The Tattoo Artist (La Petite Mort #1)

9. Chapter 9

nine

Quinn

I couldn't sleep from the excitement I had coursing through me. I couldn't wait for five o'clock to arrive. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait all day, hoping time would go faster since school was on a minimum-day schedule because of the upcoming holiday. Sophie groaned while slamming her face into my pillow as I released a soft chuckle.

"How can you be busy again?" She questioned for the fifth time since I told her I couldn't hang out with her today.I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder.

"Sophie, I promise to hang out with you on Saturday and Sunday."

"Don't you have church on Sunday?" she whispered. She sat on my bed, and I saw her staring at me. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my white sundress Sophie had given me. The dress was bought for her initially, but she hated it because it reached her ankles. The dress was off-the-shoulder, and even though it came to my ankles, it didn't completely cover my chest. So, for the first time, I was showing some skin.

"I have church on Sunday, but my parents now spend their weekends at my grandma's house. That means I'm free to hang out with you, and I don't think your father will tell my parents I wasn't in church. Will he?" Two days of freedom in which I got to dress how I wanted, and it was the best fucking feeling.

"No, he won't. Fine! Where are you even going anyway? "

Fuck, what do I say?

I knew if I told her about Alexander, she would tell me not to go and complain about how I was being silly and na?ve. So, I lied to her.

"Isaac needs my help with some chores around his house. And I was going to get myself some more cranberries," I said, holding tightly onto the straps of my backpack so I wouldn't play with the ends of my hair. Sophie waited for me to do it, and when I didn't, she nodded and stood up, ready to leave my bedroom.

I sighed in relief.

"What time will you be back?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll call you so we can have a movie night?"

"Fine, but it's my turn to pick the movie."

"Okay…Shit, Owen Walsh is coming over next Friday!" I groaned, running my fingers through my hair. His family had to reschedule dinner two weeks from the original date, which had something to do with his father's business trip.

"Good luck, Quinn." She smiled and hugged my body from the side as we made our way out of my house. I made sure to lock the door behind me as I saw Sophie enter her own home. I plugged my AirPods in and walked toward the bus stop. I couldn't stop thinking about the vivid images that were running through my mind yesterday. I was frustrated trying to remember a face, but nothing. I wasn't sure what triggered those images to conjure, but one thing was clear—-I couldn't get Alexander's body out of my mind, how it would stiffen up every now and then when I pushed down on certain spots, or when I brushed along his chest grazing his nipples, how his breath hitched. The thrill, the adrenaline, the pleasure I felt yesterday was worth the trouble.

I wanted Alexander as a friend. He was worth the effort.

I could only remember one friend, Sophie. I guess you could say that I had others, such as Isaac and Rose, his wife. I was like the granddaughter they never had. I consider them grandparents. I loved them both very much, and I loved their relationship.

I arrived at the bus stop and hopped onto the bus, scanning my bus card. I let out an exasperated sigh through my nose as my eyes took in the view in front of me. There were no seats available, so I stood holding onto the pole.

The bus ride was a bit bumpy and claustrophobic due to the amount of people inside, but I didn't care because it would take me where I needed to go. A few stops later, I pressed the buzzer. Signaling the driver to stop, and he did. The door opened for me, and I slipped out. I looked ahead to see the tattoo shop.

I swallowed a gulp as excitement shot through me. The thrill of being able to have him close to me and the adrenaline rush I felt when I touched him had me wanting more.

The woman at the reception desk wasn't the same woman from last time. This woman gave me a soft smile as she greeted me. "Hello, welcome in. Are you here for a tattoo?"

"I'm here to see Alexander?" She hummed, looking down at the computer.

"Name?" She asked .

"Quinn!" a voice called out, not just any voice but Alexander's. He signaled his head for me to follow him. I smiled at the receptionist, whose jaw tensed. I trailed behind him, clutching the straps of my backpack as we entered the same room. He closed the door behind him, and I noticed him wearing the same shirt from yesterday.

"You didn't change your shirt?" I whispered to myself, pointing out the obvious.

