My place wasn’t much, but it was a lot quieter than the clubhouse. Still I ended up sleeping at the club about half of the time. That’s where Jericho lived as a result of another one of his father’s commands, but he’d got the last laugh, and now his rooms were nicer than this trailer.
I rolled into Marked Man about three with an hour before the customer arrived. Anticipating Red’s reaction, I strolled in ready for whatever came. No doubt, I’d left her pissed last night and she’d still be fired up.
“Hey, Red.”
“Dare. You got two today, one at four and one at six, then you’re out.” She spoke to my boots, not a bit of fire anywhere in sight. Before I could say anything, she fled into the office.
My tiger had turned back into a pussycat, at least that’d make it easier to close the deal. The first customer I could’ve done in my sleep, but the second, that work I loved. I’d drawn the intricate Celtic knot with scrolling around it for a couple. Last week I’d done the husband, today was the wife.
Red’s tattoos were sexy as fuck. I’d wanted to lay her out on the table and fuck her from behind, staring down at her back. My cock hardened just thinking of the art that had been hidden by the waist of her jeans. How far did it go? Goddam, I’m not some kid with blue balls who chases after women. We fucked, or not, and I moved on. But I’d never felt, no...I’d never wanted a woman like I did her.
After my client left, I sent the boys home. Tonight, right now, she’d tell me what she wanted with those sweet lips of hers. But when I joined her up front, she had an edge of panic about her. I went over to change the station from Zayn’s alternative favorite to the heavy-hitting rock music I listened to. Ten, then twenty minutes passed, and she didn’t settle, so I gave up that idea.
She’d be happier once we’d cleared the air. “Are we going to do this?”
“What?” She jumped and whirled away from me.
I stared her down, letting her know the time to hide had run out. “Fuck? We going to fuck?” I needed to take our intense connection to the most intimate level.
Her body stilled and I could almost smell the sweet scent of her arousal. Her breathing sped up.
“This isn’t about work, so I’m asking straight up.” I leaned back against the counter, needing her to understand I wasn’t like the stupid dick she’d been with before.
“It’s not a good idea.” She almost whispered the words.
I barked out a laugh. “Of course it isn’t. Nothing fun ever is.”
I wanted to kiss her when she bit her lip, that sexy little tell drove me wild. I closed in and lifted her chin so I could see the expression hidden by her hair, another turn-on. I had endless fantasies when it came to Red.
“This is just physical,” I warned her. “I don’t do relationships. And nothing changes here.”
“Right.” She snorted. “I just left a hot mess that started with sexy words like these. Not two weeks free of him and you want me to repeat one of my worst mistakes?”
“Don’t piss me off by comparing me to that douche or any other man from your past.” I tried to stay calm but even I heard the pissed-off edge in my voice. “We got some powerful needs brewing between us and I want to see where that goes. I know you do too.” I caressed her bottom lip and she shuddered.
Her nipples poked out, already on board for some fun. She had to feel it same as me, and fear was never a reason to say no. She stepped away from me, closing her eyes. When she opened them, her face was set with determination. “I’m not ready to fall into anyone’s bed, no matter how much I might want to taste you.”
Her honesty stole my breath a moment, but I growled, determined she’d see it my way. “This is about the job, isn’t it?”
She didn’t say anything.
“Answer me.”
“Yeah, fine. I like the job, the place, the town, and I don’t wanna relocate again.” She threw the words like a punch in the face.
It stung, but finally, I saw some of the spirit from last night.
“We fuck, we don’t, you fuck someone else, you don’t—none of that impacts the job. You do your job, and what you do besides that is personal.” I ran fingers through my hair, she wasn’t getting this. “If we quit working with any girl we went to bed with—”
“Don’t finish that thought if you value your balls,” she spat at me.
I threw my head back and laughed because she did care after all.
“Fear of repeating mistakes is part of it, but you know, mostly I’m just starting over, trying not to make the same mistakes I always make, like jumping into bed with the first guy who smiles my way.” She stalked past me and down the hall.