Unclaimed (4 page)

I was
intrigued.  I couldn’t remember the last time I found a girl this intriguing.

I brushed her wild waves out of her face and she just snuggled
deeper into me.  She looked like a little fairy.  Her long, brown hair was wildly covering her nude body.  It was sexier than I could have imagined.  I ran my hand up and down her side.  Her skin was silk everywhere, pale, ivory silk.  The little freckles on her face gave her a look of innocence that I loved, combined with her long, dark lashes, pale pink lips, and big, brown, doe eyes I knew were hiding under her closed eyelids was a deadly combination.

I never cuddle.  Never. 
I was not a cuddler but I wanted to with her.  I wanted to hold her, this little fairy, worship her, protect her.  Her breasts were rubbing against my chest and I tried to fight the morning wood I was developing.  I was well satisfied when we passed out but I was ready for more.  I wanted to take those little, pink nipples into my mouth and see her go crazy in my arms again, beg me to touch her, to taste her, to be in her.  I was keeping this one.

Her eyes suddenly fluttered open, her
long lashes tickling my chest.  She had eye make up smudged under her eyes, but it’s sexy as hell.  I could wake up to this every morning.  I didn’t see how this could ever get old.  She smiled up at me blushing a little when she realized the position we were in and I was sure she could fell my erection pressing against her.  It was hard to miss.

“Morning,” I said
.  My voice was deep and husky from sleep and desire.

“Good morning,” she said as she blushed wildly and looked
away from me.  Never had I found anyone blush so sweet, so enticing.  After all we’d done, she had no reason to blush over anything.  I liked making her blush though.

She rubbed
her head.  It had to be killing her.  Mine was.  She looked around my room like she was seeing it for the first time, probably was.  It was a mess but not dirty.  I had a queen size bed, mismatched dresser with a TV on it and night stands.  A drafting table in the corner covered in sketchpads with a few random drawing pinned to the walls, few dirty clothes here and there, including her skirt.

She seemed
to be contemplating something.  What I wasn’t sure but I was dying to know.  Then she slipped off me and out of bed.  I hadn’t even realized that she slept with her heels on.  That was hot.  I felt them digging in my back while I was balls deep but hadn’t even thought about taking them off before we passed out.

She grabbed her skirt
off the floor and slid it on.  The collection of bracelets on her one arm jingled with every movement.  She slept with those on as well.

“You don’t have to do
that,” I said as I mourned the loss of her warmth next to me and the view she was starting to hide.  I wanted to pull her back into bed and keep her there.  I wanted to take the skirt I appreciated so much the night before and shred it.

“Yeah, I don’t think your neighbors will take too kindly to me if I cruise out of her
e bare naked,” she said with a teasing smile and blushed the prettiest pink.

I wanted to say
then don’t leave
but I didn’t.  “Actually, I think my neighbors will love it.”  It was so true.  The house on the left has three teenage boys in it and the house to the right has two guys around my age.  All would appreciate a naked Pru, even a fully dressed one.

I reached for her with every intention of pulling her back to
bed for a repeat performance.  She dodged my hand and wrapped her arms around her to cover her bare chest.  Damn.

She scanned the room, realizing her clothes had been left in a scattered trail in the h
all and around the couch.  I sure she recognized the sound of men yelling at the television from beyond the door.  Ha!  Trapped.  Maybe I could get her back in bed after all.  It wouldn’t take me too long to get the skirt back off her.

Then she looked up at me with fearful, panicked eyes and I couldn’t torture her or attempt to use this to my advantage to get her back into be
d, despite how much I wanted to.  There was no way I was letting her go out there minus a top.

“Hold on,” I
grumbled.  I hopped out of bed, well aware of my morning wood, and pulled on a pair of pajama pants that sat low on my hips that I grabbed off the floor.

I stepped out into the hall, making sure I shut the door behind me, sh
ocking the hell out of myself.  Normally I could care less.  I did not what my friends to see her unclothed.  I did not want to share my little fairy.

“
Heeyyyy,” Jonas called when he saw me.  “Look who it is?”  He was sitting on the couch, Xbox controller in hand, with Guy and Prat as they slaughter aliens on the screen.

