“Your date stood you up?” she jokes.
I laugh grimly. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”
“I’ll have to look at the piece once it’s done, assess her work.”
“She’s good,” I say firmly, thinking of the tattoos on her thighs, the design for the headstone. “I was supposed to send her examples of styles I wanted, but she got carried away. She’s extremely creative and passionate. She ended up sending me some, and I….”
I stop, realizing what I’m doing. I’m gushing about her like I’m smitten, which I am if such a word can be applied to the savage intentions growing deep inside of me.
“Woah,” Giorgia says. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the billionaire finally found his beauty.”
I roll my eyes at her ironic tone. We met through her brother, a tattooist and one of the craziest base jumpers I’ve ever known.
I say nothing, and Giorgia walks on. I want to tell her yes, damn right. I’ve found my beauty, my one and only.
I never want to have to hide what I feel for my woman.
Lauren appears at the door a few minutes later, her bag over her shoulder. She’s wearing a black top, hugging the outline of her juicy breasts, her jeans emphasizing her wide hips.
Her wild hair is up in a messy bun, begging me to smooth the wayward strands into place.
“Hey,” she says softly.
“Hello.” I keep my voice steady, reminding myself anybody could walk by, to maintain this tame façade. “I hope the drive here was okay.”
I trail off with a smirk. “I’m trying to make small talk. Is this how people do it?”
“We could try,” she replies with a small smile of her own. “Yes, Silas, the drive here was fine. There was a little traffic, but nothing too bad.”
“It makes a change from talking about dating apps,” I say with a tight smile.
She looks at me sharply. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you didn’t want me to make an account.”
“Maybe I want you all for myself.”
She stares at me for a long moment, her face so gorgeous I almost kiss her.
Then somebody walks by the busy studio hallway, reminding me again.
Civilized.
She deserves more than sudden lust and then retreat.
“Do you want to meet Giorgia?” I ask, smoothing over the intimacy as best as I can, not that I want to.
“Sure,” Lauren says, unable to stop her twitching smile.
“Are you something of a superfan?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah. Maybe. Just a little. I love her work. I even bought her art books. I think she’s great. She’s the one who inspired me to tattoo myself since she did her constellations herself.”
“Come on, then.” I step forward, waving a hand. “Let me introduce you.”
She steps toward me, raising her hand and glancing quickly at the door. Then she presses her hand against my chest and looks up into my eyes.
I look back down at her, remembering the taste of her mouth, lips, and heat.
“Thank you for this,” Lauren says. “It’s really nice of you.”