Ink Lust (5 page)

“You’d raise kids there?”

He shrugged one gorgeous, naked shoulder. “Sure. I was raised there. Not every kid that comes out of a tough neighborhood turns out to be a thug. And it’s not like I’m not free to work my schedule around school drop-off and pickup, homework, ball games, whatever.”

For a moment she couldn’t breathe, and then she was reminded about what her mother always said about things that seemed too good to be true.

“An enormous attack dog would be mandatory, of course.” He grinned at her as he poured syrup over his pancakes. “How long are you going to be babysitting?”

She blinked at the change of subject. “Just a few hours. Jo just wants to get her weekly shopping done. I volunteered to watch Frankie since she’s sick and Jo’s husband Gabe is out of town this weekend.”

“Call me when you’re done and I’ll swing by on my bike and pick you up. We could go for a ride, stop somewhere for some pizza and a beer?”

She stopped pouring syrup over her pancakes. “You mean go on a date?”

He arched an eyebrow and drawled out, “Yeah.”

Her stomach tightened. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

That little frown flickered between his eyebrows again and stayed. “Why not?”

She took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to phrase it.

“It’s just…with you and Aaron being friends and all.” She blushed.

“Friends?” He snorted a derisive laugh. “Since when have Aaron and I been friends? I tolerate him because Leo seems to like him, and I don’t think Leo even likes him very much. Forgive me if there’s any love lost between you, but the guy’s a dick. Especially after what he did to you.”

She didn’t know whether to laugh or hang her head in shame.

“So, wait.” She set her fork down, suddenly not hungry as something dawned on her. “Does everyone know he was running around on me behind my back?”

He frowned at her. “Who’s everyone?”

“Everyone at the shop.”

He shrugged. “I don’t get involved in shop gossip, so I have no idea.”

Leni pushed her plate away and folded her hands on the table in front of her.

“But you knew.”

He looked at his plate, sighed and set his fork down.

“That he was cheating on you? No. I didn’t get involved in his business so I didn’t know for sure. Not that it would have taken a rocket scientist to figure it out.”

“Great.” She pushed her chair back, needing to get away. “I’m a fucking asshole.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Jamie slid away from the table as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. “No one thinks you’re an asshole,” he assured her. “I’m sorry. What I said came out wrong. I was not calling you stupid.” He tucked a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear, pinched her earlobe gently. “You know, the way you dumped him was the talk of the shop for days afterward.”

The day she showed up to Aaron’s apartment and found a girl just leaving, she’d gone straight back her apartment and packed up the few things of his that had accumulated there. He’d already gone to the tattoo shop by the time she caught up with him later that day. She’d gone in, told him she wanted him to look at something on her car, then handed him his box and drove off without another word.

“No screaming or making a scene, just snip,” Jamie scissored his fingers in demonstration, “and walk away. It was really beautiful.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You just told me you don’t pay attention to shop gossip.”

“Once in a while I get a whiff of something worth paying attention to.”

She shook her head and looked at her hands in her lap. “It’s still going to be awkward with Amber and Aaron still hanging around the shop.”

He looked at her for a long moment. “So you’re not over him yet.”

“Of course I am.” She deflated. “It’s practically ancient history.”

“Then why are you getting all pissed off about whether I knew he was whoring around or not?” He chuckled when her eyes went wide and she bristled.

“Listen to me.” He tightened his grip on her so she couldn’t wriggle out of his grasp. “You have to know something. I’ve always liked you, even when I could only like you as the cute little bookworm that I occasionally ran into here and there. And when you agreed to let me bring you home last night, I could hardly believe my luck. Most importantly—are you listening?”

The smile that spread over his face when she rolled her eyes and nodded made her heart knock so hard against her ribs she was sure he could hear it.

“I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks of us dating.”

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his.

“So.” He touched her mouth with his. “How about a motorcycle ride later?”

She took a deep breath and resisted the urge to pinch herself. And nodded.

“You know, pancakes are my favorite food of all time,” she said.

He smiled against her lips. “Then you’d better go eat before they get soggy in all that syrup you dumped on them.”

