35. Chapter Thirty-Five Shadows of Paradise
Chapter Thirty-Five: Shadows of Paradise
Tess
The next day, I opened the shop at ten in the morning with a breakfast sandwich and coffee in hand. I greeted Oscar and sat down to eat my breakfast. Ivan never let me bring breakfast in, so it felt glorious to bite into the elicit item while I sat in his seat.
“I remember food…”
He sounded so wistful it broke my heart. I wiped the corner of my mouth and swallowed the bite before answering. “Sorry, Oscar. It must suck.”
“Better than being dead. I think. I’ve never been properly dead. I imagine that sucks worse. But I do miss food… and fucking. I really miss fucking.”
“Yeah, so anyway. I have a couple clients today and a couple more tomorrow.”
“You should get laid if me just mentioning it makes you that uncomfortable.”
I laughed. “Oscar, mind your own business.”
“I’m serious. Now that you’re free of Ivan, you should go find someone you can have fun with. I bet it’s been years. Have you ever had good carnal fun, Tess?”
I scoffed at him. “Yes.”
“When?”
“None of your business.”
“Come on. When was the last time you had an explosive orgasm by someone else’s hand?”
I chuckled at Oscar’s blatant shamelessness. Normally, I wouldn’t discuss my sex life with him. He was aware of what Ivan did to me, and I didn’t want to talk about it. But telling him this would be a good way to shock him, and Oscar didn’t shock easily.
“Well?” he urged.
“The other day,” I answered flippantly.
He let out a rich, melodious chuckle that seemed to dance in the air. “When did this miracle happen, Tess?”
I puffed out my chest like the champion I was, thanks to Maverick anyway. “At Devil’s Delirium.”
“Tess. I think I’m having a hard time hearing you. Are you saying while you were immersed in a deadly game of mortal combat, you had sexual relations with one of the other contestants? Did you go all Black Widow on him or what?”
He was duly blown away, just as I expected. I was too busy belly-laughing to answer him. I’d unknowingly waited years for this moment, and it was oh-so-satisfying. “Tell me! I’m trying to revise my opinion of you and have no idea what any of it means, Tess. Please. ”
After I got some semblance of control of myself, I sighed like it was a hassle to answer him. “He helped me find Ivan, and he got me out, somehow. I’ll never see him again.”
“Well, go find him and do it again.”
“No, Oscar. He’s too dangerous to get involved with. The last thing I need is to trade Ivan for Reaper.” Except that Maverick’s touch was addictive. Every little thing he did, from whispering in my ear to licking me until I exploded—my core tingled just thinking about it.
Oscar was still flabbergasted. “Fucking Reaper, Tess?”
I stilled. Did Oscar know what he was? “What do you know about him?”
“I told you. I know things.” He paused, and someone beeped their horn outside. “Reaper, huh? Impressive. You should definitely find him and do it again. You deserve it after all you’ve been through.”
“I deserve peace. I’m grateful to him for helping me, but if you know anything about him, you know he’s not someone I should see again.” I believed wholeheartedly that was true, but I wistfully wished it were not. There would be daydreams coming soon to a quiet night alone in my bed, guaranteed.
“I don’t know any such thing. Sounds better than Ivan to me.”
I tutted. “Ivan is not the bar to compare anyone to, Oscar. Now, shhhhh.” My first client was walking in the door, so he’d have to be quiet, or he’d scare the shit out of her. “Hi, Stacy.”
“Hi, Tess.” Stacy had a Starbucks coffee in her hand and a huge black bag hanging off her elbow. Her gorgeous caramel hair with blonde highlights and perfectly crafted features always inspired an unwelcome jealousy in me because she was always so friendly. “I’m so excited I barely slept!”
“It’s gonna be beautiful.”
Stacy and I talked for a few minutes about her life for the past couple of weeks. I told her that Ivan had disappeared and I was holding the fort for now, and then she sat in the chair, and I arranged the ink I’d need for her tattoo. Before long, we were both settling into the established routine. She had headphones on, and I fell into a meditative space, focusing on the pattern and the movements I made as I dragged the needle across her skin and dipped it into the ink again.
I was well into my work trance when the bell chimed, and the front door opened. I didn’t have another client due until the afternoon, so I glanced up, expecting someone who wanted to see some designs and ask about availability. Instead, it was Maverick, monstrous and golden, the sun’s rays illuminating behind him like he was some kind of deity. One I never expected to see again. I nearly yelped at the sight of him. My muscles tensed as I stood there rigid, hoping my boss wouldn’t come out… until I remembered Ivan was gone.
I let out a long exhale, watching Maverick stand at the door like a sentinel scanning the place with his sleeves rolled up, revealing the strong, veiny arms that had dominated me. The moment he spotted me, he swaggered over.
I was nearly speechless, but I had to play it cool, and not just for my client, who wanted a decent hummingbird on her chest. “What are you doing here?”
His deep, dark voice opened like a black hole in the stars. “I told you I’d find you.”
