Ice is the first person I see, and he’s walking in from a back door. He walks straight for me, and I’m about to give him a piece of my mind about having Patriot follow me when he pulls me in for a hug. His big arms wrap around me, and he holds me tight. I’m feeling so many things right now, and I’m completely off kilter. I can’t remember ever being held so tightly.
When he releases me, he doesn’t really let me go. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and walks me through the building. He introduces me to Gage and Ranger, two other artists, and then he takes me toward the back where his office and paint booth is.
“I’m almost finished with this. I’m sorry, I tried to get it done before you got here,” he tells me as he points in the paint booth.
“It’s fine. I can sit here.” I lift my hip and settle on the stool. I’m in a perfect position to see in the booth and be able to watch him work.
He leans in and kisses me again on the forehead before muttering, “I’ll be quick.”
He walks through the door, and I watch as he works. He puts a mask on and lifts the spray gun. It’s like watching an artist as he moves the gun in his hands in strokes up and down. The skulls and flames come to life before my very eyes, and I’m amazed by his talent. The bike looks amazing, but what I really am fascinated by is the way the sinewy muscles of his arms flex as he works. The way he moves around and bends down, his tight butt looking amazing in his jeans. It’s like every dream I had of him last night is coming to life. I know my mouth is hanging wide open, and I only slam it shut when Ranger comes and sits down next to me.
“He does amazing work. People come from all across the world to have him work on their rides.”
I clear my throat. “He… uh, I mean it looks amazing.”
Ranger starts to laugh, and I can’t help it, I laugh too. I was caught, and there’s no sense denying it.
Ice
I try not to rush through the paint job knowing how much I’m charging for it, but with Addison watching me through the window, I can’t help but want to get done quick. I keep glancing at her, and she’s watching me closely, causing my hands to tremble as I hold the spray gun in my hands. I do what I can and finish, knowing I’m going to have to come back to it and touch it up later.
I clean up the gun and brushes and turn to look through the window again, a big smile on my face that instantly drops. She’s still sitting there, all prim and proper on the stool, but her eyes are no longer on me. She’s laughing, her face red as if she’s blushing as she talks to Ranger. Fuck. That.
I open the paint booth door with more force than necessary and stalk out to them.
“Did you not get the message?” I ask Ranger.
He looks clueless, but there’s a smirk on his face, telling me he knows exactly what the fuck I’m talking about. “What message?”
I tilt my head at Addison. “She’s off limits.”
Addison sucks in a breath just as Ranger turns to her. “Did he ask you to be his ol’ lady?” he asks her.
She scrunches up her nose, no doubt hating the sound of that. Nobody wants to be an ol’ lady until they understand the meaning of it. She shakes her head side to side, not even daring to look at me.
Ranger keeps looking at her, and it takes everything I have not to rip his eyeballs out. The only thing stopping me is the fact that he is like a brother to me, and I know I need to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Eyes off her, Ranger. I’m not fucking around.”
Ranger looks at me, the smirk still there. “Sounds to me if you haven’t claimed her, she’s fair game.”
“Now wait,” Addison starts, but I butt in.
I pull Ranger from his seated position on the stool. I’m pissed. “Back off, Ranger.” We’re toe to toe, and all it will take is one word from him about liking Addison and I’ll throttle him.
But then he does something I would never expect. He laughs. “I know she’s yours. I just wanted you to realize that you need to lock this shit down, Ice. Don’t fuck it up.”
He grabs on to my hands and pulls them from his shirt. He nods at Addison and walks away.
I start to pace back and forth, trying to calm myself before I say anything to Addison.