe booth. “It wasn’t like that,” I said, trying to steer the conversation away from territory I was uncomfortable with.
Tara and Rachel exchanged a knowing look.
Rachel stirred her coffee, her bracelets clinking against the ceramic mug. “Come on, spill. We want to know everything.”
I sighed, knowing my friends wouldn’t let this go. “Yes, he’s assertive,” I conceded.
“Was it good?” Maddie asked.
I felt my cheeks heating up at the memory of last night. “It was… really good,” I admitted quietly. Just thinking about Nikko’s touch, his kisses, the way he had taken control, it was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
“Details!” Tara exclaimed, leaning forward eagerly. “Don’t leave anything out.”
I bit my lip, hesitating. But my friends would eventually wear me down. We all knew it. “Okay, fine. He was incredible. Confident, passionate, attentive. His body is fucking amazing.” I took a deep breath, letting the memories wash over me. “He was unlike anyone I’ve ever been with before. So intense and focused, like he was determined to make it the most mind-blowing experience of my life. And he absolutely succeeded.”
Tara squealed with delight. “I knew it! That man was pure sex on a stick. I’m surprised you were able to walk straight after.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Barely. He’s… well-endowed.”
Rachel’s eyes widened comically. “No way. How did you even?—”
“Stop!” I gasped. “You guys are embarrassing me.”
They laughed at me, but it was all in good fun. We sipped our orange juice, each of us lost in our own thoughts for a moment. The bustle of the cafe faded into the background as my mind drifted back to last night.
I could still feel the ghost of Nikko’s touch on my skin, his hands roaming over every inch of me with a possessive hunger that had me melting into the mattress. The way he had taken control, guiding me through waves of indescribable pleasure, pushing me to heights I’d never dreamed possible. Just the memory was enough to set my body on fire. I almost fanned my face but knew they would all give me crap about it.
Last night was something out of a dream. I was glad it happened. I wasn’t the one-night stand type, but I didn’t regret it. He was a memory I was not going to forget. When I got back home to Idaho with my limited prospects, I was definitely going to be thinking about him.
We finished our brunch and walked outside. “Beach?” I asked.
Tara flashed a grin. “Nope. Tattoos.”
“You guys are getting tattoos?” I asked with surprise.
Tara linked her arm through mine. “ You’re getting a tattoo. We all are.”
“No ifs, ands, or buts,” Maddie chimed in, her teacher voice in full effect.
“I’m not sure I want to,” I protested, though my voice lacked conviction. “I mean, I want the tattoo, but the pain… ”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You’re tougher than you give yourself credit for.”
Tara nudged me. “And don’t forget, you just survived Nikko. If you can handle him, you can handle a needle.”
“Guys, sex is for just one night,” I said. “Tattoos are forever.”
I should have known my protests would fall on deaf ears. They steered me toward the tattoo shop we had passed yesterday and I let them, although my steps were dragging. I had seen plenty of tattoo shops. There were different level shops. There were those that catered to the rough and tumble crowd that weren’t afraid of tetanus or any other diseases. Then there were those that were all shiny and clean. The one they were dragging me to was not one of the nice ones, raunchy and intimidating.
Maddie opened the door for us. I walked in, pushed up my sunglasses, and stopped dead in my tracks. There he was.
Nikko.
He was bent over, working on a tattoo on some guy’s bicep, his focus intense. The sight sent a wave of heat through me, followed by a mortifying rush of memories from last night. The way he’d looked at me. Touched me. The way he’d?—
I shook my head, trying to banish the thoughts before my cheeks caught fire. But then he glanced up, spotting me. His lips curled into a grin so wolfish it made my stomach flip.
“This is a bad idea,” I blurted out, half to myself.
“Shut up,” Rachel said, giving me a little push. “This is a great idea.”
“That’s him,” I hissed, pointing slyly at Nikko, who was now wrapping up his client’s tattoo with what looked like plastic wrap.
My friends exchanged gleeful looks.
“Well, what a small world.” Tara grinned.
“Did you know?” I hissed. “Are you guys trying to set me up?”
“Nope,” Maddie said. “This is a happy accident.”
A young woman with a sharp bob and a sharper attitude greeted us from behind the counter. She looked like a biker chick. Black eyeliner, a nose ring, and tattoos up her arms and even on her fingers made her look edgy. She was wearing all black with combat boots. “Hey there. What can we do for you today?”
Despite her look, she sounded so normal. Friendly.
Tara took charge. “We’re here for tattoos. All of us.”
“Bold move,” the woman said, arching an eyebrow. Her gaze flicked to me. I was attempting to blend into the wallpaper. “First time?”
I nodded mutely.
“For all of us,” Rachel said.
The woman smirked. “Scared?”
“No,” Tara answered.
“A little,” Rachel confessed.
“You’ll survive. Probably.”
“That’s comforting,” Maddie murmured.
“I’m Jessie,” the woman said. “Do you guys know what you’re going to get?”
I looked at my friends. This was their big idea.
“Uh, we were hoping to see what you had to offer,” Rachel said.
