Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
TEXAS
I wished I was back in bed with Maya. I loved my job. Loved it. But I already missed Maya. Closing my eyes for a beat, I stretched and clenched my teeth. I’d worked on Elizabeth before, and last time she wasn’t as squirmy, but then again, that tat was on her arm, while this one was on her calf, and her leg kept twitching. It was starting to annoy me, but I kept at it while trying to hold her leg still.
“Remind me to never get another one on my leg,” Elizabeth complained.
Chuckling, I nodded. “Arms are always out in the sun more than legs. The skin tends to be tougher. Don’t worry. I’m nearly done.” Thank fuck. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy doing this tattoo either. I just wanted my eyes on Maya again. The night and morning had gone too fast, and I hadn’t had my fill of her. However, it was something I’d have to deal with because no matter how much we saw each other, I doubted I’d ever get enough.
A knock sounded on the door and my gut spun. “Yeah?”
Mon appeared. “Oh, don’t frown at me. Your girl’s here in the break room. She didn’t want to interrupt you working.”
I snorted. “Tell her to get her arse in here.”
Mon grinned. “Will do.” She leaned out the door and called, “Maya, get your arse in here before he shits a haemorrhoid.”
Elizabeth thought that was hilarious.
Maya peeked her head around. “Hi.” She waved, her gaze flicking to Elizabeth and back to me. I hoped she didn’t mind that I tattooed women as well. It meant nothing to me. They were and would always be work. Even when I first started and women tried to hit me up, I declined them all. It was never good to mix pleasure with business.
Besides, no one else made my chest ache at the sight of them.
It was mind-blowing knowing that she was mine.
Finally mine.
“Babe, grab your breakfast and sit on the couch.”
“I’ll wait until you can eat.”
“Babe.”
“Texas,” she mimicked.
I ignored the monkeys watching us with amused smirks.
“Maya, please come and eat in here while I finish up. I like knowing where you’re at when you’re here.”
Her eyes warmed before she nodded.
I winked at her before she left, then turned my gaze to my employee. “Mon, get back to work.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I thought you should know I’m half in love with her. She brought Hex and me coffees and food. You make sure you keep her.”
Shaking my head, I grinned. “Planning to.”
“Aww,” she cooed, and then moved off shouting, “Hex, our boy really is growing up.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I yelled.
Maya appeared again with a coffee and bag in hand. She gave me a sweet smile and went to the couch, but before she sat, I called, “Babe, come here.”
She put her items on the desk next to the couch and turned to me. “What?”
“Come here.”
Her brows dipped in confusion, but she walked my way and stopped, looking down at Elizabeth’s job. Vines ran up and down the side of her calf.
“That looks amazing,” she told Elizabeth.
“Thanks. It hurts like a bitch, though.”
Maya winced. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Babe.”
She lifted her gaze to me. “Yes?”
I tipped my chin at her. She moved around the table and got close. “Kiss me,” I ordered.
“Texas,” she snapped low, glancing quickly at Elizabeth, then back.
Elizabeth grinned. “Don’t mind me.”
I wouldn’t, and hopefully, Maya didn’t either. “Hurry up, babe. I gotta get this done.”
She glared. “Then get it done.”
“Maya.”
She let out a frustrated breath, leaned in, and brushed her lips against mine. Then quickly made her way back to the couch where she sat down and kept her scowl on me. I knew what that glare was about. She’d be worried about doing it in front of a customer. But this was the long haul for us, and my woman would eventually understand that nothing else mattered but us. When I saw her, I wanted her taste back on me.
“All right, Elizabeth. You ready?”
“No. Yes.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. My gun buzzed to life, and I finished what I had to do while my woman sat in the room, watching, eating, and drinking. Christ, I loved having her here.
It was after Elizabeth left and I was cleaning everything down that Maya told me about her afternoon trip with Easton. I dropped the spray and wipe, walked over to her, and sat before I pulled her onto my lap.
I folded my arms around her and asked, “You sure this is what you want? No one talked you into it?”
She shook her head. “Easton told me I didn’t have to do this if I didn’t want to.”
“You feel you want to?”
Her hand ran up my chest. “Yes. I need to move forward. I need to make my choice, and this might help me do that.”
“Okay, babe.” I tucked some of her hair behind her ear and cupped the side of her neck. “Even if you don’t pick, it doesn’t matter.”
“Texas, I’m wandering around, doing nothing with my life. I need a job.”
“But you don’t need to rush, and don’t choose your old work because you’re worried about your future. Be completely sure you want to go back, Maya. Can you do that? Because even if you don’t go back, you’ll find something else. There’re other jobs out there.”
She let out a soft sigh and nodded. “Okay.”
I pulled her close and kissed her. Just a brief one. “Want me to come?”
She grinned. “Thank you for offering, but I’m not sure my boss will be happy if I showed up with my man. Easton I can get away with.”
“All right, babe. Just know if you need me, I’ll be there.”
She melted into me, burying her face in my shoulder and neck. “You’re being too sweet again.”
