28. Ink
INK
His bike rumbled between his legs as he rode toward the clubhouse.
Behind him, Tom kept pace, completely at ease.
It struck Ink again that he’d be an excellent brother once he got his patch.
He was also doing a hell of a job at the shop.
He’d already started earning a reputation and had a small list of clients who wanted to see him.
Other artists might be pissed that an apprentice was outshining them so quickly, but Ink didn’t give a damn. As long as the kid did a good job, didn’t fuck up anyone’s skin, and wanted to learn and grow, he was happy.
It also helped that Tom was the one to clean the shop instead of him. The place definitely looked a hell of a lot better than it had the last year or so.
He also made sure all the receipts and paperwork were ready for him at the end of the day. Which, of course, made him instantly think of Naomi.
He bit back a groan because the thought of her made him instantly hard, and the vibration of his bike against his cock was becoming uncomfortable. The images in his head of her in the skimpy underwear and bra certainly were not helping.
He wasn’t sure how many times he thought of her today, but it was enough to make it hard for him to focus on his clients. Something that had never happened to him before. He didn’t know how to feel about it. Or how to react.
Was this how the guys had felt when they met their women? Had they consumed their every thought? Not that he would ask. He didn’t need them knowing the depth of his obsession with Naomi.
When he told her things clicked for him, he wasn’t lying.
Even today, when he was working on a lower-belly tattoo and the woman in his chair tried to convince him into pulling her tiny bikini bottoms down even farther, he’d shut her down without another thought.
He’d allowed himself to be tempted far more times than he wanted to admit.
Guilt burned in his belly. Damn it, he didn’t want to think about all the shit he’d done in his chair. None of it was coerced, and he wasn’t in a relationship with anyone then, but knowing Naomi might not see it that way or worry about what he did at work, bothered him.
Damn it. This whole relationship shit was complicated.
He was going to have to break down and ask someone.
Was he supposed to tell her? Did he keep it to himself and hope she never asked?
Neither option seemed like a good plan. Plus, she was smart; she’d figure it out on her own soon enough. Someone was going to mention his past.
He groaned and gunned the engine a little faster, trying to ease the frustration with a burst of adrenaline.
When they finally reached the compound gate, he didn’t feel any more relaxed. In fact, he was more restless. Instead of heading for the apartment, he headed for the clubhouse. He needed to get his head on straight before he talked to Naomi.
Walking inside, he grunted a greeting when someone called out to him, but headed up the stairs. Maybe a shower would help.
He ignored the questioning looks from Razor and Jax as he stalked past them but slowed at the tiny figure pacing outside his door. “Naomi?”
She spun around and stared at him wide-eyed. Her mouth moved as if she were trying to speak but couldn’t quite manage it, and her face flamed.
“What are you doing here, baby?” he asked, rushing toward her, his mind spinning. “Is something wrong with Asher? Did something happen?” He was going to murder Taz if she was upset or something happened and no one let him know.
“Oh, ah, no, nothing happened, and Asher’s fine.
The twins have him. Something about wanting more practice.
” She swallowed, licking her lower lip, which briefly distracted him.
“I, uh, well, I wanted to … Well, I actually was going to … I don’t know.
” She groaned and covered her face with her hands.
“I don’t even know,” she cried. “I don’t even know why I’m here.
This was a terrible idea. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Taz, but he wouldn’t shut up and—”
“Naomi.” He moved her hands down. She stared at him, cheeks still red and eyes wide and pleading.
He was fucked. Totally, utterly fucked.
Instead of kissing the hell out of her, he took her hand, interlaced their fingers, and unlocked his door. Pulling her inside, he turned on the light and thanked every being out there he had thought to tidy up before leaving in the morning.
He’d even changed the sheets on the bed.
It was a very dangerous thought to have when the woman he wanted in that bed was right here with him.
Shutting the door, he crowded her back against it, enough to make her eyes widen, but she didn’t push him away.
“Fuck, I missed you today,” he muttered, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and cupped her jaw.
“Y-y-ou did?”
