Page 24 of Keeping Kaitlyn

“Great.” I look back at Tess, suddenly desperate to get out of here. “I guess that means we can?—”

“What about Kait?” Tess pipes up beside me, aiming her gaze at Went. “She’s been waiting all night for her turn.”

“No.” I start to shake my head, fast and tight while that endless wave of nausea rolls through me, threating to pull up the plastic cup of Jameson I’ve been nursing all night. “No, it’s okay. It’s late and I’m sure he’s had enough.”

“Bullshit,” Tess shuts down my protest with a single word, still looking at Went. “Unless there’s some reason you don’t want to?—”

“It’s fine.” Went aims another quick look in my direction. “I’ve got about another hour left in me before I go cross-eyed. I can manage something small.” He cocks his head, a smirk playing across his mouth. “Unless Nurse Ratchet’s changed her mind.”

“No…” Gaze stuck to his shoulder, I say it again, still shaking my head. “I just don’t want to put you out. I’m sure you’ve had a long day and?—”

“Do you want a tattoo or not?” he cuts me off, his tone heavy enough to pull Henley and Maeve’s gaze in his direction.

“Yes.” I nod for good measure, completely aware that now Henley and her sister are staring at me. “I want a tattoo.”

“Alright—now that that’s settled…” Went gives me a bland smile. “Just give me a few minutes to re-set my station and we can get started, okay?”

Trapped, I say the only thing Icansay.

“Okay.”

“See?” Tess gives me a quick smile. “It’s fine.”

Only it’snotfine.

None of this is fine—not any of it.

“I can always come back,” I say quietly, knowing damn well if I had my way, I’d never step foot in Went’s shop again.

Tess gives me an exasperated sigh. “Do you think he’s hot?”

“What?” Panicking again, I feel my lungs shrivel in an instant. “Who?”

“Who?” She barks it on a scoff. “The fucking Easter bunny.” Now she rolls her eyes at me. “Who do you think?”

Jesus Christ, thiscannotbe happening.

It justcan’t.

“I don’t?—”

“Look—it’s not a trick question.” Tess pushes her still full cup of Jameson into my shaky hand on a laugh. Hands free, she grips me by my shoulders and turns me toward the place where Went is cleaning up his workstation, forcing me to look at him. “Do you think that man is hot? Yes or no?”

Because my body has always had a mind of its own when it comes to the man in front of me, I feel the clench in my gut start to warm and loosen. Sink lower and start to pulse until the hard, relentless throb of it starts to scramble my brain and takes my breath for an entirely different reason. Because all I can think about is the night Went asked me to marry him. All I can seeis him, standing over me, watching while I fingerfuck myself on my father’s desk. The way his chest heaved, black gaze locked on the hand I had wedged between my thighs, every pump of his hand along the length of his stiff cock matched perfectly to every stroke of the fingers I had buried inside me.

Do I think Went is hot?

No.

I think Wentworth Fiorella is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.

“He’s alright.”

“Alright?” Tess laughs at me like she knows I’m full of shit. “Okay… if you say so.” When I don’t answer her, she sighs. “In case you missed it, I’m trying to play matchmaker here.”

You don’t have to marry him, Sunshine… not if you marry me first.

Shit.

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