Page 39 of Inked Desires

“Which one?”

“No idea. I don’t know anyone,” I snap, pulling my chair closer to the desk.“But next time, I’ll ask Ares for a guided tour. Apparently, he knows everyone in this town… intimately.”

“That’s not exactly fair,” another voice cuts in.

Ares walks past Kiran and into the room.

“Fine. You know every pussy and dick in this town. Mine included.”

“Not all of them—but a few,” he replies calmly.“You knew I was a dick before we even met.”

He’s not wrong. Am I really holding his past against him? I’ve got a past too—and it’s not exactly the kind you talk about over tea with your mother-in-law.

“I should be mad at you, but instead, you’re mad at me,” I say.“So before we get stuck in some never-ending loop of blame, can we just let this shit go?”

He says it more calmly than usual, and honestly, I’ve got nothing to say back. I’m exhausted. What would fighting even change?

“You’re right,” I say.“Let’s forget it.”

He keeps looking at me, like he’s waiting for another outburst. But my anger has melted away. I’m not better than him. I’m impulsive—but I’m not irrational.

“That was easy,” he says warily.

“You let me keep the car. I can return the favor,” I explain, crossing my arms.“Icanbe reasonable, you know.”

A deep laugh breaks the tension. Kiran’s still standing there.

“Told you, Ares. This’ll be the longest ride of your life,” he teases before leaving the studio, still laughing.

“Well, that was a quick visit,” I joke to ease the mood.

“He’s off to get food. So, did you find anything?” Ares asks, nodding at the T-shirts.

“Yeah… and one of your exes,” I mutter mostly to myself.

Iwantto let it go, but something still burns inside me.

“I’m done with this bullshit,” he says—and suddenly, he’s in front of me.

He spins my chair around and wraps an arm around my waist. Before I know it, I’m out of the chair and against his chest.

I’ll never get used to the way my body reacts to him. Every nerve flares at his touch. My mind goes blank.

When his lips brush mine, there’s no room for anger. Only him. Everything else fades as his tongue meets mine, and I lose myself in the moment.

When he finally pulls away, I keep my eyes closed for a second longer, holding onto the feeling, before I look into his eyes.

“Hi,” he says softly.

It’s so absurd to greet me like that after a kiss likethat—I can’t help but smile.

“Hi,” I whisper, breathless.

A grin spreads across his face.

“Better now?”

My fingers draw lazy circles on his arm, almost on their own.