“I did. Thought about you every free second I had. Even when I should have been focusing on getting the artwork right for my clients, I found myself wondering what you and Asher were doing. Stopped myself from texting you a dozen times.”
“Why didn’t you?” Her lashes fluttered.
“Because I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from canceling all my clients to spend the day with you both.
I had people on the books who had been waiting months, and most were regulars.
I couldn’t let them down. But fuck, was it hard.
” He brushed her lower lip with his thumb.
Her breath trembled out as her lips parted.
“You have no idea how badly I wanted to come back and taste you again.”
“I-I’m here now.”
He couldn’t stop the groan that slipped out. Was she trying to kill him?
“Baby, you’re tempting me like you have no idea, but I need to know why you were looking for me first. In the mood I’m in, I don’t know that I could stop with just one taste of you.” Especially not when there was a bed right behind them.
No, no, he would not think of the bed.
She shivered, her lashes fluttering as she looked up at him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just …” Her face flushed, and his heart pounded.
“You just what?”
“I—” She swallowed hard, tightening her grip on the bottom hem of his shirt.
He told himself to be patient. It would be worth the wait.
Finally, she whispered, “I wanted to come and see you. I left Asher with the twins for a bit. I … I realized that I missed you today and that I thought maybe … if you wanted to … uh … you know.”
Her skin blazed a deep red, and she turned away. He cupped her chin and guided her back, staring down at her. His body tensed, excitement and desire burning through him. Was she implying what he thought she was?
“Naomi, I need you to tell me what you mean. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.
And never be embarrassed about telling me what you want.
What you need. There is nothing you can tell me that will shock me.
Here, you and me, this is your safe space to be yourself and say everything you’re thinking, knowing there will be no judgment from me. So, tell me, baby girl, what you want.”
It took another long moment, but she finally whispered, “You. I want you.”
Thank fuck.
“And how do you want me?” He might go insane if she asked for something as simple as cuddling, but he’d do it. For her. He’d do it for her.
“I … I don’t know.” Her eyes scrunched tight, which he could only interpret as frustration. “I really don’t know, Ink. The last time I had consensual sex was when I was eighteen with my high school boyfriend. After that, I …”
His blood chilled. “I need you to be honest with me now, Naomi. I need you to tell me so I know how to give you what you need. And I need to know what might trigger you. If you’re going to trust me with your body, I need you to give me the full picture.”
Her body trembled, and her lip quivered as she opened her eyes and stared up at him. It broke something in him; seeing the pain in her eyes gutted him.
Swiftly, he scooped her up, making her gasp, and strode to the bed, where he sat and settled her in his lap. She wrapped her arm around him, eyes wide.
“Talk to me, baby.”
Gripping the back of his shirt, she worked the fabric between her fingers as she gathered her thoughts. He didn’t rush her, just held her, mentally preparing for what he was about to hear.
“When I was younger, I was left alone. I don’t know if that was because Diego didn’t want to hurt me since I was such a valuable asset, or it was my father who told them to leave me be.
No one touched me, and I was terrified of that for a long time.
I would put furniture in front of the door to keep them from trying to come in.
Diego got pissed about that and took it all away from me.
All my clothes too. It was the first time he humiliated me.
I was nineteen when he finally decided he didn’t care what anyone else thought.
He needed my brain and hands to work, nothing else.
“The first time he raped me, it was … horrible. I screamed, fought, all of it. He just tied me down. After that, he did the same for a week. Like the rules were out the window now that he’d done what he wanted.
My father said and did nothing. He just told me to stop fighting and give Diego what he wanted. ”
“That fucker,” Ink hissed between clenched teeth. Fury burned. He wanted to burn them all. He wanted their deaths to be as slow and painful as possible.
“When I turned twenty-one, it stopped. He found someone else to give his attention to, and that was it. I was still forced to take the birth control shots they gave me, but the soldiers were told to leave me alone. I don’t know what changed, but it was a year before I finally started to believe it was over. ”
“But it wasn’t?” Bile rose in his gut.