Surrender of a Tattooist: Obsessive Dark Romance Alpha Bad Boy (Tattooist Series Book 2) by Lexy Timms Page B
Authors: Lexy Timms
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find a single open space.
She parked several blocks over and headed for the shop. Maybe Cliff was done doing whatever he had been doing and he could hang out with her for a minute while she told him the good news.
Pixie entered the shop just as Cara walked out of the room she’d been working in, ushering a freshly- tattooed man ahead of her.
Pixie stared. She knew Cara by reputation, of course. She stood by the desk, waiting until the guy went to the benches. She approached slowly and asked, “Is Cliff busy?”
Cara flashed a big smile. “Yes, he had a small tat and a larger one. Hawk’s busy too, but I’m open.”
Pixie blinked. “You’re working here? Of course you are; you just did a tat. I’m Pixie.”
“Oh, Cliff’s girlfriend.”
Cara’s words startled her slightly. “Yes.”
“I wanted to let you know there’s no…I mean Cliff and I ended a long time ago. It was my fault, totally my fault…”
Pixie gawked at Cara. Her mind tried to sort through the words that Cara had just said. Cara and Cliff? They’d been together? She frowned, “I’m sorry?”
“I mean I’m not going to go after him or anything.” Cara shook her head. “I just want you to know that. Hawk told me you guys were dating. Said it was all real sweet.” She smiled, but it looked pasted on to Pixie.
Bitch, please. The only time a woman tells another woman she doesn’t want her man is when she wants her man. The thought ricocheted around her brain. Jealousy was not new to Pixie and neither was insecurity. She knew it for what it was when it surfaced, but she couldn’t tamp it down.
His ex was working there and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her?
Just then Cliff came out of the room with his customers. He saw Pixie and smiled, but she saw past his smile. She saw the way his eyes darted to Cara and the concern written large on his face.
The sonofabitch!
She didn’t trust herself to speak so she kept her lips buttoned together tightly.
Cliff muttered, Excuse me,” to Cara, rang up his customers and ran their cards then said, “Hey, Pix, why don’t you come in?”
Like she was a customer! The irritation that had overcome her in the traffic swelled, mingling with the jealousy and the old wounds of insecurity and heartache. She just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Cliff took her hand as she passed the counter. Pixie could feel Cara’s eyes on them and she wanted to turn around and scratch the damn woman’s eyes right out of her skull. Maybe rip that blond hair of hers out by its dark roots while she was at it.
Cliff closed the door and spoke immediately, “Hawk didn’t tell me he was hiring her. It was a shock to me too.” His voice was pitched low so it wouldn’t carry.
She opened her mouth, considered her words carefully, and then spoke in an equally low tone. “You didn’t tell me you dated her. She did, right before she hastened to assure me she doesn’t want you.”
Cliff looked decidedly nervous. “Why do I get the feeling that I just stepped into something smelly?”
“Because…” Pixie wrung her hands and then snarled, “Women only say that so you don’t think they want your guy. Then they go after him.”
He stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t know about that, but I do know I don’t want her. I have the woman I want. Hawk said if she starts anything, she’s out. You know he cares about you, and so do I. If this hurts you, if she hurts you, she’s gone.”
She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that he really wanted her and not the stunning and successful woman out there. The one he had history with. “What happened between the two of you?”
Cliff heaved a sigh. “Fuck if I know. She just bailed. No explanations, not even a note. I won’t lie and say it didn’t hurt, but that was five years ago and I’m way over it, and her.”
“Are you sure?” Her body collided with his. She could feel the steady beat of his heart against
She parked several blocks over and headed for the shop. Maybe Cliff was done doing whatever he had been doing and he could hang out with her for a minute while she told him the good news.
Pixie entered the shop just as Cara walked out of the room she’d been working in, ushering a freshly- tattooed man ahead of her.
Pixie stared. She knew Cara by reputation, of course. She stood by the desk, waiting until the guy went to the benches. She approached slowly and asked, “Is Cliff busy?”
Cara flashed a big smile. “Yes, he had a small tat and a larger one. Hawk’s busy too, but I’m open.”
Pixie blinked. “You’re working here? Of course you are; you just did a tat. I’m Pixie.”
“Oh, Cliff’s girlfriend.”
Cara’s words startled her slightly. “Yes.”
“I wanted to let you know there’s no…I mean Cliff and I ended a long time ago. It was my fault, totally my fault…”
Pixie gawked at Cara. Her mind tried to sort through the words that Cara had just said. Cara and Cliff? They’d been together? She frowned, “I’m sorry?”
“I mean I’m not going to go after him or anything.” Cara shook her head. “I just want you to know that. Hawk told me you guys were dating. Said it was all real sweet.” She smiled, but it looked pasted on to Pixie.
Bitch, please. The only time a woman tells another woman she doesn’t want her man is when she wants her man. The thought ricocheted around her brain. Jealousy was not new to Pixie and neither was insecurity. She knew it for what it was when it surfaced, but she couldn’t tamp it down.
His ex was working there and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her?
Just then Cliff came out of the room with his customers. He saw Pixie and smiled, but she saw past his smile. She saw the way his eyes darted to Cara and the concern written large on his face.
The sonofabitch!
She didn’t trust herself to speak so she kept her lips buttoned together tightly.
Cliff muttered, Excuse me,” to Cara, rang up his customers and ran their cards then said, “Hey, Pix, why don’t you come in?”
Like she was a customer! The irritation that had overcome her in the traffic swelled, mingling with the jealousy and the old wounds of insecurity and heartache. She just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Cliff took her hand as she passed the counter. Pixie could feel Cara’s eyes on them and she wanted to turn around and scratch the damn woman’s eyes right out of her skull. Maybe rip that blond hair of hers out by its dark roots while she was at it.
Cliff closed the door and spoke immediately, “Hawk didn’t tell me he was hiring her. It was a shock to me too.” His voice was pitched low so it wouldn’t carry.
She opened her mouth, considered her words carefully, and then spoke in an equally low tone. “You didn’t tell me you dated her. She did, right before she hastened to assure me she doesn’t want you.”
Cliff looked decidedly nervous. “Why do I get the feeling that I just stepped into something smelly?”
“Because…” Pixie wrung her hands and then snarled, “Women only say that so you don’t think they want your guy. Then they go after him.”
He stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t know about that, but I do know I don’t want her. I have the woman I want. Hawk said if she starts anything, she’s out. You know he cares about you, and so do I. If this hurts you, if she hurts you, she’s gone.”
She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that he really wanted her and not the stunning and successful woman out there. The one he had history with. “What happened between the two of you?”
Cliff heaved a sigh. “Fuck if I know. She just bailed. No explanations, not even a note. I won’t lie and say it didn’t hurt, but that was five years ago and I’m way over it, and her.”
“Are you sure?” Her body collided with his. She could feel the steady beat of his heart against
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