“What’s with the trail of clothes?” Guy asked.

“What do you think?” Prat snapped and threw a pillow at him.

“I especially like this,” Guy said as he held up
Pru’s red, lacy bra.  I happened to be a fan of that bra as well.

“Give me that.
” I snatched it from him and smacked him on the back of the head.  I didn’t like the idea of him seeing or touching Pru’s undergarment.  When did I become so possessive?  I picked up my discarded shirt and jeans then found her shirt and the belt that went with it.  I was still missing her panties but they were nowhere to be found.

“And what the hell happe
ned to the lamp?” Jonas asked.  “And the table?”  He was staring at the shattered lamp on the floor next to the turned over table that had a broken leg.  I vaguely remember stumbling around and crashing into things.  I remembered hearing something crash but not caring in the moment.  Whoops.  I just shrugged.

“Not cool man, not cool,” Jonas said as he shook
his head.  I ran my fingers through my messy bedhead.  “I was half afraid that I’d find you guys on the couch or a used condom stuck to my door.”  Guy and Prat laughed.

I ran
my hand through my hair again.  “Shut up,” was my only come back.  I had been otherwise engaged.  I went back to my room and found her sitting on my bed.  She jumped up when I entered, arms still crossed over her chest.  Her wavy hair was falling in wild, tangles around her, partly covering her breast and stomach.  I wanted to push her hair away and replace it with my tongue.

“Thanks,” she said quietly as she grabbed the spoils from my gathering expedition from my arms and quickly started
to dress.  I sat on the bed to watch her.  It was strangely arousing.  “Well, ummm…” she said when she was done and motioned at the door.

“
Uhhh, yeah,” I said thoroughly confused.  This was the part where most women tried to linger or give me their number or get me to take them to breakfast.

I
never tried to keep one around before.

I opened the door for her and she started
to head out.  I followed behind her.  “So do you want to go get some breakfast?

“No. 
It’s been lovely but I’ve got to go,” she mumbled in a rush.

Wait, what? 
Did she just shoot me down?

I followed her out of my room, down the hall, and toward the front door, her bracelets jingling the entire time.
  How had I missed how noisy they were last night?

“Can I get you some coffee or something?”

“I’ve had a lovely time but I should really be going.”

S
hot down twice!?  I don’t know what to do with this.  I have never asked a girl to stick around the next morning.  Most tried to stay on their own but she seemed to be running for the hills.

And why in the hell does
she keep saying lovely?  Lovely is not the word I would use to describe what happened between us.  Amazing.  Earthshattering.  Fantastic.  Remarkable.  Those were words I would use to describe our previous evening.  Those seemed like a better description.

My
friends all ignored her, which was probably for the best she would have been embarrassed with anything more and blushed until her she was crimson red.  This girl blushed at the slightest provocation.

“So can I get your number or something?” I asked when she reached
for the doorknob.  I placed my hand over hers, preventing her escape, and pulled her back against me so her back was pressed against my front.  I’m not letting her go that easy.  I kissed the top of her ear letting my lips linger longer then necessary.  I wanted more.  She shivered against me proving that she wasn’t completely unaffected by me but then shook her head.

“I don’t think so,” she said so quietly I barely heard
her.  I straighten up.  Excuse me?

She turned
the nob.  I let her, letting go of her hand.  The door creaked open a little.

“Is something wrong?” I asked runn
ing my fingers through my hair.  Had I done something wrong?  Had I misread, well, everything?  I thought she was into me.  “Did I do something?”

“No,” she said as she stepped out the door and turned
to me.  She placed her hand on my bare chest and looked up at me.  For a second I thought she was going to kiss me and she did but not like I wanted her to.  She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against my cheek.  “No, it was… lovely… really… lovely, but I have to go,” she said softly and then turned and started to head down the steps.

I just stood there, holding the door
open, watching her walk away.  What the hell just happened?  Did she just turn me down?  I didn’t think I had ever been turned down before.

Lovely?
  What the hell did that mean?  That was not lovely sex?  We did not have lovely sex!  We had mind blowing, amazing sex.  Mind blowing amazing, sex, that I just let walk out the door.  Mind blowing, amazing sex, that wasn’t interested in me and thought it had been lovely!  Damn it!

