Chapter 32
Roo
I’m trying really hard not to be a big baby about this, especially since it was my idea.
“Maybe I should order a bracelet after all.”
Tanner laughs from the driver’s seat of his truck. “Scared?”
“Tattoos hurt, right?”
“Dunno, don’t have any.” He pinches my arm. “You’ll be able to tell me in about an hour.”
I scowl.
“This is so exciting. I’m gonna have a sexy, tatted-up boyfriend.”
That gets a smile.
“You’re gonna look so badass.” He shifts slightly in his seat, which really makes me smile.
“Wait … Tanner Everett, Sunbury’s golden boy, is turned on by tattoos?” He starts going red, and I can’t get enough. This is too precious. “You know … they say you can’t stop at one. I might end up with a whole sleeve.”
“Roo, if you keep talking like that, we might not even make it to the tattooist.”
I reach over and run my hand up his thigh. Because I can. “Maybe that’s the plan.”
“Nope.” His hand closes over mine, and he links our fingers together. “You know I’m not forcing you to do this. You can pull out if you’re really that uncomfortable.”
And there’s my sweet Tanner back.
He can say I don’t have to go through with this all he likes; we both know that’s not true.
Yeah, I could do the bracelet thing again, but they’re annoying.
They snag on shit and get in the way, and people are always so fucking nosy.
Circus is right that most people are used to seeing tattoos, so they fade into the background.
I don’t need to remember it, I don’t need to be careful, and if something does happen—and damn Tanner for making me think that way in the first place—at least people will know.
Still, even though I guess my health is important and all that, it’s not what’s driving me to do this.
If I get my tattoo, Tanner requests help. And I’ll sure as hell march down there and demand it myself if he chickens out.
Interfering little shit? Why, thank you, I am.
The grumpy fog is starting to lift a little as we reach Camden. Sunbury doesn’t have a tattoo parlor, and the one in Camden isn’t exactly busy, so I’m not sure what to expect.
Thankfully, when we walk inside and check the place out, it’s clean and the tattooist seems friendly enough. He and Tanner hit it off as I walk around the room, looking at the art he has displayed.
“I’m Layne,” the tattooist says. “Roo, huh? You getting an Australian animal by any chance?”
Tanner starts to laugh, and I’m surprised he lets the Roo thing slide since he’s never let anyone else call me that before.
I open the photos on my phone and show Layne a screenshot of the design I want: a hexagon with a red Star of Life inside and the word epileptic in the middle. Because you know, I’ve been so worried about being labelled the sick kid, I’m going and literally doing just that.
“Oh, cool, man. Yeah, I’ve done one of these before. Diabetic, though. I love that they’re getting popular and more recognized.”
That was one of the selling points for me. After Circus mentioned it, I wanted to make sure that it would help and not just be a pointless tattoo. Because if that was the case, I might as well get a fucking butterfly.
Ooh, watch Tanner get hot over that.
“Sure you don’t want one?” I ask Tanner as Layne leads me into a back room set up with benches and beds that remind me way too much of the doctor’s office to be comfortable.
I guess this is really happening.
I’m not sure why it’s only hitting me now, but hey, I’m here. And I’m definitely not someone who backs down, no matter how much I might want to.
Instead, I swallow back the doubt, and the slimy feeling that this is forever, and plant my stubborn ass in the chair.
“So, kangaroo, where are we doing this thing?”
I point to my wrist, and he gives my arm a quick once-over before heading for a computer.
“Still okay?” Tanner asks.
I’m not answering that. I want to look cool in front of Layne, thanks. “You know what, I think you want me to back out.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything less.”
“Sure you do. Because if I back out, you get to as well.”
Tanner laughs and runs a big hand over his face. “I can’t believe you’ve talked me into it.”
“And you better follow through.”
“I will.”
“Good. Otherwise I’ll have Layne tattoo I can’t read on your forehead.”
“Definitely not doing that,” Layne says as he returns. “Consent’s important.”
“Yeah, kangaroo.”
