Page 62 of Inflict

Evelyn laughed a tinkling sound. “Yeah, a little.”

“It’s a needle driving into your skin repeatedly and fast for at least four hours,” Connor said, shrugging, “it’s going to hurt a wee bit, love.”

She sighed. “It’s not that it’s going to hurt. You know what, never mind. Let’s just go ahead and start.”

The nervous lilt in her words couldn’t be hidden, and while Connor wanted to press her for more information on what exactly was making her feel that way, he decided to go ahead and start. It was what she wanted, after all.

Setting his tattoo machine aside, he picked up a black marker and set about freehanding the outline of what would eventually be a near-perfect match to Evelyn’s drawing of the gardenias. He only wanted to have the basic shape, and he would do the rest by sight, from the shading to the details.

He had her drawing at his side on the couch—a reference to go back to and keep track of where he was mentally—while she was resting on the glass coffee table. She used her elbow to prop her body up, while her legs sprawled along the glass top.

He wanted her to relax, but it wasn’t happening. Even the marker stroking black lines across her skin seemed to have her trembling ever so slightly.

Connor tossed the marker aside, and shot Evelyn a look. “Are you sure this is what you want to do, lass?”

“Yes.”

“Then you need to chill.”

Evelyn let out a slow exhale, and drummed her fingers against the glass. “I’ve gotten tattooed before, you know.”

Connor picked up the marker again and continued his task. “I saw the stars. They matched the ones the Russian had on his chest. Tell me about them.”

“What is there to tell? Ownership.”

“I think there’s more to it than that, Evelyn.”

“Sometimes, property needs to be marked for safety reasons—or that’s what was told to me,” she said dully.

Connor’s teeth gritted so hard, his molars ached. “Aye, well, name the day, and I’ll cover the nonsense for you.”

She smiled slightly. “Oh?”

“Name the day, love.”

“How many tattoos do you have?” Evelyn asked.

She’d seen him naked, so he wasn’t sure if she was asking to delay her tattoo, or because she didn’t pay attention. “Too many to count.”

“I’m sure you know the number.”

Connor chuckled darkly. “Fifty-two, although most have been turned into full sleeves of work over time.”

“Who did them?”

“Different people I know or met over the years. I did a few myself, when I was first learning and didn’t have a test subject. Are you wasting time?”

She took another deep breath and said, “I’m good, you can start anytime.”

He didn’t question her, simply picked up his kit, dipped the needle tip into the vat of black ink, and got to work. The buzzing of his kit drowned out most sounds as he leaned in closer to keep his focus on the line at hand. He expected Evelyn to react to the needle driving into her skin, but she barely moved at all. If anything, as he dragged the line along the first flower, and watched prickles of blood bubble up through the black ink, her legs relaxed under his touch and work.

A few more seconds ticked by, another stroke to make the outline of the half of a petal thicker, and he grabbed for the water and antiseptic mixture to spray and wipe.

This was Connor’s happy place, if he ever truly had one. There was nothing quite like taking a piece of art, and making it permanent onto someone’s body. Especially one as beautiful as Evelyn’s. She had on a loose tank top, and a pair of black lace knickers that barely covered the cheeks of her arse, which quite frankly, were doing him no favors in the focus department.

What it did afford him, however, was the ability to see other spots on her body that he could mark up. Places where he could put something else and color up her canvas with any kind of art she wanted him to.

Before he realized it, Connor had put in a good thirty minutes of time, and had one of five gardenias outlined almost entirely. The outlines would be the fastest, and quick touchups to fill in any spots that might need it wouldn’t take long at all. It would be the shading and details of the flowers that would take the longest period to finish.