Page 123 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

She jumped at his touch, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek as she apologized softly. She was so on edge, so tense, just like him.

She’d be just as sensitive too, just as responsive, but he tried not to think about that.

And failed.

The buzz of the gun filled his ears, and as the color bloomed on her skin, filling in her tattoo, he focused on his work. On giving her the best damned tattoo he could.

And by the time it was over, he felt like he’d run a marathon.

His cock was rock-hard, and he wanted more than anything to kiss her, to taste her.

But instead he focused on explaining the after care, assuring her that he’d check it every few days if she wanted.

“And even if you don’t, I’ll probably do it anyway,” he warned.

She rolled her eyes, but knew he was serious. He swiped the tattoo with antibacterial solution and told her to get a good look at it.

“I’ll put the derma bandage on, so get a good look now. It’ll be a while before we can remove this.”

Lyric hopped up and went to look at the tattoo in the full-length mirror.

“It looks so good,” she breathed, her fingers ghosting over the area but not touching. “You’re talented. Wow. Look at how you blended those colors!”

Henry mumbled, “Thanks,” and packed his gear away as she took a few pictures. When he turned back around, she was seated on the table, still staring at the permanent art.

“Okay, bandage me up,” she said. Her grin was carefree and excited, but the longer they stared, the more it wilted.

No, not wilted. While it did fade, it wasn’t gone completely, it just… morphed. Into desire.

Henry avoided her gaze. Only a few more seconds, and he could escape. He never ever became intimate with clients, and never on the bus. That was his one goddamned rule.

Carefully, he laid the bandage over her tattoo, which would keep the colors vibrant and protect her skin during the healing process.

He smoothed the edges with his thumbs, his first touch against her skin without the latex of gloves between them. His hands went rogue, smoothing over the seams of the bandages a few more times than necessary. Once he realized what he was doing, he lifted his hands away and lowered them to his sides.

“You’re good to—”

“Henry,” Lyric interrupted.

He lifted his gaze from her thigh to her eyes, and his heart almost burst out of his chest.

“Too much,” she warned.

Henry’s pulse skyrocketed as he took a half step back, but she was off the table and wrapping a hand around the back of his neck before he was ready. He stumbled into her, and it gave Lyric the leverage she needed to yank his head down to hers.

Henry groaned but pulled back a split second later. It was only long enough for him to read her expression, but it was filled with the same desire he’d been fighting all day.

Her nails dug into the back of his neck, and he let his hands feather down to rest on her hips.

“Lyric,” he breathed.

Fuck.

He was about to break his own damned rule.

Some things in life just didn’t go to plan. At least, that was what Lyric told herself as she finally gave in.

It’s just a tattoo, she mocked herself silently.