Page 44

“What are you doing there?” I ignore Stella’s scowl and focus on Cara. “Not that I’m complaining, and that was one hell of an enjoyable hello, but is everything okay?”

“Um.” Her brows scrunch together in that cute way she does when she’s thinking. She looks hesitantly to Stella and back to me. “No, not really. Can we talk?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

I usher her to my office and while she takes a seat, I shut the door and go through the motions of cleaning the chair from Bianca, wiping it down and tossing all the tools and ink pods into the trash.

“What’s up?” I ask, looking up from my task when she hasn’t said anything.

Her eyes are glued to my tattoo chair. “Do you do that a lot?”

“Tattoos?” I ask, amused. “Yeah, quite a bit. It is my job.”

“Obviously. I mean that…like that woman’s…”

“You mean do I ink a lot of tits?”

She stammers and a pink spreads to the apple of her cheeks. “Well, yeah. Sort of.”

Ah…so was that the reason for kissing me? Marking her territory when it was obvious I had my hands on another woman’s body? Stings a bit, that it was for show and not real, but I’m not totally buying it.

She was way too into that kiss to be faking it like Bianca’s orgasm.

“It’s my job, Cara. And trust me, there’s nothing sexual about it for me at all when I’m putting a piece on someone, regardless of where it is. It takes too much focus to think about anything else.”

She nods and doesn’t say anything. I settle my ass on the edge of my desk, blocking her view from the chair, studying her until she lifts her gaze to me.

She blushes again and sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth.

Yeah…she liked the kiss. Good. I plan on doing it again before she leaves the room. This time we’ll have privacy.

“So. What do you need?”

“Don’t be mad at me, okay?”

“What’s wrong?” I lean forward, hands braced on my knees. I can feel the scowl forming and the heat in my chest. No good news ever starts with “Don’t be mad.”

“I said you can’t be mad,” she squeaks, and pushes off her chair standing in front of me. “I didn’t mean to hide it from you, but I didn’t want you worrying, and you’ve done so much for me.”

I throw my hand out and cup the back of her neck, pulling her in so quickly she falls, slamming her hands against my chest. “What’s wrong, Cara?”

“I threw up again today,” she says quickly, “I threw up again and I’ve been doing it for the last two weeks and I don’t think the meds are working.”

Damn, she can ramble. A weight loosens from my chest as she does it, and whatever I thought she was going to say, this isn’t nearly as bad. I pull her to me, slowly, tilting my lips up letting her know what’s coming right before I seal her lips to mine.

“Omph,” she says, silenced by my kiss.

I keep us steady, our lips pressed against each other, fused until her shoulders slump and her fingers loosen their hold from my shirt.

“Okay,” I whisper, brushing my lips against hers. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She nods quickly. “I’m fine, it’s just a pain.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her eyes slide to the left. “You’re doing so much. I didn’t want to worry you, and I kept thinking it will get better.”

“And it’s not?”