Page 71 of Shifter Situations

“You know what that means, right?”

“I do, but it's four in the morning, Sweetheart. Where are you going to find an open tattoo parlor at this time?”

“I’ll call around. I have the best idea, and you are not talking yourself out of this one.”

I snatched her to me before she could walk away. “How about we try in a couple of hours? I think I can keep you busy until then.”

She hummed in agreement, her vivid red nails dragging across my bare chest lightly as she smirked at me. “I made an appointment yesterday.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “You peeked!”

“No!” she said before bouncing her head. “I mean, maybe, but either way, one of us was getting a tattoo, so I thought I’d be responsible and call ahead.”

We stared at each other, and I waited for her to break. She rolled her lips in, her bright eyes gleaming under the lights of the near-empty game room.

“I knew you were going to lose, I just didn’t know how. I’ve been thinking about ideas all day,” she admitted, slashing her hands across her chest.

I nodded, stuck somewhere between wanting to laugh or telling her that using her powers during a bet was definitely cheating.

“What am I getting?”

She cackled, tossing her head back as she wheezed, “The Jolly Green Giant.”

I cocked my head to the side, furrowing my brows. “Who?”

“What?” she gasped. “You don’t know who The Jolly Green Giant is?”

I smiled at her stunned expression. “I know a green giant, but I’m guessing it’s not the one you’re talking about, Sweetheart.”

“Oh my gods,” she whispered to herself. “It’s so easy to forget that you didn’t grow up on Earth.”

“Who is it, Sloane?”

“He’s, uhm.” She coughed, clearing her throat as her lips twitched. “He’s a giant, green man who wears a tiny toga made of leaves. And he stands stoic over the villages of the valley.”

“What valley?”

Her lips caressed the shell of my ear, making her response sound filthy. “The valley of the Jolly Green Giant.”

“Why is that so funny? Have you given me a nickname that I don’t know about? How much have you had to drink?”

She shook her head quickly, another bout of giggles bubbling up as she replied, “It’s not, I haven’t, and not enough.”

“Why are you still laughing?” I inquired, taking her hand to lead her to the garage.

“I asked the artist to make the design look like a pinup.”

I stopped, twisting my head to give her a questioning look. “A what?”

“For Devil’s sake, York.” She sighed playfully. “Come on. You’ll see when we get there.”

* * *

“That’s a great memory,” she murmured, her voice full of amusement.

“Why is that still funny?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

She shrugged, nonchalant as she confessed, “Because it’s been years, and you never noticed that the end of his dick is hidden in the leaves on the edge of his toga.”