“Are you kidding? I was in shock.”
“Yeah, he’s, er ... he’s a little intense. Must be an Australian thing.”
“Oh, that’s what that was?” I raise my brows. “Great way to deflate my ego, dude.”
“Sorry, but if you want to keep your sanity about you, maybe run in the other direction from Mace. He’s a great tattoo artist, but he’s kind of a dick to women.”
“Also noted.”
“So, when are you coming back to see me for that tat?”
“That depends on whether I’m going to get in trouble with your girlfriend.” I cast my eyes to the hall again, silently praying she’s not still lurking nearby, but it appears to be stalker free.
“Don’t worry about Annie.”
“He says after pulling the pin from the crazy girlfriend grenade,” I murmur. Gabe’s laughter quickly turns into a sigh. I shake my head. “She’s one of my good friends, you know?”
“Yeah, I kinda figured since she brought you here.”
“I just mean—and this might sound presumptuous but—I’m not looking to hurt her.”
He levels those sage eyes on me. “Why would me tattooing you hurt her?”
Heat claws at my face.Way to sound like a total douche canoe, Lo. “I don’t know. I just ... I felt a ... vibe, and I just want to make sure we’re both on the same page.”
He laughs, but it’s devoid of humor. “I’m not even sure we’re reading the same book, Freckles.”
“You might wanna drop that nickname if you don’t want to piss off your girlfriend.”
“Nah, I like her all riled up, so I think it’s gonna stay a while.” He winks.
I roll my eyes and throw out a tinkling wave. “I gotta go.”
“Okay. I’ll see you next week?”
I shrug. “Next week.”
“See ya ’round, Freckles.” The smile that spreads across his face is slow and devastating, and all of a sudden, I’m worried Annie isn’t the only one about to be hurt.
CHAPTER THREE
Gabe
Christ. I make a fist and bite my knuckles as Lo climbs on my table, half naked with her denim shorts folded on the chair across the room and a sterile paper sheet covering her pussy from view.
She laughs. “I thought you were a professional?”
“Oh, I get excited about all kinds of naked flesh—men, women, swine.”
“You do realize how wrong that sounds, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I know.” I grimace and assemble my ink into little pots, laughing at how easy she is to talk to. She’s easy on the eyes too.Maybe a little too easy. I’m struggling to keep my dick from busting out of my jeans as she lays half naked on my table.Okay, cockhead, breathe. You have a girlfriend. And Freckles is ... she’s off limits. “My mouth frequently gets me into trouble.”
“Why am I not surprised by this?”
I just smile and crack my neck, roll my shoulders and flex the muscles in my hands by opening and closing my fists. “Alright, smartass. You ready?”
She takes a deep breath and nods, cinching her eyes tightly closed. “I’m ready.”