turns going on tour. Both very strict. Very disciplined. Very focused on duty.”
“Sounds tough for a kid.” I give his arm a sympathetic stroke.
“Kids adapt. And when I turned eighteen, I did what was expected. Followed the family tradition. Enlisted as soon as I could.”
“But you’re not in the service anymore?”
His muscles tighten under my palm. “What about your parents?”
Puzzled by his reluctance to answer but not willing to pry, I shrug. “Mom is a florist. Very uptight. She came from a wealthy family, but she fell in love with my dad and her parents weren’t happy about it so we never see them. Dad’s a cab driver. Pretty laid-back except when it comes to me. Then he’s overprotective to a fault. Small house in the suburbs. Never moved. Pretty normal until a few weeks ago when Mom lost her job, and then Tag and I found out they’d been living from paycheck to paycheck. We’re helping them out with the mortgage so they don’t lose the house, which is why I work the long hours and take on any client I can get.”
“Nothing normal about you, Sia.” He rubs his knuckles over my cheek and I melt beneath his touch. “More questions,” he says, his voice gruff.
“Biggest vice?”
“You.”
A hot wave sweeps into my belly, but I can’t believe he’s being serious. Me? After he told me the other night was a mistake?
I turn on the tattoo machine to finish the line work, and the fresh scent of ink mixed with musky male makes me shiver. “I meant it as a serious question. My vice is potato chips. Put a bag in front of me, and it will be gone in five minutes. I can’t keep them in my house. The minute I see a bag of chips within reach, I lose all control. That’s what I mean by a vice.”
“Definitely you then.”
His words do strange melty things to my stomach, and my voice flattens as I roll my artist’s chair closer to his soft, black leather seat. “I’m nobody’s vice. Arm on my lap, please. I’ve finished the outline and I just need to sterilize and bandage.”
Ray drops his arm to my lap, but this time his fist doesn’t clench on my hip. Instead, his fingers stroke my thigh, sending zings of sensation straight to my clit. The temperature rises and the air between us sparks, like the calm before a storm. But I’m not letting it get to me. Maybe it’s just a casual brush of his hand as he settles it in my lap. Or a nervous twitch.
The bandaging takes forever, especially since my concentration is focused on the soft stroke of his fingers on my thigh. Good thing women are good at multitasking. Finally, I’m done. I give the bandage a last check and force a smile. “Okay. All finished.”
Ray doesn’t move.
“Usually when I say ‘all finished,’ my clients leap up from the chair, determined to rush home and rip off the bandage to see what’s underneath.”
Ray raises his hand from my lap and cups my jaw, brushing his thumb over my cheek as he tilts my head up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
My cheeks flame and I try to pull away. “Nothing. I’m done. That’s all. You can go. I have to clean up and lock up the shop.”
He tightens his grip. “Is this about what happened in the alley?”
“There’s nothing to say about what happened in the alley. Adrenaline was running high. We had a moment. It was what it was, and that’s all that it was.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“Sure I do.” My heart pounds as the lie slides off my tongue, and I pray he’ll just go and leave me to wallow in my misery. He is everything I have been running from. The ultimate temptation. The ultimate danger.
His jaw tightens and his body stills, like a predator about to spring. Then he leans so close I can feel his breath on my cheek.
“Tell me again that’s all that it was. Tell me I shoulda stayed away.”
I open my mouth to say just that, but before I get the words out, he leans down and kisses me. Shock, then heat, run through me, straight to the
“Sounds tough for a kid.” I give his arm a sympathetic stroke.
“Kids adapt. And when I turned eighteen, I did what was expected. Followed the family tradition. Enlisted as soon as I could.”
“But you’re not in the service anymore?”
His muscles tighten under my palm. “What about your parents?”
Puzzled by his reluctance to answer but not willing to pry, I shrug. “Mom is a florist. Very uptight. She came from a wealthy family, but she fell in love with my dad and her parents weren’t happy about it so we never see them. Dad’s a cab driver. Pretty laid-back except when it comes to me. Then he’s overprotective to a fault. Small house in the suburbs. Never moved. Pretty normal until a few weeks ago when Mom lost her job, and then Tag and I found out they’d been living from paycheck to paycheck. We’re helping them out with the mortgage so they don’t lose the house, which is why I work the long hours and take on any client I can get.”
“Nothing normal about you, Sia.” He rubs his knuckles over my cheek and I melt beneath his touch. “More questions,” he says, his voice gruff.
“Biggest vice?”
“You.”
A hot wave sweeps into my belly, but I can’t believe he’s being serious. Me? After he told me the other night was a mistake?
I turn on the tattoo machine to finish the line work, and the fresh scent of ink mixed with musky male makes me shiver. “I meant it as a serious question. My vice is potato chips. Put a bag in front of me, and it will be gone in five minutes. I can’t keep them in my house. The minute I see a bag of chips within reach, I lose all control. That’s what I mean by a vice.”
“Definitely you then.”
His words do strange melty things to my stomach, and my voice flattens as I roll my artist’s chair closer to his soft, black leather seat. “I’m nobody’s vice. Arm on my lap, please. I’ve finished the outline and I just need to sterilize and bandage.”
Ray drops his arm to my lap, but this time his fist doesn’t clench on my hip. Instead, his fingers stroke my thigh, sending zings of sensation straight to my clit. The temperature rises and the air between us sparks, like the calm before a storm. But I’m not letting it get to me. Maybe it’s just a casual brush of his hand as he settles it in my lap. Or a nervous twitch.
The bandaging takes forever, especially since my concentration is focused on the soft stroke of his fingers on my thigh. Good thing women are good at multitasking. Finally, I’m done. I give the bandage a last check and force a smile. “Okay. All finished.”
Ray doesn’t move.
“Usually when I say ‘all finished,’ my clients leap up from the chair, determined to rush home and rip off the bandage to see what’s underneath.”
Ray raises his hand from my lap and cups my jaw, brushing his thumb over my cheek as he tilts my head up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
My cheeks flame and I try to pull away. “Nothing. I’m done. That’s all. You can go. I have to clean up and lock up the shop.”
He tightens his grip. “Is this about what happened in the alley?”
“There’s nothing to say about what happened in the alley. Adrenaline was running high. We had a moment. It was what it was, and that’s all that it was.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“Sure I do.” My heart pounds as the lie slides off my tongue, and I pray he’ll just go and leave me to wallow in my misery. He is everything I have been running from. The ultimate temptation. The ultimate danger.
His jaw tightens and his body stills, like a predator about to spring. Then he leans so close I can feel his breath on my cheek.
“Tell me again that’s all that it was. Tell me I shoulda stayed away.”
I open my mouth to say just that, but before I get the words out, he leans down and kisses me. Shock, then heat, run through me, straight to the
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