9. Zane

NINE

ZANE

Have you ever felt like you’re not actually present during the day? I’ve somehow been stuck in a state of denial. I try not to think about Jed who reacted the way he did that night, as I continued working away throughout the day without a second thought. I was glad my schedule was ingrained into me—the individual tasks needed to complete at hand or I’d have been useless to the people around me.

I finally realized that acceptance was my only option. I needed to deal with what happened and take the next step myself. Jed had already revealed to me his intentions, and now I had to ensure that we didn’t take a step backward.

We had to talk—there was no other option available.

My thoughts won’t change for him—maybe showing him how much he actually meant to me would open his eyes to the larger picture of what I could see happening between us. That it would stop him being so scared knowing that he wouldn’t be alone on the journey ahead and had my complete support always.

The moment the shop closed, I turned over the open sign to closed, but left the door off the latch as I inhaled deeply and began setting up my work station. The preparation of everything I needed, calmed my nerves as I began sketching the wishing star onto the transfer paper.

Once finished, I reached into the pocket of my tight fitted jeans and pulled out my phone. I unlocked it and began scrolling down the contacts until I reached Jed’s name and clicked on the message setting.

Zane: I need to talk to you—it’s important man. Z x

When my cell almost instantly vibrated in my hand I saw I had a reply back from him. With shaking hands, I clicked open the message and began reading it.

Jed: I was actually waiting around for you to finish up at work for the night. Are you free to talk—somewhere private. J x

My heart burst as I re-read the message over in my head—double checking that I wasn’t imagining what it had said or the kiss at the end. It had me questioning if that was a natural response and something he did with all messages, or was he adding it in just for my benefit? I composed myself and sucked in a deep breath and began texting back before I changed my mind—and the whole plan I had put in place.

Zane: I’m at the shop and all alone. You’re more than welcome to come here whilst I finish up. X

All I can do is cross my fingers and hope that Jed would actually take the incentive and come across to the shop. I continued tracing the outline of my design just as I heard a knock on the door. I glanced up from my seat, and allowed our gazes to connect before indicating for him with my curled finger to enter.

“Zane,” Jed purred from his lips. “I thought that I could…erm…” He began as I cocked my head to the side. “You know maybe help…”

“I do,” I uttered as I finished the final strokes to the transfer and held it within my fingertips. “Want to come and give me a hand?” I asked him as I showed him into the back room. “I have just one more tattoo to do for the day.”

“I should leave you to it. I don’t want to disturb you…” Jed began as his cheeks reddened, making me chuckle as I couldn’t hold off the smirk from appearing on my face. “I mean they want their privacy and not someone watching them. I mean, it’s a personal experience, isn’t it?” he babbled away as I shook my head and made my way across the room to him.

“Listen, I wouldn’t have invited you to come along if I didn’t want you to be part of the process,” I replied as I placed my shaking hand onto his shoulder and instantly knew I could combust from touch alone. My body just couldn’t decide which direction to respond. On one hand he made me melt into a puddle, but on the other hand, he was the inferno I needed to ignite the flame within me. “Can you just trust me and what I’ve got planned?” I asked him as I held my hand out as an invitation for him to take it, hoping he would reach out and take it.

I held my breath as I gazed into his eyes, hoping that I hadn’t read this wrong and the reason he wanted to talk to me was about the potential of the two of us being together, and not the fact he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. I thought I was imagining the moment he clasped his hand in mine and the goosebumps spread up my skin as the hairs stood on their ends from the immediate contact. I gave his hand a quick squeeze, causing a gasp to leave his throat, making my cock instantly twitch as I pulled him forward with me, relishing in the moment and not taking it for granted.

“Zane,” he murmured as his voice hitched an octave higher. “I need…”

“I know…,” I replied back to him as I led him over to the stool positioned in front of my workstation. “Just watch and see…” I prepared myself by taking a seat on my leather couch and wheeling the movable stand with all my prepared apparatus in front of me, before taking the disposable razor and running it across my lower calf watching the visceral reaction of Jed’s gaze as his eyes darkened right before me.

“Fuck,” Jed groaned out, watching with anticipation as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and then soothed it with his tongue, licking it slowly over the indentation he just made. “You’re going to…” He squirmed in his seat as my gaze caught the growing bulge in his pants, that I was desperate to palm. “I want to…”

“Want to do what?” I winked as I pulled on the black gloves and lined up the tattoo before revealing it to him. “Do you like it?” I uttered out, hoping that I’d done the right thing. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Jed instantly stood up, pounced from his seat and closed the distance between us. Within seconds he’d pressed his body against mine as I fought against the need to lie back and allow him to succumb to me. Before I had had a chance to even contemplate what was going to happen next, his lips were on mine. I gasped at the sensation inside his mouth as his tongue swirled against mine, battling for domination against me. I pulled back and waited for him to say something. Yet again I waiting for him to tell me this was a mistake, but he didn’t. Jed reached for the collar of my shirt and pulled me back toward him.

“I ain’t fucking going to deny this any longer. I crave you, need you and the rest of the world is just going to have to deal with it,” he moaned, a whisper away from my lips. “Now let me see you complete that tattoo—and show me who you belong to, before taking me right here.”

“Fucking yes sir,” I announced before saluting to him. “This is definitely the perfect conclusion to my hoped Christmas Wish. You and me—forever more.”