“How come you don’t have any piercings if you like them so much?” Payson asked curiously.
Face burning, Land focused on the different size hoops and bars the guy offered for nipples and muttered, “I’m afraid of needles.”
Payson nodded. “Not too fond of them myself,” he admitted, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He leaned close and whispered, “I’ll kiss ‘em better for you.”
Land shivered, liking the sound of that. “Promise?”
“Oh, yeah,” he replied. “If you get a Prince Albert I’ll kiss that better, too.”
Cracking up, Land grinned at his lover. “I don’t think so. I’ll leave the dick piercings to you.”
Payson winked at him. “If you ever change your mind, the offer will always be there.”
Land watched Tim go through the process of getting his nipples pierced. He had to give the man credit, as Tim only grimaced when the burly man shot the needle through his skin. Next, Payson had his done, choosing a set of barbells.
When it was his turn, Land pulled off his shirt and laid down on the love seat. Payson stood at his head and with surprising sympathetic support, knelt on the floor and took hold of his hand.
“You ready for this?” Richard, the tattooist asked, leaning over him.
Letting out a breath slowly through his teeth, Land nodded.
Not waiting another moment, Richard pulled the trigger. Pain shot through Land’s body, and he couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping. “Burns,” he hissed.
“We got one more,” Richard stated, swabbing his other nipple. “Ready?”
Holy cow! Do I want this pain in the other nipple? Screwing up his courage, Land squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. Payson massaged his hand right as a fresh stab of pain shot through him. Breathing deeply through his nose, Land worked though the sting. He saw Payson’s worried look and forced a smile. “Good thing you didn’t talk me into that Prince Albert. Props to you, Payson.”
Richard eyed them curiously. “Got a Prince Albert?”
Payson nodded. “And a Jacob’s Ladder.”
“Nice,” Richard stood and started cleaning his equipment. He glanced up and grinned. “You want any more? There’s plenty of other locations.”
Land frowned. Was Richard hitting on his…shoot, what was Payson to him? Their talk about mates and mating made it sound like Payson wanted more, and Ben said shifters didn’t cheat. Was that true?
Laughing, Payson shook his head. “Not right now, man. Thanks, though.” Payson turned back to Land, apparently dismissing Richard, and brushed a strand of hair from Land’s face. “You okay, sexy?”
Richard moved away to set up his station for whatever tattoo Kontra planned. Land nodded absently. As he sat up, everything that had happened to him in the last twenty-four hours hit him like a punch in the gut. He’d gone out to his first club, been picked up by a hot man, lost his virginity, found out shape-shifters were real and one wanted to keep him, and he’d gotten his nipples pierced.
“Oh my goodness,” he moaned, his stomach rolling.
Payson leaned close. “What’s wrong?”
“Bathroom,” Payson pleaded.
Payson seemed to understand, for he helped him to his feet and ushered him to a hall bathroom—just in time for Land to drop in front of the toilet and lose his breakfast.
“Eli!” Payson yelled.
Land wanted to tell Payson he’d be fine, it was just nerves, but he was too busy emptying his stomach.
Eli’s tall slender frame cast a shadow over Land as he gripped the rim of the toilet. “What set him off?” Eli asked.
He heard water run, then Payson draped a cool cloth over the back of his neck. “I’m not sure,” Payson said. “He just got his nipples done, sat up, and asked for the bathroom.”
Hearing the worry in his lover’s voice—holy cow, I have a lover!—made Land
convulsively. Only his sister had ever swallow worried about him. Oh, no. My sister! What was she going to say? Larissa had already made it known that she didn’t approve of Payson, though he still didn’t know why. Maybe he should read all those texts.
“Hmm, maybe he’s having an allergic reaction to something he ate at breakfast,” Eli mused. “I’d like to draw some blood and—”
“No,” Land gasped, peering over his shoulder at them. “I’m okay.”
“If you’re allergic to something, we need to know what not to feed you,” Eli stated, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes narrowed, expressing how disgruntled he was at being denied.
Land accepted the toilet paper Payson offered him and wiped his mouth. “I’m not allergic to anything. I’m just overwhelmed.” He rocked back on his haunches and frowned up at the tall man. “Do you have any idea how strange all this is to me? Most days I don’t even leave my apartment. Now I’ve found a guy who turns into a…a hyena and thinks he can keep me as if I were a lost puppy,” he snapped.