The Tattoo Artist (La Petite Mort #1)

15. Chapter 15

fifteen

Quinn

W e arrived downtown, and Alexander opened the door to the Chinese restaurant, allowing me to enter first. As I stepped inside the restaurant, I groaned at the crazy number of people in line. Moua Chinese that will be ￡ 27.91."

I opened my bag, my hand going inside to grab my wallet from my purse, but a hand stretched out over my shoulder. He took the ￡ 50 from Alexander. I turned around with furrowed brows. "Hey, I was supposed to pay. This was on me," I said, placing my hands on my hips. He lowered his head so that his lips brushed my ear, his voice husky, "When I'm around, Princess, I'm your ATM." he said, pulling away and giving me one of his panty-dropping smirks.

I swallowed hard, feeling my body come to life for unknown reasons. A few minutes went by, and our order was called. We collected our food from the workers and sat in the corner booth next to a window. Alexander sat opposite of me. I grabbed one of the bags and took out my plate of food—ready to eat. My mouth watered as the smell of food hit my nostrils, and damn, did the food look good. I dug through the bag and groaned. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot to ask for chopsticks." I hated eating Chinese food with a fork, and I wanted to have an authentic experience. Alexander left the booth, returned a few seconds later with a pair of chopsticks, and handed them to me .

"Thank you," I said and started digging into my food. I dipped my veggie egg roll into the sweet and sour sauce and moaned when I tasted the goodness. "You have to try it. This is so good!" I said with food in my mouth as I covered my mouth with my hands.

He shook his head and chuckled. "I'd rather watch you," he said, almost as if in awe. He leaned back and rested his arms on the table. I wanted to ask why he punched that guy, but I didn't want to ruin the mood. I examined his knuckles, and they appeared to be okay.

I continued eating but was determined to have him try it, so I did something I wouldn't ever do. "You can have some of mine," I said, grabbing my eggroll and dipping it into the sauce, getting some sauce on my finger. I leaned over and whispered, "Open wide! Here comes the airplane." Alexander chuckled, and I joined in at how ridiculously silly I was being.He looked at the eggroll in my hand. The sauce started to drip even more when suddenly Alexander grabbed my wrist. His hand covered my wrist as he took a bite of the eggroll, biting a bit of my finger in the process.

I gasped.

I watched, fascinated by how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down with each swallow. The urge to lick up his throat and swirl my tongue around his Adam's apple increased. His hold on my wrist was strong. He hadn't let go, but what he did next was undoubtedly life-changing. I sucked in a breath, not only because he bit my finger but also because he caught me by surprise when he used his tongue to lap up the sweet and sour sauce that had started to drip down my finger. His tongue rolled around my finger as he sucked on it lightly, letting it go with a pop sound.

I was in shock, and I knew my pupils were getting dilated, but the arousal I was feeling was intense. I couldn't help but squeeze my thighs together getting some sort of friction between them. He let go of my wrist, and I retracted my hand immediately, cradling it towards my chest. "The eggroll, not my finger," I joked, ignoring the fact that he sucked my fingers clean and I had felt his warm tongue.

He smirked.

"You're right, it's good. But you taste better." My eyes blinked rapidly before I leaned back. The wetness between my legs grew, dampening my panties. "I don't think so." I half-smiled, taking a bite of my spicy shrimp. I shook my head and continued to eat. Alexander opened his tray, and we sat silently, eating for a few minutes as we dug into our food.

We eat in silence, enjoying each other's company. "Alexander, can I ask you something?" He closed his somewhat empty tray and nodded for me to continue.

"Do you know Deimos?" I questioned. His eyes immediately met mine as he stared at me.

"You mean the killer," he responded. We looked at each other, but none of us were doing anything. "Yes, do you—umm, do you believe he's a myth?" I stammered out.

His lips turned up a little before he gave me a soft chuckle. "Nothing in life is a myth. There's truth to everything," he responded, licking his lips in the process. I took a deep breath through my nose and released it through my mouth. I licked my lips, feeling them dry.

"He's real. I saw him outside my window. He—he, um," I paused to figure out my thoughts. "He stares at me with these beautiful green eyes—just like yours." I looked up and saw Alexander's jaw tense. I wasn't sure if he was jealous of me talking about other men or if it was because I compared his eyes to another man's.