I laughed like my heart wasn’t threatening to burst. Never let them see you sweat. “And you did. Is everything okay? With your friend?”
“Oh that.” He shrugged like it was nothing. Like it hadn’t been an emergency, he’d thrown a low-key tantrum about. “All dealt with. So…” He scanned the shop. “When do you get out of here? ”
I stared in disbelief at him. He really came for me. I’d convinced myself I’d never see him again. Huffing a humorless laugh, I glanced up and then at Ivan’s door, expecting him to walk out in a huff any moment.
No, he wouldn’t; he was dead. Instead, I had Maverick—Reaper—standing in front of me, expectantly. What did he want? I had to get rid of him before my brain glitched out entirely.
“Stacy, let’s take a break. Stand up and stretch your legs for a few minutes. I’ll be right back, okay?” When she agreed and swung her legs down, I motioned for Maverick to follow me outside.
Squinting from the sun’s glare, I walked a few paces from the door for privacy and turned, having to crane my neck to look up at him. He was a good six inches taller than me.
“Look, thank you. For everything. I’m grateful, but…” I sighed. “We’d never work out.”
He peered down at me, his eyebrows knitted together. “That’s presumptuous.”
My stomach flipped because he was right. Who said he wanted a relationship? Of course he didn’t. I didn’t expect that, but my protest sure sounded like it. Warmth washed over my face and neck, but I shook my head and dug my heels in, smirking at him. “No, it’s not. I mean, see how clingy you are?” I sighed, shaking my head. “After getting rid of you-know-who, I’m afraid I can’t deal with clingy.”
He crossed his arms and frowned. It was adorably hot on him. “I’m not clingy,” he insisted. I smirked and raised my eyebrow at him. “I’m not. I enjoyed your company. It doesn’t make me clingy. You had a good time, too, if I remember correctly.”
I barely suppressed the smile and shrugged, ignoring my rabbiting heart. “You’re already trying too hard. ”
His eyebrows shot up, and he let his arms down. “Oh, so trying at all is trying too hard.”
Enjoying the game, I shook my head. “How did you even find me here?”
He cocked his head. “Hold on. Are you saying the only way you’d be up for seeing me again is if you never saw me again?”
Now, he was painting me as some kind of commitment-phobe? Reaper? I mean, he was right, but really? “That’s not what I said.”
“But that’s what it comes down to.” His voice had all those daddy-style ‘disappointed in you’ tones, and I wanted to slap him and climb up and hump him in equal measures.
I crossed my arms, trying to think of something else to say. How was this happening to me? This deadly legend wanted to see me again?
“Pshh. Look,” he pressed. “I’m not trying at all. Who even are you anyway? What am I doing here?” With his arms out, he glanced around like he was lost.
The comedy of his performance shocked me out of my internal panic, and I couldn’t help but laugh. If he wanted to see me again, I couldn’t deny it would be nice to feel his hands all over me. To get to rove my hands over him like he’d promised. I flushed again. “Okay, fine, if you can even remember me by next week, come see me at home.”
He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Next week?”
If he pushed any harder, I’d break, but I was afraid he’d forget about me by next week, and I’d rather get that over with. The way my stomach was clenched, I couldn’t survive too many days with him in my life. With a cooling-off period, he’d get busy with a string of other girls. He could pick them up absolutely anywhere he went. This was the only way. Like telling a toddler they could have their candy later, knowing they’d forget. Except I wasn’t sure which of us was the toddler in this scenario. “What’s wrong? You can’t wait that long?”
He threw his hand over his heart in mock offense. “Of course I can. Are you kidding? Next week? Girl, you’re boiling over. I can see it. Hold on, though.” He held up a finger and met my eye. “I’ll be back next week.” Then he relaxed again, and that cool cat demeanor returned. “If I even remember you, that is. Which is doubtful.”
There it was. Even he knew. I laughed anyway because at least he was being decent about it. “Okay then. But, come by my house, okay? Don’t come back here. It’s stupid, but it makes me uneasy.” For the ten years I’d worked here, I would never have been allowed to have a date come to see me. Ivan would have been livid, so it was cemented in my brain, and it sent chills up my spine to see Maverick standing in Ivan’s space.
It wasn’t likely Maverick would be back for me anyway, but just in case, I had to draw that line.
He narrowed his eyes skeptically, but I just smiled, trying to keep the mood light.
Eventually, he nodded silently, but he didn’t make a move.
Like he was still considering something.
I wondered what he was thinking.
I wasn’t worth the hassle, or maybe I was hiding a boyfriend?
There was no time to have a big thing with him about this, though. I had to get inside; Stacy was waiting for me. “Great, okay then. Bye!” I waved.
At first, he didn’t move, and I thought it was going to be a problem. Then he inclined his head with a quirk of his lips. “Yeah, okay. Sure. See ya. ”
As he turned and walked away, I watched the way those jeans hugged his tight ass. He caught me when he turned and winked, but he didn’t wait for a reaction before swaggering off down the street.