pulled open the door. Pandora waited until it clanged shut before she blew out a breath.
Brian walking into the shop was not how she’d expected her day to go. It was easy to relegate him to a naughty dream when he wasn’t staring her in the face. The simple fact was that she wasn’t good enough for someone like him. Facing the truth of that was for the best.
Sucking in a deep breath, Pandora ignored the stench of garbage in favor of steadying her nerves. Settled, she grabbed the door handle and hefted it open. She stopped in the office to grab a Dr Pepper before facing her eight o’ clock.
Returning to the shop proper, she flashed Brian a smile she didn’t feel and sank into her rolling chair. He’d put his shirt back on, she noticed. Mary was cleaning up her client and paused to glance over at her, brows raised. She ignored her and Kellie in favor of getting her station prepped.
Warm fingers brushed her shoulders as Brian kneaded them. She didn’t want his touch to ease the knots in her muscles, but he found the spot that had been bugging her for days.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine.” She turned slightly to look up at him. “Sorry about that.”
One side of his mouth kicked up. “Don’t be. Thanks for that.”
Her cheeks were hot and her throat dry. “Yeah, she was a bitch. Want to pop up on the table and take your shirt off?”
“Getting me naked as quick as you can?” He winked and stepped back, giving her the space she needed and lying on the padded table.
She shook her head and chuckled, helplessly willing her blush away. The tattoo machine was a comforting weight in her hand. “Okay, let’s get you on your side first, and work towards your chest.” She revved the tattoo machine. “Face away from me.”
He did as she requested, pillowing his head on his arm and closing his eyes.
She swept her gaze over him, rubbing her thighs together. He was the forbidden fruit she couldn’t have. Pushing those thoughts aside, she leaned over him, and if she pressed against him while she worked, so be it.
* * * * *
“Bye, guys,” Pandora said over her shoulder.
Mary and Kellie paused in the doorway, no doubt waiting for her to raise hell over leaving her alone. She’d figured out this was a planned setup, so fighting them was useless. She didn’t know why, or even how Brian had circumvented her, but it wasn’t as if it was hard to find the shop on the web. Mary had at least packed up the till and Autumn and Kellie had finished the cleanup, save for her station, which she would never let one of them touch. She’d worked too long and hard to get it.
“We’ll lock the door.” Kellie paused in the doorway, giving her another opportunity to protest the blatant breaking of store policy. They’d agreed never to leave someone alone at the shop, for safety reasons. “Window light’s off.”
“Thanks.” She spared a wave for them and turned back to Brian. The kind of protection she needed from him wasn’t anything the girls could give her. They couldn’t shield her heart or put up walls between them.
Brian looked a little pale, but then most people did at some point when sitting for big tattoos.
“Need anything before I start again?” She swirled the needle in water and watched his face.
The corners of his lips slowly pulled up. “Want to give me a kiss?”
Her brain scrambled for a second and she stared at him.
“Come on.” He reached out and ran his fingers along her bare arm, tracing the swirl of a banner tattooed on her forearm, the touch so light she shuddered before she could stop herself. “Don’t tell me I’m the only one that’s thought about being together again.”
She pulled her arm back, curling it against her stomach. Of all her tattoos to touch, why that one?
A flicker of hope warmed in her chest. Brian liking her was high on her list of things to ask Santa for, but the reality was that she would never possess him like she wanted to. The only
Brian walking into the shop was not how she’d expected her day to go. It was easy to relegate him to a naughty dream when he wasn’t staring her in the face. The simple fact was that she wasn’t good enough for someone like him. Facing the truth of that was for the best.
Sucking in a deep breath, Pandora ignored the stench of garbage in favor of steadying her nerves. Settled, she grabbed the door handle and hefted it open. She stopped in the office to grab a Dr Pepper before facing her eight o’ clock.
Returning to the shop proper, she flashed Brian a smile she didn’t feel and sank into her rolling chair. He’d put his shirt back on, she noticed. Mary was cleaning up her client and paused to glance over at her, brows raised. She ignored her and Kellie in favor of getting her station prepped.
Warm fingers brushed her shoulders as Brian kneaded them. She didn’t want his touch to ease the knots in her muscles, but he found the spot that had been bugging her for days.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine.” She turned slightly to look up at him. “Sorry about that.”
One side of his mouth kicked up. “Don’t be. Thanks for that.”
Her cheeks were hot and her throat dry. “Yeah, she was a bitch. Want to pop up on the table and take your shirt off?”
“Getting me naked as quick as you can?” He winked and stepped back, giving her the space she needed and lying on the padded table.
She shook her head and chuckled, helplessly willing her blush away. The tattoo machine was a comforting weight in her hand. “Okay, let’s get you on your side first, and work towards your chest.” She revved the tattoo machine. “Face away from me.”
He did as she requested, pillowing his head on his arm and closing his eyes.
She swept her gaze over him, rubbing her thighs together. He was the forbidden fruit she couldn’t have. Pushing those thoughts aside, she leaned over him, and if she pressed against him while she worked, so be it.
* * * * *
“Bye, guys,” Pandora said over her shoulder.
Mary and Kellie paused in the doorway, no doubt waiting for her to raise hell over leaving her alone. She’d figured out this was a planned setup, so fighting them was useless. She didn’t know why, or even how Brian had circumvented her, but it wasn’t as if it was hard to find the shop on the web. Mary had at least packed up the till and Autumn and Kellie had finished the cleanup, save for her station, which she would never let one of them touch. She’d worked too long and hard to get it.
“We’ll lock the door.” Kellie paused in the doorway, giving her another opportunity to protest the blatant breaking of store policy. They’d agreed never to leave someone alone at the shop, for safety reasons. “Window light’s off.”
“Thanks.” She spared a wave for them and turned back to Brian. The kind of protection she needed from him wasn’t anything the girls could give her. They couldn’t shield her heart or put up walls between them.
Brian looked a little pale, but then most people did at some point when sitting for big tattoos.
“Need anything before I start again?” She swirled the needle in water and watched his face.
The corners of his lips slowly pulled up. “Want to give me a kiss?”
Her brain scrambled for a second and she stared at him.
“Come on.” He reached out and ran his fingers along her bare arm, tracing the swirl of a banner tattooed on her forearm, the touch so light she shuddered before she could stop herself. “Don’t tell me I’m the only one that’s thought about being together again.”
She pulled her arm back, curling it against her stomach. Of all her tattoos to touch, why that one?
A flicker of hope warmed in her chest. Brian liking her was high on her list of things to ask Santa for, but the reality was that she would never possess him like she wanted to. The only
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