Chapter Twenty-One
We land at Miami International Airport at four a.m. Grey stands first and retrieves our bags from the overhead bin while I pick up a very angry Ellie from under my seat. She doesn”t like flying, and apparently the tranquilizers Grey gave her before boarding must have worn off because she’s currently howling in her crate.
After getting off the plane, we find our way to the exit where there is a line of taxis waiting to pick up travelers. Once we are seated safely in a taxi, I open the door to pet her. She calms down when she feels my hand caress her long silky fur. I smile up at Grey who is playfully glaring at me.
“I”m not sure how I feel about you commandeering my cat,” he teases as he wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his chest. He presses a kiss against my forehead as we ride through the busy streets.
“How far is your shop from the beach?” I ask while watching the scenery change through the window.
“Two blocks, my condo is actually oceanfront. I”m on the 10th floor so we have a nice view.” His lips twitch at the corner like he”s fighting a smile.
“What aren”t you telling me?” I raise a brow at him.
“You”ll see in about,” he glances out the window. “Four minutes.”
I roll my eyes at him. There”s no way he can be that precise. At least, I didn’t think it was possible until I see we’re pulling up to a stunning building, taller than some skyscrapers in NYC. I stare up at the tower of windows upon windows. The ocean air fills my senses, and I take a deep breath.
“Wow,” I gasp, looking over at Grey who is opening his door and exiting the other side of the taxi. I open my door but before I can step out, Grey has already reached me, holding out a hand and pulling me from the taxi. I grab Ellie’s carrier out of the back seat and turn back to face him. I grin up at the gorgeous man before me, “This is spectacular”.
“You ready to see inside?” he asks.
It only took us four and a half hours to complete the tour of Grey’s condo. He fucked me on every surface he could manage before I had to tap out. My body still hums two hours later sitting on the most comfortable couch I’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting on at Urban Ink, his tattoo shop. I make a mental note to ask where he bought it so I can get one for my studio.
He’s been sketching at the desk while I’m scrolling through social media interacting with commenters. One of my favorite parts of the type of photography that I do is sharing it with people. The love and support I’ve received from strangers online is overwhelming. I’ve had several people travel to have sessions with me. It’s been remarkable.
“Hey,” I call out to Grey “Do you think your client would be ok with me photographing this? There was so much positive feedback on Hadley’s pictures.” I ask.
“I don’t think he’d mind, Kitten. You can ask when he gets here.” His lips curve into a lopsided grin that has me melting directly through the couch.
“So fucking unfair,” I groan.
“What?” He feigns innocence, putting a hand on his chest. “I’m just looking at my girl.”
“Mmhmm” is the only acknowledgement I give him before the door swings open and a tall, muscular man with spiky platinum hair walks in. His tanned arms are clearly covered in Grey’s art.
“Wow, that’s incredible,” I say out loud before Grey even has a chance to say hello or introduce me to the guy.
“Hey, man.” Grey chuckles, shaking his head, “Ry, this is Dylan. Dylan, Ryan,” he introduces us.
“Ryan? THE Ryan? The one that you’ve been stalking on instagram for as long as I’ve known you?” Dylan’s eyes dart back and forth between the two of us.
“You’ve what?” I smirk at Grey.
“Oh shit, sorry man, I didn’t mean to. Ah shit. I’m sorry.” Dylan tries to cover for Grey and then gives up, realizing there’s no coming back from outing his friend.
“Yea, I may have been keeping tabs on you. I missed you.” Grey winks at me, closing the distance between us and pressing a soft kiss against my lips.
“You finally got her?” Dylan’s excitement is contagious, as he slaps Grey on the shoulder in congratulations. “Yeah! Way to go man!”
Grey’s face is bright red.
“Oh I’m totally not letting you off the hook that easily!” I giggle, slapping his chest playfully.
“Shit,” Dylan groans imitating Picard’s very memorable facepalm gif.
“Ok, D. Go get in my chair and quit making me look bad.” Grey’s throaty laugh sends a jolt of heat straight to my core. He playfully swats my ass before following after Dylan.
I follow after them to ask if Dylan minds that I photograph him. His response of “Fuck yeah!” has me pulling out my camera, and I spend the next several hours snapping pictures of the two of them. The intricate details that go into each of his pieces is breathtaking. Dylan tells me about each of the tattoos Grey’s done for him which are most. They’ve been friends since he moved to Miami and Dylan has become a sort of human canvas for him, letting Grey take creative license with his designs. When they finally finish up, Dylan has a full color sleeve, and it’s the most beautiful piece of art I’ve ever seen. The number of Marvel characters Grey was able to incorporate while keeping such incredible detail is astounding. The final piece was Captain America, which they did today. The way he was able to replicate the original comics for each of these characters has me at a loss for words. Seeing the final piece of the puzzle in place, I’m amazed at how incredibly talented Grey is.
Dylan apologizes to Grey again before we all say our goodbyes, making me laugh again. As Grey sanitizes his workstation, I pack up my camera.
“Are you hungry? I know a great restaurant a few blocks away,” he calls from inside his room.
My stomach growls at the mention of food and I check the time. It’s already seven p.m. and we haven’t had anything since breakfast.
“Yes, please!” I pull my bag over my shoulder and walk towards his voice. “I’m famished.”
“Oh, me too.” He winks when he sees me, “but I’ll save that for dessert.”