"I promised not to look at it. Plus, it's pretty difficult to shower and not look at it. So if I smell, I blame you," he teased, and I blushed. Not only because he had kept his promise, but he had heard what I had said. He slipped it over his body just like yesterday, and I gawked. How could he make it look so sexy? Watching him take off his shirt was certainly something for the books. I mean, how can one simple move be so hot? Alexander laid down on the bed, but this time, his muscles were tensed up, and that made them look bigger. He handed me the pen, and I took it from him. I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and opened it to grab my container of cranberries. I placed the container on the desk for later but not before offering Alexander some of my cranberries.

"Would you like some?" I offered .

"No, thank you. I'm fine," he answered, and I nodded my head. Then, I uncapped the pen.

"It might take longer than a few hours. I, umm, have some other ideas."

"That's fine, Princess."

"Don't you have appointments or something?"

"No, I rescheduled them." He chuckled. I pressed my hand onto his skin, getting ready to start when suddenly I felt him tense up.

"Fuck, your hands are cold." I instantly removed them. I rubbed my hands together furiously, trying to heat them up.

"Sorry," I whispered, and he shook it off. I touched him again and began drawing. Alexander watched me as I drew. As I got closer to his pec, I noticed scars. I ran my fingers over them, and he sucked in a breath. I bit into my lips and continued to caress his skin. I do this for a second or two before I go back to drawing. I continued to draw a heart with a sword pierced into it from the side. I needed to make sure it was symmetrical to the tattoo he had on his shoulder of a snake wrapped around it. I didn't even think about my actions, and before I knew it, I had straddled him, sitting on his pelvis as I continued to draw.

"Sorry, I just needed to make sure…" I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence because I started to feel the heat coming from his body. I swallowed the lump that had formed all because I was nervous feeling the heat coming from his body which caused me to smudge my drawing.

"Damn it," I blurted out before I licked my thumb to rub it off. "I'm 98 percent done," I whispered, my hair falling to the sides. I felt his finger brush my hair behind my ears. I sucked in a breath.

I looked into his eyes; his gaze held me prisoner.

His eyes looked so familiar.

I licked my lips, my heart fluttering like the wings of a captured butterfly. The desire I felt in my lower belly became prominent.The sensation of butterflies settled within me and an ache in my lower body became evident.

"Finished!" I shouted, feeling excited. I sat up, and Alexander did the same, bringing us closer to each other. My breasts were pressed against his bare chest. His eyes traveled down to my lips, now inches away. I nibbled on my bottom lip and slid off him, accidentally brushing against something hard. He hissed only for a second or two before a smirk plastered on his handsome face. Knowing damn well that I could no longer hold the tension, the desire between us. He walked to the mirror, breaking the tension between us. I released a sigh grateful that he decided for me,

I would have kissed him.

I stood waiting for his answer. Nervous that he wouldn't like it. "I love it!" He answered proudly. I smiled brightly. "This is excellent Quinn. The outline and the detail you added to the butterfly is fucking amazing."

"Thank you," I gushed.

"Besides the library, do you have a job?" I raised a brow at his question.

"I have four," I chuckled.

"Quit them. All of them. Work here."

"Wh…What?" My eyes bulged out of my head. He can't be serious. I can't just quit my job to work here. Does this man not understand I have four jobs for a reason? Plus, I love working at the library. "I can't just quit them. I have bills to pay, and no offense, but one job isn't going to be enough to help. My parents will never allow me to work at a tattoo shop." I whispered.

"Quinn, I'm willing to pay you forty-five quid an hour, five days a week." Oh my God, there was no possible way. That was a lot of money well above minimum wage, with it only being about six quid right now. He couldn't be serious? All four of my jobs didn't even add up to that.

"Are you the manager?"

"No, Princess. I'm the owner. I own this shop." He said with a cocky smirk.

"I knew it," I mumbled to myself. I walked over to where I left my container of cranberries. I tended to eat when I was nervous, and right now, I was nervous. I was shitting bricks. I couldn't take the job he was offering, but my mind told me to do it. To take it.

