Page 46 of Mr. Irrelevant (Rock City Renegades #1)

“The pleasure’s all mine,” he says, reaching out to shake her hand.

His jet-black hair and ink-covered skin make him look intimidating, but the two deep dimples that sink into his cheeks when he smiles are a dead giveaway that he’s just a giant teddy bear.

“You’re far too pretty for this piece of shit.

” He leans in, whispering loud enough for me to hear.

“Blink twice if he’s holding you against your will. ”

She looks up at me over her shoulder, lips pulling to one side.

“He has enough redeeming qualities to keep me here of my own volition.” She shrugs.

“He’s tall. And rich.” Such a little brat.

My contract and endorsements equal a small fraction of what she’s worth, but that doesn’t stop her from busting my balls, as usual.

I huff an incredulous laugh, pinching her side in retaliation. “Smart-ass.”

“I like her,” Dylan says, walking around us and locking the door so no unwanted guests think the shop is open for business.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t smarten up anytime soon.

Come on back.” With a subtle cock of his head, he turns, leading the way for me and Liv to follow.

We disappear behind the heavy curtain, traveling down a short hallway that leads to a well-lit room.

It’s fairly empty and sterile-looking, save for a wall of drawers and cupboards with several jars and tools set out neatly.

An adjustable table sits in the middle of the dark marble floor, a large ring light positioned just over top of it .

Livvy sucks in a gasp. “Are you getting pierced?”

An ear-to-ear smile stretches across my face as I look down at where she’s practically frozen in place, still not completely sure of what’s going on. “Yep. Happy birthday, baby.” She’s silent for several more seconds, and I wait patiently as everything clicks into place.

“You’re getting your—” She pauses, lowering her voice.

“Maddox, what the fuck? You can’t do this.

” She looks terrified, as if she’s the one that’s about to get a needle pushed through her most sensitive body part, making me chuckle as I hop onto the table and lie back.

It’s not reclined all the way, so I can see the panic in her eyes as she hurries to my side.

She goes to speak, likely in protest of my choice to do this, but I cut her off.

“I have two checkmarks left, Dimes. There’s no way in hell we aren’t finishing off your list, and I’m definitely not letting you ride someone else’s pierced dick.

So shut that sexy little mouth of yours and hold my hand.

” She hesitates for a moment, her brows knitting as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Are you sure?” she asks. “We don’t have to do every single thing, you know. You’ve already given me more than I could’ve imagined. I don’t need this.”

I take her hand, encasing it in mine. “I’m sure, Liv.

List or no list, your wishes matter to me.

” The unease that’s blanketing her expression falls away as my words settle in the air between us, and she nods her head, swallowing.

I lean over, pressing my lips to hers and turning to where Dylan has been watching the whole thing go down. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

He gives me a tight nod of approval, plopping down onto the stool beside me.

I try not to watch as he rolls a small metal tray closer, knowing that if I see the needle, I might actually shit my pants.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in on this, but we’re talking about my dick here.

The thought of shoving something sharp through it isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.

I know it’ll be worth it in the end, though.

“Alright,” Dyl says, pulling on a pair of black latex gloves.

“You already picked out your jewelry and signed the forms, so I’m ready when you are.

” I mentally high-five myself for stopping in before Livvy arrived the other day, because my stomach is currently in knots.

I can’t even imagine having to focus on paperwork right now.

I fill my lungs with oxygen, adrenaline already flowing through my veins as I pull my pants and boxers over my ass.

Doing my best to relax, I focus my attention on Liv as Dylan gets to work cleaning and marking me up with a fine-tip marker.

He hands me a mirror to check the placement, but I defer to my girl.

She’s the one who’ll be sitting on it, so its location is up to her.

“What do you think, Dimes? Is that a good spot?” I ask, watching as her eyes travel down my body, studying the two purple dots that sit right under my head. Her throat works with a harsh swallow, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink as she nods in approval.

“Mhmm,” she squeaks out, looking more nervous than I am as her gaze locks back onto mine. I squeeze her hand firmly, my expression softening as I do my best to stay calm so she doesn’t freak out .

“Okay, deep breath in,” Dylan instructs.

I inhale, feeling a pinch as he pushes the needle through my skin, letting it out in relief when I realize it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would.

It’s certainly no walk along the beach, but it’s definitely bearable.

“That’s the worst of it,” he adds. “I’m not seeing any blood, so let me get the jewelry in, clean you up, and you’ll be good to go. ”

My body relaxes as he finishes, rubbing my thumb along the back of Livvy’s hand in a soothing gesture. She seems to have chilled out as well, leaning down and pressing her mouth to mine. I smile into the kiss, grateful as hell that she’s here, allowing me to give her yet another new experience.

“I love you,” she whispers quietly. “Thank you for making this the best birthday ever.”

“I love you too,” I reply, kissing her one last time before Dylan cuts back in.

“We already went over aftercare, but just to refresh,” he begins, removing his gloves and tossing them onto the tray.

“Wash it daily with the stuff I gave you, keep it clean and dry, and no sex for two weeks. After that, use a condom for at least another month.” His eyes slide over to Liv, a knowing grin tugging at one corner of his mouth.

“Handys are permitted after seventy-two hours, but make sure to wash with soap and water first.” She tucks her lips between her teeth, clearly trying not to react to his words, but I’m already dying to feel her fingers wrapped around me three days from now.

We say our goodbyes, leaving the shop hand in hand.

The smile that stays on Livvy’s face for the entirety of our drive back to the hotel is more than enough to tell me that bringing her here this weekend was the right choice.

This quality time together—away from as many prying eyes as we’re used to, has been amazing, bonding us in ways that I could’ve only hoped for.

My heart is so full of love for this girl that it might actually explode, and I’m counting down the hours until I can finally shout it from the rooftops.

Because after the last two days and seeing how she’s fit in with the other important people in my life, I’m surer than ever that we’re endgame.