Page 5

Kenna

The bell above the door to the tattoo shop jingled as it closed behind me. The rush of vanilla and sandalwood scented cool air soothed and welcomed me. I’d spent most of my day off contemplating whether or not this was a good idea. I’d risk seeing Puck, but tattoos and piercings were expensive.

And he’d offered.

David’s girlfriend, Nadine, got off work early. Since she’d moved in, she’d made it very clear how she felt about me being there—but only when he wasn’t around. I was bitter over her presence in my home.

His home. Not mine. I had to keep reminding myself of that. No matter how much he did for me, how much love he’d shown me, he wasn’t my real father. I had no family. Just me, looking out for me.

Fuck it. I was going to do something for myself.

I had high, perky breasts and cute little nipples. Piercing them would be hot. Even better if they were free. My hood was already pierced. Why not complete the unholy trio?

Besides, there was no gleaming chrome Harley with flaming skulls on the tank parked in front of the shop. It meant Puck wasn’t there. I shot him a quick text that I was dropping in to take him up on his offer.

And have someone else do the work. Puck piercing my nipples would be too much torture for one night. Especially since I wanted him to do way more than that.

“Hey!” Chelsea, the pretty platinum blond with bangs and colorful tattoos covering both arms, smiled brightly from her station. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m thinking about piercing my nipples.” I found a purple barbell with shimmering balls on each end. A large, long-fingered hand opened the case.

“Doing both?” A familiar voice rumbled.

My heart did a jumping jack, chill bumps rushed over my skin, and I bit my bottom lip to keep from cursing out loud.

No need to look up. I knew he was watching me, studying me in that quiet, unnerving way he had that was so fucking hot. “Yeah.” I swallowed hard. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Our discussion in the parking lot had been a lot to unpack. I still wasn’t sure where I stood with him.

“You weren’t supposed to be here,” I squeaked.

“Avoiding me?” He pinned me with a sexy as hell, teasing glare.

When I didn’t say anything, he smirked.

He was so tall; he had to bend across the counter to me. “Pick what you want.”

I had to steel myself to look at him. Puck was everything I’d ever thought a man should be. His long, brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the base of his neck, and he’d braided his long goatee. He was all sexy Viking with eyes the color of an angry ocean—more spent charcoal than blue.

He was so close when I turned my head, all I had to do was stretch up on my tiptoes and I could brush my lips across his. I could still feel his arms around me from last night and remember how close I’d been to crawling all over him. Better than the kiss from Jester.

To keep from doing something stupid, I glanced at the girls that waited on the couch. They were both staring right at him—one slack jawed and the other blushing.

I could totally relate. Puck was gorgeous and massive, rippling muscles covered in tattoos. Yup, I could lick him from one end to the other and take my time doing it.

An imposing man, around six-foot-four, easily more than a foot taller than me, he drew almost every woman’s eye. He followed my gaze to the girls, and a million-watt smile lit his bearded, handsome face. It was the sort of change in his expression that made me feel dirty things I shouldn’t.

“Someone will be right with you, ladies.”

They both murmured and nodded before whispering frantically to each other.

Finished with whatever she’d been doing, Chelsea winked at me and waved them both over to her station.

“I know you have a lot going on and didn’t want to bother you. But you said you’d make it up to me, so why not? It’s a sort of last-minute decision.” Puck made me talk too damn much. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to staunch the flow of needless chatter.

I’d wanted to do this forever, but when we’d been dating, Ghost had said no. And I was pretty sure I couldn’t have handled—no matter how much I thought about it—letting Puck touch me like that and remain emotionally faithful.

Hell, I’d probably have an earth-shattering orgasm if he even breathed in my general direction. Him touching me would be erotic torture.

And life was torturing me enough.

Puck plucked two of the purple barbells from the case and turned back toward his office, gesturing for me to follow. I did, and the other two young women at Chelsea’s station weren’t the only ones gawking. God-damn, that man could fill out a pair of faded jeans better than anything I’d ever seen.

A white t-shirt and denim had never looked better.

“I can wait on Chelsea or Javi, really.” Javi, the young guy covered in bright ink but dressed like a day out on the golf course, was always nice and did great work.

“They’d use my station, anyway.” Puck shut the door behind me.

