

HOT INK

INKED IN THE STEEL CITY BOOK 1

RANAE ROSE

HOT INK

Mina never meant to fall for her sexy tattoo artist, Eric, or to become a model. But when she's asked to pose in a photo shoot for the Hot Ink tattoo studio, she can't say no. She finally gets a look at Eric's tattoos when they're cajoled into posing together, and in a few breathtaking moments, an on-camera kiss turns the passion they're asked to fake into something very real, leaving them both wanting more.

The only problem is that Mina's not the glamour girl she looks like on the Hot Ink posters, or even in a tattoo magazine. She's only twenty-four, but being the sole guardian of her disabled younger sister has left her feeling much older. Will Eric still be interested when he gets to know the girl behind the ink and the make-up and finds out that she and her little sister are a package deal?

Book 1 in the Inked in the Steel City Series

"A delightful story of love, tattoos, responsibility, fate and taking chances."

-Manic Readers

"Need an afternoon full of sexy ink and sensual romance? Then you need Hot Ink."

-Joyfully Reviewed
eBooks are not transferable. This book may not be sold, shared or given away. Doing so would be an infringement of the copyright.

This book is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are products of the author's imagination and are in no way real. Any resemblance to real events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Hot Ink

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2011 Ranae Rose

Cover image by: YT

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CHAPTER 1

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

A sensual shiver raced down Mina's spine as Eric settled his hands on her side and metal hummed as the needle bit into her skin. It started as a dull burn and increased in intensity as the force of the tattoo gun sent vibrations through her ribs, hammering against them more times than she could feel, let alone count. Eventually he paused to wipe excess ink away with a clean towel.

"I don't know how you can stand it," Karen said, her auburn ponytail swinging around her jaw as she shook her head, pressing her fingertips to her temples. "Doesn't it hurt?"

Mina wore her dark brown hair loose around her shoulders. She closed her dark eyes as the pain intensified and gave a ghost of a nod. The gesture was the best she could do considering that she was lying on her side, which put her cheek flush against the vinyl headrest of the tattoo chair. "Yes."

"I think I'd pass out if it was me," Karen said.

Eric started again, keeping the towel at an arm's length as he applied the gun to Mina's ribs.

"Actually, I think I might pass out anyway." Karen leaned against the wall, tilting her head back and closing her eyes.

Mina clenched her jaw as Eric hit a particularly painful spot. The tiny needle felt more like a chisel pounding away at her rib. "It's not that bad."

Karen opened her green eyes and narrowed them as she watched Eric labor over Mina's side, carefully filling out the outline he'd inked into her skin days ago. "I'm not convinced."

Mina was about to take back what she'd said when Eric stopped, mopping her side with the towel again. "Do you need to take a break?" he asked.

"I'm all right," Mina replied. The large, ornate tattoo would never get finished if she took a break every five minutes. "I think Karen might need some fresh air, though."

Karen shook her head. "I'll be fine as long as you don't come near me with that thing." She eyed the tattoo gun Eric held as if it were a venomous snake that might strike out at her.

"Deal," he said. "Though I can't promise the same for Mina."

Mina's heart fluttered, and not just because the whir of the skin-piercing needle had started up again. The sound of her name escaping Eric's lips captured her attention, distracting her from the pain of being tattooed – for a moment, anyway. She stole a glance at him, peering under her arm, which he'd instructed her to hold stretched over her head in order to keep her skin taut.

He was so hot. She hadn't known that when she'd chosen him to do her tattoo. She'd browsed online for hours before finally selecting him because of the impressive work displayed in his online showcase. The website had included a picture of him, but he'd been bent over a client's arm, half his face hidden beneath a crop of short black hair that had just a hint of a wave to it. She'd forgotten her own name for half a moment when he'd introduced himself to her in the tattoo shop days ago, meeting her surprised stare with a pair of gorgeous sky-blue eyes. She'd been back almost every day since, and each time she went home sorer but happier. Her tattoo would be finished within the next few days.

Karen seemed to have recovered from her bout of squeamishness and was craning her neck, studying the partially finished design. "I have to admit, it's going to look nice when it's finished."

"Thanks."

"You should let me take some photos when it's done."

Mina nodded her consent. Karen was determined to eventually ditch her waitressing job and devote herself full-time to her photography, which she practiced constantly. Mina had been roped into posing for her dozens of times already. What was one more time, especially when she knew Karen wouldn't take no for an answer?

"Maybe you could shoot me an e-mail with a photo or two," Eric said. "I have a feeling this is going to be one of the best pieces I've ever done and it'd be nice to have some good images for my portfolio." He stopped tattooing and pressed the towel to Mina's side. "That is, if you don't mind."

Mina was just about to reply when Karen spoke, her ponytail whirling like a helicopter blade as she nodded. "I'd be glad to send you the images. Make sure to give me your e-mail address before you leave."

"Take a card. They're right there." He motioned toward a small stack of business cards that rested on the half-wall that divided the booth from the rest of the shop.

Karen snatched one and eagerly stuffed it into her purse. Mina recognized the gleam in her friend's eyes. It was the same look she got every time she scented a whiff of possible publicity in the air. She'd take any opportunity to get her work out there where it could be seen, even in the smallest of venues, such as a local tattoo artist's online portfolio. "You won't be disappointed by the photos."

"Great." Eric had gone back to work already, leaving Mina no chance to offer her blessing on the use of the images.

Not that she minded. She would have said yes to any artist asking the same favor, and Eric was certainly no exception. In fact, the thought of him admiring the photos of her tattoo lit a spark of satisfaction somewhere in her middle. She'd found herself looking forward to coming to the shop each day not just to watch her carefully-planned tattoo develop, but for the sheer pleasure of spending time with Eric. That was why she'd invited Karen to come along today. She'd run out of small talk to make with him and lying on the vinyl chair in silence made her nervous. She could count on her chatty best friend to keep conversation flowing.

An hour later, Mina climbed stiffly out of the chair. "Careful," Eric said. "Get up too fast and you might pass out."

Mina's heart skipped a beat as he gently gripped her arm just above her elbow, steadying her. "Thanks."

He began to clean her tattoo, sponging away the ink that was smeared from her ribs to the waist of her jeans. When it was finished, the design would span her entire left side, stretching from just below her shoulder to her hip in an intricate scroll of blossoming vines. "This is going to look great," he said, thoughtfully surveying her side as he prepared a long length of bandage.

