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Garrett chuckled and held his hands up.
“He speaks the truth.” Harley held her hand out to Vinny. “We haven’t officially met, though I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about you. I’m Harley.”
Vinny took her hand and placed his other on top of it. “It is a pleasure, my dear.” His gaze darted to Garrett. “She’s beautiful. You’re a lucky man.”
Harley laughed, and a red tinge blossomed on her cheeks.
“No, no,” Garrett blurted. “She’s my new hire. An accomplished tattoo artist, so if you finally want to get that lobster roll tattooed on your forearm, Harley is your girl.”
Vinny shushed Garrett with a swat of his hand. “Nonsense. I don’t need to mark my body.”
“Do you not like tattoos?” Harley asked, an innocent glint in her dark eyes.
Garrett laughed, knowing Vinny’s stance, but also fully aware that Vinny wouldn’t be disrespectful in front of a woman who was sporting many tatts.
“For me? No, no. It’d be like a painter using a crumpled canvas.”
Garrett shook his head, a smirk on his face. “Nice save, old man.”
“That’s the beauty of tattooing,” Harley said. “You can turn any canvas into beautiful art.”
“A saleswoman,” Vinny declared.
“Have I sold you?” Harley asked. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. It was quick, and if he blinked, he would have missed it. It was a glimpse into a hidden part of her he wanted to unlock.
“No.”
Garrett didn’t even bother to stifle his laugh. The old man would never budge, but that didn’t mean he’d stop trying.
“Hey,” Enzo, Vinny’s oldest grandson, said. He tossed a rag over his shoulder. “You looking to eat?”
“Just here for the booze tonight.”
“One of those kind of days, huh?” Enzo asked.
“You could say that.” He placed his hand on Harley’s shoulder, instantly regretting the innocent gesture as heat flared through his hand and down to his dick. “This is Harley. She recently joined Tattoo by the Sea.”
Enzo reached his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Harley.
Harley shook his hand and smiled. “Ditto.” She glanced around the restaurant, then focused her attention on Enzo and Vinny. “This is a great place you have here. It’s very inviting and warm.”
It’s as if Harley knew exactly how to make Vinny instantly love her, and for some reason, relief filled him. It’s not like Garrett was bringing a woman home to meet the family, but in a strange way, it felt like he was.
“Thank you.” Vinny motioned behind the bar. “Grab me some glasses. Limoncello for everyone!”
With a smirk, Enzo grabbed the glasses and stacked them out on the bar. Vinny grabbed the bottle of limoncello and filled four shots.
“Ladies first,” Vinny said and handed Harley her glass. Garrett snagged his while Enzo and Vinny took theirs. “Salud!” Vinny declared. They all repeated before bringing the glasses to their mouths.
“Holy shit, that’s good,” Harley announced before placing her glass on the bar.
Garrett’s eyes darted to Vinny and waited, but when he said nothing, Garrett gasped. “Seriously. You’re not going to give her hell for saying shit?”
“She’s a guest. And watch your mouth.”
“I can’t win,” Garrett said.
Enzo laughed. “Took you long enough to figure that out.”