Chuckling, I stood with her in my arms and then placed her on her feet. “I’ll stop. Feed me, wench.”
Her hands shot to her hips and her expression morphed into a pissed one. When I started laughing, she shoved me and stalked out. I followed her, not only because I knew there was food, but because I’d follow her anywhere.
When Easton arrived later, I pulled him aside while Maya was chatting with Parker who was driving them.
“I know you’ll have her back, but watch for signs of her being overwhelmed.”
Easton nodded. “I will.”
“If she looks stressed, get her out.”
He gave me a small smile. “I know, Texas.”
“Don’t let her boss talk her into anythin’ out of guilt.”
“I won’t. I’ll take care of her.”
Nodding, I looked towards Maya, watching her laugh about something. I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling uneasy about her going. Was it too soon? Would she just jump back into working?
Easton’s hand landed on my arm. “Don’t worry. I’ve got her.”
I tipped my chin up.
“You care for her, yeah?”
“She’s mine.”
His eyes widened. “Does she know?”
Some of the tension eased when I chuckled. “Yeah, she knows.” Maya and Parker approached Easton from behind. “Don’t you, babe?”
“Don’t I what?” she asked, coming right at me to curl her arm around my waist, and I put mine around her back. Both Easton and Parker looked on with wide-eyed shock.
“You know you’re mine, right?”
Maya blushed. “Not when you’re annoying.”
Parker snorted, swinging an arm around Easton’s shoulders to tug him in close. “Isn’t that always?”
Maya grinned. “He has his moments, but I’ll let you know in a couple of months. This is only new.”
“Talon know?” Parker asked, lips twitching.
“Yep. Already talked with him.”
Maya squinted up at me. “I’d like to know what was said.”
I tapped her nose. “Not gonna happen.”
“This is cute,” Easton announced. “I like it.” He pressed a hand to Parker’s gut. “Let me tell Lan.”
Parker rolled his eyes. “Not like I was gonna ring him to gossip.”
“Yes, you would have, and it wasn’t like you had to drive us. You could have stayed at Stoke and Mally’s with him.”
“East” was all Parker said with a shake of his head. One of them was always with Easton when they weren’t all together or Easton had work.
Easton rolled his eyes and glanced back at us. “Lucky you only have one to deal with, Maya.”
I turned her into me so her front was plastered to my side. “Don’t go givin’ her any ideas, Easton. I don’t share.”
Parker chuckled while Easton grinned cheekily. “You don’t know unless you try.”
“No.” I tugged Maya’s head back and saw mirth in her gaze. “No one else but me, yeah?”
“Yes, Texas.”
I grunted. “Good. Now kiss me and get goin’.”
She got up onto her toes, pressed her lips to mine, and tried to pull back. I cupped the back of her head and kept her close.
“Come on, East,” Parker said, and I heard them walk away.
Maya must have too, because she wrapped her arms around me and gave me what I wanted—a deep and heavy kiss that left me wanting more.
“You comin’ back here after?”
“Is that okay?”
“Never ask that, babe.” I kissed her nose. “I’ll see you after.”
“All right, Texas.”
“Be safe and stick with what you’re feelin’ over work, yeah?”
“I will.” She gave me a dazzling smile and left to meet Parker and Easton at their car. Parker shot me a chin lift, while Easton waved. I gave them a two-finger salute back.
They were good people and would take care of her.
Even knowing that, I watched until they drove off down the street, an uneasy feeling in my gut.
If she needed me, she’d call.
Maybe I should have told her that.
Shit, why didn’t I say that?
I went to pull out my phone but stopped. No, she’d know she could call me about anything. She was coming here after it anyway, and then I could help her with whatever she’d decided.
Turning, I walked back inside.
“Who were those delicious specimens?” Mon asked. She’d told me a while ago that she and Hex liked to watch people. As in, they went to a certain type of club to watch other people get off while they got off together.
“Friends of ours.”
“Friends? Is that all you’re going to give me?”
I walked around the counter and started down the hall, ready to finish the design before Oliver showed.
“Texas,” she whined.
Facing her, I smirked. “Mon, you don’t have a chance to get them at the club. Parker won’t let anyone watch Easton. Even if there was a miracle and he said yes, then you’d also have to go up against Lan, who’s their third. He’s just as protective of Easton as Parker.”
“Oh hell, there’s three?”
Snorting, I shook my head. “Not a chance, Mon.”
She sighed. “Fine.”
I went into the break room again to make myself a coffee and grab a muffin from what Maya had brought in. Fuck, she was sweet. In more ways than one. Grinning, I took my drink and food into my area and sat at my desk.
While I worked on Oliver’s back piece, I couldn’t help but wonder how Maya was going. I glanced at the clock. They’d definitely be there. Was her boss already in her face, begging her to come back? Maya had a big heart. I worried she’d agree just to help out.
Groaning, I scrubbed a hand over my face and reached over to turn on my music. Turning it up louder, I got down to business. I’d soon see how it went, and then together, we’d deal with it.