Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
LIAM
L ark’s hot blue glare is a thing of beauty, but I only get a second to appreciate it before Riley captures my attention. Holding his hands up in surrender, he backs toward the stairs slowly.
“Sorry, I just came up here to tell you there’s some preppy dick downstairs throwing a fit over you not having any availability for the next three months.”
My brows furrow in concern. “Do we need to call the chief?”
He shakes his head, but a frown mars his perpetually happy face. “I hope not. I think he just needs to hear it directly from you.”
Nodding, I take a seat at my stool. “Let me just get some Saniderm on Lark and we’ll be right down, yeah? But don’t take any shit from this guy. If he starts something or tries to berate you just yell.”
Riley smiles in acknowledgment and heads back downstairs, leaving me alone with a gorgeous blonde and her fresh ink that needs tending. “Alright, come here. ”
I hook a hand around the back of her thigh and guide her to stand in front of me. The t-shirt she’s wearing is a touch too short, so when I lean down to place the wrapping it puts my face right next to that sliver of visible skin between her waistband and the hem of her tee.
Licking her would be weird, right?
Luckily placing one of these wraps is second nature for me by now, so it doesn’t require much attention. Good thing, too, since all the blood in my brain is currently rerouting to my dick. I’m in my usual summer uniform of athletic shorts which will do exactly nothing to hide my attraction to my best friend’s sister if I can’t will the inconvenient erection away.
I just need to think unsexy thoughts, and not focus on how Lark smells like a berry tart I’d love to take a bite out of…
“Umm, plant boy?”
I jump back at Lark’s voice, fighting like hell to act like I’m not painfully hard from just the thought of tasting her. “Sorry.” My voice comes out gruff. I need to get the hell out of here pronto. “You’re all good to go. Keep this on for at least a few hours and when we get home I’ll give you some soap and moisturizer you can use to take care of it while it heals.”
Not waiting around for her response, I stand up and rush down the stairs. Luckily, I’ve already cleaned and sanitized my machine after taking the video of her tattoo, so there isn’t any cleanup that can’t wait until she’s gone. Coming downstairs, I find Riley hovering behind the front desk with wary eyes locked on our guest.
Diverting my path, I head straight for my employee. “Hey, Ri. Everything okay?”
He nods with a sigh of relief. “Corporate assholes like that make me antsy. Too much like my dad.”
I nod in understanding. Riley’s old man is a class-A prick who dumped him on his grandma’s doorstep two years ago after he learned his son is gay. Riley’s grandma gave me a call to interrogate me about my feelings on the LGBTQ community, but it wasn’t necessary. I came out as pansexual right around his age, and I was lucky to have a supportive mom around to help me through it. Ri didn’t have that, so I do what I can to be a role model for him alongside his grandma.
“Gotcha. Well let me handle him and you can take a break in the back if you want. And if you’d rather go home, that’s fine too. I can manage here.”
His face brightens a little. “Thanks, Bossman. I’ll take you up on the break, but I don’t need to go home.”
He disappears into the back and I take a deep breath, steeling myself to deal with whatever this guy’s problem is. I slip into my well-practiced “good old boy” persona and make my way around the corner into the lobby, only to come face to face with Lark’s ex.
When he spots me, his tan face instantly goes beet red. “You!” he growls, pointing an angry finger at my chest.
I don’t say anything, having learned long ago that men like this will either tire themselves out and storm off or get to the damn point faster if you just let them speak. Instead, I cross my arms over my chest and lean my left hip against the corner of the half-wall that separates the lobby from the rest of the shop.
My silence only enrages him more, and he sputters, presumably struggling to gather his words for whatever vitriol he’s about to spew my way. The moment I saw the way he looked at Lark I knew this asshole was going to be a problem, and I’m happy to weather his ire if it means my girl is spared from it.
“How long was she fucking you while we were together, huh? I knew she couldn’t be that much of a frigid bitch, not with who her brother is,” he snarls.
I scoff. “She and I have never slept together. Hell, before yesterday I hadn’t seen her in years. Looks like you fumbled that girl all on your own, man.” I absently scratch at my bicep and shrug. “Can’t say I’m all that sad for you, though.”
He starts to lunge for me, but must think better and instead takes a single menacing step forward. Or, it would be menacing if he was six inches taller and could meet my eyes without having to look up.
His chest is heaving, and he looks like he just ran a 10k rather than eke out a single sentence. What my little cactus ever saw in this guy, I won’t pretend to understand. “Did you have anything you needed from me as a business owner, or did you just want to rage at me for dating your ex-girlfriend?”
