Behind Your Back by Chelsea M. Cameron Page A

them off fast enough. Most of the time I try not to undress when I’m with someone, but she gets the best of me. It’s been years since a woman has seen me completely naked and her reaction is exactly what I thought it would be.
    “Oh, wow,” she says, taking a step back so she can look at me. I never intended to have that many tattoos, but it just happened. I estimate that nearly 70 percent of my body is covered now. None are on my hands, face or neck. When I wear a suit no one can see them. But now Saige sees them. Sees all of them.
    I stand in front of her in only my boxers. Saige’s eyes dart from my shoulders to the sleeves on my arms, down my torso to my legs before she walks around me in a circle to look at the ink on my back.
    “I’d ask you what they mean, but there are so many,” she says, coming back around to face me.
    “Does this make you think differently about me?” I ask. She finally looks up into my eyes again.
    “I’d be lying if I said no. But I don’t think badly of you, if that’s what you were expecting. There’s something about you, Quinn Brand. You’re a man of mystery.” She’s one to talk.
    “You’re mysterious too, Saige Beaumont.” I know about the tattoo on the back of her neck, but I wonder if there are others that I haven’t gotten to see yet.
    “Not as mysterious as you,” she said, taking her finger and stroking the nightingale tattoo over my heart. I’ve been careful with my tattoos. No names, nothing specific. No portraits. This bird is for my mother. Her favorite thing in the entire world was to sing. Shit. My mind had wandered again and this isn’t the best time for it.
    “They’re beautiful,” she says, touching me again. I need to get out of my head. Get out of the past.
    “ You’re beautiful,” I say with a smile. As I expect, she rolls her eyes.
    “What a line.”
    “Are you going to let me get away with it?” I ask, getting down on my knees and bringing my face to her stomach.
    “Maybe,” she says, her voice just an exhale. I place a kiss on her bellybutton and then dip my tongue inside. She shivers and I watch her skin ripple with goose bumps. I kiss and lick my way lower. I didn’t get a chance to taste her last time and it’s been driving me crazy since then.
    She makes a sweet little moan that causes me to smile. She didn’t make that sound last time. I find that I want her to make it again, so I use my tongue just under the band of her shorts. She moans again and her fingers clench on my head. If I had longer hair, she’d probably be pulling on it. Hm. That’s something to think about.
    I take hold of her shorts and start inching them down her hips, revealing her bottom half.
    And then her doorbell rings.

 
     
    Ten
     
    S he stumbles away from me with a little cry and yanks her shorts up. As if we’ve been caught. I lick my lips, savoring her taste. She seems flustered as she picks up her shirt and puts it back on and then runs her hand through her hair. The doorbell rings again.
    “I’ll go get that. Stay here,” she says, holding her palm up as if I’m a dog she wants to obey her. I get to my feet, but I nod. I put on my clothes and then stand in the doorway of her bedroom to listen as she opens the door. I’m expecting it to be a delivery or something like that, but then I hear a female voice talking to Saige. Loudly. I can’t make out what she’s saying, but I hear Saige trying to shush her.
    Then there are footsteps and I dart back into the room and shut the door. A second later, it’s flung open and I’m face to face with Lo Hobbes. I recognize her from some of Saige’s pictures online.
    “Yeah, it looks like you’re really busy doing homework,” she says over her shoulder to Saige. “Hello, homework .”
    “Actually it’s Quinn,” I say, holding out my hand. She gives me a good shake, despite her willowy frame. She’s nearly as tall as I am and reminds me of one of the fairies from Lizzy’s favorite book.