"How do you know he's real?" He asked through gritted teeth. I laughed nervously.

"Well, you're going to think I'm crazy," I said, hoping he didn't think so.

"Too late for that," he chuckled, his voice teasing. I leaned across the table so that we could be closer. I didn't want anyone to hear what I was about to say.

"He kissed me. That night, Owen and his family came over. Deimos kissed me. He was standing on my balcony, and I asked him to prove he was real. And he kissed me." My fingers went up to touch my lips, running my fingers over my lips.I sucked in a breath. "And it felt," I licked my lips, savoring the taste of Deimos, and my mind went back to that memory of us. "It felt amazing. It felt right. I felt butterflies all over my body, and the best part of that kiss was the ending." Alexander stared at me with no emotion at all. I didn't know if I spoke too much about Deimos and made him uncomfortable.

"Deimos kills people for sport, for fun. Do you know that?" he said, emphasizing the words "sport" and "fun" as his eyebrows rose.

"I know, but I also believe there are two sides to every story, and he doesn't kill innocents." I decided to stop talking about Deimos, not wanting to upset him anymore.

As we both finished what was left of our food, Alexander cleaned our booth, putting everything in a bag to dispose of before leaving.

"I'm ready to go if you are?" He stood up from the booth.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the booth. I straightened up and grabbed my coat, putting it on and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. He grabbed the trash bag and placed it inside the bin. Alexander grabbed my hand again, interlocking our fingers together, and we made our way toward the exit. I waved goodbye to Mr. Moua as I passed him. He smiled at me but soon dropped his smile once he made eye contact with Alexander.

Mr. Moua took Alexander's arm, and we both came to a halt. Alexander let go of my hand. I turned my head to look at them. I could overhear a few murmurs. "Please, Alexander, don't—she's a good girl. She's innocent." Alexander ripped his arm free from Mr. Moua's hold. Alexander turned his back to me, and I knew he was talking because I could see Mr. Moua's eyes shift to me.

Alexander made his way back to me, and we interlocked our fingers as we began to walk toward the exit. I turned my head one last time, just in time to catch Mr.Moua shaking his head at me and mouthing, 'He's dangerous.' I looked away and swallowed hard. I glanced up at Alexander, wondering why the hell everyone kept saying that—first Sophie and now Mr.Moua.

Alexander opened the car door for me, and I slid inside, closing it. Alexander wasn't dangerous, at least not with me. He started the ignition and turned to face me. "Where to?" I looked into his eyes and saw a world of untold secrets. Alexander made me feel safe; he made me feel wanted, and for that reason alone, I could feel my lips curl upward into a smile.

"The library, please," I muttered. He looked confused and stared at me, lifting one of his brows almost as if he were asking me if I was sure.

"Isn't the library closed at this time?" I smirked at him. I was right. He was thinking that, but lucky for him, I pulled out the key and dangled it in front of him.He nodded, reversed the car from the parking lot, and drove to the library. "I wanna show you something."

He glanced at me, intrigued by what I said.

"Alexander, what was Mr.Moua telling you?" I glanced at him. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on his window as he rubbed his forehead. "Alexander," I repeated.

I didn't need to say anymore because Alexander's jaw clenched before answering. "He told me that you're a good girl," he replied, but I could tell he didn't want me to ask anything else about that encounter or any more questions. He tried to drop the subject, and I agreed, at least for right now. I stayed silent the rest of the way there except when I reached for my bag on the floor and pulled out the last white chocolate bar coated with cranberry sauce containing pieces of cranberry. I opened the container and started to eat when, all of a sudden, I could feel Alexander's eyes on me.

"You want some?" I asked him, lifting the container so that he could see pieces of chocolate inside.He didn't answer. Instead, he opened his mouth. I took a piece out and leaned over the console, taking a bite of the chocolate goodness.

