mock disapproval. “Don’t you do anything merely out of the goodness of your heart?”
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. “Kissing you is a very good cardio workout. Just the thought of it is already making my heart race. Feel it.”
“Oh, in that case, your health should come first.” She leaned towards him and Nic swooped down, capturing her lips and giving his heart an intensive workout for several minutes. Nic didn’t know how long they stayed out in the street. Only some catcalls from a passing car snapped him out of the moment.
“Red, I think we better take this someplace else where we can finish,” he whispered roughly.
Lexie blinked as if coming out from a deep slumber. “No. Not yet. I have another item on my list,” she mumbled.
“What list?”
As usual, she ignored him. She appeared to be a woman on a mission. As if fuelled by a higher power, she dragged Nic a few stores back where they came from. Nic stared incredulously at the neon signage. “Vinny’s Skin Art,” he read incredulously. “You want to get inked?” Somehow he didn’t peg her to be the type.
She nodded with what appeared to be a mix of trepidation and determination aimed at the façade of the tattoo parlor. “I’m scared of needles.”
Nic shook his head, completely flummoxed. “Then why do it?”
She sent him a piercing look. “Because I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”
He looked at her for several seconds then simply held out his hand for her to take. She grasped it and they entered the shop.
----
S ensing that she was nervous , Vinny, a muscled Italian with a Brooklyn accent who, luckily, was in the store that night, made her drink a vodka on the house to calm her nerves. He was delighted that Lexie had seen his sample artwork courtesy of Freya.
“Normally you would have to book in advance to get a slot, but somebody chickened out,” he said, grinning. His black wife beater showed off his intricate tats.
“It’s our lucky night,” Nic said blandly.
“It must be my lucky earrings,” Lexie said, touching one of them, then realized what he had just said. “You’re getting one, too?” Lexie was starting to feel really relaxed by the cranberry vodka, now her official favorite drink. She was lounging on a mechanical chair, the one with fancy hydraulics. Around the walls were samples of artwork you could choose from.
“Sure. Why not?” he shrugged casually.
“Mind you, it can’t be anything too complicated or original. For that, I need days to draw out the design from your concept before we can execute it.”
“No,” Lexie started to shake her head and stopped, feeling a bit lightheaded in a pleasant way. “I want something simple. Just something to remember this night.”
Vinny ambled off to prepare his materials. “Be back in a jiffy.”
“What is Nic short for?”
“Nicolas.” Each syllable was drawn out, melodious. “What is Lexie short for?” he riposted quickly.
“Just Lexie.”
“Are we still playing this game?”
“What game?”
“The 20/20 questions. Twenty questions from me and twenty non-answers from you.”
Her face fell. It’s not that she wanted to hide her identity from Nic. Sooner or later he was bound to find out. She’d rather it be later. “Not now.”
She heard him sigh in frustration as he dropped on an identical chair across her. She was saved by Vinny, who came back with an assistant.
“This is Mike.” He gestured to the young looking man who appeared to be barely out of high school. At the doubt in Nic’s eyes, he said: “He’s a genius. Trained him myself.” He addressed Mike. “You take care of him,” he said, pointing to Nic, then he turned to Lexie. “And I’ll take care of this sweetheart.”
“Naturally,” was Nic’s sardonic reply.
Lexie saw the warning glance Nic shot Vinny.
“Where do you want it, honey?”
“Here, please.” Lexie shrugged off Nic’s coat, revealing her delectable body, and gestured to her
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. “Kissing you is a very good cardio workout. Just the thought of it is already making my heart race. Feel it.”
“Oh, in that case, your health should come first.” She leaned towards him and Nic swooped down, capturing her lips and giving his heart an intensive workout for several minutes. Nic didn’t know how long they stayed out in the street. Only some catcalls from a passing car snapped him out of the moment.
“Red, I think we better take this someplace else where we can finish,” he whispered roughly.
Lexie blinked as if coming out from a deep slumber. “No. Not yet. I have another item on my list,” she mumbled.
“What list?”
As usual, she ignored him. She appeared to be a woman on a mission. As if fuelled by a higher power, she dragged Nic a few stores back where they came from. Nic stared incredulously at the neon signage. “Vinny’s Skin Art,” he read incredulously. “You want to get inked?” Somehow he didn’t peg her to be the type.
She nodded with what appeared to be a mix of trepidation and determination aimed at the façade of the tattoo parlor. “I’m scared of needles.”
Nic shook his head, completely flummoxed. “Then why do it?”
She sent him a piercing look. “Because I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”
He looked at her for several seconds then simply held out his hand for her to take. She grasped it and they entered the shop.
----
S ensing that she was nervous , Vinny, a muscled Italian with a Brooklyn accent who, luckily, was in the store that night, made her drink a vodka on the house to calm her nerves. He was delighted that Lexie had seen his sample artwork courtesy of Freya.
“Normally you would have to book in advance to get a slot, but somebody chickened out,” he said, grinning. His black wife beater showed off his intricate tats.
“It’s our lucky night,” Nic said blandly.
“It must be my lucky earrings,” Lexie said, touching one of them, then realized what he had just said. “You’re getting one, too?” Lexie was starting to feel really relaxed by the cranberry vodka, now her official favorite drink. She was lounging on a mechanical chair, the one with fancy hydraulics. Around the walls were samples of artwork you could choose from.
“Sure. Why not?” he shrugged casually.
“Mind you, it can’t be anything too complicated or original. For that, I need days to draw out the design from your concept before we can execute it.”
“No,” Lexie started to shake her head and stopped, feeling a bit lightheaded in a pleasant way. “I want something simple. Just something to remember this night.”
Vinny ambled off to prepare his materials. “Be back in a jiffy.”
“What is Nic short for?”
“Nicolas.” Each syllable was drawn out, melodious. “What is Lexie short for?” he riposted quickly.
“Just Lexie.”
“Are we still playing this game?”
“What game?”
“The 20/20 questions. Twenty questions from me and twenty non-answers from you.”
Her face fell. It’s not that she wanted to hide her identity from Nic. Sooner or later he was bound to find out. She’d rather it be later. “Not now.”
She heard him sigh in frustration as he dropped on an identical chair across her. She was saved by Vinny, who came back with an assistant.
“This is Mike.” He gestured to the young looking man who appeared to be barely out of high school. At the doubt in Nic’s eyes, he said: “He’s a genius. Trained him myself.” He addressed Mike. “You take care of him,” he said, pointing to Nic, then he turned to Lexie. “And I’ll take care of this sweetheart.”
“Naturally,” was Nic’s sardonic reply.
Lexie saw the warning glance Nic shot Vinny.
“Where do you want it, honey?”
“Here, please.” Lexie shrugged off Nic’s coat, revealing her delectable body, and gestured to her
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