Chapter Two
Bailey
Yum, yum.
I’d had little hope of finding the gorgeous, leather-clad stud I’d ogled outside, but Lady Luck was on my side, and I was ready to have my lever pulled. I gulped my Scotch and licked my lips. Leather-man reached out and plucked the empty glass from my hand.
“What’s the question?” That husky voice sent a shiver through me, straight to my groin.
“How about we get on the floor and find out?”
He slid a muscular arm around my waist. “I’m not that much of a dancer.”
I grabbed hold of that fabulous ass. “I am. You can stand there and look pretty.”
His deep chuckle rumbled, and the floor was crowded enough to allow him to do exactly what I’d said while I pressed up against him.
The rock-hard bulge in his pants matched mine, and I rubbed my cheek to his stubbled one.
He carded his fingers in my hair and twisted it tight.
I drew in a sharp breath, not from pain but pleasure.
“Am I pretty enough yet?” he asked. “Because I’m about ready to get you naked right here if you don’t say yes.”
I was drowning in the blue pools of his fierce gaze. “I live uptown.”
“And I live down the block. Let’s go.”
His firm, calloused hand grabbed my wrist, and I followed him. He stopped by the VIP section, where a man sat with a bottle.
“I’m out. Talk to you tomorrow.” My partner picked up a glass and finished it in one smooth swallow. I watched his throat bob and imagined what he’d taste like and how he’d feel in my mouth.
“That didn’t take long.”
Hold up. I knew that voice. “Grady?” I peered at the table.
“Bailey. I see you’ve met my brother.”
My jaw dropped. “Your brother?” I blinked.
“You know Grady?” My leather-clad hottie stared at us in confusion.
“Yeah. We have friends in common.”
He crossed his arms, lip curled in a sneer. “Of course. You’re a lawyer.”
I grinned. “You say that as if it’s a dirty word.”
“It has been sometimes.”
“Keston.” Grady’s voice held a slight warning. “Bailey’s cool.”
A dark brow arched high. “Your name is Bailey? Damn. I picked the WASPiest guy in the city to go home with.”
With that attitude, my good mood vanished, and I stuck my face in his.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you never to assume, Keston?
Both those statements are wrong: I’m not a WASP, and you just lost your shot at bringing me home with you.
” I patted his cheek and trailed my fingers across his sharply cut jaw.
“And I’m a great lay. Too bad you’ll never find out. ”
With Grady’s cackle ringing in my ears, I left Keston standing and strode out of the club.
It took me a moment to reacclimate myself to the relative quiet once I was outside, and I called for a car.
I glanced back, maybe hoping Keston would follow me, but I dismissed that almost immediately.
The guy was supermodel gorgeous. He didn’t need to grovel to get someone in his bed.
Besides, he was a bit of a dick. Although I could admit I’d been ready to give it up right away. Maybe the universe was trying to tell me, Hey, Bailey. You don’t need to fuck someone to make them like you. But even after years of therapy, old habits were hard to break.
I might’ve acted too quickly, but there was little I could do about it now. No way would I return to the club. My car arrived, and once we were on our way, I got on my phone and saw a text from Grady.
My brother can be an ass, but he’s a good guy.
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I could tell.
No, seriously. He’s still here bitching about how you left him.
And that means what? I was such a needy bastard.
You caught his eye, and he can’t forget you.
Yep, there it was, that thrill of knowing someone wanted me, but I had to play it cool.
You must be smoking something.
Waiting for his response, I chewed my lip.
Nah. He’s just complicated.
I snorted as my fingers flew. Who isn’t?
Grady sent a laughing emoji followed by: He owns a tattoo parlor on St. Mark’s. Inktastic.
Why did that not surprise me?
And you’re telling me this why? Do I look like I have tattoos?
I wouldn’t know. TTYL.
At home, I undressed and showered, running my hands over my body.
My very lonely, untouched body, without a single tattoo.
I sighed, knowing I’d missed out on a night of hot, wild sex with the best-looking guy I’d ever seen.
I toweled off, put on boxers and a T-shirt, and flipped on the television for background noise.
My phone buzzed with a text from Weston.
Brunch on Saturday?
I had nothing going on, so I might as well hang out with friends. It beat being alone. Sure.
Good. There’s a new guy at the firm I think you’d hit it off with. I could ask him, if you want.
I groaned. Told you already. Not interested in a setup.
Of course Weston didn’t bother to answer me.
