At that point, it sunk in—fully—with Kory that Stone had some secret. He’d been alluding to it just moments earlier and had somehow managed to gloss over it without her giving it another thought. Well…she decided to let it go. She too had her secrets and maybe, if and when they got to know each other better, they’d one day feel safer and less vulnerable, more willing to share with one another.
Until then, she was digging the part of himself he was willing to share. When she swallowed her next bite of pizza, she said, “I think I already told you that I’ve been working up toward getting a tattoo, but you know…that fear of needles I have.” He started laughing then, and Kory frowned because he wasn’t taking her seriously. “I want to know what’s so goddamned funny about that.”
“You keep saying you’re afraid of my tattoo gun, but I can shove a huge needle through your eyebrow and you act like it’s nothing.” She made a face at him, but he said, “You know it’s true.” She sighed and picked up her tea, taking a sip. “Look. Let’s make a deal. Would you trust me?”
“Depends.”
“What if I give you a tiny tattoo? In a place that usually doesn’t hurt.”
“Like where?”
He grinned. “I’ve had a lot of women tell me it hardly hurts on their tits.” She couldn’t help but laugh and then she flipped him off. “Yeah, I figured. It hurts more against your bone—like on your ankle or ribs or the top of your foot. You could try something on your lower belly or the middle of your back—you know, where you have more flesh and less bone. Even your upper arm is a pretty decent spot.” She stayed quiet, focusing on her pizza. What the hell was wrong with her? All she’d gone through in her life, and the idea of getting a tattoo from Stone was scaring the shit out of her. “Would you trust me?”
She looked up and into his dark eyes, feeling like she was drowning in them. She felt peace there, though, and if that meant she was under water, then so be it. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do.”
He winked. “Then you have another date.”
Chapter Six
THE DATE—IF that’s what she could truly call it—both exceeded Kory’s expectations and underwhelmed her. She was happy not that she’d maybe found a connection with Stone, but she liked that they’d had an easy time talking and it felt like they could get along—when he wasn’t being a jerk. But she hadn’t felt like they’d made a deeper connection, which was what she’d wanted.
Then, she supposed, beggars couldn’t be choosers. She should just be happy that they got along…right?
They stood outside the restaurant in the warm summer air, and Kory was surprised a mosquito or two hadn’t attacked her. Maybe it was because there were two people out there smoking cigarettes—a little too close to the entrance, but she wasn’t playing policeman. She was listening to Stone.
“So we’ve got a pretty busy week next week, but I can call you tomorrow and let you know what I have open, and you can compare that to your schedule and let me know.”
“Okay.”
“Well…this was cool.” He grinned, almost a little cocky. “Did it fulfill your expectations?”
She tilted her head. “Honestly?”
His smile faded. “Yeah. I don’t need you to lie to me.”
“It was nice, but…” He raised his eyebrows. She found her balls and just blurted it out. “I wouldn’t mind a ride home and a good night kiss.” Fuck, yeah. She’d said it. Still a bad ass.
His smile returned as he let out a slight breathy chuckle. “Look, Kory, you’re a sweet kid. But that’s the problem. You’re a kid.”
That pissed her off. Oh, he did not want to see her go there. “Kid? Are you fucking with me?”
Smile gone. Good. She needed him serious. “Just how old are you anyway?”
That pissed her off again too, because she would have guessed that, by fifteen, she’d been through more than most thirty year olds, but that was beside the point. He was dismissing her because of a number, and it angered her. “Twenty. Why? How old are you? You feel like an old man next to me?”
He started laughing. “Okay, okay. I’m twenty-eight.”
“See? Not that old.”
“Lots older than you.”
“No, not lots older. Older, sure, but I’m not an immature fucking little kid.” She took a deep breath. She was not winning her case by arguing with him. She took another breath and made sure her voice was steady and calm. “Know what? Never mind. I thought you were better than that.” She turned on her heel and started walking down the street away from him.