Jessie offered a tight smile. She gestured to the walls covered with sketches and pictures of tattoos on other people. “Look around.”
We started perusing the designs on the walls and I couldn’t help but sneak glances at Nikko. He was cleaning up his station, muscles flexing beneath the thin fabric of his black T-shirt. My cheeks flushed as memories of those muscles pinning me down flooded my mind. I looked away and focused on the pictures. Rachel was going to go with the scales of justice. Typical for the lawyer.
“Where are you going to get it?” I asked her.
Rachel pointed to the inside of her wrist. “I want it right here. Small and discreet.”
Maddie had settled on a simple outline of an apple for her tattoo, a nod to her career as a teacher. “I’m thinking on my ankle,” she said.
Tara had unsurprisingly chosen something bigger and bolder: an intricate floral design that would wrap around her upper arm. “This one is perfect for me,” she declared .
I continued looking at the designs, trying to find something that spoke to me.
“See something you like?”
The low rumble of his voice made me jump. I whipped around to find him standing directly behind me, eyes twinkling with amusement.
“I—uh—no, I mean, yes. The art! It’s really nice,” I stammered.
“Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”
“This wasn’t my idea,” I said quickly, shooting a glare at my friends, who were thoroughly enjoying the show.
“Sure it wasn’t.” Nikko’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “So, what are we getting today?”
I opened her mouth, then closed it again, flustered. “I, uh…”
“She’s thinking a compass and a rose,” Maddie supplied helpfully.
“Inside of her forearm,” Rachel added. “Somewhere she can hide it.”
“Why would you want to hide your tattoo?” he asked.
“Because my work, I mean, it’s, uh—” I didn’t want to offend him. Any of them. I saw a few of the other tattoo artists looking at me. Waiting for me to say it.
“I have to look professional in my job,” I said.
He nodded, doing his best not to laugh. “You’re not going to offend me. Tats aren’t for everyone. Sure you want to do this?”
“Yes,” Tara said. “She does.”
Nikko looked at me with those piercing eyes. “I need to hear it from you,” he said. His voice had dropped to that same husky tone he used last night.
I swallowed. “Yes. I want it.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I realized what it sounded like. My face was burning. He was looking at me like he did last night after he took my dress off.
“Okay then,” he said. “Jessie will get you guys the forms.”
“Forms?” Rachel asked, her lawyerly instincts kicking in .
“Yeah, to make sure none of you come back here and sue us because you changed your mind,” he said.
If only he knew how on target he was.
Rachel snorted. “A good lawyer would get around it if she wanted to.”
Nikko looked her up and down. “You’re a lawyer.”
“Guilty.” She grinned.
“Jessie, you got that one. Hannah, you’re with me. Your body is my canvas.”
He absolutely meant there to be innuendo in that comment. He walked to his station, waiting for me to follow.
“I hate all of you,” I muttered.
They all waved me on and settled onto the shop’s couch to wait for their turns.
I sat down in Nikko’s chair, my heart pounding as he prepped his equipment. I couldn’t help but watch the way his hands worked.
“You nervous?” he asked, glancing up at me.
“A little,” I admitted.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “I’ll take good care of you.”
My cheeks flushed, and I had to look away. The man was too much. I was pretty sure he said something similar last night. Did he say that to all the women?
“So, does it hurt?” I asked.
“You said you wanted it on your inner forearm?”
“Yes.”
“That place is a little more tender, but it’s not bad. If it’s too much, you tell me to stop.”
“With a half-finished tattoo?” I asked. “I think that would be worse than the pain.”
He grinned. “Which is why most people just tough it out.”
The first touch of the needle was sharp but not unbearable. I hissed through my teeth, telling myself it wasn’t that bad. Nikko’s hand came to rest on my thigh, grounding me .
“You’re doing great,” he said, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin.
“That’s easy for you to say,” I muttered. “You’re not the one getting stabbed.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No.”
He chuckled. “You’re tougher than you think.”
“Don’t let him distract you, Hannah!” Tara called. “He’s probably trying to get you to agree to a second date.”
“Second date?” Nikko said, glancing up with a smirk. “I didn’t realize last night counted as the first.”
I groaned, covering my face with my free hand. “Kill me now.”
“No can do,” Nikko said, his tone teasing. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
Despite the embarrassment, I found myself relaxing under his touch. The pain was manageable, and the way his fingers moved over my arm sent little sparks of heat through me.
“Almost done,” he said after a while, leaning back to inspect his work. “Want to take a look?”
“No,” I said. “I’ll panic and make you stop.”
“You didn’t want a tattoo?” he asked.
“No. I mean, yes, for legal purposes, I signed the form. I agreed to do it, but I’m not really a tattoo person.”
“It starts with the first one,” he said. “And then you can’t stop.”
“Is that what happened with you?”
He nodded. “I became addicted.”
The hum of the machines all around me was oddly relaxing.
Tara was sitting in a chair getting hers done. She looked over at me and waggled her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was distract the guy with a needle in my arm.