Page 9 of Inked By the Mountain Man

"I can count."

"He owns Temptation Ink."

"Also aware."

"You got tattooed by him?"

Yes."

"Where?"

I smile sweetly. "None of your business."

Lex's face goes blank. "Liv."

"Don't use brother voice."

"Where?"

"Somewhere you'll never see."

His face goes pale.

Lyra howls with laughter. "She's messing with you."

"Am I?"

"Liv!" Lex yells as I escape into the barrel room.

My phone buzzes. I look at the screen and the message from Keanu.

Keanu: Tattoo okay?

I grin—he's still thinking about me.

Me: You'll have to inspect it tomorrow.

Three dots appear, then disappear, then return, then disappear, before finally a message pops up.

Keanu: You're trouble.

Me: Took you long enough.

six

Liv

By Day Three, I have learned three things about Keanu Reed. One: he drinks his coffee black. Two: he pretends not to like sweet things, but he ate half my cinnamon roll when he thought I wasn't looking. Three: when Keanu looks at me like he is right now, I forget how language works.

We're standing behind the winery. He came for coffee. Somehow, coffee became lunch. Lunch became a tour I gave him. And the tour has brought us into the barrel room.

"This is where you nap?" he asks.

"I did not tell you that."

"Lyra did."

"She's dead to me."