25, Open book

Bane smiled down at her and kissed both her cheeks, the spot between her brows, both sides of her mouth and then gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth.

“Your face tells me everything. You are an open book, never play poker,” he chuckled. Emma blushed. She had no idea that she was that easy to read. That could be a problem.

To distract herself, she traced the outline of a rose on Bane’s shoulder. It was one of several that stretched over his shoulder, down to his arm. She could see a black snake entwined in the roses and a dagger.

“Do they bother you?” he asked. Emma looked up in surprise.

“No, I find them fascinating,” she told him. She saw his face changing into an amused smile.

“You never stop surprising me, angel,” he told her and lifted a lock of her hair and played with it.

“Do they have meaning?” Emma asked as she traced the dagger with her finger.

“Most of them do. Some are just to fill space and bring it together,” he told her. She made a soft sound to let him know she under