Wicked Beat (Sinners on Tour #4)(115)

She laughed. "If you say so."

Eric headed out of the parking lot and drove toward the coast. "As excited as I was to get you a ring, I'm even more excited by the thought of my name tattooed on your skin."

She smiled. "Me too. My mother is going to hate it."

Eric's face fell. "Is that what this is about? Revenge on your mother?"

"Of course not."

The tattoo parlor was in a quaint strip of old stores a few blocks from the ocean. A cool breeze blew onshore. Rebekah wished she'd brought a sweater. Eric fed a parking meter with quarters while Rebekah waited. He grabbed her hand and led her into The Ink Well-a shady establishment at best. A man, tattooed from neck to toe, looked up from the tattoo he was inking on some guy's chest.

"Yo, Sticks. Back for more?" the artist called.

"You know I can't get enough."

"Who's the pretty lady?"

"My girlfriend, em … " He glanced at Rebekah. "Fiancée? Can I call you that?" he whispered.

"Do you see a ring on this finger?" She shook her bare, left hand in front of his face.

He sighed. "Still my girlfriend," he said. "She wants my name tattooed … " He turned her around and lifted her shirt, running a finger along her lower back. " …  right there." He then rubbed his lower belly. "And I want hers right here. Can you squeeze us in right now?"

"Yeah, I'm almost done here." Butch dabbed the guy's chest with a towel, removing dots of something red from his skin.

Rebekah winced when she realized the guy under the needle was bleeding.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered to Eric.

"Yeah. In a strange way, it feels good too. Like, you know that itch you can never scratch enough? This scratches it. Do you want me to go first?" 

She shook her head. "If I wait, I might chicken out."

"You're sure you want this done?"

She looked at him, her heart fluttery with emotions. "Yeah."

When it was Rebekah's turn to go under the needle, she explained her vision to the artist, Butch.

"Just his first name? Or first and last?" Butch asked.

"Just Eric in fancy lettering. And maybe a music staff and music notes on either end to bracket it, and tiny, multicolored butterflies above it to make it look feminine."

Butch nodded, obviously picturing what she wanted in his mind. "I'll draw up a stencil real quick. See if I can capture what you want. Then we can make adjustments before we make it permanent."

Rebekah's tummy fluttered as if she'd swallowed a few of those feminine little butterflies. "Okay," she croaked.

"I'm going to help him," Eric said. He handed her a book that had photos of the tattoos Butch had done. "Keep yourself occupied."

Nervous, she looked through the pages. Butch really was a talented artist. She could tell she was in good hands. Some portraits he'd inked on people looked so real it was as if she were looking at a photograph taped to their skin. Ten minutes later, Butch and Eric returned.

The stenciled drawing he showed her stole her breath. It was perfect! She imagined brides must feel that way when they tried on the wedding dress they were destined to wear for one special day. She was trying on a piece of artwork she would wear for the rest of her life.

"Oh …  I love it!" She waved at the tears suddenly in her eyes. She was making a lifelong commitment to this piece of art and the man it represented. Or all the guys named Eric in the world.

Eric ran his finger along the notes drawn on the wavy music staff that tapered into pointed curls on either side of his name. "I'll play this for you when we get home," he said.

"Did you write me a real song? I thought it was just for looks."

"Just a little melody." He brushed her hair behind her ear and leaned close to whisper, "It means I love you."

She turned her head to capture his lips in a lingering kiss. "I'm so gonna rock your world when we get home, baby."

"You always do." He patted her butt and directed her to the table where Butch was waiting.

She unfastened her jeans and slid them low on her hips so he had more area to work with. He transferred the stencil to her lower back and made her look in the mirror to make sure it was where she wanted it. It looked even better on her skin than on the paper.

"So sexy," Eric murmured.

Butch laughed. "She'd make any tattoo look sexy. Great-lookin' woman you've got here."

Rebekah beamed. She never tired of compliments.

While the stencil dried on Rebekah's lower back, Butch busied himself changing the needle in the little machine that reminded Rebekah of a small gun, only with a big freaking needle sticking out of the end. She was trying to be brave, but her tummy fluttered with nerves.