Read Online Moments in Time 02 - Moment Of Truth by Karen Stivali - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen Stivali
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mind.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” I took the clipboard and started filling out the forms.
Chapter Fourteen
“SON OF a bitch” was a bit of an understatement, but a few hours later, Jason and I were heading back to the island with brand-new tattoos.
Jason had gotten a group of small black doves scattering from his shoulder to his neck. A symbol of both weddings and freedom….
“How long does it take to heal?” I asked.
“It’ll be sore for a few days, then probably a bit itchy. Then you’ll forget you even have it.”
I couldn’t imagine forgetting I had it. And I didn’t want to forget. It was part of me now. A permanent reminder.
“It’ll peel too,” he added. “It’s kinda gross, but it’s supposed to happen.”
“Good to know.” I smoothed my hand over the bandage, surprised I’d had the nerve to go through with it. “Thanks for asking me to go with you.”
“Anytime.” Jason smiled and held my gaze. Whenever there was eye contact, it had that same weird quality I couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, it seemed things between us had changed. Like we were brothers now, or something. Maybe I was just delirious from spending the last hour in pain.
“You working tomorrow?” I asked.
“Nope. Not until the weekend.”
“What do you do on your days off?” I knew he lived in a studio apartment. Without Tanner and the other housemates, I didn’t know what I’d keep busy with on the island.
“Read. Watch movies. Sleep.”
“Nice.” I hadn’t done much of any of those things recently.
“Sometimes I head over to a club in Cherry Grove.”
I knew that was one of the gay towns. Bryan’s band played there sometimes, and he’d been saying he wanted to take me and Tanner with him sometime this summer. The idea intrigued and scared me in equal parts. I’d looked it up online, and it seemed like a 24-7 all-gay version of Mardi Gras. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be either.
“You been to any of them yet?” Jason asked.
I shook my head.
“You should. Take a walk on the wild side.”
The boat docked, and I twisted to stand up, hissing as the tattoo stung. “I think I’ve had my share of wild for the week.”
Jason laughed. It was good to see him in a better mood than he’d been at the start of the night.
“See you in a few days.” I turned up the street toward my house, running my hand lightly over the bandage.
As I headed up the driveway, I saw someone sitting on the front porch.
“Hey,” Tanner said.
“Hey.” I trotted up the stairs. “What are you doing out here?”
He raked a hand through his damp hair. He must have showered after work. “Just don’t feel like being in the house right now. And our room is like a sauna. I put the fan in the window so it’ll cool off a little.”
“Good idea.” I took a seat next to him on the wicker couch and sucked in a breath when the rawness of the tattoo pinched.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” I shifted carefully, trying not to pull the sensitive skin. “I just… I got a tattoo.”
Tanner’s eyes bugged, and he shook his head. “No way. Really?”
I liked that he was surprised. Predictability isn’t exactly exciting. “It was a last-minute sort of thing.”
“Well, can I see it?”
His eyes raked over me, and I could tell he was trying to figure out where it was. My cock attempted to point him in the right direction.
“Not for another hour or so. I’m supposed to keep it covered a bit, then wash it and put some stuff on it.”
One side of his mouth had lifted into his sexy grin. “I never really thought of you as the tattoo type.”
I shrugged. “Me neither. It just seemed… right.”
“I didn’t even know there was a place on the island.”
“There might not be. Jason took me to see the guy who’s done his.
It’s over in Bay Shore somewhere, I think. I had no clue where we were.”
Tanner’s smile flickered, but just for a second. “So you went with
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” I took the clipboard and started filling out the forms.
Chapter Fourteen
“SON OF a bitch” was a bit of an understatement, but a few hours later, Jason and I were heading back to the island with brand-new tattoos.
Jason had gotten a group of small black doves scattering from his shoulder to his neck. A symbol of both weddings and freedom….
“How long does it take to heal?” I asked.
“It’ll be sore for a few days, then probably a bit itchy. Then you’ll forget you even have it.”
I couldn’t imagine forgetting I had it. And I didn’t want to forget. It was part of me now. A permanent reminder.
“It’ll peel too,” he added. “It’s kinda gross, but it’s supposed to happen.”
“Good to know.” I smoothed my hand over the bandage, surprised I’d had the nerve to go through with it. “Thanks for asking me to go with you.”
“Anytime.” Jason smiled and held my gaze. Whenever there was eye contact, it had that same weird quality I couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, it seemed things between us had changed. Like we were brothers now, or something. Maybe I was just delirious from spending the last hour in pain.
“You working tomorrow?” I asked.
“Nope. Not until the weekend.”
“What do you do on your days off?” I knew he lived in a studio apartment. Without Tanner and the other housemates, I didn’t know what I’d keep busy with on the island.
“Read. Watch movies. Sleep.”
“Nice.” I hadn’t done much of any of those things recently.
“Sometimes I head over to a club in Cherry Grove.”
I knew that was one of the gay towns. Bryan’s band played there sometimes, and he’d been saying he wanted to take me and Tanner with him sometime this summer. The idea intrigued and scared me in equal parts. I’d looked it up online, and it seemed like a 24-7 all-gay version of Mardi Gras. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be either.
“You been to any of them yet?” Jason asked.
I shook my head.
“You should. Take a walk on the wild side.”
The boat docked, and I twisted to stand up, hissing as the tattoo stung. “I think I’ve had my share of wild for the week.”
Jason laughed. It was good to see him in a better mood than he’d been at the start of the night.
“See you in a few days.” I turned up the street toward my house, running my hand lightly over the bandage.
As I headed up the driveway, I saw someone sitting on the front porch.
“Hey,” Tanner said.
“Hey.” I trotted up the stairs. “What are you doing out here?”
He raked a hand through his damp hair. He must have showered after work. “Just don’t feel like being in the house right now. And our room is like a sauna. I put the fan in the window so it’ll cool off a little.”
“Good idea.” I took a seat next to him on the wicker couch and sucked in a breath when the rawness of the tattoo pinched.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” I shifted carefully, trying not to pull the sensitive skin. “I just… I got a tattoo.”
Tanner’s eyes bugged, and he shook his head. “No way. Really?”
I liked that he was surprised. Predictability isn’t exactly exciting. “It was a last-minute sort of thing.”
“Well, can I see it?”
His eyes raked over me, and I could tell he was trying to figure out where it was. My cock attempted to point him in the right direction.
“Not for another hour or so. I’m supposed to keep it covered a bit, then wash it and put some stuff on it.”
One side of his mouth had lifted into his sexy grin. “I never really thought of you as the tattoo type.”
I shrugged. “Me neither. It just seemed… right.”
“I didn’t even know there was a place on the island.”
“There might not be. Jason took me to see the guy who’s done his.
It’s over in Bay Shore somewhere, I think. I had no clue where we were.”
Tanner’s smile flickered, but just for a second. “So you went with
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