Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #1.5)(56)

Stepping away from her, I shamelessly ran my eyes over her beautiful body, and once again my chest filled with love when they caught sight of my work on her hip, and her little Gummy Bear bump. She finished her visual exploration of me seconds after I’d finished mine of her, and I bent down to press my lips to her growing belly and tattoo before standing to take her lips in mine. She moaned, and her hands came up to my neck as she deepened our kiss. Lifting her gently, I carried her over to the bed and deposited her in the middle before crawling on top of her.

Minutes that felt like hours—and still not nearly long enough—were spent touching every inch of each other with hot kisses and memorizing hands. As I made a trail of openmouthed kisses up her body, she grabbed my cheeks and begged me not to make her wait any longer. She grabbed my length and guided it to where she wanted it most, whimpering softly when I pushed inside her. Her eyes had fluttered shut momentarily, and opened on a gasp when I slid out and back in. I made love to her slowly, letting my lips graze hers softly before making their way back down to worship her neck and breasts, and when her head dropped back, and her body tightened as she came, I rolled us over so she was on top and lowered her body to kiss her again as she continued to move on me. Her breathing picked up again, and she intertwined our fingers, holding our hands down firmly on the bed as she sat up slightly and rolled her hips against mine over and over. I gritted my teeth and removed one of my hands from hers to grip her hip and help in her movement as she cried out her next orgasm, and I followed her into it.

“CHASE, WHERE’S MY baby mama?”

I turned to look at Brian and laughed. “Probably out with my mom and sister.”

“Well, get her ass in here! I miss my baby boy.”

“Bri, she was just here a couple days ago.”

He looked at me like I was missing something. “Yeah . . . and?”

“And apparently nothing,” I snorted, and looked back down to the rib cage of the girl I was working on. “You doin’ all right?”

“Uh-huh!” she said tightly, and blew out quickly.

“If you need me to take another break, just let me know.” She’d already taken one, and all I was doing was a name. I could easily have this done in ten minutes, fifteen tops. But not even halfway in she said she was going to pass out, and she needed ten minutes just to calm down. I’d advised her not to get her first tattoo on her ribs, but people will do what they want.

“N-no. I’m—I’m okay.”

Hell no, she wasn’t. I lowered my voice as I continued on, trying to calm her. “We’re almost done. Promise.”

The bells above the door sounded and I glanced up to see a Kat Von D look-alike walk into the shop.

“You lookin’ to get work done?”

“No,” her husky voice said confidently as she walked right up to my station. “I’m Trish, and I start today.”

I nodded but kept working. “Chase, good to meet you. Brian just stepped into the back for a second. He can show you around.” Other than Brian, Jeff, and me, we’d had one other artist, Frankie, but the guy was usually so stoned out of his mind he couldn’t work even if he did show up. Jeff had finally gotten rid of him a few weeks ago, but we’d been struggling with just the three of us, and he’d hired someone new while Harper and I had been in Dana Point. He hadn’t said anything about its being a girl, though.

“Hey, homie!” Brian called out to her as he walked back in. “You bring your stuff with you today?”

“It’s on the way, I left it in my girl’s car, and she had to run an errand. She’ll be here in a minute.”

“All right, well I see you met Chase. Chase, this is the new chick.” No shit. “Let me show you around the shop and get you in your station.”

Thank God I’d pulled the needle away from the girl I was working on, because Trish touched my shoulder, and I jerked away from her hand. “Good to meet you, buddy.”

“Yeah.” Fuck. Hot chick working here? I honestly didn’t care if she was a model; it wouldn’t change the fact that the only person I wanted was Princess. But I knew from our conversations she still didn’t really believe that I’d wanted only her since I met her. And I just hoped this didn’t make her insecurities with our relationship grow.

I finished the small tattoo, covered it, and got her out the door before I went to where Brian and Trish were hanging out. As soon as I sat on Brian’s counter, the door opened again, and Trish smiled wide as she ran over to it. Following her path, I saw a butch-looking girl standing there only to catch Trish as she crashed into her and kissed her hard. I blew out a relieved breath and smiled to myself. She’s gay. Thank. God.

“That’s hot,” Brian said next to me, and I looked at him like he was insane.

“Bri, the other chick looks more like a guy than you do.”

“Don’t be jealous of my hair, bro. You just wish you could pull this off.”

“You look like Troy Polamalu. Trust me when I say I’m not jealous.”

He kicked at my leg and nodded when the girls walked up to us.

“Brian, Chase . . . this is my girlfriend, Erin. Erin, these are some of the guys.”

Erin set a box I’m guessing had Trish’s needle in it on the counter and roughly shook our hands. “You guys take care of my girl for me.”