Page 99 of Before We Break

What’s worse is that I can’t seem to stop thinking about Clio. Ever since that night on the fire escape, my mind has been plagued by dangerous ideas—ideas I never would’ve given credence to before she came into my life. Now, I can’t seem to make it stop.

A quiet knock sounds on my studio door, and Clio appears like a mirage in the desert.

“Hey. You busy?”

“For you? Never.”

What the hell was that sappy shit?

She smiles, and dammit, I can’t look away. “I have tickets to Lexi’s opening night tomorrow. Do you want to drive or meet me there?”

“Why the hell would I want to go to a school play?”

“Because we’re together, and you should be there for your future stepdaughter.”

I instantly recall our conversation about what a shitbag her stepdad was, and something inside of me softens. I wheel my stool closer, palming her hips. “I’ll always be there for Lexi. You know that.”

Her gentle hands bracket my face, her expression morphing from sadness to smug satisfaction. She pats my cheek. “Good boy. Pick me up at six.”

My cock jolts, and my grip on her hips tightens ever so slightly. Fucking hell, I like the sound of that.

A burst of laughter comes from the other room, and Gwen materializes in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She holds up her hand for a high five that Clio enthusiastically reciprocates. “Well played.”

I narrow my eyes at both of them.

Gwen’s baby blues sparkle with amusement. “So, Clio. Got any hidden tattoos?”

“Nope. I was supposed to get a matching one with my sister, but I chickened out.”

“I was getting ready to head out, but I could give you one right now.” She lowers her messenger bag like she’s planning to stay.

Like hell she is.

I stand from my stool and playfully shove Gwen out of the room. “Go home. If anybody’s tattooing my woman, it’ll be me.”

“What about nipple piercings?” she calls over my shoulder, stumbling backward toward the entrance. “You’ve got a great set of⁠—”

She doesn’t get the last word out as I shove her out the door and lock it behind her. She waggles her eyebrows and her muffled, sing-song voice travels through the glass. “Have fun.”

I flip the sign to closed and turn the deadbolt, striding back to my station.

Clio’s sitting on the edge of my tattoo chair, gripping the edge and swinging her legs back and forth. “Where’s Auggie tonight?”

“Movie night with Auntie Em before she jets off to her next shoot.”

“Do you have any plans tonight? Hot date?”

My hands bracket her hips, and I lean in close. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”

“Nope.”

I hesitate for a long moment, but I can’t seem to get the idea of tattooing Clio out of my head. The way her body would look with my art etched into her skin. I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that I won’t be in her life forever, but I can leave my mark. “Do you trust me?”

Twin pools of earthy sage stare back at me, steady and sure. “Yes.”

“Let me give you your first tattoo.”

She chews on the inside of her cheek, her fingers tapping out a nervous rhythm against the sides of the leather chair. “Will it hurt?”