Beautiful Beginning(23)

            I absorbed this information: Bull might currently be “on” with this Maisie woman and was hitting on every vagina under forty in the wedding party. “Are you kidding me?”

            “I wish.”

            I studied it as casually as I could; the last thing I wanted to do was raise Bull’s attention and let him think I was checking him out. But the tattoo was enormous, practically the size of my entire hand, and incredibly detailed. It had been hidden at the dinner the night before under his dress shirt, but now, in casual clothing, the entire thing was revealed, in full color. Basically, it was Maisie’s face, neck, and chest stopping just where the hint of her breasts began to swell.

            Turning back to Bennett, I whispered, “Jesus. She must be bringing it. I know how to suck a dick but no one has ever tattooed my face on their skin.”

            Bennett went still, hand frozen where he had just reached for his glass.

            “I don’t expect you to tattoo my face on your arm, Mr. Ryan, settle down.”

            He exhaled heavily, bringing the glass to his lips and saying, “That’s good,” before he took a sip.

            “But I would like to suck your dick so hard you promise to do it anyway,” I said and laughed as he planted his hand on my back and shoved me out of the booth, telling me to go play with the girls for a bit.

            We danced, and drank; Hanna and Mina were an unstoppable combination of inappropriate, and had all of us laughing until our sides hurt on the dance floor. It was a perfect night: out with all of my favorite people in the entire world, surrounded by my girlfriends while the love of my life hate-loved me with fiery intensity from across the room.

            And, because they were fully on my side in this ridiculous abstinence business, Max and Will came and joined us and surrounded me, dancing and teasing, lifting me up and carrying me to Bennett for an upside-down, drunken kiss.

            “I love you anyway,” I told him as he scowled down at me. “And I’m going to break you tonight.”

            He shook his head, giving in to the smile he was trying to fight. “I love you anyway, too. And you can try your hardest, but it won’t work. You’re not getting my dick again until we’re married.”



            We brushed our teeth side by side and studied each other in the mirror. I was wearing a thick cotton robe over my weapon of mass seduction, but Bennett wore only his boxers, so I took some time to appreciate his naked torso. I loved his man nipples, the dusting of hair on his chest, and the definition of his shoulders, chest, and stomach. I lovingly counted the six-pack and then stared at the trail of hair leading from his belly button to beneath his boxer briefs. I wanted to lick that line and then taste the smooth skin of his cock.

            “Did you take a sleeping pill again?”

            He shook his head, mouth wide as he brushed his back molars.

            “I like your body,” I said around a mouthful of toothbrush.

            He flashed me a foamy toothpaste smile. “Likewise.”

            “Can I give you head?”

            He bent to spit and rinse his mouth before saying simply, “No.”

            “Want to give me a quickie from behind?”

            He wiped his face on a towel and then placed a peck on the top of my head. “No.”

            “Handie?” I asked to his retreating form as he left the bathroom.

            “No.”

            I washed my face and walked out into the bedroom to join him. He was already under the covers, reading some political nonfiction book.