Read Unmarked: Sean's Story (Chosen #4) for Free Online Page B

money,” Aoife stated, looking perplexed.
    I shrugged. “In America, it is pretty easy to become homeless these days. Lose your job, whatever – poof.” I made a ball exploding motion with my hands and then flashed a saddened grin.
    “But not you?” she inquired.
    I shook my head as I started to hail down a cab. “In my line of work, I do pretty well and I don’t live in Boston Proper. It is cheaper in the outskirts.”
    “So what do you do? In your line of work ?” she teasingly asked. Her laughing eyes were wide again as she put air quotes around “in your line of work.”
    I chuckled low and on purpose. So, she was a little spitfire. That was new from the quiet woman I had met upstairs.
    “What? You can’t tell?” I asked as I flexed my arms, lifting up my black shirt to show that my whole torso and arms were inked. She put out a finger like she wanted to trace the tribal on my collarbone but then thought twice about it.
    “It’s okay if you touch me, sweetheart,” I laughed as I finally got a cab to pull over for us.
    The darkness did not hide the embarrassment that blotched up her face. She hugged herself and shook her head at the idea. I opened the door for her and got in after the view of her skinny, jean clad, sweet ass. When I closed the door, I gave the cabbie name and address for the bar my friends were at, and looked over to Aoife.
    “Fuck me, you are bloody gorgeous,” she expelled – almost like she couldn’t keep those words in her mouth. The moment she realized she said it, she went the brightest pink.
    “Shit, sorry. That wasn't supposed to leave my head,” she muttered. After some quick thought, I leaned over and did exactly what I had imagined doing earlier in the night. I swiped my tongue along her closed lips and tasted the whisky on them. Her nostrils flared a little so not to move her lips in anyway.
    I had no idea what came over me. Maybe I did it because we both were scorned and left behind by someone we each cared about tonight. We both craved another warm body, or maybe we both required one long fucking time out from reality.
    “You lips are bloody gorgeous,” I whispered into her mouth. I loved the word “bloody”, too. I leaned back and winked at her. She smiled shyly at me and I took her hand into mine and we drove the rest of the way to the pub in silence.
    Before I went to open the large metal handle to enter the pub, Aoife pulled on my sweatshirt and looked like she was going to freak out. I let go of the handle and looked down at her with concern. Was it wrong of me to bring a total stranger to this place?
    Inside I heard the classic song, “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver playing and the boys were singing along to the “my, my, my.” I wanted to laugh but this girl – this woman who was thousands of miles away from her own comfort zone had no idea what this place was, who I was, and damn, she wouldn’t even know that this was a screamer song for heartbroken drunks like me. I had to listen to the words and be patient and kind – but who the hell was I? I felt like a sick kidnapper. Did I want to ruin her, as well? Even thought I may have looked like a nice guy to the outside world, I literally spoiled everything I touched. That fact I had known for so long that maybe it was what kept me from pursuing more than what I was. I was a tattoo artist, a tattoo junkie, a casual hook up, and a prisoner to my room – the sanctuary that only one beautiful, red headed woman had slept in – as much as possible.
    “Are you okay, Aoife?” I took her face in my palms and smiled down at her. “A little overwhelming?”
    She nodded her head furiously. “Why did you do it, Sean?” She asked as she put her fingers up to her lips. I looked down at them confused. Lips? I looked back up to her eyes. What the hell was she talking about?
    “Why did I…?” I started, feeling the perplexed face I was making and then, fuck . I had kissed her. Something so damn common for me.