Connor Thomas

I would like to let you know there is no sex in this chapter. Also I do not have an editor so please forgive any mistakes. I try to read and reread but shit happens. Please vote and comment on how you think the story is unfolding.

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The alarm goes off way to early the next morning. I groan as she turns it off.

"Bathroom?"

"Out the door to the left." She answers still laying in bed. A few minutes later I return to find her sitting on the side of the bed.

"I scared your roommate." Grinning.

"I should have told you to put on clothes." Watching me walk into the room.

"What are you thinking about?" Seeing thoughts run across her face.

"All that ink on your skin."

"You don't like tattoos?"

"I have not had the chance to admire yours." Beckoning with her hand. "Come, Let me drink in the beauty of your body." I walk over to her at the edge of the bed. Waiting for her to touch me. At first she just looks at my naked form from head to toe. Her eyes seem to memorize every inch of me.

"What do they mean?" Running her hands across my chest. One hand on each crest that adorns my chest. They are around four inches in size. Just below my collar bone on the left and right of my chest.

"This one...." Placing my hand over hers on the left. "Means Destiny of the Wolf." It is a Coat of Arms or family crest. A blue background with a black wolf figure in the middle.

"Is that what the script says?"

"Mac Tire Cinniuint. Gaelic meaning Wolf Destiny." I state. "Blue means strength and loyalty. Black stands for consistency and grief."

"And this?" Running her fingers over the other crest on the right.

"Semper Cruor." A purple human heart with two parallel swords piercing it diagonally from top left to bottom right . "It is Latin means Forever Blood."

"Why these two?" Fingers tracing the lines of them. I shrug.

"I was researching Crests for a customer and came across these two. I found myself doodling this absently." Running my own finger over the weird looking wolf on the left.

"So it spoke to you?"

"I guess, in a way." Shrugging.

"The scorpion is for your astrological sign, right?"

"Yeah." Smiling as she runs her hand down my right arm.

"This?" As her hand traces lines in the free form patter done in orange, yellow and pinks on my left arm. Covers completely from wrist to elbow, bleeding into the world of my Warrior Goddess.

"You ever heard of Carlos Chance?" She blushes. "What?"

"I have to admit I googled you." Hand resting on my left forearm.

"Really?" She nods. "I'm flattered."

"A lot of people were talking you up the other night so I was just checking out the facts."

"You find my website?"

"Some great works on there." She says nodding. "Also I sent a friend invite to your facebook."

"I'll be sure to add you next time I'm up."

"Have you checked in lately?"

"On facebook? Haven't had the chance. Janet manages the main site for me."

"You have a lot of friends and many of them from the party left lewd comments." Blushing again.

"My friends, lewd?" I feign shock. "Don't worry about it. Mostly just jealousy." She smiles up at me. I slide my hand into her hair and lean down to kiss her. Soft, sweet. I try to deepen it and she pushes me back.

"I haven't finished. I want to see the real thing not imagines on the computer."

"Look away." Doing a body builder pose.

"Get over here." She laughs, holding her hand out. I let her drag me back to the bed. " Is this one new?" Going back to where she left off, my left bicep.

"Not too new. Jer did some touch up the other day. Adding some background to my Goddess."

"Oh." She half heartedly says as her eyes travel my body again. "I can't believe I am sleeping with a guy who has this tattooed on his groin." Clearly teasing.

"Hold on this will be a bumpy ride was to long." Grinning devilishly. She shakes her head as her fingers trace the words 'Welcome Aboard' I have permanently placed above my cock. I suddenly grab her wrist. "Watch the hands unless you want to be my breakfast."

"Oh really?" In a teasing matter. Hand beginning to stroke me. "Maybe I should have you for breakfast." Licking her lips.

"Be my guest." Trying to stifle a moan as she works me up to my full potential.

"Not yet. I haven't seen the masterpiece." Abruptly stopping with her hands. "Turn around." The tool that I am, I do as she says. Quietly she studies my full back tat. "Who did it?" She asks after some time.

"Jerry. You met him at the party. Gray hair, beard. Potbellied biker look."

"Vaguely." Her hands are tracing things along my back. I shudder when her finger stroke the wolf, almost like petting. My deflated solider begins to come to attention once more. "The detail is amazing." Lightly touching along the base, near my spine, where the pic ends. "You designed this?"

"Yeah, a long time ago. It was the first piece I wanted to get."

"So this..." Running her flat palms over my back, up to my shoulders. "...was your first tattoo?"

"No. This." Holding my left arm back toward her. She takes it. Laying her warm lips against it.

"Tell me about it." I turn to face her and watch as she licks across the shitty tattoo.

"Ugly isn't it?"

"It's part of you, it can't be ugly." That gets a smile from me.