"Is this what you taste like?" He asked me, smirking as he finished swallowing, causing his Adam's apple to bounce up and down. I licked my lips, getting some of the chocolate that had stained my lips before I whispered, "Guess you'll have to find out." His smirk grew even more smug before he chuckled, but his eyes grew darker, and the hand on the wheel tightened, causing his veins to become even more noticeable

"You're getting cheekier," he whispered almost to himself, but I heard him. He had no idea how cheekier I could get. I wasn't joking when I said he would have to find out. I wanted him to find out. I wanted to feel his lips and his tongue against my pussy.

Tasting me.

We arrived at the library fifteen minutes later. The sky darkened earlier because of the time of year. I opened the back door to the library, and we both entered. Alexander was right behind me as I went to the breakroom to grab my cranberries, and then I headed for the storage room. I grabbed the book and shoved it inside my backpack before Alexander could see the wolf shifter smut.

As we both made our way back, I was walking in front of him, and Alexander was behind me. As we passed the hall to head upstairs, I stopped walking and turned to face Alexander. "Why me?" I whispered, wanting to know the truth.

"Huh? Why you what?"

"Why are you interested in me? Why is a man like you giving me his attention? You've had Sophie under your hands, and who knows how many other women there are, but you're choosing me. Why?"

He backed me up against the wall, caging me in, both hands placed on the wall behind me. He lowered his head so that his lips brushed my ear. I could barely see him since it was dark and I didn't turn on all the lights. "Sophie. Is. Not. You. Princess." He mumbled against me, his voice low and husky. One of his hands went to grab my chin; his thumb grazed my lip. I sucked in a breath. "And the only woman I want under me and on top of me is you, mou Angelos." Something inside me cracked open, and my heart fluttered at the thought of being his. My arms went around his waist, and I pulled him closer to me. I rested my head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat thumping just as strong as mine; as his hands stroked my back.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Who are you, Alexander? And where did you come from?" I mumbled against his chest.

"I could ask you the same thing, little butterfly," he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, watching my fan spin. My brain couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened today.

At the tattoo shop.

At the restaurant.

And at the library .

We walked upstairs to a secluded room. Our fingers were intertwined as I dragged him down the corridor. I inserted the key and opened the room. Walking inside, I flipped the switch on, turning on the light. Alexander followed me inside, shutting the door behind him.

I was the only person who had the key to this room. Mrs.April allowed me to use it to hold my artwork, but that wasn't what I used it for. Alexander's eyes widened as he realized what this room was used for.

Newspaper clippings about Deimos filled one wall, while another wall was filled with a map of London. The red dots happened to be of places where a body was found with Deimos's sign of death.

I trusted Alexander, and something inside me wanted him to see this. He scanned the four walls, taking everything in.

"You believe me," I whispered, taking his hands in mine.

He glanced at me. "I'll always believe you," he whispered, kissing my forehead.

His eyes pierced my soul, and at this moment, I understood that no matter what happened with Deimos, I didn't want to lose Alexander.

"Alexander, can I have your number?" I said shyly, interrupting our moment. I got even more nervous since he hadn't responded. "I need your number to send my resume for the job offer," I lied.

He pulled away from me. My fingers started to play with the ends of my hair. I wanted his number so that I could text him. So that I could feel closer to him.

I didn't want to lose him.

He handed me his phone, and I blushed as I took it from him. His hands brushed mine, sending a tingle all over my body. "You don't need to lie to me, Princess. Tell me if you want something, and I'll give it to you. I'll give you the world. And if you need me, you can call me." He smiled, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

I called my phone, and added my contact details, setting my name as Little Butterfly. I edited his contact info and put him as Alexander, even though I knew I would have to change it just in case.

"Ho–How do you know I was lying?" I groaned.

He laughed softly. "Because you play with your hair."

I laughed and looked down at my phone, feeling it vibrate in my hand. A message from my mother appeared on my screen.

Mom: Sweetheart, your father and I must go to the States to see your sister. She's not doing well, so we might have to stay there for a few days. I put money on the counter for food. Take care. Love you!

When I read the message, my first reaction was sadness for my sister because, even though we didn 't have a close relationship, I still cared for her despite everything that had happened.

The second feeling I felt, and the one that took over, was excitement—these next few days without my parents had me excited for what was to come.

I could feel my eyelids closing, and sleep was finally taking over.

I didn't fight it.

I allowed the darkness to consume me.