I
wasn’t sure how long I stood there.  I watched her walk away but I finally shut the door and headed for the couch dropping down next to my friends who were watching me closely.  They watched the entire thing.  They looked equally confused but were only moments away from laughing at my expense.

“What the hell just happened?” Jonas asked me as he shoved a handful
of dry cereal into his mouth.  They were all just staring at me.  I could hear the smile in his voice.  My fairy, Prudence Kennedy Thompson was an enigma.

“I don’t know,” I said
honestly because I didn’t.  Maybe my boys would have some insight.  I ran my hand through my already messy hair and they all burst out laughing.  I was never going to hear the end of this.

Oh this is just lovely.

What the fuck does lovely mean?

Chapter 4

Prudence

I said good-bye to my study group and made my way to the front of campus where I arranged to meet Maggie.  Today was the day that we were going to get my tattoo.  She refused to let me drive myself.  I think she thought that if she left me to my own transportation I would conveniently forget or get lost.  It was a definite possibility.  I was a little nervous.  So she drove me to school this morning and was picking me up.  I felt like I was twelve.

It was spring break at the elementary school where I was doing my s
tudent teaching so all I had was my classes this week, no teaching.  It was a nice break.

I sat on the grass, under one of the many large trees around campus and to watch for Putty Tang, Maggie’s pale blue Pilot, to make an appearance in the bus roundabout.

I was trying not to fidget, unsuccessfully.  I was horribly uncomfortable.  Maggie forced me to wear jeans claiming that a skirt would be to revealing on a tattoo table.  I took her word for it.  She was the seasoned pro after all.  So I was in jeans and a tank top with heels, of course.  I refused to give up my heels.  I hated jeans.  They’re to conforming and abrasive on my skin.

I had a few minutes until Maggie was
due.  Study group got out early.

My mind wandered
strait to Lincoln O’Neil.  He was all I have been able to think about in the five days since I left his house.  His messy, black hair, his silver eyes, his smirk, his tall, lean frame with his rock hard abs, his piercings, even the ink that covered parts of his body.  I knew he had more tattoos then I truly processed the other night.  I had been…distracted but I was curious about what I had missed, not that I’d ever see him again.

He’d asked for my number and I straig
ht out told him no.  What was wrong with me?  I had never gone home with anyone before.  I didn’t know what the morning after etiquette was, so basically I just freaked out and fled.  I had been so embarrassed I told him it had been lovely.  I just kept saying lovely.  It was like the only word in my vocabulary had been lovely.  Freaking lovely.

When I got home I shared my walk of shame with Maggie and Skyla and it was shameful
.  They couldn’t laugh hard enough.  Apparently, telling him it was lovely was, well, ridiculous.  I agreed.  I froze up.  I panicked and it just kind of came out.

Oh well. 
Not like I was ever going to see him again.

I have done a lot of st
upid things while intoxicated.  Maggie and I had danced on a bar, one we were in illegally.  We’d played strip beer bong, and danced on a stripper pole at a frat party, all while Skyla supervised.  I wasn’t necessarily proud of any of those things but my one night stand definitely topped the list of stupid, drunken escapes.  Not the one night stand in itself because it had been amazing, so good it was a little scary.  I was not a virgin but damn, Lincoln O’Neil rocked my world and then like an idiot I didn’t give him my number.

My regret
was in the lack of protection.  We had been so caught up in the moment and a little beyond drunk that we had gone all in without suiting up.  I hadn’t even thought to tell him to put on a condom and apparently it hadn’t been high on his priority list either.  I wasn’t on any form of birth control since I wasn’t having sex regularly.  I guess it didn’t make much difference now.  What was done was done and there was nothing anyone could do about it at the moment.

I hadn’t told Maggie or Skyla about my unprotected sex.

I stood up when I saw a pale blue Pilot whip through the light, Putty Tang.  Maggie screeched to a stop in the middle of the bus lane and I hopped in.  I barely had the door closed before she was pulling out.

Maggie was belting along with the too loud boy
band music, off key of course.  Totally into it.  “Every six seconds,” she sang.

