Free Defying Fate by Heidi Lis Page B

at least the light will let me take in his tattoos better as well. I drink the sight of him in as soon as the light fills the room. Losing myself in his body art, I raise an eyebrow and have to pick up my mouth up off of the floor.
    “Izzy,” he says in his sexy voice. “These are hot as hell.” He reaches out to trace them. They start at my right hip and curve around my side and end up on my shoulder. I have no idea what I was thinking at the time, but they are beautiful. Delicate designs with blues, yellows and mostly black.
    As his eyes dance across my back, his genuine smile warms my heart. “Alright Sparkplug, let’s continue.”
    “I got a tramp stamp; people thought I was, so why disappoint them, right?” I shove my panties down and reveal my lower back tattoo. It’s a tribal design, and it spans from hip to hip dipping low into my ass crack. Yeah, this one hurt like hell. I did it to piss him off, the dick from my past who acted like he owned me. Silly, but I did it, and I paid the price for it as well.
    “Holy Fuck! That’s hot babe. Damn, taking you from behind is going to be sexy as hell.” Braxton has to adjust his package between his legs. I smile and give him a wink.
    Braxton is just too sexy for words, lying against my headboard in black boxer briefs. Sweet God; I could just eat him up.
    Shaking my rear he smirks smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Keep going honey, this show is getting better by the minute. Fuck getting my own little strip tease from my Sparkplug. Life is good.” Clapping his hands together; the excitement radiates from him.
    “That’s enough show and tell for one night there big guy,” I say smiling.
    With a devil’s grin, I start crawling to meet him in the middle of my bed. Braxton reaches out for me and pulls me to his chest. Our noses touch as he lays his forehead against mine.
    “You don’t have to look at me, but you will tell me what happened with those marks you didn’t want. As much as I loved the show, your distraction is not going to make me forget what you told me earlier.”
    Closing my eyes, I whisper. “Braxton, I can’t. So much pain and suffering. I left to get away; I don’t want you to know a thing about what I have lived with.” Grabbing his shoulders, I pull him tighter to me. Our foreheads still resting against one another as we stay like this.
    “Not moving. So you need to spill it. Part of me getting to know you is finding out about your life. Not a damn thing you can tell me will make me feel any different. Shit happens to all of us. Some good and some downright bad, but that’s life Iz; I know it better than anyone.”
    Whispering, I silently beg. “I can’t Braxton, I just need time. Time for me to heal myself, I’m not ready for you to judge me just yet.”
    Shaking his head, he blows out a big breath.
    “Izzy, my sweet girl you know I would never judge you? I’m no choir boy. I have done shit and seen shit that would make you second guess being in this bed with me, but I have no worries about you judging me. This is who I am; not always proud of the things I did but can’t change the past. Only move forward and do better with what you got.” Holding my hand in his, he is confident and self-assuring. I stare at him in bewilderment.
    “Putting it that way makes sense Braxton. Thank you for saying that.” I like the way he just explained that, life can be shitty, and it can be great, like right now in bed with an almost naked, sexy as hell Braxton. Life before with Dominic was horrid and downright terrifying.
    I unintentionally start rubbing my left thigh. I did it as if remembering what I have survived; times rather best forgotten.
    Watching me, Braxton pulls me to his knees, and I come sliding up the bed flat on my back. He places my knees aside, so I’m straddling his body exposing my thighs. He strokes his fingers and freezes, holding my breath; I know he’s found it. The mark, his mark, the one he said would