"I put it on myself when I was fourteen or fifteen. Infected." I say reflectively. "That's what me and the guys were called in high school. I was a jock. Ran track. Actually took home the state championship my junior year but was still labeled as different. I always was growing up but that comes from the moving around. Never mind though." I am not seeing her but some lost days as I talk. "I have been drawing, long as I can remember. Then I met Russ and he kept talking about wanting to get tattooed and how I would design them all. So we made a needle. I did all four guys. Made them sit like it would look to me when I did my own. Russ went first. Got the worse of us all. Jackson's looks a little weird because he was only like thirteen. When he grew it became a little distorted. Then I did my own and this was the result."

"Must have been hard." Rubbing her cheek on my hand.

"I guess. Did a bunch of coke. Stayed up all night with Russ and Bear." I know I'm smiling. "Good times." Blinking, I look down to her. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I told you all that."

"You felt comfortable."

"I guess." Pulling my hand back, a little unnerved at how easily I told her.

"No. Don't pull away."

"I should get going." Gathering clothing and putting it on as I find it.

"Are you working today?"

"I'm doing some work for an old friend. You could say fixing my mistakes. Then I'll probably fuck off at the bike shop."

"I get out of class around five. If you're available, I could make dinner." She sashays over to me. Pressing her body against mine as she slides her arms around my neck.

"Possibly."

"I would love for you to give me a ride." Brushing her lips across mine before licking them.

"I think I'll be free."

"Think?" Teasing before kissing my lips, my mouth immediately opening to meet her tongue. My hand moves down to grip her naked ass as the kiss heats up.

"Maybe I should stay for breakfast." Pulling back breathlessly.

"Save it for later stallion. I haven't be so thoroughly fucked in a long time."

"Pick you up around five?" Grinning arrogantly.

"Newport Hall."

"I know where it is. Want me to bring the bike?"

"That's why I really want you to pick me up." Smiling deviously. I kiss her quickly and slap her ass.

"Five." I say as I walk out.

A few hours later, after a lengthy shower and enormous breakfast I walk into the shop. Janet and Jerry are sitting at the counter drinking coffee.

"Wow lover boy, big night?" Janet teases.

"Guess I don't need to ask for proof." Laughing with Janet. I almost blush when I realize they are talking about the monster bite mark on my neck. Nothing I had would cover it. Wonder why when Vivian does it there is no mark?

"You are going to lose old man. Three for three and I have another date planned tonight."

"Is this bet going to rest on your word?"

"Well you obviously see I am not lying about last night and know about Monday. As for the blow job I got Tuesday in the room, yeah take my word for it. She knew the noises a man wants to hear as a chick polishes his knob."

"Is that how you talked about me?"

"Uh. No." Clearly thrown off by Janet. " I never told anyone about you."

"Yeah right. Like you didn't tell your friends about the ass you were getting for three months."

"I might have mentioned something like how hot it was she had her clit pierced."

"You do?" Shocked, Jerry looks to her for conformation.

"Yeah well, I told my girlfriends you have a big cock."

"Really? How big? Like monster huge, women want to run when the see it or like average porn star huge?"

"What is wrong with you?" Janet and I are looking at him in shock.

"You two are the ones airing your dirty laundry."

"What's that?" Mack asks walking in from the back. "What are you doing here? I didn't see you on the schedule." Looking at me.

"Old friend is in town. Wants me to hook her up."

"Kid you are going to burn out before you hit thirty. Can't work seven days a week forever."

"Why not?" Honestly. I very rarely feel worn out. "I do plenty of extra curricular activities."

"I can tell." Shaking his head, dismissing me he turns to talk with Janet about business shit.

I wander back to my room, getting things ready. I want to be all set when Katie arrives. I feel nervous, excited, anxious. I'm not even sure. It has been so long since I felt such feeling. We were everything to each other. When she commented on my career the other night I asked if she had the tat I did in high school fixed. She hadn't. I offered to fix it up for free. I mean who wants their exboyfriend's initials, crappy ones at that, on their ankle for life. Hers are still on my ankle. Just like the wrist tat. I wouldn't change a thing. I remember the night I did hers and then showed her how to use the needle on me. We made love on the floor afterward, the Miles' asleep in the next room. Thought we had found our future, our heart in one another. Seeing her brought it all back. How much I loved her then. Shit, how much I still love her now. I have tried but honestly never achieved the same level we had back them. Even after the Miles' accident she didn't give up. Tried hard to keep my head above water. What did I do for her but pull away. Shut down myself, my feelings. I know the last few months were cold. We were just going through the motions until she left. Left me forever.

Not forever because she is back. Walking right into my room. All beauty and class like back in school.

"Lost in thought?" Smiling at me.

"Thoughts of you." I blurt out.

"What?"

"Nothing." Shaking my head. "Good to see you again." Going over to give her an lingering hug.

