Pick us back

novas and ezras first kiss

I was deep in the zone, my focus locked on the dragon's scales, when the bell above the door let out a sharp chime. I paused, the needle still humming in my hand as I glanced at the clock.

"f**k," I muttered. "My next client is early. Leo, give me a second, I'll tell them I'm almost done."

Leo gave a sleepy, muffled grunt of approval. I set the tattoo gun aside and rested my cigarette in the ashtray, the smoke curling toward the ceiling. I wiped my hands and walked to the front, my professional mask slipping into place.

"Hey, you're early-" I started, but the words died in my throat. I looked up and stumbled back a half-step. Standing in my lobby wasn't my usual two o'clock. It was the man from the cafe. "Ezra? What... what are you doing here?"

He stood in the center of my lobby, looking a little too large for the space. "I've got an appointment," he muttered, glancing at his watch. "Under Ez. You said twenty minutes early for a new client paperwork." A slow, surprised smirk started to tug at the corner of his mouth. "Small town. I didn't realize the girl from the cafe was the one putting ink in my skin

I cough trying to mask my blush creeping up my face , I thrust a clipboard of safety things and paperwork for him to fill out , I'm almost done once your finished with your paper work come out the back , you can see the work I'm doing on Leo to judge if you like it or not.

I stepped back into the workspace and dropped onto my stool. "Ready to wrap this up, mate?" I asked.

Leo didn't answer with words. His hand shot out, gripping my leg and sliding up to stroke my inner thigh. "Let's finish it," he murmured with a slow, knowing smile. I took a deep pull from my cigarette, letting the smoke settle my nerves before the needle hit the skin again.

In the lobby, Ezra finished the last of the forms while Luna danced around his boots, meowing for a scrap of attention. He gave the kitten a distracted pat before pushing through the beads to the back room. He froze, his breath catching at the sight of the room-the hanging vines and graffiti galaxies were stunning. But then his eyes dropped.

Seeing Leo's hand high on my thigh sent a sharp, bitter jolt of jealousy through him. What the f**k? She's just letting him touch her like that? He forced himself to lean in, his gaze moving to the dragon on Leo's back. Even through his irritation, he couldn't deny it: she was incredible.

My skin prickled as I felt Ezra's breath hot against my ear, his presence looming over me like a shadow. I tried to focus, but the heat in the room seemed to double. I finished the final bit of shading, my hand steady despite the adrenaline, and wiped away the excess ink to reveal the sharp lines of the dragon.

"It's all done, Leo," I said, my voice a little breathy as I finally sat back. I caught Ezra's gaze for a split second before looking at the man on the table. "You want to have a look?"

I wheeled my stool back, nearly colliding with Ezra's solid frame. I stood up and headed for the counter, taking a final, grounding drag of my cigarette. "Do you like it, man?"

Leo turned, his eyes glowing as he caught his reflection. "I could kiss you, Nova. It's your best work yet." He pressed the cash into my hand-a heavy roll with a generous tip tucked inside. Before he turned to go, he ran a slow, deliberate finger along my jawline. My face heated up instantly. I shoved the money into my pocket, offering a distracted, "Bye, Leo. See you next time."

Once the door clicked shut, the air in the room shifted. I grabbed Ezra's stencil, trying to ignore the way he was watching me. "So," I started, glancing at the intricate Greek god design. "Where does he go?"

"Shoulder," Ezra said, his voice dropping an octave. "It's the final piece for my Greek sleeve."

I looked at his fitted shirt. "Can you lift that or take it-" Before I could finish, the fabric was gone.

My breath hitched. Ink sprawled across his chest like a map of his history, and his n*****s were pierced with dark steel. My eyes trailed down to the sandy blonde line of hair disappearing into the waistband of his jeans-a path I suddenly wanted to follow with my tongue. I pressed my thighs together, a sharp ache of desire hitting me.

I turned away quickly to prep my station, my hands slightly unsteady. "Okay, here's the deal," I said, my back to him. "If the pain gets to be too much, you do what Leo did. Put your hand on my knee and squeeze."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "Got it."

I began setting up the ink caps and needles, but my hair had other plans, escaping my tie and falling in a red curtain across my face. I kicked my stool over to his side, the metal wheels screeching softly against the floor. As I leaned in, I felt it-his hand landed on my knee. It started as a steady weight, but then his fingers began to move, stroking the denim of my jeans before sliding upward with agonizing slowness.The smell of his cologne mixed with the scent of my stale cigarette smoke and the sharp tang of green soap. I dipped the needle into the black ink, trying to lose myself in the art, but my concentration was shattering.I gripped my tattoo gun until my knuckles turned white, trying to focus on the stencil of the Greek god. But the hum of the machine was drowned out by the thudding of my heart. Every professional thought I had was being replaced by a single, desperate urge to drop the needle, grab him by those blonde curls, and kiss him until we both forgot where we were.