Mina wondered what it might be like to have him look at just her without studying his work, and her spine tingled. His blue eyes were intense and vivid, like a summer sky just before a storm rolls through. A heavy feeling settled into the pit of her stomach as he applied the bandage and she pulled down the hem of her shirt, ready but reluctant to leave.

"So, see you tomorrow?" he asked, finally meeting her gaze.

She stopped herself before she could frown, and when he leaned casually against the counter, she tried not to notice the way his biceps shifted beneath his sleeves. "Not tomorrow. Wednesday."

"That's right." He nodded. "Sorry, I got used to you coming in every day and forgot." His full lower lip jutted out just the tiniest bit, the motion so slight that she might have thought she'd imagined it if the corners of his mouth hadn't turned down for half a moment before he plastered on a surprisingly charming smile. "See you Wednesday, Mina."

"Looking forward to it," she replied, unable to resist smiling back as she exited the booth, shooting one last glance at his biceps. He wore long sleeves to ward against the late September chill, but she'd bet anything that they were tattooed. And there was nothing quite like a set of muscular tattooed arms, as far as she was concerned.

"What was that all about?" Karen asked as soon as she and Mina stepped out of the shop, emerging into the brisk early fall air.

"What?" Mina asked, half-lost in a daydream about what kind of designs Eric might have inked across his biceps – or anywhere else, for that matter.

Karen shot her an incredulous glance. "Uh, the way he pouted when you said you weren't coming back tomorrow?"

"He didn't pout." Even as she said it, she had to suppress a smile. If Karen had noticed it, it was true – Eric had been disappointed to know she wouldn't return the next day. She bounced on the balls of her feet as she strode down the sidewalk. "You must have imagined it."

"Oh no I didn't." She touched Mina playfully on the shoulder. "He's got a crush on you."

"A crush? What are we, seven?"

Karen shrugged. "Okay, he's got the hots for you and is probably thinking about how to get into your pants right now. That grown-up enough for you?"

Mina snorted, pretending indifference as Karen's proclamation sparked a flood of very grown-up, very vivid thoughts. "Come on. I'm going to be late." She quickened her pace as they rounded the corner and a parking garage came into view. "Jess will be waiting for me."

* * * * *

"Mina, I finally found it!" Jess seized her backpack from where it hung on the back of her wheelchair and began to rummage through it enthusiastically as Mina closed the apartment door.

"Found what?"

"The perfect dress," Jess said, thumbing breathlessly through a dog-eared catalogue.

"Let's see." Mina leaned over Jess's shoulder as she opened the magazine to a specific page and pointed to a teenaged model wearing a purple gown. "It's beautiful."

"I know," Jess said, clutching the catalogue to her chest. "Mina, do you think we could... I mean, I don't know how much it costs, but do you think we could check?" She gazed up at Mina hopefully, her dark eyes shining. Eye color was where the two girls' similarities ended. Jess's hair was honey-blond like their mother's. She and Mina had been born ten years apart to different fathers – Mina's Korean-American and Jess's Caucasian. Most people didn't even realize they were sisters at first, though Mina was closer to Jess than any other person on the planet. Although Jess was confined to a wheelchair, she was as vivacious as they came. In comparison, Mina was more reserved, but the ten year age difference and the fact that Mina was completely responsible for her younger sister easily explained that dissimilarity.

"Is there a website where we can do a price check?"

Jess nodded, pointing to a URL printed at the bottom of the page.

Within minutes, Mina had pulled up the dress in an online store, using the computer that sat in one corner of their living room, which was just large enough for Jess to navigate in her chair. Her stomach dropped as she eyed the price. It cost almost as much as a month's rent.

Jess sat unusually still and quiet in her chair, her eyes darting between the screen and Mina's face as she awaited the verdict.

Mina suppressed a sigh. Jess had been chattering about the homecoming dance ever since school had started in August, anxiously anticipating the event, which was now only weeks away. She already had a date. Mina was the head of the household, but she was still only twenty-four and she vividly remembered being fourteen and in high school. She knew exactly what it was like to pour over the teen dress catalogues with a group of girlfriends, oohing and ahhing over all the pretty gowns. She also knew what it was like to watch her friends choose their gowns one by one and to be left out. Her mother hadn't been able to afford a dress for her, and hadn't wasted any tears over the fact. Mina hadn't been able to turn to her dad and beg like several of her friends had, thanks to the fact that her father had disappeared when she'd been a toddler. She'd never gone to any of her own high school dances. "What size do you wear again?"

If Jess wasn't going to let the fact that she couldn't walk stop her from attending the dance, Mina sure as hell wasn't going to let lack of money ruin it for her.

Jess's eyes widened. "You mean I can get it?" The magazine crackled as she gripped it tightly, wringing the pages in her excitement.

"Sure do."

Jess threw her arms around Mina's waist. "You're the best!"

Mina tried to smile and wince at the same time and ended up grimacing. "Thanks, but you're hurting me."

"Oh, sorry!" Jess exclaimed, quickly unhanding her. "I forgot about your new tattoo."

"That's all right. Are you sure this is the dress you want?"

"Yes."

"Then you're going to have it."

* * * * *

Eric carefully removed the last of the excess ink from her skin, wiping away a stream of it before setting the towel aside. "Okay. We're finally done."

Mina sat up slowly, clutching the cover she held over her chest and eyeing her reflection in the large mirror that took up all of one of the booth's walls. Eric looked too, and she was careful not to meet his eyes in the mirror. His gaze was arresting, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to look away if she made eye contact. She'd come to the shop several days a week for a week and a half and had spent hours lying on her side in the reclining chair as Eric filled out the ornate design that stretched from just below her shoulder to her hip.

"What do you think? Are you happy with it?"

She couldn't deny the pull of his gaze any longer. Lifting her head, she looked at his reflection in the mirror. "It's perfect."

He smiled. "Great. I think it turned out beautifully too. Is your friend still planning on taking those photos?"

Mina nodded. "You'd need a small army to stop her." Once Karen decided that she wanted to photograph something, denying her was like stopping a freight train.

He laughed and began to clean the tattoo, preparing a bandage. "I can't wait to see them."

