Page 48 of Cursed: Ride or Die
Too bad Slade couldn’t work off the curse by doing good deeds. Of course, most folks who knew him, really knew him, would laugh at the concept.
He’d given his niece a home, chopped about three winters’ worth of firewood for Judith, and now worked to bring a lost wolf home.
If there were any packs left.
Noah sat beside him, taking the laptop onto his knees when Slade offered.
Slade clicked a few buttons, starting a slide show. “Here’s the pieces I won awards for.” The snake wrapped around a woman’s torso had taken weeks of painstaking detailing.
“That’s gorgeous. Could you do something similar for me?” Noah glanced away. “No, I suppose you don’t want to put so much effort into a design that’ll disappear overnight.”
Noah, nearly naked on a tattoo bed. There were worse ways to spend time. Many worse ways. Slade hid his eagerness with a shrug. “I wouldn’t be opposed to a full back piece if you wanted one. Something this extensive takes multiple sessions. Hours of work because of the detailing on the scales. We can do a smaller or less intricate piece if you’d like.”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
Slade snorted. “You’re my canvas, helping me with my work. Why would I mind? Something specific you’d like?”
“I’d like…” Noah locked gazes with Slade. “I think I’d like a wolf if you don’t mind.” He pressed his jeans-clad leg against Slade’s, flushed, and pulled his leg away.
Did the guy have any idea what he did to Slade? Slade took a deep breath. “I can do a wolf. Where do you have in mind?”
“You’re the expert. Where do you think is best?”
The image of a wolf tattoo on Noah’s firm ass moved into Slade’s head, refusing to leave.No, Slade. He’s only with you for a while. He needs your help, nothing more.
Oh, damn. Slade’s libido went into overdrive.No. Stop it!He breathed steadily in and out, regaining control, while Noah flipped through more images on the laptop. Finally, after a moment of stifling his screaming conscience, Slade set his beer on the nightstand. “Take your shirt off and lay on your stomach.”
He could do this.Think of business, your craft.
Noah’s beer joined Slade’s as he reverently placed the laptop to the side. He whipped his T-shirt over his head and dutifully crawled up the bed, dropping down onto his stomach.
Skin. Beautiful skin. Smooth, unblemished, except for a dragon on Noah’s shoulder. One quick shift would create a blank canvas for Slade’s visions. Before he could stop himself, he ran a hand up the center of Noah’s back.
Noah let out a moan.
Slade yanked his hand back. “Is something wrong?”
“No… no It’s just no one has ever touched me like that before.”
“Like what?” Never touched?
“Touched me just to touch me. Not like when you tattoo my skin.”
“No one?” While Slade never liked touchy-feely guys, the right kind of touches ranked on the list of good things in the world.
“Well, Paul treated wounds and patted my head when I was a kid, maybe gave me a few hugs. Cashiers brushed my hand when giving me change, but no one has ever placed a hand on me like this. No one who didn’t want to hurt me, rather.”
Denied simple touch? Poor guy. Chuck used to say human beings needed touch to survive. Noah managed for years without.
Making a quick decision he’d surely regret later, Slade shifted on the mattress to straddle Noah’s hips.
Noah gasped. “What are you doing?”
“Shhh… I think you’ll like this. If you don’t, I’ll stop.” Slade worked his fingers into the muscles of Noah’s shoulders. This time, the moan spoke of pure pleasure.
“That…that feels good.”
The moans, the feel of warm skin… no,Noah’swarm skin under Slade’s hand caused Slade’s cock to fill. He carefully kept his erection from pressing a nice, firm ass. Noah wasn’t the only one who’d been too long without touch.
