“Not in the slightest,” I said. “As long as you can handle my odd shifts, my weird needs to go adventuring at midnight once in a while, and that I’m never going to be polished.”
August lifted up one of his tattooed arms. “What the fuck about this says polished? You’re dating a tattoo artist, not a banker.”
“Thank fuck.” A giddy laugh exploded out of me, and I soaked in the bliss of the moment—August by my side and the reality that we were just at the beginning.
We had a whole future of adventures ahead of us to dive headfirst into, and I couldn’t wait.
Chapter twenty-three
August
“Auggie, you’ve got a visitor,” Nyx called from over at her booth. “Some hot firefighter come to hose you down.”
I rolled my eyes. The crew at the shop had been relentless since I’d told them Drake and I were dating. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t love it though. Their nosiness was how they showed they cared, and I was incapable of being smothered. We’d gotten through the coffee meetup with Serena yesterday, but tonight was dinner with my folks, where I had to explain to them not only was I seeing someone, but I also wouldn’t be heading down to Florida with them.
I’d been breaking out in nervous sweats all day.
Drake agreed to meet me here first and wait around while I finished two short appointments—the clients wanted a set of coordinates, which should be an easy in and out and wrapped up in a half hour.
Drake strode to the back with the confidence that drew my attention every time. I’d fallen asleep last night with his cock in my mouth, and when I woke up in the middle of the night, that ended with me swallowing another load before I’d snuggled back up against him and passed out again.
He wore an open short sleeve button-down with a black tee that hugged his lithe form as well as form-fitting jeans that showed off his thick thighs. Goddamn. I wanted to sink my teeth into all that muscle.
“You’re drooling,” Cas said, peeking out from his booth.
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered, though I reached up to wipe it off—because I was.
Still, his dark hair was styled, his deep brown eyes shone with warmth, and his lips looked enticing as hell. My chest squeezed tight. And he was all mine. Giddiness erupted the way it continued to with the realization. I’d wanted someone by my side for so long, and Drake matched me in every way. Whether we were taking random drives at two in the morning on the highway, blasting punk music out of the stereo, or trying hikes in places we hadn’t yet discovered, every moment with him offered an excitement I was hooked on.
I’d never grow tired of this man.
“C’mere, baby,” he murmured as he offered a hand. I took it, and he hoisted me up and then yanked me forward. My chest collided with his, and he leaned down to claim my mouth in a searing kiss. I melted into it as the adrenaline hit my system, waking me up better than a shot of espresso. My whole body came to life in his presence, an undeniable awareness there that I’d recognized from the start.
A cough sounded from behind us. “Uh, August, your next clients are here.” Owen’s voice was close—had he brought them back?
I pulled away from Drake at once, my cheeks flushed. When I turned to face my boss, he stood beside two very familiar people.
“Mom? Dad?” My whole body torched into embarrassment. Shit, they’d seen me kissing Drake. Their eyes widened, and they stared between us. Owen’s words crashed in, and my brows furrowed. “Wait, clients?”
Mom’s eyes sparkled with her grin. “Yeah, your father and I wanted to surprise you. Looks like you had a surprise for us too.”
“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Owen said, offering a wave. His mouth twitched in amusement. “The rest of you, get back to your booths.”
Cas let out a huff but leaned back. Guaranteed he and Nyx would be listening in on everything we said.
“So, wait, is this an actual appointment?” I asked, still not putting everything together. “Or just a work visit?”
“An actual appointment,” Dad said. “Mom and I figured we would try being brave enough to get tattoos of our own. We didn’t expect this though.” Dad paused to glance over at Drake, who’d shoved his hands into his pockets. “Boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” he said, tugging a hand out and extending it. “Drake Castillo. Happy to meet you.”
“Castillo…” Mom said, a thoughtful look flickering across her features.
I scrubbed at my face. Oh god, this would be embarrassing. “My ex-girlfriend’s brother, yeah.” While Serena might not have mentioned me to her family, I’d yammered at length to my folks about her, the way I did about everyone I dated. Well, everyone up until Drake, but that was because I’d been so tangled up in their move and confused about what he and I were.
Dad let out a whistle. “That going to be complicated?”
Drake shook his head with a laugh. “Nah, Serena’s not the type to seriously date, but I am. And August is amazing.”