“Mm,” she hummed, leaning into him. “In a minute.”

Chapter Four

“You have a date with Jamie tonight?” Jo’s mouth fell open. “How did this happen?”

“You don’t have to look so surprised.” Leni took one of the bags from the counter to Jo’s refrigerator and started helping her put groceries away.

She’d caught a break earlier when Jo had been too distracted by getting her errands started so she could get back home to Frankie as quickly as possible. Spending a couple of hours with her niece had been calming, even if the baby had slept through the last half of that time.

“I’m not surprised he asked you out,” Jo clarified. “He falls all over himself whenever you’re around.”

“He does not.” Leni rolled her eyes.

They both paused when the baby monitor picked up a sound from Frankie’s room.

“Oh, right,” Jo said when it was clear her daughter wasn’t awake yet. “I’m sure it’s hard to notice something like that when you’re too busy picking yourself up off the floor every time you’re in the same room together.”

Leni wrinkled her nose. “Is it that obvious?”

Jo wrinkled hers back and nodded. “I’m surprised he’s over Amber so fast. They were together a long time.”

“You knew they’d broken up?”

“Gabe’s mom came over and shooed us out of the house so she could have a little alone time with Frankie a couple of weeks ago. We just went to the bar for a couple of beers. Amber was there with some new guy.” She shrugged. “She looked really happy. Told me she and Jamie had broken up months ago, maybe even before you finally dumped Aaron. Who knew?”

“He said he hadn’t really told too many people.”

“Yeah, I hadn’t heard a peep. And how many times had you and I been to the shop since it happened?” Jo’s eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms.

So much for staying under the radar for a moment. Jo’s distraction with her sick child had bought Leni a little time, but not much.

“Wait a minute,” she said. “How did you manage to get it out of Mr. Strong and Silent if he’s been so tight-lipped about it all this time?”

“My appointment ran later than scheduled. I was asking if I’d kept him from anything.” She was going for casual but the heat was starting to creep up her neck.

“So, he was working on your tattoo and just blurted out ‘Hey, guess what. Amber and I have been broken up for months. Want to go out?’”

She stifled the smirk that threatened to give her away. “We might have been in my apartment at the time.”

Jo’s eyebrows rose. “And how did you manage to get him there, you little vixen?”

Leni ran through an abbreviated version of the night, from the swooning when she got up off the table to the point just before he’s slipped his hand under her shirt.

“Halle-freakin-lujah,” Jo said, arms raised to the sky, when Leni finished her story. “It’s about time someone good came along, honey. Enjoy this.”

Her belly felt as if it was full of lead all of a sudden. “While it lasts.”

“Don’t do that,” Jo warned.

“He wants kids.”

“So?” Jo shrugged again. “Promise me you’re going to enjoy yourself for a change.”

“Did you know that apparently everyone who works in the shop thinks Aaron is a complete asshole?”

“Honey, I think he’s a complete asshole.” Jo handed her the gallon of milk and a bottle of orange juice.

“Well, I know that now.” She put both things in the fridge, then a half gallon of ice cream when Jo passed it to her. “Why didn’t I see it?”

“He was hot and he was in a band. You were in a bad place at the time and he, being the dog he is, could smell the desperation on you and took advantage.”

“You’re making me feel so much better,” Leni deadpanned. “So glad we’re talking about this right before I’m supposed to go on a date with the hottest man ever.”

“Look at how far you’ve come.” Jo took her by the shoulders. “You dumped Aaron the minute you found out what he’s really made of. No crying, no scene, just cut him right out of your life and did your mourning in private. My sister of even a year ago wasn’t that strong.”

Calling Aaron out to her car and just handing him the box of his things had been the hardest, most degrading thing she’d ever done in her life.

“That doesn’t make the fact that everyone knew about him and no one thought enough of me to tell me any easier. Or that they all see me as an idiot.”

Jo released her and began folding up her reusable shopping bags.

