The sound startled her when he turned the needle machine on, but she relaxed quickly, watching as he dipped it in the ink and then went back to her wrist. Pain, but not a massive amount, vibrated through her as he worked.

The light gleamed off the darkness of his hair. Hair she wanted to touch just then, but resisted because it was his place of work and all. After a few minutes she sort of fell into it, the buzzing, the metallic edge of pain as he worked and the needle hit her skin, the sounds around them, the scents—it all hummed through her and she realized just why people did this. It felt good, like a ritual.

It didn’t take him very long. He wiped her wrist off and sat back. “What do you think?”

It was perfect. Just the right size. Nothing flashy or gaudy. A little mark of importance for Rennie.

“Oh.” She looked at it, loving it. He’d only used black with a tiny bit of gray so the bee’s stripes weren’t yellow and black, but black with thin gray bands like those bees who happily buzzed away in her garden. “It’s perfect. I love that you didn’t use yellow. I hadn’t even thought of it but . . . I love it. Thank you.”

“I’m glad. We’re on for dinner tonight, yes?”

She nodded. “I’m stopping by the deli on the way home because I don’t want to cook.”

He put some sort of goop on the tattoo, a thin layer of gel, and taped a bandage over it. “First things first. Leave the bandage on for two hours. When you take it off, wash it with a mild soap and dry it. Pat it dry, don’t rub at it. Then put this on it.” He handed her a tube. “That’s made specifically for tattoo aftercare. This should heal up pretty quickly. Take care of it. Keep it out of direct sunlight for long periods of time. I know how much you like long baths, but if you take one, keep the wrist out of it. Don’t pick at the scab or the skin either. I’m going to give you a paper that’ll detail what you need to do and I’ll be there to make sure you’re fine.”

“Ew. I promise not to pick scabs. Like, ever.” She curled her lip. “Holy crap, I had no idea it was this involved.”

He shook his head. “It’s all common sense stuff. I’ll be your personal tattoo doctor.”

“I like the sound of that.” She lasered her eyes on him. “Now, you’re going to charge me for this tattoo. The regular price. Oh, okay if you wanted to give me a discount because we get naked, I won’t say no. But no freebies.”

“It’s my shop and I’ll charge if I want, what I want. That was the most fun I’ve had doing a tattoo in a really long time. It was my pleasure to give you your first and I’m thrilled that you like it so much. I eat at your house at least four nights a week. You never charge me for groceries.”

“No, but you leave groceries in my pantry. Don’t think I don’t notice. And don’t think I miss the twenty that shows up on the counter or tucked in my purse. I don’t charge for dinner, but that’s not even applicable here and you know it.”

She put a hand on her hip and met his narrowed eyes with her own. He snorted. “I’m not charging you. Period.”

“Fine,” she said lightly. “I’ll just have someone else do the other tattoo I want.”

He caught up to her in two steps. He grabbed his jacket and told Arvin he was gone for the day.

“You’re not leaving early just for me. This is your business!”

“You would argue that the sky was blue.” His arm about her shoulders steered her outside as people called their good-byes.

“Are you saying I’m stubborn? For no reason other than I’m just refusing to expect free tattoos from you?”

“I’m saying you’re argumentative. And no one else is going to tattoo you. I’m the best and you deserve the best. Now, tell me the tattoo you were thinking of.”

She shoved money in his hand and he groaned.

“Now I feel much better. There will be no one at my house for another hour and a half,” she called out over her shoulder as she walked to her car and got inside.

He grinned as he knocked on her front door. Grinned even harder as he heard her look out the viewer before her locks all started to disengage. Absolutely infuriating, but fascinating. Strong. Gorgeous. Smart and steadfast. He’d simply buy her groceries now. He was just as stubborn as she was.

“That grin doesn’t bode well for me, I think.” She opened the door, standing there in absolutely nothing. Sometimes she surprised him in all the best ways.

“No need to worry.” He went inside and locked up behind himself, setting the alarm and following her to her bedroom. He sucked in a breath when he caught sight of her, settled on the bed. “All my thoughts of you, especially right now, are pretty f**king positive.”

“Bring it.” One of her eyebrows arched in challenge, but he barely registered it because, hello, naked.

He tossed himself on the bed, careful not to crush her. “Wow, I thought bad things were supposed to happen when you left work early to be with your girlfriend. I may have to leave early every day now.”

Her hands paused a moment as she removed his shirt, but he’d said it deliberately. They’d moved to a new stage in their relationship and he wanted to say it out loud. Aside from a tiny bit of panic, he felt fine. Better than fine in fact.

He feasted on her mouth. She opened to him, her hands roaming all over his body, nails scoring his sides where they drove him to shivers of delight, his lower back as she urged him closer.