“What are you singing?” I asked
as I turned it down.  The lyrics were horribly dirty.  I couldn’t help but laugh.  Maggie made everything fun.

“O-Town,” she said as she turned and threw me her be
st ridiculous, seductive look.  “The dirtiest boy band music ever,” she sang along with the beat.  “Come on get jiggy with me,” she ordered and started doing some ridiculous wiggling dance move. I joined right in.  What the hell?  It was fun.  Maggie loved life and knew how to enjoy it.  I was sure we looked like idiots.

Even her car was
fun.  She lovingly named it Putty Tang.  It sat eight people.  When people question why she needed such a big car she’d just hollered, “Don’t question Putty Tang!”  No one ever did beyond that.  Her car was freakishly clean yet cluttered with knickknacks people had gotten her.  Her steering wheel had a fuzzy, hot, pink cover.  The driver seat had an ugly seat cover that looked like a skeleton, which was only topped by the even uglier rainbow zebra seat cover that I sat on.

There was
a little stuffed bear, a monkey, and neon yellow dice hanging from the rearview mirror.  The little ceramic cat was velcroed to the dash, which we all jokingly referred to as pussy and then there is her GPS that was always somewhere random.

When the song ended
.  She turned it down as we laughed.  It was fun I had to admit it.  She took a sip of her coffee.  “So you ready?” she asked while we flowed with traffic.

“Yeah,” I said
.  I was.  I was kind of nervous but excited.  I couldn’t believe I was actually doing this.

“So when do I get to see this design?” I asked
.  Maggie had been very hush, hush about it.  I was getting a little nervous that she was going to try to get it tattooed on my body without me seeing it.

She eyed me and twisted her lips while she considered
it.  “You can see it now,” she told me as she came to a light.  She let go of the wheel and turned to grab her art portfolio before tossing it at me.

I flipped
it open.  “It’s the third one, I think,” she said.  That was good because the first one was of a naked Greek looking statue.  I flipped to the third one.  It was a beautiful design of cherry blossoms.

“This one?” I asked for confirmation before I embarrassed myself by gushing over something that wasn’t intended for me.

She peaked over.  “Yep.”  I loved it.  Maggie knew me so well.  It was definitely me.

“Do you approve?” she asked
mockingly but smiling.  She knew I did.

“Approved,” I said.

“Oh thank God,” she called out as she let out a deep breath in an attempt to be over dramatic.

Suddenly her GPS started talking.

“Oh blessed Jesus,” she cried out, throwing her hands up in her over dramatic fashion.  “Find him!”  The GPS was frequently misplaced.  How it was even possible for someone to lose a GPS that was supposed to be attached to the dash is beyond me.

I finally found it under the middle seat and managed
to turn it off.  Well, I got it to stop directing us to some undisclosed location at least.  The GPS and I did not get along.  I always seemed to be fighting with the stupid thing.

We lucked out and managed to find a spot directly in front of Dirty Ink.

“Dirty Ink?” I asked
.  It sounded like it could be dirty as in kinky or sexy, or dirty as in unhygienic.

“Yes, Dirty Ink. 
Home of the sexiest tattoo artists ever,” she told me as we climbed out of the car.  I was more concerned about the tattoo artist’s skills not their sex appeal.

“Is that their slogan?” I joked as I took
in the building.  I recognized the style of building.  It was an old warehouse that had been revamped into apartments or commercial spaces.  They were very common in this area.

The building was old red brick with multiple busines
ses booming out of the bottom.  There’s a trendy bar at the end, next to a deli, an art gallery, and then of course Dirty Ink.

“No, but it should be. 
I tried to make my appointment with my buddy Jonas but he didn’t have any openings.  Jonas and I used to go to church together.  He’s done all my work.  I haven’t had any work done in a few years, since he’s moved to this shop, so I don’t know any of the other guys here.”  Then why did she think there slogan should be home of the sexiest tattoo artist ever if she didn’t actually know them?  “But he recommended one of his friends, so you’re seeing him.”  That made me feel a little better.  At least this wasn’t a completely random guy she found in a phone book or something.

