Chapter 20
Chapter twenty
Kai
Iknew Vidar hanging around would be a serious test to this so-called friendship that we’ve got going on. However, I couldn’t have imagined it would be anything like this.
Vidar fucking hovers.
If there's so much as an inch of distance—and God, how badly I need that distance—he grabs my hips and crowds into my space, and since I’m a slut for him, I unconsciously lean against the ridges of his body.
Leaving me near fucking breathless when he strokes my hips like the smug bastard has gotten exactly what he wants.
Well, what I want is for Vidar to bend me over the front desk. Or he could get on his knees by the kettle. I’m not fussy.
Instead of climbing Vidar, I shake awake the couple of brain cells I’ve got left rattling inside my skull, and untangle myself from his arms to keep me rooted to him.
‘Vidar likes women,’ I remind myself. ‘He’s even said he plans to go feed and fuck one. Like hell I’m embarrassing myself more than I already have for someone who doesn't want me.’
And I keep that thought on repeat as Vidar, conqueror he so loves telling me he is, slips an arm around my middle and presses our chests together, and every single ounce of my blood is lost to my prick. Leaving me woozy and having to suck in deep breaths of Vidar’s addicted scent.
“I’m your bodyguard right now, little prince,” he whispers into my ear, low and sharp and so fucking stubborn that I only manage to stop grinding against him by the skin of my teeth. “Lemme guard this body.”
It’s the last straw, and I rip myself out of his hold.
“Space!” I snap, then realise my hand is groping his chest and snatch it away like he’s an open flame. “Dickhead, give me some fucking space. Don’t you realise you’re driving me insane!”
Vidar, at the very least, looks guilty when his eyebrow twitches, fists clenching at his side. “I do realise this is insanity.”
“Then…space.”
He grumbles like I’ve taken away his favourite toy, and doesn’t stop until my client, Hazel, arrives.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Hazel asks while she sits in my chair. The buzzing of my needle loud as I run it across her pale skin.
I’m tempted to take extra long on her piece, it’s the only time Vidar’s kept his distance. But I wouldn’t do that to Hazel; she’s sat for over an hour now and not complained once, even though I notice she’s gripping the armrests.
“My fucking stalker, more like it,” I grumble, using the back of my hand to push up my glasses.
I dip my needle into the brown ink I mixed with a bit of white, then use an ink-stained tissue to clean away leftover colour on her thigh before pressing the needle to her skin.
When I was first learning the art, I wanted to be gentle, but my tattoos were shit because of it.
Yet you don’t want to go too deep either, or the tattoo will be blown out.
This skill took time and patience, a lot of fuck ups and a lot of learning how to fix fuck ups.
Or hide them, if I’m being honest.
But when I’ve got a needle in my hand and skin to create something that makes my clients feel like a badass, or happy, or healed, I know I’m on the right path.
“I’m his sixth best friend,” Vidar tells Hazel, then holds out the bag of marshmallows he’s been sharing with her while he leans against the wall, watching. “I’m working on getting higher.”
This makes her giggle. “Sixth?” She pops a marshmallow in her mouth.
“Seventh if he ain’t lucky,” I mutter.
I lean back to study the design, only to go back in to add more grey highlights.
“Kai’s an amazing artist, you made a good choice picking him,” Vidar says, scoffing another marshmallow.
As much as I grumble, I can’t lie that his words don't make my knees a little weak.
Good thing I’m sitting on my stool.
Hazel gazes down at her horse tattoo. “Aren’t they beautiful animals?”
Vidar nods, handing her another marshmallow. “Horses are strong creatures. The All-Father, óeinn, had a powerful horse, Sleipnir. Sleipnir could travel between worlds and the afterlife. It was a creature of courage.”
Hazel presses the marshmallow to her chest, smiling shyly at the tattoo covering up self-harm scars. “Thank you,” she whispers.
My frustrations with Vidar melt. He’s a strong man, an ancient vampire, a warrior, and while he might live with his foot rammed permanently in his mouth, he doesn’t hurt people who need a little extra help.
“Ready for the best part, Hazel?” I say, grabbing the clear bottle, then spray cool water over her new tattoo.
Hazel frees a long breath. “That's so nice.”
“Oh yeah, everyone loves cleaning off a fresh tattoo.” I stand, snapping my black gloves off and tossing them in the yellow bio-waste bin. “Lemme show you this beauty in person.”
I take Hazel by the hand and help her to her feet, so she can see her new piece in my full-length mirror.
Still holding the marshmallow to her chest, tears swell in her eyes. “Thank you so much, Kai.”
“Any time, Hazel.”
“I should get a tattoo of yours,” Vidar says, nodding in approval. “Then I’ll have you on my skin forever.”
She giggles, still gazing at the mirror and moving her leg around to get a better look. “I think he might want to be your boyfriend.”
I roll my eyes.
“I want to turn Kai into a vampire,” he tells Hazel, no hesitation in his deep voice.
Every muscle, every hair on my body, stills.
“A vampire?” Hazel frowns at him through the mirror.
I can’t breathe. My heart stops pumping.
“Of course, so he’s mine forever.”
I hate Vidar so much—and hate how much I want him.
I hate that Vidar sees me as someone to have, but not to love. And I hate how badly I just want to hand my heart over and know to my fucking marrow he’ll protect it. Even when I know that ain’t how our story ends, and I gotta stop hoping for different.
Spray bottle in hand, I spritz the big vampire. “Don’t make choices for me without bloody asking.”
“Annoying,” he grunts.
I look back at my client, scoffing in Vidar’s direction. “Goths, so fucking dramatic.”
This clears the confusion from her face, and she laughs again.
I wrap up her thigh in cling film and a thin layer of healing gel, then hand over a leaflet of instructions on how to keep her tattoo clean, because she definitely didn’t listen when I explained them and send Hazel on her way.
“You really don’t give a shit if people know vampires are real,” I say as I sanitise my chair.
He shrugs like it's the least interesting thing in the world. “People say they’ve seen ghosts all the time, and no one believes them.”
I straighten. “Ghosts are real?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I’ve never seen one.” He pops a marshmallow in his mouth. “I have no clue.”
“Oh my god, I’m actually gonna fucking kill you.”
He chuckles.
I look Vidar over, his deep laugh sending warm tingles across my skin. It’s so easy to imagine that rumble as he presses into me while in bed, lying out and naked. Sweaty and satisfied.
I spray him again.
He grunts. “What was that for?”
“You’re turning me into a vampire?” I cock my hip, eyebrow raised. “Are you fucking stupid?”
“You’re my soulmate, of course I’m turning you.”
I pause, spray him again, much to his annoyance, and stomp towards the basement. “Don’t follow me, I need a break from you before I shove this bottle up your ass.”