Free Wilde Edge by Susan Hayes Page B

show her how beautiful he thought she was.
    His fingers twitched at the idea,
but instead of tearing at her clothes he let his hand move over her skin,
stroking her flank and back until she was squirming against his leg and he
could hear her panting for breath.
    “Now, where’s this tattoo of
yours?” he asked, his lips only the barest distance from hers.
    “Not so fast. Second date you
promised to show me your tattoo,
remember?”
    “This is a date?” he asked,
stroking his fingers up to brush across the side of one breast.
    “There was dinner, and drinks, and
now we’re making out on the couch. Yep, I’d call this a date.” Her voice had
deepened with desire, and he loved the husky tone to her words almost as much
as he loved hearing the lighthearted way she was teasing him.
    “I’ll show you mine if you show me
yours,” he countered.
    Jo went still, her cheeks paling so
that her freckles seemed to darken. Her dark eyes stared into his, and then she
nodded. “You first.”
    He had to let go of her to get his
shirt off, and when she sat back to give him more room he felt the loss of her
warmth immediately. His hands found the edge of his shirt, but then he
remembered that when she saw the tattoo, she’d also see his scars.
    Fuck
it. She’s going to see them eventually. Might as well be now.
    He took off his shirt and dropped
it behind him, not caring where it landed. All he cared about was what he saw
in Jolena’s eyes in the next few seconds.
    “Oh god, that’s gorgeous,” she
murmured and reached out, her hand pausing only a
hair’s breadth from his chest. “May I?”
    There was nothing but admiration in
her expression, and Tag let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.
“Angel, just so we’re clear. There will never be a time you have to ask
permission to touch me.”
    She brushed her fingertips over his
tattoo, tracing the still-healing lines with a feather light touch. When she
passed over one of his scars she paused and leaned in to take a closer look. “I
can barely see the scars, you know. Do they bother you?”
    “They don’t hurt, but I don’t like
looking at them.” It was the only the second time he’d told anyone that. The
only other person who knew was Nick.
    “I understand,” she whispered in
that smoke and whiskey voice of hers. Goddamn, he liked her voice. She could be
talking about the weather or the price of ice in Antarctica, and he’d still
want to listen to her. Jolena’s breath fanned across
his chest as she dipped her head and brushed her lips across the circular scar
hidden beneath the tattoo.
    “Angel, you don’t have to—”
    “I want to. I don’t care that
you’re not perfect, Tag. Honestly, I’m kind of relieved.” She blushed so hard
he could feel the heat of it against his skin.
    “Well in that case…” He leaned back
and tucked his hands behind his head, flexing his pecs slightly as he did so. “You just go ahead and enjoy yourself. I certainly
intend to when I finally get to see your ink.”
     
    * *
* *
    Jo had plenty of time to fantasize
about Tag in the days since she’d last seen him, but her dreams couldn’t begin
to compare to the real thing. He was muscular without being bulky, and the
tattoo somehow enhanced his body instead of distracting from it. At first, she
hadn’t even been able to see the scars that bothered him, but when she did it
made her stomach twist into a knot. It wasn’t revulsion, but fear that hit her
as she stared at the legacy of his injuries. If the shot had been only a few
inches over, she would never have had the chance to know this incredible man.
    She brushed another kiss to his
scars and then lifted her head, wanting to get a better look at the tattoo.
Nick had done an incredible job. It was clearly a phoenix, wings outstretched
as it took flight. She loved following the thick, black lines with her
fingertips, and judging by the heat simmering in Tag’s eyes as he watched her,
he was enjoying her