"Yeah I was really surprised when I ran into Bryce. He told me about your party."

"I'm glad you came, even though we didn't have much time to catch up."

"Now we do. Unless you have more appointments today."

"I'm all yours until four thirty. I kinda have a date." Not meeting her eyes.

"I'm married Connor. You're a single man. It's natural."

"So why don't you let me see the tattoo." Patting the chair. She sighs accepting my unwillingness to talk about relationships at the moment. I sit on my stool before her as she removes her shoe. I take her right foot in my hand and just stare for a moment, caressing her foot. After a moment she clears her throat. I blush as I slide her pant leg up and place her leg across my lap.

"It still looks pretty good huh?" My finger tracing the red heart the surrounds my initials.

"Drake hates it." She smiles at me.

"Any idea what you want to cover it with?"

"I want to see yours." I move her foot, stand up placing my foot on the stool, I pull up my right pant leg. "Not holding up as well." She laughs. Fingers touching her faded initials on the outside of my ankle.

"It was your first one. Looks good to me." Her hands continue up. Pushing my pant leg up around my knee.

"I remember watching you get this." Hand running back down over my calf. I have the Social Distortion skeleton covering most of my leg from knee to ankle.

"My first professionally done one." There is a small smile on her lips as her hands come around to trace the words 'sick boy' on the other side, right above her name. "Took a long time to get the guys to quit calling me that." My mind wandering back to the day we were at the lake. Spent the day skinny dipping and making love. Social D blasting on my car stereo. That was our music. She loved every album they made. When the song came on she told me I was her Sick Boy. Faded jeans, leather jacket and some day I would have those tattoos up and down my arms. We would talk about our future.

"You okay?" She asks. Her hands resting on her thighs. I sink down onto the stool. Sliding my hands up her outer thighs.

"I didn't think it would be so hard." Laying my head in her lap. My mind reeling with all those tender, loving times between us. It was never about the sex. It was always about the emotion. She made me feel things I had never felt. Emotions I haven't felt since. I don't think I really try hard to reach that level again. The loss was so hard. We parted amicably but I was a wreck after she left. "I'm sorry." I say as she strokes my hair, just like the old days.

"For what?"

"Everything." Looking up at her.

"The years I spent with you were great. Through the good times and bad." I can see the moisture gathering in her eyes. I get up and wrap my arms her. Laying my head on her shoulder. She rest hers against mine.

"I guess I never dealt with my feeling for you." I feel her arms slide around me, squeezing me tight. "After you left I was a wreck. For the summer I stayed in my apartment getting drunk or doing coke. Fuck I wasted so much time. The guys finally forced me back into the world. Then all I did was fuck every girl that came on the me. I tried to erase you but I think all I really did was bury those feeling deep down." She sits back and wipes her eyes.

"God, I wanted to call you a million times after I left. I had the phone in my hand so many times. I eventually made new friends. It took me until sophomore year to think about dating. After the pure, innocent love we shared I figured it was a once in a lifetime thing. Then I met Drake and I decided that even if I had already had the great love of my life I can still love another."

Without thought I crush my mouth to hers. She stiffens momentarily before yielding to the kiss. Quickly dominating it. Sucking the love we have from each other. Our tongues dancing, caressing. Chasing each other back and forth between our mouths. My hand slides into her hair, holding her mouth to mine as I lay gentle kissing on her lips before going back to the deep heat of her mouth. Her taste takes me back.

One of the most memorable was the first Christmas we were together. I had dinner and then spent the evening with her family. Sitting side by side on the couch I gave her my gift. I had waited until we were alone. Her parents in the kitchen fixing coffee and desert.

"Oh my god." She breathed when she opened the jewelry box. I had bought her a small diamond on a gold chain. "Thank you." flinging herself into my arms and pressing her lips to mine.

"I love you." I said when she pulled back.

"What?" Blinking in shock.

"I know its only been a few months but I love you."

"Really?" Her face lighting up.

"How many more times do I have to say it." With a teasing grin. "I love you, I love you, I love you." She just stares at me. I know my face showed fear. My fear of rejection. I hid it well from others but it was still there.

After a few minutes she said "wow."

"Not the response I expected but okay." Disappointment showing on my face.

"No Connor." Wiping a stray tear away. "I love you too." She smiled. A huge smile broke out on my face the moment before I pulled her against me. I kissed her hard and fierce trying to devour her from the mouth down. I heard the quiet protest from her father and her mother shushing him. Retreating voices as she said this was a big day for Katie.

Our kisses grow shorter until they finally stop. Resting my forehead against hers.

"Why didn't I give it all up and go with you to California?"

"I don't know."

"I was stupid."

"Yes you were." Smiling.

"I still love you."

"I'll always love you."