AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I should’ve worn looser jeans.” Her voice startles me. “Will it be okay with that much pressure on it?”
“It’s wrapped up well, so it should be okay.”
“How much do I owe you?” She grabs her purse from the wall. She drapes her coat over her arm as I tell her the price, and she hands me her card.
“Walk with me to the front. The machine’s there.”
“Cool.” She follows and pivots to the other side of the desk. My palms are so sweaty I can barely get the damn thing to work. I just keep thinking about what it would be like to press my lips against hers as I run my hands over every inch of her soft, luscious curves.
“Can I tip on the card?”
Her words wake me. “Yeah.” The out-of-date machine slogs its way through the process, creating a perfect lull for the conversation I usually have during my sessions. “Are you from here?”
“Yeah.” She lays her coat on the counter. “Well, I lived in Pike’s Landing through high school. I went away to school, and now I’m back.”
“What brings you home?” Her breath catches. It’s slight, but all of my attention is on her. “Does it have anything to do with the person attached to the name we just covered up?”
“As a matter of fact, it does.” The machine beeps, and the payment goes through. I rip the paper free and hand Sienna a pen. “Well, at least you don’t have to think about him anymore. It’s like it never happened.”
“If only.” She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, gazing down at the paper. “At the risk of sounding stupid, how much do you normally tip a tattoo artist?”
If the universe wanted to give me an opportunity to ask this sexpot out, this would definitely be it. Even though I’m still in the throes of getting past my ex-girlfriend’s actions, I know I can’t brood forever. Time, like life, moves on. No risk, no reward.
“You could go out with me sometime.” She raises her head, giving me her full attention, then opens her mouth to speak.
ChapterFour
Sienna
Here we are again.Of course, I want to go on a date with Holt; look at him! But the last thing I need is to make another stupid decision I’ll have to cover up. I just don’t trust myself or my judgment right now.
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” The light fades from his cocoa-colored eyes.
“You’re with someone.”
“It’s not that.”
“It’s okay.” He cuts me off, raising one hand in the air between us. “It’s none of my business.” His smile tells me there are no hard feelings between us, but damn if I don’t almost cave in. I know I’d end up wrapped up in his sheets, begging him to fuck me so hard I see sideways. Patterns like that don’t just up and die. I have to be smart. I nearly lost everything by giving all of myself to Blaze so quickly.
“I’ll see you around, though.” I add twenty percent to the bill and hand the paper back to Holt. Our fingers brush, and a tingle rushes up my arm. Even with him between my legs for the last few hours, I didn’t feel anything like that—physicalchemistry.
“Sure. I’m around all the time.” He rests his arms on the counter. His muscles basically rip through his shirt. I must be one hell of a stupid idiot for not saying yes, but my gut is telling me that I need some time for myself.
“Stop in anytime, Sienna.” The way he’s looking at me makes my body ache in all the right places.
“Will do, Holt.” I press my lips into a thin line to stop from grinning like a goon and head out the front door, causing the bells to chime. I breathe deeply, then let out a long exhale of January air.
New Year. New me.
I hoist my purse higher on my shoulder and head toward the coffee shop down the street. Pike’s Landing, though home, will always feel a bit like a prison to me. I worked my ass off to get out of this town and do something bigger, but here I am: broke, single, andfuckingcold.
It takes a few steps to realize I completely forgot my coat. “Shit!” I slap my hands on my thighs, grateful I don’t hit too close to my fresh ink, and spin on my heel. Before I even have a chance to take a step forward, I see him.
Holt runs down the block. He’s quick for such a big guy. With my coat in his hand, he takes a few strides and makes it over to me. “You forgot this.” His breath hitches and I swear I can sense what it would taste like to kiss him.
“Thanks. I was just about to come back for it.” He holds out my coat, and again our fingers brush in passing. This time the tingles slide all the way down into my belly, causing my core to ache.
My body will not let me deny this man his date.
