Tattoos & Unicorns Read online

  “We'll be in New Jersey tomorrow, one step closer to home.”

  “Home? Does that mean you're staying there?” I asked, with a little too much hope in my voice.

  “I think so. I mean, I can write from anywhere. There's also this girl... she's pretty amazing.”

  “Does this girl have a name?” I asked, fighting back a smile.

  “She does.”

  “Care to share?”

  He stopped walking then, and turned to face me. His hand was still in mine, and he bent down towards my lips before whispering.

  “Morgan.”

  “You asshole!” I laughed, swatting him in the chest.

  He laughed back, before sucking in a quick breath.

  “Ouch!”

  “I'm sorry!” I said around my own laughter, after realizing I'd hit him in the exact spot he'd gotten his tattoo.

  “I guess I deserved that.” He said, before returning to my side so that we could continue our walk.

  We walked along in silence then. Enjoying the evening air, and each other. A week ago, if a man would have joked about liking Morgan over me I would have felt insecure. Not that my insecurities had suddenly vanished, but when Owen told me something I believed him. He spoke with conviction, and there was never any maliciousness in his tone. Even when he was upset with the way I was letting Morgan treat me. Whether he meant to or not, he was starting to help me see that I was more than just the brains. There was more to me than what I could do for Morgan, and that was a side of myself I hadn't seen in a very long time.

  When we were halfway down the beach, I looked up at him before breaking the silence.

  “You never told me. What is your family's business?”

  “Furniture. My great grandfather opened the first store nearly a hundred years ago. It started in a small town in South Carolina, and grew from there. We've got around twenty stores now, stretching from there to New York. My dad always dreamed of going world wide, but he never got to make it happen.”

  “I was expecting something a little more glamorous.” I joked.

  “Right, because I look like your average rich kid.” He chuckled.

  “Looks can be deceiving.”

  “Honestly, my dad's the one with the money. When he, and mom got divorced she didn't want a dime from him. She was determined to make it on her own. I think that's why she was so supportive of me following my dreams. Even when they took me away from her.”

  “Your mom sounds a lot like my dad. Don't get me wrong, I love both of my parents... but dad, and I have always had a special bond.”

  “Look at us.” He teased. “A couple of cliches. You're a daddy's girl, and I'm a mamma's boy.”

  I laughed, and he leaned down to kiss the top of my head.

  “I'm glad I met you, Ronnie Locke.”

  “I'm glad I met you too, Owen Foster.” I said, before laying my head on his shoulder.

  “What do you say we had back to the hotel now?”

  “Sounds great.”

  We turned around, and began walking back in the direction we'd came. There were a few couples on the beach doing the same, and even more sitting in the sand. We passed by people kissing, hugging, and just simply holding each other. Seeing all the couples in love, only made me wish that I had someone too. Even though I felt Owen's hand in mine, and knew that I'd be spending the night with him, it wasn't the same.

  The more I thought about getting to New York, the more I wondered what would happen to Owen, and I once we got there. Would we go our separate ways? Maybe he, and I would be just another memory to each other. Something fond to look back on thirty years from now? I shook the thoughts away. There was no sense in worrying about any of that now. For now, I just wanted to focus on tonight.

  WHEN OWEN, AND I GOT back to his hotel room it was nearly ten. We had spent the entire day together, and it felt like no time had passed at all. Talking to him was easy. He was easy to open up to, and the more time we spent together, the more I knew that it would be safe to tell him the things that I worried about. The things that kept me up at night. The things that not even Morgan knew.

  I had planned on going back to my room to grab my pajamas, but Owen offered me one of his tee shirts instead. I took it, and after freshening up in the bathroom I put it on. It was black, and hit me just above my knees. I took my bra off, and left my black cotton panties on. I finger combed my hair, and used one of the spare toothbrushes the hotel had left in the bathroom.

