Page 4 of Marked By The Filthy-Mouthed Grizzly

CHAPTER FOUR

Erica

M y neck is tingling like crazy as I stare up at this gorgeous man in awe. He came out of the back and it was like my whole body seized up in shock.

I’m staring.

Hard.

Stop. You’re making it awkward, I tell myself.

But I can’t seem to look away. Those piercing green eyes… I’ve never seen anything like them before. They’re hypnotic. They’re stunning. They’re dangerous.

I know I should say something, but all of the words have melted out of my brain like vanilla ice cream on a July sidewalk.

The man standing before me with that dark possessive look in his eyes is built like a freaking tank.

Tall, broad chest, massive arms covered in tattoos, and a mouth I can’t stop thinking about kissing.

He has a big brown beard and messy dark hair that is unfairly sexy.

My core clenches as I drink in every inch of this masculine man.

His light gray T-shirt is clinging to his torso in all the right places—sleeves rolled up his big tattooed arms. The black apron wrapped around his body is really doing something for me, that leather strap hanging sexily around his thick muscular neck.

Oh boy … I swallow hard as I feel myself getting wet and needy down there.

“Did you hear me?” he asks, shaking my foundation to the core when he gives me another devastatingly sexy smile.

“What?” I blurt out like a dope. I didn’t hear anything besides the roaring in my ears.

“I said I’m Magnus.”

Magnus …

That deep growly voice is hot enough to melt the lining out of my panties.

My breath catches in my throat like I’ve forgotten how to breathe, like I’ve forgotten how to be human, like I’ve forgotten how to do anything but stare at this beautiful man in awe.

Those sensuous possessive green eyes are focused entirely on me and it’s making me tremble all over.

He offers his hand for a handshake and my eyes widen as I stare at that massive palm and those thick fingers, wondering what they’re capable of, wondering what kind of deep, primal noises they can pull out of me.

“Nice to meet you,” I manage to spit out as I slide my hand into his. His huge hand swallows mine, but he’s gentle and soft even though he could easily crush my bones. “I’m Erica.”

He nods and grins like he’s never heard such a beautiful name.

My neck starts tingling even more on a spot under my ear. It’s never tingled before, but right now it feels almost demanding . It’s insistent and needy.

We finally pull our hands away and my body kind of groans, like it wants those big hands back on me.

Okay, brain. Calm down.

“You here for some ink?” he asks, his voice low and warm like a crackling fire. “Or… for something else?”

My eyes drop to his arms before snapping back up to his face. “Yes. I really want it.”

He raises an eyebrow.

My cheeks get insanely hot.

“A tattoo, I mean,” I quickly correct. “Ink. I want ink.”

I swallow hard as he grins at me.

“I’ll take care of you,” he says with that deep sexy voice. “I’ll give you anything you need.”

I swallow hard.

“Magnus, you doing okay up there?” the cool-looking girl with the tattooed arm sleeves and black hair asks. She has the same bright green eyes as Magnus does.

“All good, Victoria,” he says with a carefree smile. “Everything’s good now.”

The woman looks at me a little harder, like she’s analyzing me for a few long seconds. I shift uncomfortably under her calculating gaze. She takes a breath with what looks like relief and then gives me a big wide smile.

I wave awkwardly to her and then turn my attention back to Magnus. It’s hard to keep my eyes off him, even for a second.

“I’ll put my mark on you,” he says as he looks at my tingling neck. “What kind of tattoo are you thinking?”

“Oh,” I say as I open my purse. “I got some ideas off the internet.”

He leans forward as I put some printed papers on the counter between us. His rugged smell hits me—pine, sandalwood, nature, sex—and it sends a thrill racing through my body.

“I was thinking something like this,” I say as I show him a picture I printed out. “Two wolves howling at the moon.”

He raises a brow. “Wolves?”

“Yeah,” I say, nodding. “Do you think you can do something like that? On my back shoulder?”

Those seductive green eyes lock on mine. “I can do anything you like, Erica.”

My pussy tingles hot as I think about all the things I’d like him to do to me. Flashes erupt in my mind—those lips on my neck, his weight pressing down on me, those big greedy hands pushing my legs apart, a big thick cock pushing inside…

“Okay,” I say, trying to ignore the persistent dirty thoughts racing through my mind. “Let’s do it. The tattoo, I mean.”

He grins as he walks over to his workstation. “Follow me.”

My legs feel all shaky as I walk over to the long black leather chair. He sits on the stool as I sit beside him, tucking my legs together.