“SHE’S NOT MY EX ANYTHING,” Jake bellows at me. Taking a deep breath, he seems to gain some semblance of control back. “It was simply a misunderstanding. Lar will crawl back to me and I’ll have her apologizing on her knees before you can spell the word rebound ,” he sneers.
There’s a loud snort behind me, and I turn with a surprised smile to see Lark laughing her ass off. She howls with infectious laughter for a full minute before calming down enough to saunter our way. She hooks one hand between my folded arms and pulls them apart just enough that she can slip under them, putting her back flush to my chest.
I hope to hell she can’t feel the way my heart is pounding right now. The only small mercy is that our height difference puts my crotch at the small of her back, so maybe she won’t feel my renewed erection with the way she’s leaning back against me like I’m her own personal wall.
“News fuh-lash, Jakey. I’m not your anything anymore, nor do I want to be. Not only are you engaged to be married, but I wouldn’t go back to you if you were the last man on Earth. I would quite literally rather set my hair on fire. And not in the cool, colorful way I did last year.”
Pride swells in my chest at the strength in her voice, and my cock swells in my shorts at the sass in her tone.
Beautiful fucking brat .
I smile at the internal thought, because I’m starting to really like her bratty side, and that’s not something I ever thought I’d say. All the women I’ve been with in the past were quiet, gentle, and non-confrontational, so I guess I thought my future partner would be the same way.
But then Lark Monroe sauntered in with her spicy attitude and quick wit, and I’m tripping over my own goddamn feet to make her notice me. The fact that she’s completely off limits doesn’t seem to matter to my heart or my hormones. Every molecule of my body is practically shouting at me that this woman is meant to be mine.
Jake snarls at my girl, and I uncross my arms from her chest to pull her just slightly behind me. I don’t want her anywhere near this guy if he decides to fly off the handle in the face of her rejection.
He continues to glare at both of us, but mainly at me. “You’re going to regret this, Lar. One day soon when you’re past your prime and this punk drops you for a newer, younger model, and all you have is your stupid little hair hobby. You’ll remember how you let a perfect man slip through your fingers and hate yourself. But it’ll be too late.” The twisted bastard looks downright gleeful at the prospect. “And I can’t wait for that day.”
After the asshole ex stormed out of my shop this morning, Lark decided to check in at her salon and get some work done. I had my first client of the day to prep for, so I kissed the top of her head and sent her next door. She left with a sad little smile on her face, and I’ve been brainstorming ways to cheer her up all day.
I had hoped that the things her ex said to her would just roll off her back, but I’m wondering if she’s more affected than she let on. Nothing he said was even remotely true, and if anything, it sounded like he was projecting his own insecurities back on her.
It’s after eight p.m. by the time I finish up my last client of the day and lock up shop, but I think I’ve finally figured out how to cheer Lark up. The Fourth of July is only two days from now, so there are all kinds of late-night festivities leading up to the big festival and fireworks show on the day of. I think we could both use a night out on the town doing something fun.
When I get home, Mom and Lark are cuddled up on the couch together, watching what looks like a 90’s chick flick. Seeing my mom instantly makes me feel guilty for spending so much time with Lark this week, but she catches my eye and winks, and I know she doesn’t mind.
Mom has a tendency to adopt people who she thinks need a friend, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that she’s taken my girl in as her own. They’re more alike than I’m sure Lark realizes.
Clearing my throat, I smile at the pair. “Well this looks cozy. What are you two watching?”
Lark smiles, tucking a stray lock of red hair behind her ear. Since I last saw her this morning, she’s styled her hair in two tiny braids, making her look even more adorable than usual. “ Clueless .” She grins. “Momma Carol was just telling me it’s her favorite non-musical movie.”
My eyebrows raise in surprise at the nickname, but my mom beams a smile I haven’t seen on her face since we lost my dad two years ago.
Their smiles trigger my own, and the size of it almost hurts my cheeks. “I hate to break up the party, but would you mind if I stole Lark for the night, Mom?”
Her grin turns mischievous, but she shakes her head. “Not at all, son. This old bird is tired anyway. I think I’ll turn in early with a book and a hot cup of tea.” She pats Lark on the head. “You two kids have fun, and don’t stay out too late on a school night!”
I snicker. She’s been saying that since I was sixteen and first got my driver’s license. Holding out my hand to my fake girlfriend, I help her up off the low couch. “Wanna go on an adventure with me?”