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He set her back on the floor. “Like it? Jesus. I knew you were talented, but this is next level.”
Viper wandered over. “I’m guessing from all the noise over here that your boy likes the work.”
Jeff glanced at Viper. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Viper leaned in close to Jeff’s chest and a little zip of nerves danced up her back. She knew the tattoo was good, but whenever another artist looked at her work, she always held her breath. No matter how good the tattoo was, nothing was ever perfect, and another artist would see all those imperfections.
After several seconds, Viper wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “You’re gonna have to raise your rates.”
She threw her head back and laughed. Her eyes landed on Jeff, and he grinned back at her. As she looked at her tattoo on his chest, a little jolt of something strange zipped through her. It almost felt like possession. Like she’d branded him in some way. Claimed him. She shook her head. That’s not what her tattoo was. Hell, she was giving his friends the same one. It didn’t mean anything.
She looked back at him, their eyes connected in the mirror. His nostrils flared as he held her stare.
Except it meant something. She just wasn’t sure what yet.
Chapter Fourteen
Laterthatweek,Kiaabsently flicked through the TV channels for something to watch. This shouldn’t be so hard. Just because Max wasn’t here didn’t mean she couldn’t still do something she wanted. She flicked on a home improvement show, then sighed. God, she was pathetic.
She picked up her sketch pad and flipped it to a new page. Slowly, she began sketching the outline of a random design. She had no idea what it was going to become. It wasn’t about drawing a tattoo or any particular design. Tonight, she just needed to clear her head. After several minutes of drawing, she was no closer to feeling relaxed. Apparently, clearing her head was the last thing she was going to be doing. Even with the drawing only partially started, it was clear to anyone looking that she was drawing Jeff. So much for not thinking about him. He had occupied far too many of her thoughts lately. Between how often Max talked about him, to how often she thought about him on her own, it seemed like Jeff had set up camp in her brain. How many sleepless nights had she spent lying in bed thinking of the damn man? Yes, she could pretend she was thinking about him because of Max, but her vibrator would tell a different story.
Her doorbell rang. Tossing the sketch pad on the coffee table, she headed to the front door. She peeked through the peephole and sucked in a breath when she saw the man in question standing on her front doorstep with a box of pizza in his hands.
Placing her hand on the doorframe to steady her breath, she closed her eyes and exhaled. She was a strong, confident woman. She could be cool around the man. She pulled the door open, and Jeff flashed her a boyish smile that shot directly to her clit. And cool went right out the window. What the hell? How could a simple smile make her feel like she’d just watched porn? What was wrong with her? It hadn’t been that long since she’d had sex. Sure, the sex with Austin was average, but it had still been sex. But standing here looking at Jeff, the muscle in his biceps flexing slightly from holding the pizza at an angle, all she wanted to do was lick the curve of his muscle. Ridiculous.
“Hey,” he said, holding out the pizza box like an offering. “I come bearing gifts.”
“I see that.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the empty house. “Except Max isn’t here. He’s having a sleepover with his cousin tonight at Vika’s.”
Jeff’s shoulder slumped. “Seriously? That sucks.” He glanced at the pizza in his hand. “I probably should have called first.”
“Probably.” She chewed on her bottom lip. The polite thing to do would be to invite him in. Except in this moment she was feeling like a cat in heat and would probably rub herself all over him and send him screaming into the night.
Jeff raised his head and flashed that panty melting smile of his at her again, and her nipples instantly tightened. What the actual fuck was going on with her body?
“You eaten?” he asked. “Just cuz Max isn’t here doesn’t mean we can’t eat.”
“Um…uh.”
“What? You already ate?”
“Uh, no, no, not yet.”
“Awesome, then let’s eat.” He stepped toward her, and she jumped back. He eyed her with a smirk and took another step toward her. “Unless you’re worried you won’t be able to keep your hands off me if we’re alone together.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Dream on, hotshot.”
“Oh believe me, I do, every night.”
Holy crap. She sucked back a breath. Then cleared her throat. “Come on in,” she said and swung her arm wide to gesture he come inside.
Jeff kicked off his shoes at the front door, then walked toward the kitchen. She shook her head. Apparently, he planned on staying awhile. “Make yourself at home,” she called after his retreating form.
“I plan to,” he called back. “Beer or wine with the pizza?”
“It’s pizza, what do you think?” she replied as she walked into the kitchen and rested her hip against the counter. She watched him move around her kitchen with practiced ease. He set two bottles of beer on the counter.
Kia’s pulse quickened. How could it feel so right to have him in her kitchen? When Max was home, it made sense. Father and son were bonding. They needed to spend time together to forge a connection, and the comfortable way they moved together had made her happy. That was exactly what she wanted for her son. But Max wasn’t here. So why did it feel so right to have him in her kitchen when it was just the two of them?
