Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Iris

The cool Montana air makes goosebumps pop up all over my skin as Rosa and I stroll down the bustling shopping street, our arms laden with bags from our favorite boutiques.

I tug my fur coat closer to my body, afraid I might freeze my ass off.

The Christmas music drifting out of storefronts mixes with the chatter of locals and tourists alike.

"So, I might have heard a police officer found you and Viper the other day," Rosa says, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me. "Care to spill the details?"

I bite my lip, images of that night with Viper flooding my mind—straddling his hips, his cock filling me completely, the way he touched and tasted every inch of my skin.

I shake my head slightly, trying to clear the sinful memories. "How do you know that?"

Rosa laughs. "My brother’s a sheriff for Tinsel Creek."

My mouth gapes open. "No shit… and he’s the one who found us the other day?"

Rosa can’t hold back her smile. "Oh yeah, and he got a kick out of it. He totally knew what the two of you were doing. But Viper should know better than to pull off the highway being so close to town. This time of year it’s filled with tourists. Family friendly sorts of folks."

"Yeah, if the man is anything, it’s spontaneous." I bite my lip, trying to hold back my smile.

"Mhm, so give me the dirty details, I need something!" She jabs me in the side with her elbow.

"A lady never kisses and tells," I tease with a smirk.

Rosa knows me too well. "Oh please, we both know you're no lady," she jokes, playfully swatting my arm. "But seriously, what's the deal with you two? Have you made it official… or are you two still circling the drain?"

I sigh, fiddling with the strap of my purse. "Honestly, Ro, I'm not even sure. Things with Viper are...complicated. Intense."

"No shit." Rosa snorts. "The sexual tension between you two is thick enough to cut with a knife. Half the girls are already calling you 'Viper's girl' behind your back."

My cheeks flush at that, both from embarrassment and an illicit thrill.

If they only knew just how true that moniker was.

"You know I don't like labels," I say evasively. "Besides, we haven't even defined what this is yet. It's all still so new."

I mean, we have kind of defined it—I am his, but no one else knows that.

They might think they do, but they don’t.

"New? Chica, please. You two have had googly eyes for each other since the moment you met. There's no denying he's completely infatuated with you," Rosa points out astutely.

I can't help but smile at that, my heart fluttering in my chest.

As much as I try to play it cool, I know she's right.

Viper makes me feel things I've never felt before—cherished, desired, consumed.

It's exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

"Okay fine, yes, Viper and I are...a thing," I admit, blowing out a breath. "But we're trying to keep it on the downlow for now, especially from Allegra. I don't know how she'll react to her best friend dating her dad."

Rosa's eyes go wide. "Damn girl, if that isn't complicated as hell, I don't know what is. Good luck navigating those choppy waters."

She gives me a sympathetic look as we enter a brand new lingerie boutique that just opened.

I wonder how well it’s going to do here, being a risqué sort of shop on Main Street.

"Tell me about it," I groan, heading right over to a rack of lace sets. "But enough about my mess of a love life. What do you think about this?" I hold up a lacy red negligee trimmed in white faux fur.

"Ooh la la, getting in the holiday spirit, I see." Rosa waggles her eyebrows suggestively. "Gotta say, red is definitely your color. I bet Viper won't be able to keep his hands off you in that little number. Think about what happened the other day at Satin Dreams. You were in something similar."

I grin wickedly, already imagining the look on Viper's face when he sees me in it. "That's the plan. Tis the season and all that."

I head to the register to pay, my mind already conjuring up deliciously naughty visions of me and Viper, tangled up in satin sheets.

Rosa finds something too and is soon behind me, checking out.

The two of us exit the boutique, ready to head to our next shopping destination.

But as we step out onto the sidewalk, I stop short at the sight of the sleek black town car idling at the curb.

Just then, the driver’s door opens and a man in a crisp suit emerges.

He approaches us purposefully, his eyes finding mine. "Ms. Ashton?" he inquires politely.

"Yes?" I reply hesitantly, glancing at Rosa who looks equally perplexed.

"Mr. Beckett sent me to retrieve you," the man informs me impassively.

My brow furrows in confusion.

Viper sent for me?

Why?

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. What's this about?"

The man's expression remains neutral as he relays Viper's apparent instructions verbatim. "Mr. Beckett informed me to tell you, quote, 'Get in the damn car, Iris' if you asked any questions."

I can't help but laugh at that, shaking my head.

Even second-hand, Viper's commanding tone sends a shiver down my spine, awakening the ever-present need his presence always seems to stir within me.

Rosa gives a low whistle beside me. "Well, well. Looks like Prince Charming is summoning you to his castle. Better not keep him waiting," she says with an impish grin.

Prince Charming, my ass.

Viper is more like the demented monster who steals you than the savior in this story.

"Rain check on the rest of our shopping date?" I ask apologetically, already gravitating toward the waiting car.

"Of course, chica. You know I want all the deets later though." Rosa winks.

"Naturally," I reply with a conspiratorial smile before turning back to the suited man. "All right, lead the way, I guess."

The man opens a door for me and I get in the backseat, and soon he’s back in the driver’s seat, winding through the city streets.

I find myself getting more and more turned on imagining what Viper might have in store for me.

My mind races with scandalous possibilities, each more erotic than the last.

By the time we pull up outside a sleek, modern building in the trendiest part of the city, my panties are embarrassingly damp.