Mina's stomach fluttered nervously as he finished applying the bandage and left the booth, granting her privacy to drop the cover she clutched over her chest and pull on her top. She went braless – the fresh tattoo scrolling across her ribs left her no choice – and quickly pulled on her jacket, zipping it to the neck. Her heart sank a little as she stepped out of the booth, closing the half-door behind herself. She'd grown used to stopping by the shop most afternoons. In fact, knowing that she'd see Eric had been what had pulled her through her work days, allowing her to remain positive despite the fact that she had to work in close proximity to her new bitch of a co-worker.

"Thanks again," he said, extending a hand. He'd removed his gloves and his skin was warm and slightly rough against Mina's as she took it. "I'm glad you came to me for this tattoo."

She found herself nodding as she shook his hand, locked in eye contact. She was close enough to see that his eyes weren't just one shade of blue, but a dozen different hues, ranging from pale grey to a deep azure, the different colors arranged in striations that blended together at a distance. She found herself wanting to lean closer, to look until she could see the reflection of her own eyes in his irises and their lips brushed. She didn't, of course, but her heart picked up speed at just the thought. "See ya." It was a lame thing to say, but what else was there? The tattoo was done and she wouldn't be spending her afternoons with him anymore.

He dropped her hand and she turned, picking up her purse from where it rested on the half wall that sectioned off the booth.

"Hey."

She turned as she slung her bag over her shoulder, her breath catching a little as she met his eyes again. "Yeah?"

"I have about an hour before my next appointment. Want to get a cup of coffee?"

For the first time that day, she felt a little lightheaded, as if she'd sat up too quickly after the tattoo session. "I don't have much time." She bit the inside of her lip, shooting a glance at the clock on the wall. Jess's art club meeting would end in forty-five minutes and her high school was a twenty minute drive from the tattoo studio.

"There's a place right across the street," Eric offered, his blue eyes clear and inviting. His biceps strained his sleeves as he shifted his stance and Mina found herself wondering what might be inked across them – she was sure there was something. There had to be. Whoever heard of a tattoo artist with no tattoos? If his looked half as perfect as the rest of him, they had to be amazing.

"Okay." She smiled tentatively and her nerves buzzed as he took a step forward, coming within a hairsbreadth of invading her personal space.

"Let me grab my jacket." He took a few long strides forward and plucked a simple black jacket from a hook in the lobby, then slipped into it, placing yet another layer of concealing clothing over his tempting biceps and whatever designs might be inked across them.

They passed a couple people languishing on a comfortable couch, perhaps waiting for appointments, and Eric held the door open for Mina. She flashed him a small smile as she stepped out into the chilly fall air. A gust of wind tossed her loose hair around her neck like a scarf, and her nipples pricked instantly against her shirt. Fortunately, her jacket was thick enough to hide them from Eric. Though he'd spent hours with his hands on her body, this was different. The gloves were gone and he was looking at her – just her – as they started down the sidewalk, walking side by side. She wasn't his client anymore. She was...well, maybe not his date, exactly. But something like that.

The soles of her boots scuffed against the sidewalk, conspiring with the breeze and scattering leaves to form an awkward symphony. She should say something. But what?

"So, are you from around here?" Eric turned his startlingly blue gaze upon her and her stomach flip-flopped.

"Not originally," she said, burying her hands in her pockets as much as for something to do as to warm them. "My family moved around a lot when I was a kid." By family she meant herself, Jess, their mother and whatever boyfriend-of-the-month had been living with them at the time, but there was no need to bring that up. She and Eric were having a quick cup of coffee, not pouring out their life stories over a bottle of expensive wine. Or whatever people drank when they bared their souls to someone else. Presumably, it was alcoholic.

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded. "Originally, I'm from Chicago, though I haven't lived there since I was about three." That was when her father had left and her mother had begun the patternless string of relocations that would characterize Mina's entire childhood. No matter where they'd gone, Mina's mother had never found happiness, and Mina had lived in the shadow of her discontent, an afterthought in her mother's constant search for something different. Ironically, she'd made the same poor decisions time after time, perhaps thinking that living in a different city meant she'd finally get different results. "What about you?"

He shrugged. "Been living here my whole life."

"It's not so bad here." Pittsburgh wasn't too big or too small. It was just right, as far as she was concerned.

He nodded. "Not bad at all."

The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted toward Mina on a sudden breeze, mouthwatering. Eric held the café door open for her, and the bite of the wind was replaced by perfectly warmed air and a dozen tempting scents. Her nervousness ebbed as her stomach rumbled lowly. She'd had a snack in the car on her way to the tattoo studio, but that seemed ages ago. The air was laced with the seductive scent of vanilla, and when her turn came to order, she chose a vanilla latte – a perennial favorite that seemed especially appealing on such a cool day.

"How about something to eat?" Eric asked.

Mina eyed the case of baked goods wistfully before shaking her head. "I really don't have time." Besides that, she didn't have the cash to spare. Not if she was going to be able to afford Jess's homecoming dress. Even the latte was a splurge, but she hadn't been able to say no to Eric. The coffee would just have to hold her over until after she picked Jess up from school and made it home, where she'd cook dinner.

Her gaze wondered rebelliously toward the display again, and by the time she finally looked back to the register, Eric had pulled several bills from his wallet.

"Oh no," she hurried to say. "I can pay for mine."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, really. You don't have to do that."

"I really don't mind." He handed the money to the cashier, who tucked it inside the drawer, which closed with a final click.

She should have felt awkward as she took her coffee and headed to a nearby table with Eric, but instead she found herself fighting a smile. Maybe this was a date after all. Her stomach knotted up as the possibility settled over her. Should she really be sitting in a coffee shop with a guy she barely knew – albeit a really hot one – when she had to pick Jess up in just half an hour?

She wrapped her hands around her coffee cup, soaking up its warmth. It would be okay. She'd leave in time to pick up Jess. She wouldn't leave her waiting.

"So, about our new masterpiece," Eric said, one corner of his mouth hinting at a smile as it turned up, enough to affect Mina as much as his use of the word 'our'. "Why did you choose that design? If you don't mind me asking."

