Page 27 of Four Tattoos

“Did you make it home okay?”

“We live on a small island,” I tease in my reply. “What do you think will happen to me between your shop and my house?”

“Just checking. There are a lot of bad people out there.”

“There are more good people than bad,” I type, something I strongly believe, though I understand how people can forget to see things this way.

“Maybe so,” Mace responds. “Have a good night, Rose.”

“You too. Goodnight.”

When I’m about to climb into bed, I get another alert. It’s Christian this time. “Want to go to dinner with me on your next night off?” he asks.

“Just you?”

“Just me.”

“Sure,” I reply, wondering why the men are inviting me out separately when I had so much fun with them together. But I’m not going to question it. It’s all good, honestly.

It was nice getting to know Mace better tonight, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to talk with him as much if the other men were around.

* * *

The next day, I’m anticipating their coffee order, but it doesn’t come. Instead, Hutch sends a text, saying that they’re busy with clients now, and asking if I can stop by after work. He asks me to call him to let him know, and I have to smile at the generational difference. I almost never phone anyone.

Of course, maybe he doesn’t like texting because his fingers are so big, and now here I am thinking about the size of his hands and what those hands can do to me.

When I’m able to take a break, I step outside to make the call so I won’t be overheard. The line rings a few times, and just when I think it’s about to go to voicemail, Hutch’s voice comes on. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Hi, handsome.” I imagine him grinning, and the thought makes my silly smile grow wider.

“Sorry we didn’t put in a coffee order today. All of us were in the middle of big projects, and we couldn’t spare the time.”

“It’s okay,” I say, as I wonder if he has any idea how disappointing it is for me not to see them. I’m becoming as dependent on getting my daily fix of handsome tattoo artists as most of our customers are on their morning jolt of caffeine.

“Can you stop by when you get off work?”

I lean against the side of the building, wishing I could hang up my apron right now and head straight to Brothers in Ink just to sit there and watch them work. “I can, but I have a shift at Club Red tonight,” I tell him. “I need to eat dinner between the two jobs.”

“Perfect. You can come to our house for dinner.”

“Oh … I don’t want you going to the trouble of cooking for me again.”

“It’s no trouble. We all have to eat. If we run short on time, we’ll grab carryout on our way home.”

We discuss timing, and then he tells me he’ll see me soon, his voice going all low and sexy, making my tummy ache with need. I’m hungry already, and it’s not for food.

20

ZIPPER

I’m looking forward to Rose coming over, even though I know I shouldn’t. The others are starting to get too involved, and there’s no way this is going to end well. Rose is getting involved, too, and that young woman has no business wasting her time with us.

But fuck if it didn’t feel good being with her.

And it felt right sharing her with the others, even though I know that path is paved with danger.

Almost everything inside me is telling me to duck out of this arrangement, or whatever you want to call what’s going on, but my dick won’t let me step away. It’s been too long since I’ve been with a woman who stirred things inside me the way she does.

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