The stinging is persistent, but not too bad. Nate’s lips are the perfect distraction.

“You’re doing great,” he whispers against my lips and I open my eyes to look into his. “He’s almost done, Jules.”

“How do you know?” I whisper back.

He smirks and kisses me again, with more fervor, until finally, I hear someone clearing their throat loudly.

“I think he’s done,” I whisper against Nate’s lips and he smiles down at me.

“All done,” Tattoo guy announces and sits the chair up. “Take a look before I cover it up.”

He hands me a hand-mirror and I look down at the new little piece of art on my left hip. It sits low, so a bikini will cover it up. Only I’ll know it’s there.

“So, what does it mean to you?” Tattoo man asks.

“It’s the ace of hearts,” I murmur. It is a small red heart with an A above and to the left of it, like in the corner of a playing card. “It’s Nate.”

I look up and find Nate staring at my hip, his eyes dilated, his breathing has gone ragged and my breath catches. Jesus, he’s all turned on and just looks so… primal.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

“Fine.”

“Don’t you like it?”

Without looking at me, he says to his friend, “Cover it up so we can get out of here.”

Shit, he doesn’t like it.

I wanted to get something that reminded me of Nate, without actually having his name tattooed on my body. The ace of hearts made sense; I call him ace all the time, and he has my heart, just like I wear his around my neck every day.

After my new tattoo is covered and I’ve been given instructions on how to care for it until it heals, Nate pays his friend and we walk over to his motorcycle.

“Where do you want to go for a ride to?” I ask and reach for my helmet, but Nate stops me, grabbing my hand and pulling me to him.

“Jules, I…”

“What’s wrong?” I lean my belly against him and gaze up at him. “I’m sorry if you don’t like the tat, Nate…”

“I love it. It’s sexy as fuck, and I love seeing part of me on you. I’m just surprised that it’s what you chose.” He looks down at me with a frown, looking a little confused, and a knot forms in my belly. Maybe it was presumptuous to get this particular tattoo this early in our relationship?

“I should have talked it over with you first,” I close my eyes and look down. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.” I shrug and grin. “And I love it. I think it looks sexy. Natalie is going to wig out when she sees it.”

“It’s kind of a commitment.” He murmurs and I swallow. “Like moving in together.”

Shit.

He tilts my chin up with his fingers, making me look him in the eye and I calm at his loving, happy expression. He’s right. I’ve committed to having a piece of art that reminds me of him permanently displayed on my body. Why am I fighting the idea of living with him?

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Okay what?” he asks, gazing intently into my eyes, as if he’s trying to read my mind. His hands tighten at the small of my back and I smile shyly.

“Okay, let’s move in together.”

“Seriously?” He’s still searching my eyes, hope and love moving across his face, and I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.

“Yes. Seriously. Let’s start looking into it this week.”

Suddenly Nate’s face splits in two with the widest grin I’ve ever seen on him, and he lifts me and spins me around with a loud, “Hell yeah!”

We’re both laughing as he sets me back on my feet.  He cups my face in his hands and kisses me gently but deeply, lovingly, and I melt against him.

“Thank you,” he murmurs. “Come on, let’s go for that ride.” He hands me the helmet and I frown down at it.

“Can’t I ride without this? I like the wind in my hair.”

“Hell no. Safety first.” He fastens the helmet on my head and then puts his own on and we climb on the bike. I snuggle up behind him, wrap my arms around his belly and lean my cheek on his back, between his shoulder blades. “Where do you want to go, baby?” he calls back to me.

I take a deep, contented breath and smile. “I don’t care. Just go.”

And he does, taking off out of the parking lot and toward the freeway, driving fast but not recklessly. I know he’s more careful when I’m with him, and it makes me feel safe. He merges onto the freeway heading north, but exits about five miles later and takes us on a ride around Lake Washington, on little roads I didn’t even know were there. The view is amazing, and I watch the pretty boats on the water, and  it occurs to me that it’s almost the end of May already, and the weather is warming.

The motorcycle hums loudly, drowning out the noise that seems to constantly surround us, and I just lean against my man and enjoy the wind, the view and the feel of him against me.

A few hours later, we pull into Nate’s parking garage and he helps me off the back of the bike. “How was that, Miss Montgomery?”

“Awesome. It was an awesome way to spend the day. Thank you.” I stand on my tip-toes and kiss his lips. “Now, let me feed you.”

“What do you have in mind?” he asks.

“I’ll forage through your kitchen and come up with something.” He leads me into the elevator and pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me, as the elevator makes the climb to the thirtieth floor.