She dropped a hand below the table and began tracing lazy circles on the top of one thigh, biting the inside of her lip. "I guess I like the idea of being able to add beauty to my body, and I've always liked flowers." She scoffed at herself inwardly. 'Always liked flowers'? Everyone liked flowers. Any impression of intelligence she might have managed to give was probably evaporating faster than the steam rising from her coffee cup. "I mean, I enjoy growing them. I guess you could say I'm an amateur horticulturist. I was inspired by a photo of some flowering vines in one of my gardening books and my sister translated that into a tattoo design."

He raised his dark brows, his look of surprise highlighting the size and gleam of his blue eyes. His dark lashes surrounded them like sooty halos, and the effect was downright heavenly. "Wow. So is that what your sister does – she's an artist?"

Mina smiled. "Of sorts. She's a student."

"At Pitt?"

"No." Mina shook her head. "A high school student."

Eric's eyebrows climbed another fraction of an inch. "That makes it even more impressive. I can't believe a high schooler designed that tattoo."

"She's only fourteen."

"Wow." He raised his coffee to his full lips and drank, still looking impressed.

Mina repressed a sigh as she took her first sip of her latte. Some date she was. All she'd managed to do so far was to talk about her little sister. She probably sounded more like a middle-aged woman bragging about her daughter than a twenty-four year old. And yet, she couldn't deny that Eric's seemingly genuine interest fanned the flame of attraction that she'd held for him ever since she'd met him that first day in the shop. He seemed sweet, despite his pulse-quickening masculine build and the sexy tattoos that she imagined lurked beneath his shirt.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you have any siblings?"

"One brother." He set his coffee on the tabletop.

"That's—" Mina's phone rang, the melody mercifully stopping her from confirming her inability to make interesting conversation by finishing with 'nice'. "I'm sorry," she said, reading Jess's name on the caller ID. "I'll only be a sec." She whisked her finger across the screen, answering the call. "Hello – Jess?"

The small sip she'd taken of her latte seemed to curdle in her stomach as Jess answered. "You're where?" She gripped her coffee cup a little too tightly and hot liquid seeped out from under the lid, running over the sides and scalding her fingers. She yanked them away hastily. "Are you all right? Are you sure?"

Eric had grabbed some napkins and was mopping up the puddle of vanilla latte on the table, offering her a clean one for her fingers. She accepted it, blotting her fingers mechanically as she tilted her head, trapping her phone between her ear and shoulder. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving right now."

"Is everything all right?" Eric stood as Mina did, concern written across his gorgeous face, his blue eyes a shade darker than usual.

"No." Mina snatched up her purse. "It's my sister. She's in the emergency room. I have to go. I'm sorry." The pang of regret that assailed her as she met his amazing eyes for what would probably be the last time barely managed to cut through her panic.

Eric followed her to the door, leaving his coffee behind with her latte. "Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

"I have my own car. It's in the parking garage just a couple blocks from here." The bell over the café door jingled behind her as she stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Can I walk you there?"

She spared him a glance over her shoulder, trying not to let her regret show on her face. "No thanks. I've got to hurry. Thank you for the coffee though." She took off at a near jog, leaving him behind. If it hadn't been clear before, it was now – she wasn't meant to date Eric. Her commitment to Jess didn't leave any room for a boyfriend.
CHAPTER 2

The sterile smell of the hospital sent Mina's heart racing and stomach churning. She walked as quickly as she could without running, her purse swinging at her side like a battle weapon. She forced down a wave of adrenaline as she stopped in front of an information desk and asked the receptionist where she could find Jessica Carson. "I'm Mina Lee, her guardian."

The receptionist studied her computer screen for a few moments and gave her a room number.

An elevator ride and two corridors later, Mina was greeted by a particularly strong wave of antiseptic smell as she stepped into the coordinating room. It brought back memories she would have done anything to avoid revisiting. That was impossible thought, and her heart and body both ached as she was transported back in time seven years, to the most miserable weeks of her life. "Oh God, Jess, what happened?"

Jess was sitting in her wheelchair, her face pale in comparison to an alarming patch of crimson at her hairline. A nurse was at her side and an unfamiliar mousy woman sat in a chair in the far corner, presumably the teacher who Jess had said had driven her to the emergency room.

"Did you fall out of your chair?"

Jess shook her head. "No, I hit my head on the corner of a locker bank at school. I'm okay."

"You're her sister?" the nurse asked.

Mina nodded.

"It's not a very large wound," the nurse assured her. "It should only take about three stitches to close."

Large or not, it looked painful. A stream of blood began to streak over Jess's forehead and the nurse dabbed it dry with a towel. The sight was far too familiar. Mina kept her eyes wide open, refusing to even blink. If she closed her eyes, she knew she'd see blood and glass everywhere, the memory painted across the back of her eyelids. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on the present. "How did you hit your head on a corner if you were in your chair?"

Jess's gaze strayed from Mina and she folded her hands in her lap as she examined the large jars of cotton balls and tongue depressors that were lined up on a nearby counter. "Someone bumped into me."

"Someone? Your chair weighs over ninety pounds, and that's not including you."

"Okay, a group of girls bumped into me. I was on my way to the art room after classes ended and they ran into me in the hall. It tilted my chair and I hit my head."

Mina gripped the edge of the counter, struggling for the right words as anger began to replace the panic that had filled her as she'd raced to the hospital. How the hell did an entire group of girls accidentally run into someone in a wheelchair with enough force to tilt the sturdy base and throw the occupant's head against the locker bank? "Was it an accident?"

Jess appeared extremely fascinated by a jar full of wooden tongue depressors, but her fidgeting hands gave her away. "I don't think so."

"Who did this?" Mina asked through clenched teeth.

The woman in the corner finally spoke up. "Ms. Carson, I can assure you that I'll be looking into this and that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken if it's determined that your sister was deliberately harmed."

"It's Lee," Mina replied, "not Carson. And what do you mean if? Do you know how hard you'd have to bump into her to tilt her chair like that?" She'd hefted the chair in and out of her car's trunk often enough to know exactly how heavy it was. It wouldn't be easy for teenage girls to tip unintentionally, especially not while Jess was sitting in it. "If she says it wasn't an accident, it wasn't an accident." She turned to Jess. "What are the names of the girls who did this to you?"

