“Fuck.” He wanted to break something. Punch someone. No one hit a woman and got away with it. He would find this Greg Jefferies and make sure he didn’t so much as think about Casey again.
He pulled a shirt on and grabbed a six pack of beer from his fridge. The box of condoms for that dude at Casey’s office, and a few more in his pocket. Just in case.
Jason was still pissed when he walked back over to Casey’s, but his mood lifted when he saw her. She was standing on her toes to reach the dishes. He should have offered to help, but the t-shirt she was wearing had lifted and gave him the slightest peek at her ass. Covered in red lace to match the bra she had on earlier.
“Need some help?”
She squeaked, so damn adorable. “Yes, please.”
He set the beer down on the counter, but instead of grabbing the plates, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. “I could get used to this.”
“Really?” she asked, her voice as shy as she was.
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
With the food dished up and a couple of beers cracked open, they sat next to each other on the sofa. “So, you’re into tattoos, huh?”
She tucked her long hair behind her ear. “Am I that obvious?”
“You have five issues of Toned and Tattooed on your coffee table.”
“Oh, right. Well…”
“I was featured in the fifth issue. A retro piece I did on a b-list celeb.”
“That is amazing. Congratulations.”
Jason shrugged. “When do I get to see your tattoos, Casey?”
“I told you I don’t have any.”
Jason dropped his fork. “Are you fucking with me? I thought you were teasing before.”
“Um, no.”
He chuckled. “Your skin is an artist’s dream.” Jason grabbed the sharpie off the table and popped off the cap. “May I draw on you?”
Casey laughed. “With a felt pen?”
“For now.”
“Okay.”
Jason wiped his hands on his jeans and then stood up. “Okay. Lie back.”
Casey’s mood seemed to have improved, and she was far more relaxed. He was thrilled she was playing along with him. Even more that he was about to get his hands all over her.
“What are you going to draw?” she asked.
“Hmm. Let’s see.”
He dropped to his knees beside her and smoothed his palm over her hip, pushed the t-shirt up to her slender waist, tried not to focus on the fact she was no longer wearing a bra.
“We’re still doing the tattoo thing right?”
He cleared his throat. Casey needed a gentleman tonight. “We are.”
He traced his fingertip over her hip, down her thigh.
“That feels nice.”
“What’s your favorite flower, Casey?”
“Lilies.”
“Perfect.” He leaned in and started sketching on her skin. “Why haven’t you got a tat yet, Case?”
Jason was in his element. Sure, this was just a pen, but a warm body was his canvas.
“I don’t know. Nervous, I guess. You admitted it hurts.”
He slid his hand over her thigh before sketching in the petals of another flower. “It depends.”
“On which part of the body?”
“Who your artist is.”
Casey laughed. “Are you saying if I wanted this design on my body permanently, it wouldn’t hurt?”
“I could distract you enough you wouldn’t notice.”
“How, um, would you do that?” Her voice had turned breathy and she started to squirm on the sofa.
“God, Casey.” He wanted to tell her he could bring her to near orgasm, so she wouldn’t even think about the tiny needle puncturing her skin. He wanted to tell her the sexual tension between them alone would have her so distracted, her only thoughts would be about making love to him when he was finished marking her.
But then she spoke. So sweet and innocent. “Would you kiss me?”
Jason tossed the pen on the table and crawled over her body, pressed his mouth to hers. “Why are you so damn sexy?”
“It’s because I’m not wearing a bra, isn’t it?”
Jason slid his hands up her sides, under her shirt, slid his thumbs over her soft curves to touch her nipples. She cried out at his touch. “Jesus Christ, Casey. You’re killing me.”
“I want you.”
Jason clenched his jaw and let out a deep breath. “How am I supposed to be a gentleman when you talk like that?”
She bit her lip, smiled as she met his eyes. “What if I want a bad boy tonight?”
“Yeah?” He reached up to caress her soft, silky hair. “I think I can do that for you. How bad do you want me to be?”
“I want your hands all over me. I want you inside me. And please, don’t stop kissing me.”
He leaned in, pressed his lips to hers. “I can make all of that happen. All of it. But first, I want you to see this tat. I want you to see how sexy it looks on your incredible body.”
He was trying to be a good guy and needed a minute so he could gain some semblance of control.
Jason stood and pulled Casey to her feet, might have looked down her top, smiled when she caught him.
“Full-length mirror?” he asked.
“My bedroom.”
“Lead the way, gorgeous.”
Casey’s hand in his was warm, her hips moved seductively, and he admired her confidence around him. Especially after the false start they had. After she had been so recently abused by someone she thought she could trust.
Her bedroom was whitewashed, her sheets white satin, her curtains white lace.
Purity. An angel just waiting to be tarnished by a devil in disguise.
Her mirror was framed in gold, her body was fucking gorgeous, and so small next to him, at least a foot shorter. But damn did she look good wrapped in his arms.
But Casey wasn’t looking at him in their reflection. Instead, she was fixated on the tattoo.
Chapter
Fourteen
Casey
The black marker lines over the front of her thigh, up her hip, took her breath away.
Flowers and leaves. Such a simple idea, but the design was complex, shadows and light. The drawing was art. It was gorgeous.
“Wow.”
“You like it?”
She tore her gaze from her leg and met Jason’s eyes in the mirror. “I love it. How are you so talented? With a felt pen.”
His laughter was soft, as if to brush off the compliment. “I have a beautiful canvas.” His hands moved up her sides, and she shivered when he brushed the sides of her breasts.
“You’re sensitive here,” he whispered, then kissed her temple. “I wonder what else I can do to make you react like that.”
He lifted the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head, helped her slip it from her arms. She was left in nothing but her panties, yet she didn’t feel naked. Not with Jason. Not with the tattoo on her body. It was a shield. It made her feel safe.
Jason slid his hands over her belly, a little softer than it had been in college―damn Chinese food―then up to cradle her breasts in his hands, all while holding her gaze with his. “If I take your glasses off, will you be able to see me?”