Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“I wish I could have met him,” he tells me.
“Yeah.” I offer a soft smile. “Me too.”
“So,” he says, once we’ve both finished eating. “We talked about your shoulder, your thigh, and your back. We could do your arm, but it would be a half-sleeve. We could do your ribs, but that’s pretty tender.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Honestly, I think the arm is out. This is a pretty big piece, and I feel like the other locations would be better than your arm.”
“Okay. Can we see what they look like? Is that too much work for you?”
“Not at all. I encourage it. That’s why I made extra stencils. I have stencil remover we can use to get rid of them.”
“That sounds like a lot of work. Maybe I should just pick a spot?”
“How about this? Let’s narrow it down to your top two locations. You might love one of them more and we’ll be all set, but I’m prepared to try all of them.”
“Okay. I think shoulder and thigh are my top two.”
“Great. Go ahead and take off your shirt and remove your bra strap from your shoulder. We might need to remove it all the way.”
Shit. Why didn’t I think about that part? I’ve never been naked in front of a man, at least not any times that I can remember. Taking a deep breath, I give myself an internal pep talk. I can do this. With shaking hands, I lift my T-shirt over my head and hold it against my chest before pulling my bra strap over my right shoulder.
“I should go ahead and shave these areas in case this is where you decide to get the tattoo.”
“Sure,” I croak.
His large hand lands on my bare shoulder. “I’ve got you, B. There is no one here but us, and I locked not only the front door but mine too. It’s just you and me.”
I nod, because there’s a lump of nerves in the back of my throat preventing me from speaking. Closing my eyes, I focus on breathing evenly while he shaves my shoulder and applies the stencil.
“I need to unhook your bra. Are you okay with that?”
I nod, but nothing happens. “Yes,” I say, finally finding my words. He unhooks my bra, and I press my T-shirt a little tighter against my chest.
“Hold on a second.” He moves around the room and comes back with a dark gray plush blanket. “I’m going to turn around. Wrap this around you, and I’ll lower the back to where I need it. Maybe that will make you feel more comfortable. It gets washed after every use. I keep it because sometimes during long sessions it gets cold in here and some clients find it comforting.”
“Thank you, Forrest.”
“I’m turning around. You tell me when you’re ready.” I watch as he turns his back to me and faces the opposite side of the room. Quickly, I remove my bra and wrap the blanket around me. I shove my bra into my T-shirt and place it on the desk.
“Okay.”
Forrest turns slowly, and his eyes trail over me. “Mirror,” he croaks. “Come to the mirror.” He motions toward the full-length mirror on the wall. “Hold this one.” He hands me a mirror to hold and positions me so that I can see the tattoo stencil. Gently, he moves the blanket so that I can see the full thing.
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re fucking gorgeous,” he breathes.
Lowering the mirror, I meet his gaze. “I meant about the placement.”
“That too. It doesn’t matter where you put this piece on your body, Briar. It’s going to be incredible. I’ll make sure of it.”
His confidence eases my fears and helps to boost my excitement. “Let’s check on the thigh.”
He nods for me to move back to the table in the center of the room. “You’ll need to lower your shorts unless you want it to be closer to your knee.”
“I think higher,” I admit.
He swallows hard. “I’ll turn around.”
He does so, and I try to hold on to the blanket to keep myself covered while taking off my shorts, but I lose my balance. I yell as I catch myself on the table and the blanket drops to the floor. Forrest turns in a flash, his eyes full of worry until he takes in the scene before him.
I rush to grab the blanket, but I’m standing on it, and I’m flustered. My shorts are unzipped, hanging open, my bare breasts are on display, and Forrest, he’s staring at me like I’m his next meal.
He holds my gaze as he steps toward me. Dropping to his knees, he gently lifts one leg then the other, rescuing the blanket. He places the blanket on the table while he peers up at me. No words are exchanged as he grabs the hem of my shorts and pulls them over my thighs.