The teacher looked uncomfortable, and the door swung open, preceded by a quick double-knock that saved her from having to reply. The doctor stepped in; tall, slender, middle-aged and cleanly dressed in blue scrubs and a crisp white lab coat. "Jessica Carson?"

Jess nodded and he stepped forward, glancing down at her chart. "Let's see." He took a few moments to examine her injury. "Well, the good news is that it's not a very large wound. I should be able to close it up with four stitches, tops." The friendly smile he flashed Jess didn't seem to have much of an effect.

She made a feeble attempt at returning the gesture. "Do you think you could use one of, you know, those butterfly bandages instead of actually stitching it shut?" Jess's hopeful tone played dangerously with Mina's emotions and spiked her anger. As she thought of the girls who'd inflicted Jess's injury, she couldn't help but feel capable of snapping the brats in half like so many cheap, wooden tongue depressors.

"Although the wound isn't long, it's too wide for just a bandage," the doctor explained. "Without suturing it would take a while to heal and you'd probably end up with a very noticeable scar."

"Oh." Jess held her own hands in her lap, both white-knuckled.

"Here," Mina said, forgetting her anger for a moment. "I'll hold your hand." She pried Jess's hands apart and inserted one of her own between them. "It won't take long, will it doctor?"

He shook his head. "Not long at all. We'll be done before you know it."

Jess didn't seem convinced, but she nodded, white-faced. "I don't want to see the needle." She squeezed her eyes shut. "But tell me before you give me the shot, okay?"

The nurse agreed and began to prepare a syringe full of anesthetic. The sight of the long needle made Mina want to cringe despite the fact that she'd just come from spending two hours having her own skin pierced continually. This was different – the numbing needle looked sinister and painful. Where exactly did all that length go when someone was receiving an injection in the head? Mina looked away as the nurse delivered the shot, squeezing Jess's fingers in what she hoped was a comforting manner when Jess began to wring her hands.

"There," the nurse said. "The worst is over with."

Jess opened her eyes just a crack. "You're done?"

The nurse nodded, setting the syringe aside on a tray.

Jess winced. "It feels like the needle is still inside my skin."

The doctor assured her that was normal and turned to a tray of gleaming silver instruments. The actual suturing was over within a couple short minutes. "That's it," he said as the nurse prepared a bandage. "This should heal up nicely." He left a few moments later, leaving Mina, Jess and the teacher alone with the nurse, who handed Mina a yellow sheet printed with care instructions. "If you have any problems or questions, you can take her to your family physician or bring her back here."

Mina nodded, accepting the papers she'd need to drop off at the front desk before they left the hospital. "Just a minute." She turned to the teacher, who had risen from her chair and slung her purse over her shoulder. "Miss—?"

"Adams," the woman said, extending a hand. "Ms. Lee, I really am sorry about all of this."

Mina nodded. "Thank you for bringing Jess to the emergency room. I'll be dropping by the school personally tomorrow to speak with the principal. I'm not going to let something like this go."

* * * * *

"Ready?"

"As long as you promise you're not going to put pictures of my boobs all over the internet."

Karen laughed. "Promise. Just tilt your chin down a teeny bit. That's perfect. Now hold that pose..."

Mina sat stone-still on a stool in front of a white paper background in Karen's small photography studio. It was barely the size of her apartment, but it worked. Fortunately, it was also very private. Mina glanced at the window to her left just to make sure that the blinds were completely closed. After all, she was sitting topless in the middle of the room and it felt awkward enough without anyone seeing her. Her side and back faced the camera, exposing her new tattoo, and her front was facing the background, her breasts covered modestly by her arm. Being photographed in nothing but her jeans still felt weird, but any sort of top would have covered her tattoo at least partially.

"These are turning out great."

Mina lifted her chin, peering over her shoulder at Karen, who was studying her camera's screen. "Are we done?"

Karen laughed, as if Mina's question had been a joke. "We're just getting started."

"How many ways are there to photograph one tattoo?"

Karen ignored her question. "You said you have to be out of here by a quarter 'till three, right?"

Mina nodded. She didn't have work today, but she still had to pick Jess up from school.

"Okay. We'll be done by then."

Mina shifted on the stool. "That's over an hour from now."

Karen started snapping pictures again. "Look directly at me this time."

"I thought these photos were just for Eric's portfolio." A shiver that had more to do with regret than the slight chill in the air raced down her spine as she remembered the sexy tattoo artist. "Does my face even need to be in any of them?" His blue eyes had been assailing her memory at random intervals ever since she'd left him on the sidewalk two days before. Had he thought of her since then, or had she bored him to the point that he didn't care that their date had been interrupted?

"I'm taking some extras."

"Of course you are." Karen never missed a chance to take full advantage of a willing – or at least semi-willing – model.

An hour later, Mina was dressed again and Karen was humming happily as she hooked her camera up to her laptop and began downloading the raw shots to her hard drive. "So today was Jess's first day back at school?"

"Yeah. The doctor wrote her a note excusing her from school the next day, and I thought it would be best if she took advantage of it."

Karen frowned. "Any word from the school on what they're going to do to those girls?"

Mina bit the inside of her lip, stifling an impatient sigh. "The principal said he'd get back to me today."

"But he hasn't?"

"I'm planning on stopping by his office when I pick Jess up today, if he hasn't called me by then." She glanced at the clock on the computer screen. It was almost time for her to leave. "Speaking of which, I'd better go."

"Don't you want to see the pictures first?"

"Can you just e-mail me the best – whichever one you send to Eric? I'd like to see what he'll be adding to his portfolio."

"Sure. Good luck with the principal."

Mina groaned. "I hate that he's dragging his feet about this. How can he act like there's anything to 'investigate' when those girls purposely hurt Jess out of jealousy?" It had taken some prying, but eventually Mina had gotten Jess to admit that the girls' ringleader was a classmate of hers who reputedly wanted to attend the homecoming dance with Jess's date. It was almost more than Mina could believe. Jess was beautiful and vivacious, but most high school boys would lack the courage to ask a wheelchair bound girl to a dance. Mina hadn't met Jess's date yet, but he had to be sweet – surely not the kind of boy who would fall for a catty bitch who'd assault a girl who couldn't walk.

"For what it's worth, I hope those girls get expelled and shipped off to some sort of military school for delinquents. Somewhere frigid, where it snows all year."

