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"I'm going to make you a deal," she said, watching me steadily. "A veryraredeal. You ready?"
I nodded.
She cupped one of my hands in hers, bringing it into her lap. "I'm going to give you something else to focus on, then do a test patch."
"What am I supposed to focus on?"
"This," she said, bringing my hand up to cup her breast.
I chuckled. "Can I say I'm glad this is a rare opportunity?"
She grinned. "You can. Think you'll be okay if I do a test on you now?"
"Am I a total neanderthal if I say yes?"
Eve's chest shook with her gentle chuckle. "Nope. Just predictable."
She flipped her tattoo pen on, watching me carefully. I narrowed my world down, ignoring the soft buzzing, ignoring the prick of pain, until my world was just her.
"How are you doing?" she asked, sitting back slightly.
I refused to look down at her work. I already knew she was an amazing artist, and I didn't need to see my own blood.
"Fine," I said, surprised to realize that I meant it. Touching Eve, watching Eve, helped me dismiss the needle.
"Good. Just keep focusing on me, and I'll be done soon," she promised.
I lost all track of time, meditating on Eve, on our life together over the last year, as she worked on my tattoo.
Our night in Spokane had been magical. Eve had loved the suite I rented for the occasion. Its mix of modern black, white, and red decor and stunning views of the Spokane riverfront made a romantic setting for our getaway. Both dinner andHamiltonhad been fantastic, and we'd cuddled around the fireplace at the hotel’s rooftop bar afterward, sipping drinks and chatting about the stagecraft we'd seen. Sharing the experience with Eve had been everything I'd hoped, only reinforcing how well we worked together. On paper, we were a terrible match: the prickly, dark artist and the uptight, traditional school administrator. Bureaucracy and artistry. Fluidity versus rigidity. But being with Eve made me realize once and for all:paper didn't know shit. No one was all one thing. Eve wasn't always late, and I wasn't always early. Together, we'd reached a kind of middle ground, but without losing what was best about each of us.
And the sex. Holy hell. We burned the sheets up, feeding each other fantasies. I loved Eve’s creativity. Making love to her was better than any rush I got piloting thePrincipal's Office. Eve had joined me for a few races over the summer, and she seemed to enjoy the thrill as much as I did. I loved watching the pure joy on her face as we sped across the lake. She was more than a match for me. I could go toe-to-toe with her in the bedroom or behind the wheel, and she held her own.
"Done," Eve said, leaning back to examine her work.
Her soft smile reached inside my chest and squeezed.
"Just getting started," I countered.
She chuckled. "I meant with your tattoo, silly. Do you want to see it?"
I shook my head. "No, I trust you."
"And I trustyou." She leaned in, brushing my lips in a soft kiss. "I love that you chose this tribute to Joe."
"Me too," I said. "He's always had a piece of me, this just makes it official."
"And we finally have matching tattoos," Eve crowed, grinning good-naturedly over her victory, reminding me of her suggestion for my auction package in the days before we started dating.
I loved that smile. I wanted to see it every day. Be the cause of it.
"I'd like to do something else just as permanent, but with less blood."
"What's that?" Eve asked, turning to set down her pen.
She took a moment to clean her equipment, and I used her distraction to pull the box from my pocket, flipping it open to reveal a ring she'd admired on our summer trip to the Tri-Cities for one of my races.
Her eyes widened as she turned back to me.
