Inked in the Steel City Series(13)
Karen was lost in study, her head bent over her camera. “I’m not sure, but I think they came out…amazing.” She looked up slowly, and her tone was almost reverent, as if she hadn’t been the one who’d aimed the camera and captured the images. Her green eyes sparkled like polished jade, alight with apparent excitement.
Mina breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.” Hopefully that meant Karen wouldn’t try to wrangle her back in front of the lens again for any re-dos.
Eric knocked before reentering.
“Come on in,” Karen called, her gaze still locked on her camera screen. “Would you like to see these?” She motioned toward Eric with her camera.
“I’m sure they’re great.” Instead of diverting his gaze to the screen, his eyes locked on Mina.
A thousand butterflies she hadn’t realized were there erupted into flight somewhere in her middle.
“OK then. You’re up next.”
Eric nodded stoically. What did he think of putting his body on display and posing? Mina wondered as he strode onto the paper, stopping in front of the background.
“Should I stand or sit?”
“Standing should be fine.”
He set the stool aside.
Karen stepped up and readied her camera.
Mina’s heart was stuck somewhere in her throat. The moment of truth had arrived. She couldn’t help but stare as Eric gripped the bottom of his long sleeved cotton shirt, preparing to pull it over his head.
He whisked it away without hesitation, revealing a perfectly toned torso and plenty of ink. An intricate design spiraled down his right bicep, the rich black ink swirling in a graceful pattern.
“Mina, do me a favor and hand him the grey card.”
Mina moved mechanically, picking up the grey card with suddenly hot hands and striding toward Eric. A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her when he met her eyes. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” She handed off her flimsy burden and backed away, out of Karen’s line of fire. She nearly tripped over the edge of the background when something – a hint of more dark ink – caught her eye, causing her to pause. Eric turned a little at Karen’s bequest, revealing more of what had captured Mina’s attention.
The design on his bicep wasn’t his only tattoo. In fact, it looked small and simple in comparison to the masterpiece inked across his back. She sidled to the right a little, taking it all in. A huge dragon wound its way across his back, its open mouth gaping on one shoulder while its tail tapered off and then flared to an end just above his hips. It was beautifully done in black and grey, every scale painstakingly detailed.
“You like it?”
Mina snapped her gaze from Eric’s skin, surprised by his question. He was peering at her over his shoulder, his eyes as warm and arresting as ever.
“Yeah. It’s amazing.”
He gave her a hint of a smile.
“Eric, face me then turn your chin an inch or so to the left.”
The spell of their locked gazes was broken by Karen’s instructions. Mina did her best to fade into the background, sinking down onto Karen’s computer chair. She would have preferred to stare at Eric as Karen directed him, carefully capturing every inch of his body art with her camera. She was too embarrassed to be so obvious though, so she turned her attention to Karen’s desktop instead.
A magazine caught her eye, its corner protruding from beneath an empty takeout container. Mina picked it up and stared down at the glossy cover in bemusement. A woman posed flamboyantly, her rear to the camera, clad only in a pair of mesh panties. Double dragons had been inked across her ass cheeks. They were nowhere near as well-done as Eric’s dragon, but they were eye-catching, if nothing else. Mina scanned the title. It was a tattoo art and culture magazine, like something one might find on a table in a tattoo studio waiting room. When had Karen picked it up?
Apparently she was really getting into the idea of photographing tattoos. Not that that was surprising – she threw herself one hundred and ten percent into every photography project that she did. If work ethic alone were enough to make it in the business, she’d be at the top already.
“That’s perfect.”
Mina glanced up, letting her eyes flicker toward Eric. He stood with his shoulder at an angle to the camera, showing off the artwork that scrolled down his arm and hinting at the masterpiece on his back at the same time. He had to be flexing a little bit – his bicep was sleek and defined beneath the ink. How did he manage to stay so fit when he spent his days in a chair, carefully focusing on work that required an expert, steady hand, but not so much in the way of biceps? Maybe he worked out. She let her gaze sweep over his toned body again. Yes, he definitely worked out.