Mina smiled despite her freshly rekindled anger. "Thanks."

She left the small studio and stepped into the elevator, riding down to the first floor and exiting the building. As she thought of Karen sitting three stories above, choosing which photo to send to Eric, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if it were the other way around and when she arrived home, there would be a picture of him in her inbox, shirtless with his tattoos exposed.

* * * * *

"So how was your first day back at school?" Mina tried to sound casual as she stood at the counter, slicing vegetables with a little more force than was strictly necessary. The sight of the bandage on Jess's forehead renewed her anger each time she saw it, and she was still charged up from her second meeting with the principal.

"It was okay," Jess said from where she was sitting at the kitchen table with her homework spread out in front of her.

"Did those girls bother you?" Mina knew she sounded like an interrogative mother, but she didn't care.

Jess paused for a moment before answering. "No."

"Really?"

Jess sighed. "They didn't really do anything to me, but I heard them laughing at me – making jokes about my bandage and stuff like that."

Mina cleaved a red pepper in half and proceeded to reduce it to tiny slivers almost too thin for even a salad. So much for dipping the strips in the mix she'd already whipped up.

"It's not a huge deal," Jess said. "They're not going to be at school tomorrow, since you got them suspended."

"I didn't get them suspended. They got themselves suspended when they hurt you. And suspension isn't a tough enough punishment. They should be expelled."

"You already said that like a dozen times in the car."

"That doesn't make it any less true." She sighed. Maybe she was taking her frustration out on Jess, who was the last person who deserved it. "Sorry. I'm not trying to hash it all out again. I'm just so pissed."

Jess flipped a page in her notebook, scrawling something down. "It's okay. At least you care."

Mina nodded silently. She did care, which was more than Jess could possibly say about the woman she'd spent the first half of her life with: their mother, not to mention most of the foster parents she'd been stuck with for several years after that. The day Mina had turned eighteen had been the second best of her life. The very best had been when she'd obtained custody of Jess. She'd been twenty-one then. She hastily arranged the mutilated vegetables on a plate and sat it on the table beside Jess, along with a small dish of dipping sauce. "I'm going to take a break. Be back in a few minutes."

"'Kay."

Mina walked a few short steps, entered the bathroom and closed the door behind herself. Big enough to accommodate a wheelchair, the room was more generously sized than those in most of the apartment complex's units. Sunlight filtered through a high window, tinted green by the leafy potted plants she'd placed there in lieu of a curtain. She stripped down to her panties (she'd foregone a bra, opting for a top with a soft built-in shelf bra for the sake of her tattoo), draping her cotton shirt and jeans over the shower rod before surveying her left side in the mirror.

Her tattoo was still faintly red around the edges, though she didn't seem to have bruised much. Squirting a small dollop of antibacterial soap into her palm, she ran her hand under warm water before pressing it to her ribs. Gently, she massaged her side, her soap-slickened fingers gliding easily over her skin. The curves and flourishes of the vines were raised, as were the flowers that blossomed on them. The design stood out vivid and textured against her smooth olive skin. It hadn't begun to truly heal or even lose its scab yet, but it was already obvious that Eric had done a beautiful job.

Did he think so too? Karen might not have even sent him a photo yet, but if she had, what had he thought when he'd seen it? She cupped a handful of warm water and let it stream over her side, washing away the soap. Taking a clean towel from the small bathroom closet, she patted her skin dry. She loved the tattoo. If only she didn't suspect that she just might be able to feel the same way about the man who'd done it for her.

* * * * *

"Karen? Is everything okay?" Mina held her phone as she twisted the top off her bottled water. Karen didn't usually call her at work. Fortunately, she'd just clocked out for her lunch break.

"Everything's amazing. Guess what?"

Her water bottle cap spun off the table and bounced onto the floor. She stooped to pick it up, and when she straightened in her seat, a peroxide-blond woman was eyeing her from across the room. Ashley. She glared down her button nose at Mina as if talking on her phone while being off the clock and in the small break room was a crime. Unfortunately, lunch wasn't the only time of day Mina was forced to spend in Ashley's presence. Ashley was the bank's newest teller, which meant that Mina usually passed the entire day in the small area behind the counter with her. "What?"

"Eric loved the pictures," Karen said breathlessly.

Mina's heart fluttered, her senses spiking at the sudden mention of Eric. "Pictures? I thought you only sent him one."

Karen made a sound of dismissal. "There were at least a dozen shots that turned out great. I sent him the eight I thought were best."

"Okay..." She resisted the urge to say something idiotic, like 'what did he say'?

"Have you checked your e-mail lately?"

Mina shook her head before realizing that the gesture was useless. Ashley smirked at her from across the room, as if she'd noticed. She probably had. The nosy girl spent most of her time scrutinizing her co-workers – particularly Mina – watching for something to laugh at or make a snide comment about. "No. I didn't think you'd have the pictures ready so soon." Karen insisted on editing her photos to perfection before sending them to anyone. Mina hadn't thought it necessary for a simple snapshot of her tattoo, but she'd known that wouldn't stop Karen.

"I finished editing them yesterday." Her tone softened, a little of the enthusiasm going out of her voice. "I haven't had a client in over two weeks, so I had plenty of time."

"Sorry." Mina knew how badly Karen wanted to take her photography full-time and quit her waitressing job, but photography was a flooded field and drumming up enough business to scrape a living wasn't easy. Nevertheless, Karen was determined to become one of the best.

"It's all right. I just got a new client today." Mina could practically hear Karen grinning at the other end of the connection.

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"A guy who owns a little tattoo studio called Hot Ink."

Mina nearly dropped the cap again. "Are you serious?" Hot Ink was the shop where she'd just had her new tattoo done – the place where Eric worked, her quickening heart reminded her.

"One-hundred percent. They want me to take some pictures of their artists' work – you know, to use for advertisements and stuff like that. And that's not all. Guess what else they asked me?"

"What?"

"If you'd pose for some of the photos."

"What?" Mina's voice climbed an octave or two, and Ashley shot her a censorious look from across the room, frowning primly as she stirred an almost microscopic spoonful of dressing onto her salad.

"Eric showed the photos I sent him to the studio's owner and he thought they were amazing. He wants you to represent Eric's work."

