The Tyger Tattoo by Hawke Oakley

Author:Hawke Oakley [Oakley, Hawke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-20T23:00:00+00:00

Six

Tj

The studio had a different energy when we returned. It was charged. Taut. Like both of us expected something to happen.

Although I’d been casual with Brady, I tried to slip back into a focused, professional state. I still had a tattoo to complete. I wouldn’t get any work done if I started drooling over my client.

“What should I do?” Brady asked, standing awkwardly in the middle of the studio. Since the fry-feeding incident, a blush had appeared on his cheeks and never disappeared. It was adorable.

“You can sit back in your seat,” I explained. “Let me wash up and I’ll be with you in a sec.”

After preparing to get back to work, I peeled off the plastic wrap from Brady’s forearm. There was a lot left to finish. The lines were complete, but now it was time for the color. Packing in all the pigment could take a while.

Which was fine with me. The longer I got to spend with Brady, the better.

After setting up my ink cups, I snapped my sterile gloves on. “Ready for round two?”

“Ready.”

I dipped my needle into the red ink, then pressed it into Brady’s soft, smooth skin. I quickly got back into the flow. The sound of the machine buzzing and the water fountain gurgling were the only noises in the silent studio.

Tattooing Brady felt intimate, even more than it had earlier while Kiara was present. I wondered if he felt the same way.

As I worked, I felt my pants growing strangely tight.

Oh, dear gods.

I shifted my weight in the seat, trying to arrange myself in a comfortable position. But all that did was confirm that, yes, I was hard.

That was a first. I’d never had a boner while tattooing a client before.

But Brady wasn’t any old client. He was my fated mate, whether he knew it or not. Did he sense an innate connection between us? Or were his human instincts too blunted to recognize the strings of destiny tying us together?

I was running out of time. I had to tell him the truth before I finished this tattoo.

But there was still one thing I remained curious about. Brady had mentioned a recent break-up with his ex—Kiara’s alpha father—but he hadn’t said why they broke up. What if he wasn’t ready for another relationship so soon? Humans had different customs than shifters. Even if what I felt for him was powerful and real, it was possible Brady wouldn’t appreciate my advances.

Fate brought us together today, and fate didn’t make mistakes. The only way to know if Brady was ready was to ask. I had to trust fate, which meant trusting my to-be mate to be honest with me.

“Brady,” I began softly. “Can I ask you something a bit intrusive?”

He blinked at me. “Sure.”

“Why did you break up with your ex?”

Brady flinched. I regretted hurting him, but I didn’t regret bringing it up. My alpha instincts stirred within me, eager to know the truth—eager to nurture and protect my mate, even from his own past.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.