He pulls out a sketch book and a pencil case and starts working. I watch his eyes focus on the page, his brow furrowed, his hand loose as it brushes across the scratchy paper.

I could watch him work for hours. He looks so at ease, so at home, so in his element as he sketches the howling wolves and the large moon in the background.

We sit in silence as he works and it’s not long before he’s done.

“Something like this?” he asks as he hands me the sketch book.

I take one look at it and my eyes fill with tears. “It’s perfect,” I whisper. “I love it.”

He adds a few more finishing touches and some shading to it, really bringing it to life. This man is dangerously hot when he concentrates.

I notice the girl, Victoria, watching me from the corner of her eye, her lips twitching like she’s analyzing me or trying to size me up or something. What’s her deal? She probably has a crush on Magnus and doesn’t like me around him. I can’t blame her for that.

“Is this your shop?” I ask, trying to get some more information on my new crush.

He doesn’t look up as he sketches, trying to get my tattoo just right. “Sure is. I started it with my brother and sister a few years ago.”

I take a breath of relief when it clicks. Those green eyes… They’re eerily similar.

“That’s your sister?” I ask, motioning with my head.

He nods.

Thank god. I didn’t want to have to fight her over this man. She looks like she’s tough as balls.

“It’s really cool,” I say as I look around the room.

I loved the outside of Heat & Ink all tucked away in the Montana mountains, but the inside is even cooler than the outside.

It’s cozy but edgy, like a cross between a mountain cabin and a trendy tattoo shop.

The scent of ink, disinfectant, and pinewood lingers in the air, mixing with the crisp mountain air wafting in through the open windows.

The walls are covered in framed tattoo art of all different styles and shapes.

Gritty grizzly bears mid-roar, delicate florals that look real enough to sniff, old-school daggers, and snakes that make me weirdly nervous and impressed at the same time.

These people are crazy talented. How can so much artistic talent be concentrated in one family?

Four black leather tattoo chairs are spaced out around the shop, each with their own station around them. They’re each worn and cracked in their own unique way like they’ve seen some serious shit.

Every corner has something interesting to look at—bottles of ink arranged like a rainbow on open shelving, stacks of sketchpads, even a vintage jukebox in the corner quietly humming tunes. Right now, Lightning Crashes by Live is playing quietly in the background.

I like it here. It feels like the kind of place you could hang out all day in. The kind of place that knows how to keep secrets.

When the drawing is just perfect, Magnus transfers the sketch onto a stencil and puts black latex gloves on.

“You sure?” he asks as he sits on his stool in front of me. “Once it’s on, it doesn’t come off.”

I look at the beautiful sketch that signifies so much and the handsome man who drew it. “I’m sure,” he says.

“Alright, turn around and take off your hoodie.”

I slide my hoodie off and he lets out a low grumble that sounds like a growl. I catch him glancing at my breasts moving in my tank top and now it’s his turn to blush. I don’t really mind though. I kind of like that he’s looking.

He places the stencil on my skin and even though he’s wearing gloves, my body still erupts in tingles under his touch.

He gets to work, rubbing liquid on the stencil to transfer it onto my skin as my mind races. That growl… It sounded so… familiar.

When I was forced to visit my brothers, I’d often hear them making similar noises. Growls, roars, rumbles. It was their wolves…

“I’m going to start now,” he says, peeling the stencil off.

The tattoo machine hums to life. I’m glad the tattoo is on my back shoulder and I don’t have to see it being done.

I’m not terrified of needles, but they do make me a bit nervous.

This is my first tattoo and it’s not exactly a tiny one, so I’m freaking out a little.

“I really don’t want to hurt you, Erica,” he says softly. “That’s the last thing I want.”

“It’s okay,” I say, holding my breath. “I’ll be fine.”

It stings, but it’s not too bad. I hold my breath for a while, but that only works for so long. I need some distraction as the pain wears on. I need this man’s sexy voice to distract me.

“Can I ask you something personal?” I ask as he works.

“You can ask me anything, Erica,” he says in that deep, alluring voice. “Don’t be shy.”

My cheeks start blushing, I don’t know why.

“Are you a shifter?”

The tattoo machine stops for a moment, but then starts back up.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’ve been around shifters before,” I say. “That growl kind of reminded me of the noises they used to make.”

He doesn’t say anything. He just keeps working.

“You don’t have to answer,” I say, feeling awkward and bad that I even brought something so personal up.

“No, I don’t mind,” he says. “I’m a grizzly bear shifter.”

“Wow,” I whisper. “I’ve never met a bear shifter before.”