  When I came out a few minutes later, he was laying on the bed with his hands behind his head casually. I approached him slowly, stopping to look at the glistening unicorn on his chest. He must have just put the salve on that Gia had given him. He patted the space beside him, and I climbed into the bed.

  “Are you tired?” He asked.

  “Not really.”

  “Me either.” He sighed. “Will you tell me about him?”

  “Derek?” I asked, as I turned onto my side to face him.

  He nodded his head, before doing the same.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Did you love him?”

  “I thought I did.” I admitted. “Truthfully, I don't think I ever really knew him.”

  “Did he love you?”

  “He says he did, or does? I'm not even sure anymore.”

  “Morgan mentioned that she dated him first.” Owen said, with apprehension.

  I nodded. “She did. It's... complicated.”

  “Is it though?”

  “No.” I sighed. “They weren't right for each other, and she thought that he, and I would be.”

  “So... she pimped you out?”

  “You know, I've struggled with how Derek, and I got together for a long time. A part of me knew that the only reason I was with him, was to appease Morgan. I wanted to make her happy, because that's what she was doing for me.”

  “Do you think you would have gone through with the wedding?”

  “Do you want me to answer honestly?”

  “That's why I'm asking.”

  “Yes.”

  “But, you didn't love him.” He stated with confusion.

  “I made myself believe that I wasn't worth loving, and that I was lucky to have Derek. He was perfect. The star quarterback. I could do no better than him. I also worried about what Morgan would say. So, I always gave in. To both of them. Every time. I was so afraid of being alone, that I just became compliant.”

  “Don't you see how toxic that kind of relationship is?”

  “I do. A part of me always did, it was just easier to let her have her way. She's not built the same as you, and I. She needs extra reassurances.”

  “What about you?” He asked, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from my face.

  “What about me?” I asked, my voice hitching.

  He smiled. “You don't need extra reassurances?”

  “I think we all do sometimes.”

  “You wouldn't have been happy with him.” He said, suddenly steering the conversation back to Derek.

  “I know.”

  “You need a man who will challenge you.” He moved a little closer to me. “A man who will fight for you.” He moved closer again, and this time the tip of his nose brushed against mine. “I'm glad he cheated on you.” He whispered.

  “That's a horrible thing to say.” I whispered back, with a hint of laughter.

  “I guess I'm a horrible man.”

  “A horribly, sexy man.” I corrected.

  “Even so. His loss, is my gain.” He whispered, before placing a soft kiss on my lips.

  “Is it though?” I asked, turning his own words back on him.

  “Yes.” He murmured, before kissing me softly.

  He reached for the hem of my shirt, and began to pull it up, standing so that he could remove it completely. I was sitting on his bed now in nothing but my underwear, and he turned towards the table to grab something. When he returned, he sat down beside me, and I covered my breasts by crossing my ar
ms. He smirked before setting the salve onto the bed, and reaching for the plastic wrap that still covered my tattoo.

  “Nervous?” He asked.

  “No.” I said, but as he removed the plastic from my skin my entire body trembled.

  “Liar.” He whispered, before using his fingers to gently spread the salve over my tattoo.

  “It's cold.” I shivered.

  “Is that why you're trembling, Unicorn?”

  “I- I don't know what you mean.” I stammered.

  He chuckled, returning the lid to the jar, and placing it on the bedside table. He went into the bathroom then, and I could hear the water running. He was probably washing his hands. I sat there awkwardly, wondering what to do next. Did I need to recover it? Should I leave my shirt off? When he returned a few seconds later, he answered the questions for me. He had a fresh sheet of plastic, and medical tape in his hands, and I gave him a puzzled look.

  “Do you always carry medical supplies with you?”

  “I got them from Gia. This isn't my first rodeo, remember?” He winked.

  I rolled my eyes, and watched as he carefully bandaged me back up. Every time he touched me I felt like I was on fire. When he pressed the medical tape against my skin, and smoothed it over, the only thing I could think about was the night we spent together. How he seemed to know exactly where to touch, and kiss me. It felt like I was his favorite book, and he was devouring the pages.