Mina took a sip of her water, stalling for a little time to mull it all over. Her, in advertisements? Would that make her a model? She nearly laughed at the thought. At 5'5" and now with a considerable portion of her body covered in ink, she'd never imagined herself as one. "So, he wants to use the photos you took in some ads?"

"No, he wants me to take new photos of you."

"What was wrong with the old ones?" Mina remembered sitting topless on the stool in Karen's studio and shivered.

"Nothing. I just told the owner that if he was really serious about using photos for advertisements, he'd let me take some specifically for that. We can have your make-up professionally done, style your hair and all that."

"He wants my face to be in the photos?"

"Of course. Mina, it's not just about your tattoo. It's about you – you know, the person, the whole visual package and the woman behind the ink."

"Did you think that sales pitch up off the top of your head?"

"It's not a sales pitch. It's my vision for Hot Ink's advertisements."

"Okay, well, what did you say when he asked you if I'd pose for the photos?"

"I told him I thought you'd be really interested."

Mina sighed. Of course she had. Not that she didn't like the idea of Eric 'loving' the photos, though she doubted he'd used that exact word, but it was a little weird to think that someone wanted to use her image to advertise their business.

"I know what you're thinking," Karen said, "but listen. I know you could use the extra money. No offense – I'm in the same boat, after all."

Extra money? "You mean I'd be paid?"

"Of course. I mean, it's not much, just a couple hundred dollars, but it's something."

"I'll do it." It wasn't the flash of photo lights Mina pictured as she agreed, but the pretty purple gown she'd seen so recently on a real model. If she didn't order Jess's dress soon, it wouldn't arrive in time for the dance. And so far, she'd only managed to scrounge up about half of what she'd need to buy it.

"Great. How soon can you make it to the studio?"

"Don't you want to wait until my tattoo heals? It's still a little red around the edges."

"That's all right. I can photoshop that out."

"Well, the next day I have off work is Sunday."

"All right. Sunday at...how's noon sound?"

"Fine, I guess."

"Great. See you then." Karen hung up, leaving Mina alone with Ashley's frigid stares.

Mina ignored her, opening her lunch box and unwrapping the sandwich she'd packed. After a few bites she put down her food and pulled her phone out of her purse. Within moments she'd accessed her e-mail and was skimming through her inbox. Karen's message was near the top of the list, sandwiched between some spam and a newsletter. She opened it and the turkey-and-cheddar resting in her stomach seemed to turn to stone as she inspected the attached photos.

Karen really had sent Eric eight photos, and only two of them were the tattoo close-ups she'd thought they'd all be. The rest showcased Mina from her head to her hip, highlighting the colorful ink scrawling down her side. Her face was visible from various angles and the photos were...sexy. Her breasts were hidden demurely by the angle and her upper arm, but there was still no denying the sensuality of the pictures. Karen had directed her posing well, and the soft lighting she'd used was more than flattering. And then there was the fact that she'd edited the images to perfection, making sure that Mina's skin glowed flawlessly and her hair shone. She died a little inside knowing that Eric had seen the photos and shown them to his boss. And then she came back to life, her heart pumping way too fast for someone who was sitting in a chair digesting a sandwich.

A flash of washed-out gold caught Mina's eye and she turned to see Ashley leaning over her salad and craning her neck. Mina hid the screen and slipped her phone into her purse. Hopefully Ashley hadn't seen anything. Mina's tattoo would be just one more thing for Ashley to dislike about her. As Ashley sank slowly back into her seat, trying to look casual, Mina's gaze was drawn to a bright spot on Ashley's top – she'd leaned too low and a smudge of French dressing had stained her white sweater. The red-orange blotch was positioned directly over one nipple. Mina suppressed a smirk, saying nothing. Ashley would blame her whether or not she said anything, and speaking to her when it wasn't strictly necessary was generally something she tried to avoid.

* * * * *

"What's this?" Mina eyed the length of scarlet silk curiously as it slid through her hands like water.

"It's for modesty," Karen explained, turning and striding across the small studio to her beloved camera, leaving Mina perched on the stool.

A knock came at the door and Mina jumped, nearly slipping off the edge of her seat. Hastily, she clutched the material to her bare chest, covering herself. "Is someone else going to be here?" She tried to keep the edge of alarm out of her voice as Karen approached the door and laid a hand on the knob.

"I didn't mention it to you?" She managed to sound amazingly casual.

"No," Mina said through clenched teeth. Posing for the pictures was one thing. Having a stranger gawk at her while she sat half-naked and chilled on the stool was another.

Karen opened the door and the stranger walked in, only...he wasn't a stranger.

He was Eric.
CHAPTER 3

Eric's sky-blue eyes flickered immediately toward Mina and traveled over her exposed back and side for the briefest of moments before he averted them politely. "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, you're on time," Karen assured him. "We're just about to get started."

Mina's throat tightened, choking the words of shock that were whirling through her mind. What was Eric doing at the shoot, and how the hell had Karen forgotten to tell her that he was coming? She cleared her throat and tried to sound casual. She might as well try to put a brave face on and get the shoot over with as soon as possible. Jess was waiting at home and Mina had promised to help her with a research paper she was doing for her English class. "I didn't realize that anyone from Hot Ink would be coming to...uh, oversee the shoot."

Eric looked up, his gaze settling on her face this time, his eyes locking with hers. For some reason, it made her feel as if they were the only two people in the world. Everything else faded away for a moment: Karen, her studio and the elaborate light set-up...everything. "Am I making you uncomfortable? I could—"

Karen interrupted, shattering Mina's illusion of being alone with Eric. "He's here to make sure I capture images that will really showcase his work."

Mina nodded, hoping she didn't look as if that idea had never occurred to her.

"But that's not all," Karen continued, sounding like a game show host announcing prizes. "He's also here to model."

Fantasy visions flashed through Mina's mind unbidden, showing her an up-close view of his eye-catching biceps. If he was here to model, then his shirt must be hiding some incredible tattoos – just as Mina had suspected. Secret excitement mixed with her unease, causing her stomach to tie itself in anxious knots. "Really?"

Karen nodded. "One of the other artists at Hot Ink did some work for him and the owner wants those photos for advertisements."

The stool wobbled a little as Mina shifted her weight, still holding the silk close. She was going to see Eric's tattoos after all. She glanced down at the length of material. It was only fair, if he was going to see her like this. Not that he was seeing anything he hadn't touched when he'd actually done the tattoo, but this felt different.

