Tattooed Love

Vic Braunson's latest tattoo makes his lover, Matt di Lorenzo, decide that he might want to get inked, too. He'd like a heart with his lover's initials in it. Vic likes the idea, and agrees to get the same tattoo, with Matt's initials inside. They have fun deciding where to put the tattoos -- a spot Vic hasn't already covered turns out to be pretty hard to find. Once they decide where to get inked, Matt fears he may not be able to go through with it. He's more than a little skittish when it comes to needles, and watching the tattoo artist at work is frightening. With the powers love gives him, however, Vic finds a way to help Matt overcome his fears...

There's something sexy about a tattooed man. In these five stories by multi-published, best-selling author J. M. Snyder, gay men revel in the erotic beauty of getting inked. Contains the stories: Fillin' Chet: When tattoo artist Scott texts his hot new boy-toy Chet and asks him to stop by the tattoo parlor after hours, Chet assumes it's just to hook up. But Scott's just as interested in filling in the tattoo on Chet's back as he is in filling Chet. Inked in Blood: Tom stops at Tattoo 804 just as it's about to close. Rist, an artist with a fetish for vampires, agrees to ink Tom after hours. What begins as a simple procedure turns erotic when Rist notices how hard Tom is for him. They give into their primal desires right in the tattoo chair, but things take an unusual turn and Tom wonders if Rist is just into a little blood play... or if he isn't one of the undead. Matching Tats: Vic Braunson's latest tattoo makes his lover, Matt di Lorenzo, decide that he might want to get inked, too. But Matt's more than a little skittish when it comes to needles, and watching the tattoo artist at work is frightening. With the powers love gives him, however, Vic finds a way to help Matt overcome his fears... Mojo's Mojo: Tattoo artist Wray has it bad for his best friend Mojo, who is straight. When Mojo asks Wray to give him a a new tattoo in a very private place, will he be able to put aside his growing lust and perform professionally? Or does Mojo have an ulterior motive for dropping his pants? The Tattooed Heart: Chris is a tattoo artist who coerces Lee to stop by after hours for free tattoos. Lee's body is a shrine to Chris's artwork. Every tattoo is a custom creation by Chris, whom Lee has loved for years. What will it take for Chris to realize the lover he's looking for has been sitting in his tattoo chair all along?

Chris and Lee have been best friends since the fourth grade. Now in their thirties, Chris rents a booth at Tattoo 804 where he makes a living as a tattooist. His own art is hidden in a portfolio behind his desk-his clients always want him to copy a design or character someone else has drawn, and none ever ask for any custom ink. To satisfy his artistic cravings, Chris coerces his friend Lee to stop by after hours for free tattoos in exchange for letting Chris design whatever he wants. Lee's body is a shrine to Chris's artwork. Every tattoo he has is a custom creation from his friend, whom Lee has loved for years. Though both are gay, Lee has never had the courage to let Chris know how he feels, and it pains him to watch Chris flit from boyfriend to boyfriend in search of Mr. Right when Lee would gladly claim that title. Chris's latest boyfriend, Barry, is in a local band and sounds absolutely wonderful... Lee hates him already. But when all Chris can talk about is Lee's latest tattoo, Barry feels like a third wheel and their budding relationship sours. What will it take for Chris to realize the lover he's looking for has been sitting in his tattoo chair all along?

Wray is a tattoo artist at Tattoo 804, where he rents a booth beside his best friend Mojo. Though he knows Mojo is straight, Wray can't help falling for the man's flirtatious banter. To make matters worse, Mojo's girlfriend is pregnant, and doesn't want him bothering her with his sexual needs. She warns Wray to keep Mojo from fooling around with other women, but only laughs when he suggests Mojo fool around with him, instead. One weekend, Mojo asks Wray to attend a local convention with him, where they'll run tattoo booths in the dealer room. Wray agrees, but on the way to the con, Mojo tells him the real reason he's coming along -- Mojo wants a new tattoo ... in a very private part of his body. And he wants Wray to give it to him. Will Wray be able to put aside his growing lust and perform professionally during the procedure? Or does Mojo have an ulterior motive for dropping his pants?

Chet Swearingen had a privileged childhood, but now that he's on his own in college, he's trying to break away from what's expected of him and live a little. He doesn't dare rebel against his parents too much -- they still pay his rent, and the Lexxus he drives is in their name. But their plans for his life after school don't mesh with what he wants to do, so he stays in college hoping to avoid a job like his father's. Scott Harris was the kind of guy Chet had always wanted and never thought he'd actually have. He's rough around the edges, heavily inked, and works as a tattoo artist in one of the most heavily tattooed cities in the U. S. What Chet doesn't quite understand is the appeal he might offer to a guy like Scott. Other than the obvious -- frequent booty calls for sex. When Scott texts Chet and asks him to stop by the tattoo parlor after hours, Chet assumes it's just to hook up. But Scott's just as interested in filling in the tattoo on Chet's back as he is in filling Chet.