Authors: M.A. Ellis
DeeperThanInk (13 page)
“You ready for this?” she asked, finger on the switch.
“I’m not sure,” he replied.
She turned it on and the glow was amazing.
“You have a black light in your closet for what purpose?”
Chad questioned, sitting up straighter.
“You’re not the only one who likes to be a voyeur. Sometimes
there’s peace in watching yourself.”
She rotated the head of the light and pointed it at his arm.
“See how awesome it looks.”
He looked at his tattoo and smiled. When he looked back at
her, he sucked in his breath.
“Holy fuck, Becca,” he exclaimed.
It had been awhile since she had looked at herself naked in
a mirror, had studied the areas of her torso that glowed in the black light.
From left shoulder to opposite hip, her mentor had done a marvelous job. She
should go back and visit him more often. But now he had another apprentice,
another dark-haired girl that he could share his stories and his experience
with.
“It’s like the circle of life, isn’t it?” Chad asked. He
reached out a finger and traced the outline of the winged dragon that arced
over the top of her left breast before swooping down into the lush green
backdrop of a tiger that was crouching in a bed of roses stalking whatever came
next. “In a Sailor Jerry sort of way.”
Becca laughed. Proof of his humor and that he paid attention
when she talked about the history behind her profession. Only the animals had
the UV undertone and she wondered why she hadn’t shown him this earlier. His
fingers were barely touching the designs, teasing her while clearly paying
homage to the workmanship.
“I hate to think about that tiger jumping up and snatching
one of those swallows out of the air. Or am I supposed to believe he’s going to
jump through that lace they’re holding up and take out the mermaid?” he asked,
following the progression of the tattoos until he was running his fingers over
the scales of the mermaid’s double tails.
“He took a little creative license with this one, didn’t
he?”
“How so?” she asked.
“I’ve seen the stuff at your shop, in Joe’s case. His
collection of vintage flashes have mermaids, but none with tails like that. Or
jet-black hair. Or blue-green eyes. I like that she’s obviously you, but I’m
sorry the illumination ends there.”
She sucked in her stomach as he ran his fingers toward the
opposite hip where two koi swam, the yin-yang styling evident. They were his
favorite, she knew. He stroked them enough when she was naked. And when she was
clothed, his hand always seemed to rest in that exact spot.
“Well, it would be gross to think my mermaid should jump off
her rock and go dine on those fish. That would be pretty cannibalistic, don’t
you think?”
“It would,” he agreed, taking one more look before he pulled
her down toward him, guiding her leg over his thighs, careful to avoid his
already semi-hard cock, until she was straddling him once more. He gripped her
hips and offered her a wide grin. “So what did you have in mind for her,
sitting there all alone?”
“I don’t know,” Becca said, leaning back so she could see
her hip, watch the way he stroked her mermaid’s bosom. “Maybe that she’d lure
in some hot, intelligent, wine-drinking landlubber who didn’t mind that she was
different.”
He walked his fingers up her torso, stopping to stroke her
nipples before he reached for her head and pulled her downward. “And when she
sees him? Is she going to sing to reel him in?”
“Nah. She sucks at karaoke,” she replied, bringing their
lips a hairsbreadth apart. His body shook beneath her and she watched the
corner of his eyes crinkle with amusement.
“He’s the one who makes her sing,” Becca admitted. “Every
day and night they’re together. And she loves it. Just like she loves him.”
About the Author
M.A. Ellis is a firm believer that everyone should pursue
their dreams…no matter how long it takes to achieve them. She wrote her first
short story,
What I Want To Be When I Grow Up
, many decades ago. It was
read by a total of seven people. (For those who are interested, the answer to
that intriguing statement was a toss-up between a veterinarian and a nun.)
Thanks to the encouragement of a creative writing guru at
Northern Kentucky University, M.A. stepped out of her neat little writing
boundaries and tried her hand at erotic poetry, which ultimately led her to
where she is today—devising tales of hot encounters and steamy romances that
always have happy endings. It’s a vocation she truly loves, equally as
rewarding as furry, four-legged creatures and a heck of a lot more entertaining
than Friday nights at the nunnery.
Originally from the land of pierogies and black & gold
sports memorabilia, M.A. now resides in southwest Florida, where she’s never at
a loss for inspiration. The sunsets are always amazing, the fishing is stellar
and weekly beach volleyball can definitely be considered a “research” mission.
When not writing or reading, M.A. concentrates on honing her
master baking skills, focusing on the realms of cheesecake and chocolate, which
happen to be her favorite alliterations in all the world.
M.A. welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email address on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Deeper Than Ink
ISBN 9781419941139
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Deeper Than Ink Copyright © 2012 M.A. Ellis
Edited by Shannon Combs
Cover design by Fiona Jade
Photos: Michaeljung and Yuri Acurs/Shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication July 2012
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