  “You need to make sure you sleep on your back tonight.”

  “Is this your way of saying you want to be on top?” I blurted out, my cheeks instantly heating.

  I brought my hands to my face then, and covered it in embarrassment.

  “I have no idea why I said that.” I mumbled beneath them.

  Owen laughed, reaching for my wrists, and slowly pulling my hands away from my face.

  “You said it, because you were thinking it. It's one of the reasons I was drawn to you.”

  “You were drawn to me because I'm good at putting my foot in my mouth?”

  “No, smart ass. It's because once you let your guard down, you speak your mind. That, and I wouldn't mind being on top tonight.”

  I laughed and he rose his eyebrows up, and down suggestively. Before I knew what was happening he had sprung from the bed, and grabbed a hold of my ankles. I squealed, as he pulled me down onto my back, but when I saw him climbing over my body the laughter quickly vanished. Instead it was replaced by pure unadulterated arousal. My heart suddenly quickened in my chest, and my breath was caught in my throat.

  I watched in anticipation as he reached for the band of my panties, and gave them a slow tug. Over my hips, and then my thighs, stopping at my knees so that I could lift them from the bed. When he'd removed them completely, I swallowed the large lump that had formed in my throat. He ran his hands up the length of my legs, and when he reached my thighs he used his thumbs to press them apart.

  My eyes locked on his then, and he lowered himself onto his stomach as his face inched closer, and closer to my heat. I could feel his breath, and I closed my eyes readying myself for what was about to come. I felt his thumbs brush against my lower lips, and I sucked in a breath.

  “What about your tattoo?” I asked, my eyes popping open. “You shouldn't be laying on your chest.”

  He slid his thumbs up towards the top of my pussy then, and slowly parted my lips. His eyes were still on mine when he smiled, and said.

  “Don't worry about me, Unicorn. Just lay back, and close your eyes.”

  Before I could respond, he dipped his head down into my heat and slowly ran his tongue over my clit. I gasped, and I could feel his lips curl as he smiled around me. He was enjoying this. Enjoying the way that my body was reacting. I did as he said then. I laid back, and closed my eyes. I let my body relax into the bed, and that was when I really started to enjoy myself.

  I was no longer worried about being good enough, or ending up alone. I was only focusing on the way his tongue felt gliding over my clit. His movements were slow, and deliberate. Every lick, and flick was all for me. He took his time, reading my body's reactions. When I moved my hips, he switched his angle. When I moaned, he worked the spot harder. We were communicating without words, and I had never had this kind of connection with anyone before.

  I found myself reaching down to touch him. I fisted my hands in his hair, careful of my tattoo. I tugged on the ends gently, and he growled against my heat. I was so turned on, that I thought I could have cum right then, and there. I didn't though. I held back. I wasn't ready for him to stop. I wasn't sure that I'd ever be. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, he stopped to look up at me.

  “Don't hold back, Unicorn. I can do this all night.”

  My jaw dropped. Really, it did. I had to close my mouth. Derek had only ever gone down on me twice. The first time was admittedly horrible. I chalked it up to it being his first time, and thought that it would get better. But the second time around, he was so rough. His mouth seemed to find everything but my clit, and he'd honestly just turned me off from the whole thing. So to hear Owen say that he enjoys this? I was taken aback.

  “You don't have to.” I said, letting my hands fall from his hair.

  “Don't you like it?” He asked, arching a brow skeptically.

  He knew damn well that I liked it so why was he asking? Did he just want to hear me say it?

  “You know I do.” I admitted.

  “Then stop fighting it. Let me taste you on my lips.”

  I had no response for him. Not a coherent one anyways. So I just nodded instead. He was back between my legs with a smile on his face, and I was dumbfounded. I didn't have much time to think about it more than that though, because he was sucking my clit into his mouth with so much fervor that I forgot what I was even thinking about.

