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something meaningful, that a set of no-good boys born to a trashy small town family could somehow earn their places in the hearts of incredible women. 
    Stephanie seemed to sense my thoughts were burning deep.  She took my hand, kissed my knuckles and then opened the blanket she’d tied around herself so we were lying skin against skin. 
    Honestly, I would have been in the mood for more fun and games but Steph fell asleep after two innings.  When I put my mouth on her body she merely stirred and sighed in her sleep.
    So in the end I just kissed my princess gently and then carried her to our bed so she could rest. 
     
     

CHAPTER FOUR
    CORD
     
    “She wants what?”
    “Side by side skulls.”
    “And she wants them where?”
    “On her ass cheeks.” 
    “Fuck, really?” 
    “She wants them to appear in a way that when she squeezes them together it looks like they are kissing.”  Aspen turned around and kindly pantomimed by pointing to her own skinny ass, clad in orange cargo pants.  She pursed her lips and made a kissing noise. 
    I sighed heavily and straightened my back, which was a little sore from being hunkered over Deck’s desk all morning, going over the books. 
    “So they’re skulls, right?”
    Aspen was enjoying this.  Her brown eyes practically gleamed.  “Right!” 
    “Then they do not have lips.”
    “Nope.”
    “So how the hell can they kiss?”
    Aspen considered.  “I suppose they will just kind of press their exposed teeth together and grin.”   She jokingly stuck the tip of her tongue through the small gap between her own two front teeth. 
    I snorted.  “Awesome.  Brick can’t take care of it?”
    “Brick is busy.  Brick is inking an eye on the back of a bald head.”
    “Really?”
    She nodded.  “Yeah.   This hell-for-leather dude who rolled in an hour ago with half the desert stuck to his clothes and a homicidal look on his face.  Apparently he’s a friend of Deck’s.” 
    I smiled at the mention of my wild cousin.  Deck Gentry looked like one of the roughest men on the evolutionary scale but he’s got just about the best heart around.  Right after my girls were born, Deck rented a vacant storefront down the road from the university, announced he was opening a tattoo shop and promptly insisted on making me part owner. Deck’s been in the habit of doing me colossal favors all my life. He’s as much a brother as Creed and Chase in every way that counts. 
    “If he’s Deck’s friend he’s all right.”
    Aspen cocked her head.  “Have you heard from him?”
    “Deck?  He called yesterday.  I told him I didn’t want to hear from him again for a while.” 
    Deck had worried he was leaving too much on my plate before he embarked on a two month round-the-world trip with his girlfriend, Jenny.  She’d always wanted to travel and Deck surprised her the night of her graduation a few weeks ago with news of the trip.  They left for India the following morning.  Before he left I assured him I could handle things just fine and I meant to do just that.  Deck deserved to have the time of his life with the girl he loved. 
    I grabbed a pen and sketchpad.  “Guess I better get to sketching some ass skulls.  Tell the client I’ll be out in fifteen.” 
    “Oh!” Aspen clapped her hands together.  The absurd giant pink bow that sat atop her blue hair wobbled.  “I almost forgot.  She wants wings too.”
    “Pardon?”
    “Coming out of the sides of the ass skulls.  She wants them to resemble black feathery ears.” 
    I threw the pen.  “You better not be making this up.” 
    “Hell no, Cord.  My creative talents are reserved for my man.  Hey, you want Brick to pick you up something from Pita Palace?  He’s running down there as soon as he’s done with Baldy.”
    “Nah, I’m closing up at six and having dinner with the boys.”
    “Oh dear,” sighed Aspen as she slumped against the office door.  “You can’t just inflict all that Gentry