"I appreciate the offer but I can't take the job."

"If you're worried about your parents, they don't need to know it will be our secret, μωρ?. You have talent, and it would be a shame not to share that with the world." He said as he studied me. μωρ?? There's that word again. It was the third time I'd heard him say it. I made a mental note to search for the meaning of that word later.

"I have to go," I said, hesitating for a second. "Thank you for this. It was enjoyable. I should probably catch the next bus before it gets dark." Alexander slipped his shirt over his head and pushed his dark curls back. As I gathered my backpack, slipped it onto my shoulders, and walked for the door, Alexander cut me off, blocking the doorway.

What the hell!

"I'll come with you." He opened the door and allowed me to exit the room. I headed towards the front of the shop, walking faster than usual. I could feel Alexander right behind me. As I was about to reach the door, Alexander once again cut me off and opened the door for me, and we both exited.

"Thank you. Goodnight," I whispered. Alexander grabbed my arm before I could walk away. "I'm coming with you." He blurted out.

"Oh no, that's o—" I didn't finish my sentence because Alexander started to name his reasons for coming with me. "It's dark, and the streets are dangerous." I nodded my head in agreement. I could feel the receptionist staring. Alexander looked at me and then at where I was looking and caught his receptionist staring at us. He opened the door and told her to lock it up before she left.

Alexander threw some keys at her and closed the door. We started walking down the street toward the bus stop. We stood side by side, only a few inches apart. I could feel the chilly air from the night hit my skin, causing goosebumps to rise. We maintained the space between us as if walking any closer was a sin. The wind picked up speed, blowing colder, and I started to shiver slightly as my hands wrapped themselves around me. I heard a shuffle from behind me, and suddenly, a warm, soft fabric was placed over my shoulders.

"Thank you," I looked up at him, sliding my hands inside the armholes. His jacket was way too big for me, but I didn't care. I zipped it up, and I could smell his cologne. God, he smelled delicious. If I could I would bottle up his smell and make a fortune selling it. We reached the bus stop and waited for the next one to arrive.

We stood in complete silence, and my mind took me back to earlier today when I noticed Alexander's arms were filled with black ink. I wonder if his lower body was also filled with ink. I thought to myself before I blurted out my question. "Why are your arms, neck, and hands filled with tattoos, but your chest is somewhat empty?" I asked, breaking the silence between us.

He chuckled and gave me his famous smirk before he answered my question. "I tattoo almost everything myself," Alexander said. My eyes widened.Alexander leaned against the metal stand holding the bus stop sign.

"You tattooed all of this?" I questioned, my hands instantly reaching out to caress his tattoos. I touched his arms, gaping at them. I looked up to see him nod his head.

I lifted his shoulder sleeve a few inches and noticed he had handwriting and small tattoos scattered, but his other arm was a full sleeve. He had so many, too many to count today, but I noticed a skeleton hand with a rose on his forearm.

I brushed my thumb against the writing, reading what it said in a beautiful cursive font, but I had no clue what it said because it was in Greek. There was also a date on the bottom in Roman numerals.

"I've always wanted a tattoo," I confessed.

"You should get one," he replied. I took a few steps back as I took him in. "Mmm, I don't think so. One," I said, holding up my index finger, "parents, and two—" I said, holding up my middle finger, "I'm Catholic." He moved closer to me, and his right hand reached out to me. His hand moved to grab hold of the zipper and tug it down. He opened the jacket, and the cool air hit my warm skin, causing my nipples to harden. I gulped the moment his fingertips brushed against my shoulder down to my stomach. He moved up, reaching the spot between my breasts. I felt my nipples harden even more if that were even possible and I hoped it wasn't obvious. I caught my breath as I gazed up at him; his eyes met mine.My skin was too hot for comfort and my breaths came out shallow.