“Obviously no one of any importance knew what he was up to, or someone would have told you. And you’re forgetting that you were the talk of the shop and the bar for weeks after you broke up with him the way you did. All anyone could talk about was how coolly you handled him.” She stopped and gave her a look. “It’s not like this is high school, Leni. Why do you care what anyone thinks now?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed, wishing she could just get some perspective on why she was still feeling so unsettled. “I was trying to tell Jamie I wasn’t sure us dating was a good idea because he and Aaron were friends. The way he made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he and Aaron were not friends just made me feel stupid.”

“Do you think he was trying to make you feel stupid? Because I’ve noticed he has a bit of a brutally honest streak in him.”

“No, I don’t think he was trying. I just do.”

“Oh. Well, stop it.” Jo held Leni’s face in her hands. “Little sister, you have a date with Jamie Rodriguez,” she said, squeezing her face for emphasis as she said his name. “Promise me you’re going to relax and enjoy yourself.”

“I promise,” Leni said, unable to resist smiling.

“Good.” She kissed her and let her go. “Okay, tell me real quick before I kick you out of here so you can go get yourself all dolled up.” She leaned on the counter and crossed her arms again. “How good is he in bed? I know it’s wrong to ask, but, well, I’m me and we tell each other everything.”

Leni shook her head and laughed. There was no point in trying to deny it.

They both looked at the baby monitor as Frankie started to make waking noises.

“One word, Len. Sum him up in one word.”

“She’s going to be happy to see her mama.” Leni pointed to the monitor. “She likes her Aunt Leni and all, but she missed you while you were gone.”

Jo held up one finger.

Leni hung her purse on her shoulder, smiled and said, “Unbelievable.”

* * * * *

He had to admit he was impressed. He hadn’t expected his naughty little librarian to own boots worthy of riding. In hindsight, he realized he should have. She was a seemingly bottomless well of surprises, and so far all of them were right up his alley.

They’d still had enough daylight left for a long motorcycle ride out the Toledo side of the Anthony Wayne Trail to Grand Rapids, then back on the Perrysburg side before it got too dark to enjoy the scenery. He liked the way she’d felt perched behind him on the back of his bike, her knees on either side of his legs, his ass between those luscious thighs of hers. And when she’d hugged his waist tight and hid her face between his shoulders as they’d passed through a cloud of gnats during the ride back, he’d liked the way she’d felt pressed to his back that way as well. A lot.

He liked so much about her, not the least of which was the way she went at a piece of pizza with lusty enthusiasm—picking off toppings with her fingers and eating two and a half slices instead of pretending to be stuffed after most of one.

He liked that smile of hers, her bookish glasses, her hair a messy, windblown knot and her cheeks still pink from the ride. He liked the way she put her napkin in her lap even though the restaurant was casual and the way she talked with her hands. He liked the spark she got in her eyes when he pushed her buttons, playing devil’s advocate regarding the upcoming presidential election when he actually agreed with her on just about every point.

And he loved the way she paused just before the long, slow blink she gave him when she caught the dirty innuendos he tossed into the conversation every so often.

“You know, I don’t think you’re the demure pink lily at all.”

Leni slid her beer out of the way and crossed her arms on the table in front of her.

“No?”

The last two slices of pizza sitting on the end of the table had long grown cold. He was grateful there wasn’t anything happening downtown on a Sunday night that might have given them a reason to linger late. He’d been antsy for the chance to get her alone again since leaving her apartment after pancakes and an especially mind-blowing goodbye kiss that afternoon.

“No, you’re definitely the red lily,” he said. “I don’t care if your mom has known you since birth, or whatever.”

She laughed. “Then you’ve obviously not spent enough time with my sister.”

“I don’t need to.” He reassessed what he was trying to say. “Maybe I should say you’re not completely the pink lily. Sure, you’re all pink and proper on the outside, but under your clothes…” He whistled low, smiled when she blushed.

“It’s a good thing no one can hear you,” she said, leaning just slightly more toward him. “My cover would be blown.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” he whispered conspiratorially. “But I’m telling you now, I’m adding red to your flower when you get back in the chair.” He could see it clearly. “Just a little red deep in the center, maybe some spots along the petals. Only you and I have to know what it means.”