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Chef Jordan brings our beverages, and we dish ourselves breakfast, complimenting the chef for another delicious meal. He sucks up our praises. I excuse myself to feed Hades. He’s been at my feet, drooling all through breakfast. After Hades has gobbled up his meal, I take him to the bedroom to nap while we’re gone. I meet Maceo outside by the SUV, and he helps me into the vehicle, climbing in beside me, and taking us into town.
Twenty minutes later, I’m scowling in the beauty department of Walgreens. Maceo pulls tube after tube of lipstick out, trying to match one to my lips. “Um, why are we doing this?” I ask for the millionth time.
Maceo smiles and shakes his head. “I’m not telling. It’s a surprise.”
My scowl deepens. “I thought the point of wearing lipstick was to color your lips a different shade, not match it.”
“All will be revealed in time, Pixie,” he says with a chaste kiss to my cheek. “This is the one.” He walks to the check-out and purchases the cosmetic.
“Are you sure? I mean, you skipped a whole row right there,” I goad, sarcastic.
“Nope, this is definitely it,” he says with a smile, ignoring my slighting. He hands me the lipstick. “Here, put it on.”
I read the name and snort. “Toasted Rose. What’s it supposed to be? A sun burnt flower?” I apply the lipstick, rolling my lips together to smooth out the nonexistent color difference.
Maceo pulls out a piece of white paper from his pocket and slaps it against the wall. “Kiss it,” he commands.
“You fucking kiss it,” I hiss back.
Sometimes his authoritative behavior is sexy, and other times I want to kick him in the butt. Right now, I’m ready to swing my foot into his ass.
He chuckles. “You’re damn cute when you’re feisty. Please, humor me and kiss the paper.”
Sighing, I pucker my lips and kiss the piece of paper, leaving behind an impression of my lips.
“Perfecto,” Maceo says. He nods for me to climb back in the SUV. I huff and puff and plead for him to fill me in on what he’s planning, but he won’t budge. He wants to surprise me. And surprise me he does when he pulls up to a tattoo parlor.
I roll my eyes. “Really, Maceo? We’re having a romantic getaway, and you want to get new ink that will take God knows how long,” I bitch, climbing out of the SUV. I slam the door with a little more force than necessary.
Maceo is full-on belly laughing which chaps my ass. “Trust me, Pixie. This will be worth it.”
Like a stubborn child, I fold my arms and stomp into the parlor. Inside it’s way more sterile-smelling than I imagined and very clean. At least he picked a good place to have work done.
A burly looking Black dude with full sleeves and big gauges in his ears approaches us. “Well, look what the devil dragged in,” the Black man says with a smirk. He comes up to Maceo and gives him a huge brotherly hug.
Maceo smiles. “Hey, Darnel. Good to see you.”
“Man, you didn’t tell me you were coming into town. I would have taken the day off,” he says with regret.
“I’m actually here with my fiancée, and I wanted to get a special piece done for her,” he says, nodding at me. “Come here, Josephine, and meet one of my SEAL brothers.”
Shocked he addressed me as hisfiancée,I come to his side and hold my hand out to Darnel. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Darnel takes my hand and pulls me into a big hug. He’s a great hugger. He steps back to look at me. “Hello, beautiful,” he says with a bright smile. He looks back at Maceo. “‘Bachelor for life,’ huh, bro? Yeah, fuck that when a beauty like this walks your way.”
“She definitely flipped my switch,” Maceo admits with a proud smile, eyeing me.
Darnel slaps Maceo on the back. “Congrats, brother. I can’t wait for the big day. When is it?”
“He proposed today. There’s no date set,” I answer, but Maceo goes over my head. “End of the month if I get it my way.”
“Thehellit is, asshole. I’m only getting married once, and it’s not going to be some half-ass rushed shotgun wedding. You will wait until I feel like it’s fucking perfect,” I snap.
Darnel barks a laugh. “She swears like a SEAL! Oh man, I can see why she’s got you hooked. Okay, okay. What’s the ink you want done?”
Maceo pulls out the lipstick mark and holds it out to Darnel. “I want my pixie’s lips on my heart. It’s her favorite spot to kiss me, and I want her name tattooed underneath.”
My head whips to attention. “Say what?”
