“Oh.Right.In the garden.”She took his hand and walked with him around the side of the house, to the gate, and into the back yard.She pulled him along the pathway to the round bench.
“Okay, dude.I need you official.”
He snorted, took a few steps, peeled his shirt off, and his tattoos lit up.
She looked at him and smiled.“Speaker...”
“Ah, ah.You know the criteria.”
“Oh.Right.”She twisted her fingers in a particular gesture, and her clothing vanished to be deposited inside the house.
He looked at her, and his throat flexed.She knelt in front of him.“Speaker.Would you hold me while I sleep tonight?And what would it cost me?”
He stared down at her.“That’s it?”
“Yes.I don’t normally sleep with someone else in the room, so I thought I should start before anything else happens.”She smiled.“So, what is the price?”
He paused.“Allow me to design all your tattoos.”
“Sure.Wait.All?”
“All.Every inked inch of you.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Yes, it will be.”
She frowned.“That seems like a steep price for a cuddle.”
He glowed bright.“Fine.I will design them all, but only the link to the speakers will be administered while I watch.Well, that and your Daring Claw tattoo, and your shaman tattoo and...okay, I will owe you about six boons, including asking me for membership in the Daring Claw.”
“I have to ask; it isn’t offered?”
“It is definitely offered, but you want to have a stated agreement before the first ink falls.”
“So, I am agreeing to membership?”
“Yes.You are very comfortable naked.”
She smiled.“Is that a problem?”
“No, it is a perk.”
“Well, then, Speaker Tam-or, do we have a deal?”
He smiled.“We do.”He took her hands and pulled her to her feet.“It is traditional to seal it with a kiss.”
“Is it?”
He pulled her against him.“In our case, definitely.Can you let your hair down?”
“I can, but you will owe me for it.”
He smiled.“What do you want?”
“You holding my hand when the marks go on if I need it.”
He smiled.“I can do that.”
