Body, Ink, and Soul (Ink, #1) Author: Jude Ouvrard

 
 



After a few seconds, a strange sensation started spreading through my body. I lifted my eyes from the photos and my heart stopped. The blood drained from my face and I was pretty certain I was going to pass out. Ink boy was standing not three feet away from me. He had that perfect, sexy grin on his face and he was obviously happy to find me here. ''Are you stalking me now, princess?'' ''Princess?'' I repeated, with a quirk of my eyebrow. ''I know, I know. Geez, I’m sorry. What are you doing here...? Phoenix?'' he asked in an alluring voice. The sound of his voice was so different here, without the club music pulsing in the background. ''What do you think I'm here for, Levi?'' ''Are you always so feisty?'' His voice sent shivers all over my body. I nodded. ''My turn to say sorry - I never know how to act around you. You’re so... different.'' ''Different? Is that all?'' he asked cockily, his lips turning up in that damn smirk. ''You have the worst pickup lines I've ever heard.'' I tried very hard not to, but I smiled for a split-second. It didn't matter that I tried to suppress it - he saw me. ''Was that a smile I saw on your lips?'' he grinned, stepping closer. ''What do you want from me?'' I asked. Why did we pick this shop? Of all the tattoo shops we could have gone to, we had to pick the one place where he hung out? What were the odds? ''You're the one who's here, in my shop, so I should be asking you what you want. Are you here for a tattoo?'' ''They're all here for a tattoo. Stop harassing my client, jackass.'' The tattoo artist who was prepping Bekka turned to grumble at Levi. Irritated, Levi looked at the tattoo artist. ''No,” he began, shaking his head. “This one is mine, Kyle. I’ll be the only one marking her.'' Levi turned back to me. ''What are you getting tonight? I’ll be taking care of you.'' I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest. ''A star. A pink star. He has the design,” I said, my voice trembling slightly, as I nodded toward Kyle. He marched over to Kyle, got the design, and looked at me again. He seemed disappointed. ''Well, I was hoping for something a bit bigger. It’ll only take fifteen to twenty minutes. Are you a virgin?'' What? Was he seriously asking me such a private question in the middle of a shop? ''Hummm...'' ''Tattoo virgin, I meant. Have you ever had a tattoo before, Phoenix?'' he asked, obviously amused by my flushed face. I shook my head and he glanced down at the design again. ''Are you sure you don’t want your star to be filled in with red? It kind of suits your skin.'' I shook my head, not certain I wanted him doing my tattoo. I didn’t want to know the artist. It would be a lot easier, a lot less intimate, a lot less personal. Not that I knew Levi well, but I was nervous around him, and factoring in the location of where I wanted the tattoo – my nerves reached an all-time high. ''Are you sure you don’t want something a little bigger? It’s a pretty small tattoo.'' ''It's the only tattoo I’m ever going to get and I don't want it any bigger. This is perfect.'' ''We’ll see about that. Where do you want it?'' he asked, his eyes roaming across my body. I pointed to the exact spot where I wanted the tattoo, my eyes never leaving his. Being so close to him was challenging, my stomach was filled with butterflies and the need to touch him and get a closer look at his ink was driving me crazy. His gaze lowered to where I was pointing, a position just about my pubic bone. ''Okay, I see,” his voice husky. “You’ll have to lower your pants or I’ll get ink all over them.'' ''Don't worry about it. It's alright.'' I wanted to shake my head at my own stupidity. I’d already admitted he made me nervous, I didn’t need to sound like such an idiot! He smiled and it’s beauty surprised me - it was like seeing him for the first time. This was a glimpse of the real Levi – not the tatted up bad boy with cheap pickup lines. My cheeks grew hot as I blushed at this latest discovery. ''Are you ready?'' He offered me his hand and I took it, not knowing why, but I did. It was almost an involuntary reaction. Val was sitting next to Bekka and they both stared at us in disbelief, their gaze taking in our joined hands. This wasn’t normal behaviour for me and both of my friends knew it. He led me to his work area. ''I’m Levi, by the way.'' ''I know, you told me your name last night. I'm Nix.'' ''I know. You can sit down here and lower your pants for me. Don't worry, I’ll be gentle.'' He was trying to hide a smile, but I wasn't stupid. I knew there was a double meaning behind his words and his smirk was due in part to my obvious discomfort.  
Jude was born and raised in a small village named Lacolle. She now lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful five year old son, and has spent the last thirteen years with her partner, Cedric. She also has two dogs, BruceLee and Rocky. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. Besides working full time in a law firm and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.