Chapter 13 #2
KC came running after me, and I was both mortified and grateful.
“Don’t you have a game?” Water cascaded over my face and I wiped it out of my eyes.
My shirt was already soaked, and KC was wearing one of those white muscle shirts he loved, and it was plastered to his beautiful body.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off his chest, and when I glanced back up at him, he had a smug grin that made me want to drop to my knees.
And slap him.
After Barber acting all self-entitled, that was the last thing I needed.
“My game is later.”
“Right. At seven. I knew that.” I shivered and crossed my arms over my stomach.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He followed me along the sidewalk, apparently not caring about the downpour even a little bit. He probably practiced in the rain, though, so perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise. Football was an all-weather sport.
“I was trying to quit, and Barber thinks he can tell me I’m not allowed. How messed up is that?”
“And then he kicked you out?” KC grinned. “That sounds like him.”
I groaned and hunched my shoulders against a strong gust of wind that drove cold rain into my face. “How does he always make me act like an idiot?”
KC shrugged and ran a hand over my back. I leaned against his side as relief washed through me. The simple touch made everything feel so much better.
“Pa says it’s the Barber Effect.” He popped a kiss on the top of my head, which had my feet trying to send me onto my ass. I was grateful when he wrapped a strong arm around me. “It happens to Pa, and he’s the most levelheaded person I know.”
“Well, at least I’m in good company. Barber’s never acted this way with me. But, I guess I usually am running support for whatever pops into his head when I’m at work. I don’t think we’ve ever fought.”
KC stopped walking, so my feet slowed down all on their own. He grabbed my hands in both of his, and I loved the warmth and the way he seemed as if he was waiting for me to say something smart. “What’s going on? For real.”
The smile he flashed was sweet and melted my insides into a happy puddle.
My cheeks heated until they felt like they were going to burn off.
“I have a chance to work with Ren. He said I could be an apprentice in his shop if I put in the work to improve and get my tattooing skills up to snuff. I want to prove to him that I’m not scared of hard work.
He asked me to quit my job so I could focus, I guess. It makes sense.”
KC nodded, but a seriousness settled on his features I’d never really seen in the past. “Is that what you want?”
“Well, I wanted to work with PD, but being an apprentice in a tattoo business is the goal I’ve had for years.
PD made it clear, more than once, that he wouldn’t take me on, so this is a sign, right?
Exactly what I want was dropped into my lap.
That’s a huge sign. I should take it, shouldn’t I?
” My mind was in a whirl. Was I talking myself into working with Ren or out of it?
God, what should I be doing? I knew what I wanted to do.
KC tipped his face up. The raindrops running down his skin made him strangely ethereal.
My fingers itched to draw him, but I knew there was no truly capturing this moment.
He was too fucking beautiful. Light cracked through the gray clouds and made him glow like a redheaded angel. “This is a good opportunity. Why not?”
“Yes! Thank you! Exactly!” And how did you argue with a divine proclamation?
KC grinned and kissed me. His lips were warm and soft.
I could practically feel the encouragement filtering from him to me as he gently caressed my bottom lip with his tongue.
My cock struggled against my jeans, and I stepped closer so I could press it on his muscular thigh.
He hummed and wrapped his arms around me.
My heart whooshed in my ears and my skin tingled.
This was the first time I’d been kissed in public, and excitement popped off stronger than fireworks in every part of my body.
Nearby, a loud vroom nearly scared me half to death. I jumped, but KC held me closer, smooshing me against his hard muscles. Jester waved at us from the seat of his bike as he passed.
“Ass!” I called after him, but there was no way he heard me.
KC chuckled.
“About the other day—” KC pressed a kiss to my cheek, as if he’d changed his mind about what he wanted to say.
“Yeah?”
He pursed his lips, then gave me a squeeze. “Will it be a problem? With you and Ren?”
“Why would it be?”
He shrugged.
The clouds rolled close again and thunder rumbled overhead. The rain beat down on us harder, and we were simply soaked now. I would have to go home and change.
“I don’t know. I mean, the sex stuff. It might make working together awkward?” he said.
I stood on tiptoe and pecked KC’s lips. “Let me worry about it. Good luck at your game. Ren and I will be there in the stands.”
“Really?” He grinned.
“Yeah.”
“KC! What are you doing out in the rain?”
We whipped around and Quain, his dad, was staring at us from a good ways down the sidewalk from the doorway of his shop. My belly shivered at getting caught by someone we knew.
KC dropped me and backed away, frowning at his dad. “All right. I better get going. I’ll see you later.”
“Yep. Later.” I had a lot to think about. But at least I wasn’t going to get yelled at by a parent.