More Than Lies (More Than #1)(24)

“It’s beautiful, Cosmo.”

“Well, sweet cheeks, I can’t take credit for that. That is all on your boy, here.” No, not my boy, but I don’t say that.

I catch Shawn’s grin, but that’s all. His head is lowered and he’s focused on the design. Unlike Shawn’s similar tattoo, this one is a portrait of a woman. Her chin is resting in the palm of her right hand and she is smiling a big, gorgeous smile. One might think Shawn probably recreated this from a photograph, but I’d be willing to bet Cosmo showed him a few snap shots of his late wife and then Shawn created this image himself. He’s that good.

“I know; he’s an amazing artist, isn’t he?”

Shawn glances up as if surprised I would think that. I’m not looking at him, but I catch his expression from the corner of my eye. I’m still looking at his client, who is relaxed into the black padded chair that reminds me of the type you’d find in a dentist’s office.

“The only person I’ve ever let permanently mark me up,” Cosmo laughs out.

“Don’t fucking move, old man.” Shawn’s voice doesn’t have any heat behind it. He’s always had a soft spot for the guy in front of me. He’s sweet, but I don’t know him all that well. Mason and Shawn never have anything but praise for the man.

“What about you, Taralynn, have you let him mark you yet?” Cosmo knows my name? Strange. Sure, I’ve seen him a handful of times. At cookouts back home mainly, but I didn’t think I had made enough of an impression upon him to actually learn my name.

“I keep telling her she needs a little ink. Her vanilla skin is bad for my business.” Adam walks over, throwing his own ink covered left arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.

“No, sir.” I answer Cosmo’s question as I push away from Adam. The word marked has my face heating from another way I’d much rather be marked by Shawn Braden.

“You want any?” Cosmo doesn’t wait for my reply. He continues on, “You know, he told me,” Cosmo lifts his arm, the one that isn’t being worked on, and points a finger in Shawn’s direction, “these things were addicting. I have to say he was right.”

“I don’t know.” I do want a tattoo and I want one bad, but I haven’t the slightest idea what I’d want placed on my body forever. “Maybe.” I’m not sure I wouldn’t wake up one day and no longer like it. That’s what’s stopping me, I guess.

“What?” Shawn lifts his head and cocks it to the side. “You want a tattoo?”

I shrug my shoulders. I mean what else am I to do? I don’t know what I’d want and I’d probably pick something stupid anyway.

“That is a no.” He says flatly.

“It’s not a no, Shawn. I want one; I’ve wanted one for a long time. All of yours are amazing, but I don’t know what I’d want permanently branded on me for . . . forever.” I’m a book nerd that loves to read and write the stories that play out in my head. I don’t have a favorite flower or bird. “There isn’t anything I can think of that would look pretty on me.”

“If that’s the case, and you like all of his shit,” Adam gestures in Shawn’s direction, “then you need to let me tattoo you seeing how I put damn near all the tattoos he’s toting around on him.” Shawn glances up briefly before continuing his final touches of Cosmo’s tattoo.

“I don’t think so.”

“And why not?” Adam is clearly offended. That wasn’t my intention, and I’m not sure how to smooth this over.

“Adam, you are a really good artist, obviously. But what I find amazing about Shawn’s tattoos are the design. Everything inked on his skin was something he thought up in his head and drew out. It’s his work, just placed on him by someone else. If I ever decide to get a tattoo, there is no one I’d let do it other than Shawn.”

I glance over in Shawn’s direction again. He’s staring at me but not saying anything. The expression on his face is strange, as if that was the last thing he expected to come out of my mouth. But every word I said was true.

“Really?” It’s a whisper out of Shawn’s mouth.

“Yes, really. If I ever come across something I want, I’d only have you do it.” I laugh at a thought. “I’ll probably be like Cosmo, waiting until I’m middle-aged. But then my skin will be, too, and mine won’t look as good.”

“I’m done, old man.” Shawn says to Cosmo as he backs away from the reclining chair and cleans up his station. “You’re my last appointment for the day. We’re about to head to Jackson, so I’ll see you out.” He turns to me, taking his keys out of his pocket and holding them out for me to take. “I’ll meet you in the truck in a few minutes.”

I take them and make my way outside.

I’m ready to get on the road. The sooner we get out of Oxford, the sooner we will make it to Jackson; to my brother’s. It’s been over a month since I’ve seen Trent.





I’m sitting in the backseat of Shawn’s pickup truck with my shoes off and my legs crisscrossed in the seat. We’ve been on the road for nearly an hour and a half and are almost there.

The closer we get to Jackson, the more excited I become.