  I closed my eyes, and reached for his hair. I arched my hips, and he adjusted his angle so that he was working my clit exactly the way that I liked. I moaned, and he used his teeth to nibble on my swollen nub. I cried out, and he rolled his tongue over the same spot he'd just nipped, before sucking it back into his mouth again.

  In, and out he suckled me, bringing me closer and closer to the edge of release. I could feel the pressure building with every move he made, and soon my grip on his hair tightened. I urged him on, tugging, and pulling on his hair as he increased his speed. I was climbing higher now, every movement intensifying the pleasure building inside of me until finally a rush of complete ecstasy washed over me.

  “Owen!” I called out, as my orgasm rocked through me. It was so powerful that I continued to ride it out, even as his movements slowed. Instead of an abrupt stop, I was slowly coming down from what I had to admit was the best orgasm I've ever had. I'm ashamed to say that I never knew this kind of pleasure. I never thought that I'd know what it felt like, even though I often wondered. The thought alone suddenly had me feeling sorry for myself. There were so many things that I thought I'd never experience, and I thought that I was OK with that. It was clear to me now though. I wasn't.

  FOURTEEN

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I woke to the sound of Owen's alarm ringing loudly from his cell phone. I groaned, as I pulled the blanket over my head in an attempt to ignore it. I felt him stir beside me, and a few seconds later the ringing stopped. I slowly pulled the blanket away, and looked over at him. He was already looking at me with amusement in his eyes, and I couldn't help but smile.

  “Good morning.” He said.

  “Morning.” I yawned.

  “Did you sleep alright?”

  “Like a rock.”

  “A few good orgasms will do that to you.” He winked.

  “A few?” I giggled. “I lost count.”

  “I think we've got time for one more, if you're up for it?”

  Five knocks in rapid succession from the other side of the door, put a quick end to our conversation. Owen groaned, before tossing the blanket aside. He stood beautifully naked, snatching his jeans from the floor. I watched as he p
ut them on sans underwear, and pulled the zipper up. I cringed when he swore under his breath, only imagining how that must have felt.

  When he pulled the door open, Morgan came rushing inside. Her heels were in her hands, and her hair was a disheveled mess. Her lipstick was smeared, and one of her false lashes was missing. I sat up in bed, being sure to cover myself as I did.

  “What the hell happened to you?” I joked.

  “I don't. Want. To talk about it.” She said, through clenched teeth. “I just came to get the room key.”

  “What happened to yours?”

  She gave me her 'I am not amused' look, and I held my hands up in surrender.

  “It's on the table over there.” I offered, pointing behind her.

  “Aren't you coming with me?” She half whined. “We need to pack, and I really need my BFF right now.”

  “I'll be right there.” I assured her.

  “You're the best, Ronnie!” She gushed before turning on her heel, and rushing past Owen.

  When the door shut I stood from the bed, and stretched my limbs. Owen approached me, placing his hands on my waist, before bending down to kiss me.

  “Rain check?” He whispered.

  “There's always New Jersey.” I teased.

  “First Virginia, now Maryland, Jersey tomorrow. We might as well finish strong when we get to New York.”

  “Finish strong?” I asked, with hurt. “Does that mean once we get to New York we'll go our separate ways?”

  “That's not at all what I meant, Unicorn.” He said, cupping my face in his hands. “Poor choice of words.”

  I nodded, and gave him a slight smile. I wanted to believe him. I did believe him, but my insecurities always found a way to creep up on me when I was happy. And Owen Foster made me happy. I knew it was only a matter of time before it would all just... disappear. I'm the one that said I'd enjoy his company while I could. I'm the one that told him I didn't want more than sex. So why did his words hurt so damn much just now?

  “Are we good?” He asked, rubbing his thumbs over my cheeks.

  “Yeah.” I sighed, trying to push my negative thoughts to the back of my mind.