I snort and flip Tanner off. “Let’s get on with it, then. I give you consent.”
He applies the stencil, and it actually looks kind of cool. Tanner’s gaze traces it, then continues up my arm until he meets my eyes. He gives me one of his soft smiles, all for me, and it relaxes the anxiousness in my gut.
Layne sets up, and then he doesn’t fuck around. The first stab of the needle makes me jolt, and I immediately regret all the decisions that led me to this point.
Okay, so maybe it doesn’t really hurt, but I’m a total wimp.
I force down a shallow breath and remind myself to be cool. It’s only a teeny needle, and by the looks of Layne, he’s done this approximately a thousand times.
And thank God for when he moves on from the part he was working on, because it becomes a whole lot more bearable. I relax a little, finally able to breathe normally again.
“Hurt?” Tanner asks.
“Nah, not at all.” I’m talking out of my ass. “Just a tickle. I don’t know what all the fuss is about.”
Layne snorts. I’m ready for him to call me on my bullshit, but he stays silent, which is probably a good thing because he passes over a bone and I have to clamp my jaw closed again.
The color doesn’t feel a whole lot better either.
How people get addicted to this is beyond me. Tanner can kiss that sleeve goodbye.
When he finally finishes, it takes all my energy to focus on smiling and thanking him as I pay. The minute we’re out the doors, I cradle my arm to my chest.
“Motherfucking ouch!”
Tanner laughs.
“That was basically torture.”
“Need me to kiss it better?”
“You touch it, you die.”
Tanner shakes with suppressed laughter. “You’re so tough today.”
“Tease all you like. Which of the two of us spent an hour being repeatedly stabbed?”
I reach the truck and wait for Tanner to unlock it, but he crowds in behind me instead. Thankfully there’s no one around as he rocks his hard dick against my ass. “I’ve never seen health and safety look so hot.”
“Maybe I should run a class,” I answer dryly.
“I’d sign up. Even better if you taught it naked.”
And look at that, the pain suddenly doesn’t feel so bad. I push back against him. “How about I let you kiss other things better?”
His teeth find my ear. “Tell me where it hurts.”
“Home. Now.”
We both hurry into the truck, but Tanner being Tanner, he won’t go a mile over the speed limit the whole way home. No matter how much I palm his dick.
By the time we’re back at the apartment, we’re both so needy, we barely make it into the bedroom, let alone the bed. Tanner shoves me face-first into the wall and presses his hard cock against my ass.
“So much room for activities,” he breathes. “Stay here.”
Tanner disappears, and I hear him yank open the drawer of his side table. His pants hit the floor, and I quickly shove mine down and kick out of them, not wanting anything to hold this up.
I glance over my shoulder in time to see Tanner slicking lube over his bare cock, and I have to bite back a groan. It’s about fucking time.
“You ready?”
“Fuck me.” Fuckmefuckmefuckme. I need him inside me so bad.
He takes just enough time to stretch me out, and then he’s there, the blunt head of his cock pushing against my hole. It slips inside, and I sink my teeth into my knuckles as he eases in deeper.
His groan rumbles in my ear. “You feel so good. This is … This is …”
Complete perfection.
I had no idea one thin piece of rubber made so much difference, but as Tanner picks up the pace and owns my hole with his bare cock over and over, my brain checks out.
He plasters his chest to my back and reaches forward to link his fingers through mine with one hand before wrapping his other around my aching cock.
I work myself back onto his dick, over and over, needing more.
“You look so sexy right now,” he pants. “So hot and so tight. My Roo. My hole. All mine.”
The words are everything I’ve ever wanted and more. I can’t hold back. I explode over his hand and the wall, and Tanner grabs my hips and pounds into me. He stiffens a moment later, and his cock starts to throb, shooting his cum deep inside my ass.
I melt against him as he hugs me close and lightly kisses my neck while he catches his breath, and fuck me, if this is what life is like with Tanner, sign me up.
I’m not going anywhere.
And dear God, please let him feel the same.