Now that he had Brenner, he thought the entire world needed to be coupled up and be as disgustingly in love as they were.
I tossed the phone aside and tried to pay attention to what was on the TV screen, but all I could see were sexy, arrogant lips and hot blue eyes.
I picked up my phone and scrolled to Grady’s text.
“Hmm. I haven’t been to the Village in years.”
**
It might be Saturday, but I had an entire day’s worth of case files to finish before I could make my way to St. Marks Place. It was now close to six, and I must’ve walked by the tattoo parlor at least twice.
“Get your head out of your ass and go inside.” When I opened the door, a young blond glanced up from the customer she was working on. Her eyes were heavily rimmed with black liner and blue shadow, her lips a shocking pink, but her smile was bright and friendly.
“Hi. Have a seat. Someone will be with you in a few.” Her voice was a nasal combination of Long Island and Brooklyn, reminiscent of the neighborhood I’d grown up in and curiously comforting.
I scanned the walls, taking in the tattoo art.
I’d never had any desire to mark my body, and I watched the artist, both fascinated and squeamish knowing a needle injected ink into the person’s skin.
I preferred firm body parts, not sharp, pointy things poking into me, but I could admire the artistry that created the designs.
The client was a twentysomething guy who was having a small skull and a crow placed on his biceps.
I’d had numerous lovers with tattoos and had never really paid attention to them.
The process was interesting, though, and going by the pictures on their walls, Keston and his coworkers were extremely talented.
The artist finished with the young man, washed the area carefully, then dried it thoroughly.
A clear adhesive wrap was secured around his arm.
She handed him a printed sheet. “I’ve also emailed this to you.
Take care of it, and don’t get it wet for five days.
After that, moisturize a ton, don’t pick or rub at it.
Keep out of the sun, and don’t get it sweaty. ”
“No problem. Thanks.” He paid and left, and she squinted at the screen.
“Sorry you had to wait…hmm, do you have an appointment? I don’t have anything on here for you…”
I wondered what I was doing, waiting for this random guy when I should’ve just ignored Grady’s text.
“Well, I—”
From the rear of the shop, Keston walked up to the front counter. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Not exactly the greeting I’d have liked, but I probably shouldn’t have expected more.
“Nice to see you too,” I smirked. I’d taken care with my outfit today—a tight blue shirt that showed off my hard-won ripped body and a pair of joggers that rested low on my hips and showed off my ass.
Not that I could compete with the leather pants Keston had been wearing the night before that had featured in the filthiest dream I’d had in years.
“I’ll handle this, Jo,” Keston said, his gaze latched to mine. “You can take off. See you tomorrow.”
Her curious eyes darted from Keston’s hard face to my mild one, and she nodded. “Okay. Night.” She grabbed her purse from a drawer and walked out. The door shut with a click.
I faced Keston. Damn, he was even hotter today, in a tight black T-shirt and low-riding sweats. In the bright overhead lights, I could now see the ink on his arms and circling one wrist. “So, this is your shop?”
“How did you find me?” he growled, and that gravelly sound went straight to my dick. He huffed. “Never mind. My brother, of course.”
“Don’t blame Grady. But I mean, you were kinda rude.”
Heat kindled in those laser blue eyes. “Rude? What’re you talking about? You bailed on me, Bailey.”
That snide tone wasn’t going to wash with me, and I advanced on him and poked him in his very hard, muscled chest. “You’re still making assumptions about me.”
His lip curled. “So you’re not a lawyer?”
“I never said I wasn’t. So what?”
“They’re nothing but trouble for the most part.”
My lips twitched. “It depends on what kind of trouble. Some can be more fun than others.”
He scowled. “I’m sure Grady’s told you about our past. I don’t exactly have fond memories of the legal system.”
“Yeah. We all have shit we’ve dealt with. I prefer to leave it in the rearview mirror. Live in the present.” Aware of the heat pouring off him and the scent of his sweat, my heart rate kicked up, and I was seconds away from melting into a puddle of want and need.
He backed away into the recesses of the shop, where I saw two other chairs and a long table on a wooden platform.
“Why are you here?” He positioned himself behind the table, and I leaned a hip against it and ignored his question for one of my own.
“Is this place yours, or do you work for someone?”
I should’ve known that would get his ire up.
“Why?” A brow rose. “You don’t think I can run my business?”
“Damn, you’re defensive.” I ran a hand over the smooth tabletop. “I didn’t say that. I’m thinking you could do whatever you want.”
And whomever. Like me. You could do me in a second.