Maggie pushed the door open and a little bell hanging off the door announced
our presence as we stepped into a lobby, complete with a red leather couch and counter with an enclosed glass case, which appeared to hold piercing jewelry and gauges.  The walls were painted brick and almost completely covered in framed artwork.  It should look sloppy or cluttered but it all seemed to flow.  There was rock music blaring in the background with the gentle humming of the ink guns and easy chatter of people.

“
Heeeey,” said an average size, blond guy that looks slightly familiar but I couldn’t place him looked up from behind the counter where he had been drawing something.  “It’s Lovely,” he called out smiling from ear to ear while he looked directly at me.  My smile dropped.

Lovely? 
What did that mean?  There was no way this guy had any connection to my one night stand.

“Lovely?” another guy called out and he popped his head around the corner
before looking straight at me.  “Lovely,” he said as a greeting like we were old friends.

I glanced
over at Maggie, sure I was blushing and she just eyed me curiously.  Confused as well.  Was she making the same connection to my one night stand evaluation as I was?  God, I hoped this was completely unrelated but then I was not that lucky.  I didn’t know if I could go through with this if I was going to be getting grief about it the whole time.  I knew it was only a matter of time before Maggie jumped on the bandwagon, all in good sport of course.

“Lovely?” another guy called.

“Oh it’s Lovely,” another said.  And the greeting and commentary referring to me as Lovely just kept coming.

“Isn’t she lovely?”

“I’d like to spend some time with Lovely.”

“I wonder if she would show me a lovely time.”

Oh my God, I was going to die.  My cheeks were burning.  I was ready to turn tail and flee.

“What can I help you with Lovely?” the blond behind the counter asked
.  “Looking for a lovely time?” he asked and winked at me.  That’s when I placed him. He was one of Lincoln’s friends from the bar.  I was glad they all had a good joke at my expense.  If I ever saw that ass again I was going to kick him in the balls.  Who was I kidding?  I’d never do it.  I might beg him to spend another lovely night with me though.  I was pathetic.

“Actually, we have an appointment,” Maggie snapped
giving him a sharp look.  He cowered back a little.  Maggie could be scary.  She was all for a good teasing but she could tell I was uncomfortable so she would be determined to put a stop to it.  Plus, I don’t think that she’d made the connection yet.  I was dreading when she did.  If she didn’t raze me here then I’d definitely get it once we left.  Shoot, I’d tease her about it.  If it wasn’t me it would be funny.

Some guy with copper hair popped
his head around the corner.  “Mags,” he called as he winked at her.  This must be Jonas, Maggie’s childhood, church buddy.  “You brought Lovely,” he added in playful husky voice.  Oh God, I wanted to crawl under the couch and die.  Before either of us could speak he turned on his stool and yelled towards the back.  “O’Neil, your four-thirty is here,” he called and I tensed.

O’Neil? 
Noooo!

From the back room Lincoln stepped out and started
to head our way.  He was even sexier than I remembered.  His short, black hair was messy. I was starting to believe that was just his style.  He was wearing thick, black-framed glasses.  His gray eyes lit up when he saw me and he smirked, his little half smirk that made him look sexy and mischievous, like he knew what I looked like naked.  Wait, he did.

“Well hello Prudence Kennedy Thompson,” he said using my full name as he stepped up
behind the counter towards us.  I was impressed that he remembered my whole name and it wasn’t an easy one. It was a mouthful. The blond guy stepped to the side but didn’t walk away.  He was staying to watch our interaction.  I’m sure he expecting it to be highly entertaining.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Lincoln but I didn’t
miss blond guy’s excited look.  Jackass.  “It’s lovely to see you again,” Lincoln said.  His smile spread to a full blown one instead of just a smirk.  Oh the jokes just kept coming.  Lovely!  Ha.  “What can I do for you ladies today?”

I was
frozen.  I couldn’t seem to find the words or make my tongue work to say anything so I just stood there like a moron and stared at him, trying not to drool.  I have to keep some of my dignity.  At the moment I don’t have much.  I was sure I was blushing the wonderful shade of a fire engine.

This was
one heck of coincidence. I wanted to see him again.  Hadn’t I just been thinking about how stupid I was to not give him my number and bam, here he is about to do my tattoo.  I would have thought Maggie arranged it if she didn’t look so confused.  If this wasn’t fate I didn’t know what was.