Fair enough that I was the one to start on the pier by calling him Lurch but after that he kept it going with Medusa. It was strange to think of a time when he was not one of the most important things in my life. If not the most.

He removed a fallen piece of hair from my face that was acting as a shield. There was nowhere to hide anymore.

"The nicknames were something to say until I could call you mine. That is what it means." He told me "Every time I said and will say Medusa, I am telling you that you are my girl. My everything."

The air had suddenly removed from the room. My chest was thumping loud, and my eyes became even wetter.

His words gave me a rush of bravery because I wrapped my arms around him and leaned on my toes.

I confessed "I did not know it then but every time that I called you Lurch or some other name. I was really just trying to tell you that I am yours."

He rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip and then my top with a hand that begun to shake. I could feel him tense. I suspected that he was losing control and his restraint to hold back.

"It was my way of telling you that I wanted you." I professed with full certainty "Because I really do. I want you."

Stone leaned down and smashed his lips against mine. He claimed my mouth with so much passion that my mind blanked in response. He ran a hand through my hair and deepened the kiss. Enough to take the last remaining oxygen out of my lungs and enough to make my hesitation disappear.

I was palming his shirt so tightly that it started to rise, and I could see a hint of ink. I started to feel dizzy at the hotness of his mouth as I removed his shirt. He bent down to allow me to get the fabric over his head.

Once I got it off, I reached up and ran my finger over his erratically beating heart while still not breaking the kiss. The dance of our tongues tasted of an endless number of confessions.

Speaking of confessions, I had forgotten something. With all my might, I pulled away and spared him a smile before walking around him so I could get an eyeful of the mysterious tattoo that he refused to tell me about on his back.

What I saw had me covering my mouth once again.

My intake of air was so loud it filled the room, but Stone did not turn around.

Instead, he stayed still and let me examine the tattoo of the gorgon.