Epilogue #2
“And what is our design?” Damon asked.
I turned to him, nerves fluttering. We were surrounded by absolutely gorgeous tattoo art on the walls: intricate tribal designs, bright, colorful images that popped off the page; black-and-white and shaded designs that intricately wove together into a single image.
What if Damon didn’t like my idea? Or worse, what if he was fine with the tattoo, but not the idea behind it?
“So, I wanted this to be a surprise, but now I’m wondering if that was a mistake.”
Fox raised an eyebrow. “How about I let you two talk it out?” He handed me the tattoo sketches. “These are what we’ve worked up. You let us know when you’re ready.”
Damon watched me, waiting until we were alone to ask, “Cold feet?”
“Not me,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s just…I’m suddenly a little nervous. I thought it would be fun if, um, we got tattoos as a symbol of how we feel. At least, that’s what I want to get.”
I looked down at the top sketch, a beautiful rendering of a vine with tiny leaves and a single, small red tulip. It was circular, like a ring.
I handed the sketch to Damon, wetting my dry lips. “I thought this could be mine. It wouldn’t have to go on my ring finger, but—”
Damon crushed me into a kiss. “Put it on your damn ring finger.”
My heart skipped. “I mean, it’s just a symbol, you know? Of what we mean to each other.”
“I love it,” he said. “Why the tulip?”
“It actually means perfect love. Deep love, you know?” I laughed a little. “Plus, a rose seemed trite.”
“It’s gorgeous. We’ll have to thank Fox’s apprentice.”
“Emory,” I said.
His lips tugged down a smidge. “You remembered his name awfully fast.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m about to tattoo a ring on my finger for you.” I lowered my voice. “And I’m wearing these tiny, constricting panties.”
His eyes heated. “Then we should get this show on the road, huh?”
“Wait, you haven’t seen the design for you.”
I handed him the second sketch. It was a vine too, but instead of leaves and a flower, it had little thorns.
He gazed down at it, but I could tell from his face he wasn’t totally happy with it.
“Do you not like it?”
“It’s not that. I mean, it’s really well drawn and it’s masculine, but…” His gaze flicked up to my face. “I want us to have the same one.”
“Oh. Should I get this then?”
“No, I want the tulip. I want everyone to take one look at it, and know that I’m wearing it for you, my beautiful, sexy, florist boyfriend.”
Happiness burst through my chest, and I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him again, more enthusiastically. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mav. More than I ever thought I could love anyone.”
I sniffed. “Don’t think this is getting you out of the prank doghouse. I’m still getting you back.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“But, if you’re good while we get these tattoos, I’m thinking maybe our date can have a couple more stops.”
“Oh yeah?”
My smile spread slowly. “Dinner and drinks at Ball Breakers, then a stroll through Blush to get you something special?”
Damon scrubbed at his cheek, which was actively reddening.
I leaned in to whisper in his ear. “You can wear a plug while you peel me out of these panties, and maybe a cock ring so you can’t come for a nice long time?”
He shuddered.
“What do you think?” I teased. “Is that a fitting end to our first anniversary?”
His eyes were dark as he looked at me, his breath audibly quickening. “I think you better get the tattoo artist over here before I get us arrested for public indecency.”
I laughed. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“No.” He eyed me speculatively. “But none of that sounds like payback for my prank earlier.”
“Well, I have special plans for you, so you get a reprieve. But don’t worry, I’ll think of some way to prank you back.”
“Or we could forget it and move on?” he suggested.
“Nah.”
I was already cooking up an idea in my head. Maybe some nice little nail decals I could apply while he slept. Flowers of course, so everyone would know they were for me. Or maybe a liberal dusting of body glitter—right after I turn off the alarm so he doesn’t wake with time to shower it off.
The possibilities were endless. And so was our time together.
These tattoos might not be a wedding proposal, but they were a symbol of our love, and Damon hadn’t hesitated even a second to agree to permanently etch that symbol on his skin.
In fact, he chose to get the tattoo that most strongly represented his love for me, rather than something he could easily explain away.
“I would never leave you hanging,” I told him. “We’re in this together, right? For better or worse.”
“For richer or poorer,” he agreed.
“For pranking and payback,” I added with a grin.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Till death do us part.”
Was it just me, or did that take on a sinister tone in this context? Ah, well. I shrugged and turned.
“Fox, we’re ready!”