Caught Between the Ashford Brothers

Iris If anyone had told me that the vacation trip I and my best friend, Serena, planned to celebrate a successful graduation from college would be the best and worst thing to ever happen to me, I would have shrugged it off because what could possibly go wrong on a trip? Well, nothing really for the most part until now. I groaned inwardly as I stared at the man seated opposite me at the table. "Shall we start?" **** Two weeks ago Miami, Florida The tattoo shop was empty when we walked in or so we thought until a pretty face reared its head from underneath the counter by the door, a device in her hand. The lady's name tag read Tasha and she smiled at us. "Welcome to Jones, how may we help you?" "We'll like to get a matching tattoo..." Serena blurted out excitedly. "We kind of decided on an impulse so we have nothing in mind." "Oh, it's okay. We have a variety of designs you can choose from." "Great." She bent under the counter to bring out the designs while I took a look around the shop. Pretty mysterious and artsy if you ask me, which was exactly the right vibe for a tattoo shop. Red walls, frames of designs on the wall and a few machines and chairs in the corner. "Here, ladies." The lady said as she placed a large book of designs on the counter and Serena wasted no time. She started flipping through the book, asking my opinion on some as she went and just dismissing some altogether without consultation. Then she stopped on one, "this". I glanced at the design. "What? What is that?" "A tramp stamp. It goes on the lower back right here..." she touched her back. "...and is quite slutty. I love it." I read the words that were intertwined in some type of vine in cursive. "Good girl? How is that slutty?" Serena chuckled. "Oh, my little innocent one. How could I forget that you've never been introduced to the concept of good s*x in your twenty-five years of life?" I rolled my eyes at her sarcastic tone and hit her arm. "Lower your voice and who told you that I've never had good s*x?" "With your two ex-boyfriends that know no better than you in bed?" "Oh my God, shut up." I glanced at the tattoo lady, who seemed pretty busy with a device in a corner, in embarrassment and hit Serena again for emphasis. God, she has no concept of things to say in public and things to say in private. "We'll take this one." She gestured to the lady who came back to the counter to look at our design and she nodded. "Okay, a minute please. Jaxon!" She yelled into the hallway beyond the lobby, where about three rooms stood opposite each other and said. "Can you prep station two, please?" That was when he came out of one of the rooms. Tall. Broad shoulders under a black tee dusted faintly with ink, sleeves of tattoos disappearing beneath rolled fabric and dark hair that was slightly messy. I shifted my gaze quickly when his eyes suddenly landed on mine. "Oh la la," Serena whispered beside me. "Someone looks hot." I nudged her arm lightly, surprised. "Shut up." "What? Isn't he hot?" "Hey." He said in our direction, and I nodded slightly, unsure if he could see how red I suddenly felt in the face. "Hey handsome." Serena answered brazenly, though, and the guy chuckled. "What did you say?" He asked the tattoo lady, who was already tapping away on a computer behind a desk near the counter and she nodded to the design book. "They chose that design, both of them. I'll print the stencil, you prepare the needles and gun and I'll send one to you when I'm done." "Okay. Have you heard from Gabriel?" He headed back to the room he had come from as he asked and I think he smiled when his eyes landed on mine again unexpectedly. I cleared my throat and looked away, flustered. "Oh, someone has a crush." I turned my head sharply to Serena, whom I had forgotten about for a moment. "What?" "You like him, don't you?" "What? No. I'm just..." She smiled and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "Well, maybe you can show him that you can be a good girl while you're at it." "What?! Are you crazy?" I pushed her away loudly and groaned, embarrassed when the tattoo lady turned to look at us. The guy was nowhere to be seen; I'm guessing he was back in the room he had come from and the lady asked. "Are you guys okay?" "Yes, yes, we are." "Okay. "Well, I'm done with the stencil." She gestured for us to come over and handed me one on a small tray. "Huh?" "He's in station 2 and should be ready for you now." "Oh..." Serena made a mischievous face and chuckled silently. The lady glanced at my hesitation. "Or would you rather I do it?" "No." Serena intercepted before I could reply and nudged me into the hallway. "She's fine. It's just her first time, you know." "Oh, you're in great hands then. Jax knows how to be gentle and patient for all first-timers." Okay, I looked away and hurried along before Serena could interpret that in her own way again. I took multiple deep breaths when I got to the room that had a bold 2 on it and knocked. He responded almost immediately, "Come in." I did and felt flushed the minute his eyes landed on me again. There was just something about his stare and his smile that curved his lips when i stepped in. "Okay. Have a seat." He pointed to the slightly reclined chair that was right beside the single chair he was sitting on and I did so, looking everywhere but at him. "Actually on your stomach, the tattoo goes on your back." "Right." I avoided his gaze once again and lay on my stomach, my whole body getting tense the minute I felt his body lean close to mine. "May I?" "W-what?" He pulled the fitted top I had on up slightly and placed his hands on the hem of my sweats, his bare hands against my skin making me jolt. "Oh, uhm... yes." I felt him pull my pants down slightly, along with my panties and oh my God, was I flustered? "Is this your first time getting a tattoo?" I nodded, flinching again when something cold rubbed against my lower back, followed by the heat of his bare hands that made me warm all over. He placed the paper on the spot where the tattoo would go and held my waist lightly. "Tell me if it gets too painful, okay?" I nodded. "And try to stay as still as possible." I nodded again, but the moment the needle touched my skin, all of that went through the window. "Oh my God." The grip he had on my waist turned firm and my belly did this flip-flop thing that had heat pooling in my lower abdomen.