“Legally, you’re right. You can’t. But I don’t care. I’m bored, I have a blank spot on my stomach, and you can draw better than me, so come on.” He lies down on the seat and pulls up his shirt, revealing that deep V running down from his abs. How many times have my lips traced that trail? Still gets me every time.

“I can’t draw better than you, and I’ve never even held a tattoo gun in my hands.”

“No one can even see it. Just draw me a flower or something.”

This time I’m the one to sit on the red rolling stool. “You’re being serious.”

He nods, and I can’t hide the smile bitten between my teeth. Finally, I give in. “Okay, what do I do?”

As he walks me through the steps, from opening the needles to sanitizing the skin, my heart wracks itself against the walls of my chest. Not because I’m nervous but because I’m excited. More excited than I’ve been in a very long time. When I finally hold the gun, putting pressure on the pedal, the vibration runs through my arm, all the way to my spine and down my tailbone.

It’s addicting.

He shows me how to adjust the needle and dip the ink. But just as I ready myself to touch his skin, I hesitate. “What do you want?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he smiles at me. “You pick.”

I knew he was going to say that.

It takes me a moment before I decide. When I look at him, I hope he appreciates it and won’t be too mad. It’s simple, yet meaningful.

As soon as the needle touches his skin, my heart calms. He doesn’t even flinch. There is a blank spot, right on the side of his torso, underneath an ocean wave that stretches from his back.

The tattoo goes pretty quickly, and I add a little creative design underneath, just because I don’t want to be done. I won’t say it, but I could keep going if he let me. As I wipe away the ink, I tease him. “I hope I spelled Colin right.”

He laughs and looks down. His smile tenses when he sees the finished design. Written in the least girly script I could manage is the name Lucy with a small blue flower under her name.

I bite my lip waiting for his reaction. “You like it?”

Finally, he blinks and clears his throat. Did I just make Ian Murphy emotional?

“I love it.”

I offer to help Murph close up the shop that night. Logan and Sierra wanted a date night, and with as much as they’ve been covering for Murph, he didn’t hesitate to say yes. Not to mention, the meeting with the attorneys is tomorrow; neither of us wants to be at the house tonight.