"A butterfly and a sword as the body would look fucking sexy here and here—" I stopped breathing, my body feeling warmer than usual. He continued to move his fingers, tracing my warm skin, his fingers caressing the underside of my breast before landing on my ribs. "A black rose." My heart was racing as I pictured each tattoo Alexander had said. His fingers moved from my ribs to the other side of my waist, just underneath my right breast. "And here, writing even a date in Roman numerals." He dragged his hands to the side of my waist, moving both his hands down my body. I sucked in a breath, and my heart thumped hard.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His hands stopped at my outer thigh. "A snake that ends all the way up to your hip," he said, dragging his hands up to my hips.

His eyes never left mine. I swallowed the lump stuck in my throat. I looked down at his lips and licked my own as I started to feel them dry. Wait! This all seemed so familiar. Alexander's words and actions began to replay in my head.

He opened the jacket, and his fingertips brushed against my shoulder and down to my stomach. He moved up, reaching the spot between my breasts. I caught my breath as I gazed up at him; his eyes met mine. "A butterfly and a sword as the body would look fucking sexy here and here…"

Deimos drew that— a butterfly with a sword as the body. It couldn't be a coincidence? Could it?

Deimos. The first place he touched was the same spot where Deimos painted the butterfly with the sword. Before anything else could happen or I could say something, the bus stopped before us. I slipped inside, and Alexander followed behind me. The bus was crowded, with hardly enough room to move towards the back. I grabbed his hand and dragged him with me through the crowd of people. I found just enough room for the both of us by the back corner. As I tried to raise my hand to reach the handles in the ceiling, Alexander grabbed one for me. The bus went over a bump, and I lost my balance. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his body, holding me tightly.

"You know we could have just taken my car," he whispered into my ear, having to bend his neck down a lot. I could feel his hot breath on my neck, causing me to close my eyes for a moment. I smiled and lifted my head, accidentally brushing our noses together. I opened my eyes instantly.

I'd never had this much proximity with any man, not even Deimos. I'd never had this reaction to a man except for Deimos, but Alexander was the first to touch me, hold me, and laugh with me. It shocked me to my very core. A group of girls got my attention as I heard them snickering and pointing towards Alexander.

They gave him fuck me eyes. I scoffed but couldn't stop watching. The one with the blonde hair was gorgeous, and she gave him a little wave.I turned my head rapidly, avoiding any further looks. I looked back at Alexander; his eyes were trained on me. He was looking at me. His piercing green orbs were trying to figure out my story, but if only he knew my book was a work in progress with more empty pages than words.

If only he knew I couldn't remember.

We arrived at my stop. The buzzer was pushed, and the bus immediately stopped, causing us to jerk forward. Alexander's hands tightened around my waist. I loved feeling his strong hands on me, but before I could enjoy the feeling any longer, he let go of my waist. Seconds later, I felt his hand on my lower back, directing me towards the exit. We made our way out.

"Thank you, Alexander," I said, trying to get the courage to ask him if we could be friends.

"I'll walk you home," he offered.

"No, that's okay. I literally live down the road. I—" I paused. I closed my eyes and exhaled. It was now or never, Quinn. Opening my eyes, I started to babble. "I would like to be your friend. I mean, if you want to, of course. If not, that's okay too. I just thought that maybe we could be friends." I blurted out. His lips upturned into a cheeky smile.

"I don't think we can be friends, Princess." I felt a pain in my chest, almost like a stabbing sensation took over. Alexander didn't owe me any loyalty. We weren't even friends; from what he just told me, he didn't want to be.

"Why?" I blurted out. My hand went to cover my mouth, but it was too late.

He stepped closer to me. "Because μωρ?, a friend, would not be thinking about having you underneath him. I can't promise you that I won't cross that line of wanting to have you underneath me screaming my name. Begging me to make you cum. So, the answer is no. We can't be friends. "

I was speechless.

The butterflies I suddenly felt lowered, and an ache between my legs took over as images of Alexander on top of me filled my mind. Alexander just told me he wanted me. He wanted me underneath him.

He wanted me begging.

He wanted me to scream his name.

No words came out of my mouth, so I nodded and waved farewell before hurrying to the end of the road. I looked back, and he was gone.

And like a phantom, he just disappeared.