The driver opens my door and I step out, confusion warring with anticipation as I take in my upscale surroundings.

The more I look around, I realize how the neighborhood oozes affluence and sophistication, the kind of place I never thought I'd step foot in, let alone work.

Just what is Viper playing at?

I get my answer a moment later when the man himself emerges from the glass doors, looking like pure sin in a fitted black henley and dark jeans that hug his muscular thighs.

My entire being flares to life at the mere sight of him.

"Hey, you," I greet breathlessly as Viper approaches, unable to keep the eagerness from my voice. "What's all this about? And what is this place?" I gesture around us.

Viper just smirks, mischief dancing in his piercing blue eyes as he takes me into his arms. "Oh, baby, you have no idea what you're in for," he says huskily. "Welcome to your new tattoo studio."

I gape at him, certain I must have misheard. "I'm sorry, my what?"

"Come," Viper commands.

My heels click on the sidewalk as I follow Viper toward the sleek glass doors.

My curiosity piqued, I stop short when I see the sign above the entrance: Ashton Ink.

"This can't be real."

"You said you wanted to open your own shop." Viper shrugs, the picture of nonchalance even as his fingers trace maddening patterns on the exposed skin of my lower back. "Consider this a vote of confidence. For you to know I believe in you, in whatever you do. Now, as your boss, I’m going to tell you that you’d better not slack on your responsibilities at Desire House."

I completely ignore the last bit of what he said.

"I...I don't understand," I stammer, my head swimming with shock and an overwhelming surge of emotion. "Viper, this is too much, I can't possibly accept this."

I know Viper is rich, but I know he’s not that rich… is he?

But he cuts off my protests with a searing kiss, stealing the very breath from my lungs.

I melt into him instantly, my body molding to the hard planes of his as if it was made to fit there.

"You deserve this and so much more, Iris," Viper says seriously when we finally part, his forehead resting against mine, his palm along the side of my neck in a possessive manner. "I want to give you everything."

"But why? Why are you doing all this for me?" I whisper, searching his face.

My heart feels like it might beat right out of my chest.

Viper cups my cheek tenderly, his expression softening into something infinitely vulnerable, infinitely precious. "You know why," is all he says.

But in this moment, staring into his eyes, I do know.

I see it written plainly in every line of his gorgeous face, feel it in every brush of his skin on mine.

And as Viper captures my lips once more, kissing me with a fevered urgency that sets my very soul on fire, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am completely, irrevocably his—mind, body and heart.

There's no going back now.

I am Viper's girl, in every sense of the word.

Viper slides his hand under my fur coat and takes me inside Ashton Ink.

This isn’t just a storefront, it's a sprawling work of art in itself—gleaming hardwood floors, exposed brick walls covered in tattoo designs and art pieces, the smell of fresh paint and ink hanging in the air.

"How did you do all of this?" I breathe out, my eyes wide as I take it all in.

Viper watches me with a victorious grin. "I never give away my secrets, girl. I did what I thought you'd like."

A crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, casting prisms of light around the room.

Against one wall is a plush red velvet couch, and opposite it is a shiny reception desk.

It’s the perfect combination of edgy and modern.

"Viper, this is… unbelievable!" I gasp out, unable to articulate my feelings.

He steps closer to me, his strong arms wrapping around my waist from behind. "I had a feeling you’d like it."

He plants a soft kiss on my neck and I shiver.

I can't help but laugh out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of this scenario.

My best friend’s dad bought me a tattoo parlor, had it painted, and slightly furnished.

This is fucking nuts.

Viper groans against my ear. "God, you know what that laugh does to me."

I only laugh harder, knowing full well that my laughter tickles his ears and makes him squirm.

"I can't believe you did all this," I murmur, turning in his grasp so that I can look into his eyes.

They're a startling shade of blue, searing into me with a heat that could ignite paper.

His hands rest firmly on my hips, his thumbs rubbing small circles against my skin through the fabric of my dress.

"I wanted to surprise you," he admits, dipping his head to nuzzle playfully against my neck.

He pulls back, a spark of mischief ignites in his eyes.

"Well, you've certainly achieved that," I quip, poking him lightly in the chest. "And you never know what things I might do to repay you."

"You’ll do whatever I damn well tell you, girl. End of story."

I don’t know what it is about Viper, but he’s not wrong.

I hated dominance in any other man.

With him I crave it.

It’s the very air I breathe, the fire in my soul, the touch I crave.

Viper chuckles deeply. "There is one more thing I've done. For both you and Allegra."

Good God, there's no telling what else he's done. "What is it?"

"I bought an apartment for you both. That way you're not stuck in my house, and you can have your own space if you ever need it. But it’s here in town so you’ll have a bit of a drive to get to Desire House."Desire House is on the outskirts of town.

I shake my head, "Viper, you're doing too much. More than you should be."

"You're not going to tell me what I can and can't do, little girl."

Viper walks around the tattoo parlor, showing me the ways he went above and beyond my wildest dreams.

"You thought of everything," I murmur, completely blown away.

"Mmm, I tried. But…there's something I want to do."

"Break the place in?" I joke, half serious.

A deep laugh comes from the pit of his stomach.

It's the first time I've heard a humorous laugh come out of him, and I like it.

"I'm going to tattoo you."

I blink at him for a moment, knowing I'll let this man do whatever he damn well wants to me.