The vanilla smell dissipated, and I was suddenly wrapped up in Puck’s scent. Warm leather, clean soap, and something faintly spicy.

I licked my lips, thinking about all the other things I wanted to lick. Ugh! Five minutes with Puck and I’d forgotten everything else.

“Besides, Javi’s got another appointment after that one.” He tapped the chair for me to sit. I did. Beneath the heavenly scent of Puck was a sharp disinfectant smell telling me just how clean he kept his station.

On one side of the room sat a desk with a computer and papers, behind that a standing drafting table, an array of artsy things scattered over its surface.

On the other side, in front of the one-way glass, was his tattoo station and chair.

A short stool sat between both. He reached behind me and pulled the blinds closed.

When I glanced up at him, he winked. “It doesn’t fully block out the office.

If you lean close, you can see right through it. ”

He went to his drafting table and shuffled some drawings around, almost as if he didn’t want me to see them, before turning back to me. I was too nervous to stay curious for long.

Puck was generally a quiet, private guy. I tended to fill long stretches of silence with anything I could think to talk about. When it was too quiet or still, bad things happened. Or at least, that was my life experience.

Right then, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. He was about to touch me in places I’d only dreamed he would.

What if I had an orgasm right in his damn tattoo chair? Which was ridiculous, but entirely possible. I liked pain; I liked sex; I liked him.

This is a horrible idea. Yet, I couldn’t make myself leave the room.

“I can wait. I know you’re busy. And I don’t mind paying, I brought cash. I don’t want you to think I’m expecting favors or something—”

Washing his hands in the sink across from me, he tossed an amused look over his shoulder. Puck’s face was expressive. You could tell exactly what he was thinking most of the time. This face, in particular, meant I was doing something cutesy. I’d seen him look at his kid the same way.

Cute was not how I wanted him to see me. I popped a hand on my hip and blew a dark tuft of hair from my forehead and scowled. “What?”

“We talked about this, it’s this or you take the cash for the missed work.” He dried his hands with paper towels, tossed them in the trash, and pulled on latex gloves. The snap of the black gloves was so damn sexy I squirmed.

I had issues. He was the biggest one. Literally and figuratively. When I was with Ghost, it was easy to remind myself that I shouldn’t find Puck so hot. But now I wasn’t with anyone.

“Thought any more about working for me?”

And all the sexy thoughts went right out the window. It was easy to laugh that one off. Tattoo shop receptionist and part time babysitter didn’t pay as well as half-naked cocktail waitress.

“For the right offer? Who knows?” I sighed. “But I need the fuck out of this town.”

He studied me for a long moment, frowning a little, and I almost thought he was going to make me an offer. One I’d probably laugh at, but that he might…turned me on a little.

A small tremble started at my shoulders and ran all the way to my toes.

“Nervous?” he asked when he noticed me shifting restlessly. “I can put some numbing gel on if you’re worried about pain. Don’t tell Javi, he’s a pain in the ass about the rules.”

“I like the pain.” The admission slipped out before I could stop it. I’d never told anyone that, not even Ghost. There were times, when I masturbated, I’d pinch myself—especially my nipples—to come harder.

My cheeks heated and I looked away. But not before a flash of something hot, sexy, and arousing lit Puck’s face. He caught my gaze, held it, then ducked away to a drawer at his station. He’d looked simultaneously impressed and turned on. Ignoring the heat on my cheeks, I snorted a laugh.

The corner of his mouth twitched and he chuckled. “You should come by the club house one night, have a drink. People miss you.”

Was he one of those people?

“Too much drama. Everything that happened, Ghost, Nadine and David. It’s just easier to stay away.”

“What’s going on with Ghost? I thought you were done with that.” He didn’t turn, but his voice took on an edge that made me squirm. It shouldn’t, because it usually meant he was about to tell me what to do and I hated that shit.

“I am. I’d rather leave all of that buried, ya know? Besides, heaven forbid I hang out with one of you guys too long and give Nadine ammunition to convince David I’m just a patch whore.”

This time he did turn, his eyes narrowed. “She saying shit like that?”

Oops . I had to remember that Puck was an officer, not just a King. Things I told him held more weight. Bad shit could happen. David had drilled that into me when I’d started babysitting Eli. I had to be careful what I said to all of them.