"I can wait out in the hall if I'm making you uncomfortable."

A hint of heat crept into Mina's cheeks. Eric watched her with sincere, blue eyes, waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, Karen stood behind him, silently mouthing the words 'I need him'. "It's all right. I don't mind if you stay."

He nodded. "Thanks. Jed – that's the owner – couldn't be here, so he wanted me to come and give input, but I'm sure Karen doesn't need my help."

Karen beamed. "Don't be afraid to chime in if you have any suggestions. I want you to be happy with these photos."

He shrugged. "I was happy with the originals."

A warm glow of satisfaction enveloped Mina. Today her makeup was professionally done and Karen had put her hair up in an elegant knot and inserted some glittering diamond studs into her earlobes. But Eric liked the originals – the photos where she'd looked the same as she had in his tattoo chair and during their brief almost-date. Maybe it shouldn't have pleased her to know that – after all, it wasn't like they'd be going out again – but it did.

"Eric, can you stand beside Mina and hold this?" Karen handed him a grey card and stood ready with her camera.

"Sure." He stepped carefully onto the paper background, holding the grey card in front of himself like a shield. "This good?"

Karen nodded. "Perfect." A few test shots later, she was ready.

Eric retreated to a corner of the studio and Mina glanced after him, watching his shoulder muscles shift subtly beneath his shirt. A wave of combined longing and curiosity heated her cheeks. Hopefully the natural blush that accompanied it would be invisible beneath her heavy makeup.

"All right Mina, let's start with some poses like the ones we used the other day."

That was easy enough. All she had to do was sit on the stool, arching her back, setting her shoulders and dropping her chin at the prescribed angles, holding her silk for modesty all the while. Somehow, knowing that Eric was in the room made her exposure seem more daring than the technically topless session she'd posed for the other day.

By the time Karen finally called for a break, Mina had tilted her chin and positioned her shoulders in more ways than she'd thought possible. Eric had offered the odd suggestion here and there, but had mostly remained silent. At times, Mina had thought she'd felt his gaze on her – focused and intense. He was looking away now, but her nipples had pricked against the thin silk, banishing most of the modesty it had lent her. Her cheeks burnt as she eyed her sweater – it was draped across Karen's computer chair, which seemed a million miles away. If she'd known anyone else was coming, she would have changed in the closet of a dressing room and left her clothes there. Damn Karen.

"I'll step out of the room for a few minutes," Eric said.

His thoughtful concession eased Mina's nerves a little, and as the door closed behind him she hurried for the office chair, pulling on her cami and sweater. "So how do the photos look?"

Karen was lost in study, her head bent over her camera. "I'm not sure, but I think they came out...amazing." She looked up slowly, and her tone was almost reverent, as if she hadn't been the one who'd aimed the camera and captured the images. Her green eyes sparkled like polished jade, alight with apparent excitement.

Mina breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." Hopefully that meant Karen wouldn't try to wrangle her back in front of the lens again for any re-dos.

Eric knocked before reentering.

"Come on in," Karen called, her gaze still locked on her camera screen. "Would you like to see these?" She motioned toward Eric with her camera.

"I'm sure they're great." Instead of diverting his gaze to the screen, his eyes locked on Mina.

A thousand butterflies she hadn't realized were there erupted into flight somewhere in her middle.

"Okay then. You're up next."

Eric nodded stoically. What did he think of putting his body on display and posing? Mina wondered as he strode onto the paper, stopping in front of the background.

"Should I stand or sit?"

"Standing should be fine."

He set the stool aside.

Karen stepped up and readied her camera.

Mina's heart was stuck somewhere in her throat. The moment of truth had arrived. She couldn't help but stare as Eric gripped the bottom of his long sleeved cotton shirt, preparing to pull it over his head.

He whisked it away without hesitation, revealing a perfectly toned torso and plenty of ink. An intricate design spiraled down his upper right arm, the rich black ink swirling in a graceful pattern.

"Mina, do me a favor and hand him the grey card."

Mina moved mechanically, picking up the grey card with suddenly hot hands and striding toward Eric. A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her when he met her eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem." She handed off her flimsy burden and backed away, out of Karen's line of fire. She nearly tripped over the edge of the background when something – a hint of more dark ink – caught her eye, causing her to pause. Eric turned a little at Karen's bequest, revealing more of what had captured Mina's attention.

The design on his biceps wasn't his only tattoo. In fact, it looked small and simple in comparison to the masterpiece inked across his back. She sidled to the right a little, taking it all in. A huge dragon wound its way across his back, its open mouth gaping on one shoulder while its tail tapered off and then flared to an end just above his hips. It was beautifully done in black and grey, every scale painstakingly detailed.

"You like it?"

Mina snapped her gaze from Eric's skin, surprised by his question. He was peering at her over his shoulder, his eyes as warm and arresting as ever.

"Yeah. It's amazing."

He gave her a hint of a smile.

"Eric, face me then turn your chin an inch or so to the left."

The spell of their locked gazes was broken by Karen's instructions. Mina did her best to fade into the background, sinking down onto Karen's computer chair. She would have preferred to stare at Eric as Karen directed him, carefully capturing every inch of his body art with her camera. She was too embarrassed to be so obvious though, so she turned her attention to Karen's desktop instead.

A magazine caught her eye, its corner protruding from beneath an empty takeout container. Mina picked it up and stared down at the glossy cover in bemusement. A woman posed flamboyantly, her rear to the camera, clad only in a pair of mesh panties. Double dragons had been inked across her ass cheeks. They were nowhere near as well-done as Eric's dragon, but they were eye-catching, if nothing else. Mina scanned the title. It was a tattoo art and culture magazine, like something one might find on a table in a tattoo studio waiting room. When had Karen picked it up?

Apparently she was really getting into the idea of photographing tattoos. Not that that was surprising – she threw herself one hundred and ten percent into every photography project that she did. If work ethic alone were enough to make it in the business, she'd be at the top already.

"That's perfect."

Mina glanced up, letting her eyes flicker toward Eric. He stood with his shoulder at an angle to the camera, showing off the artwork that scrolled down his arm and hinting at the masterpiece on his back at the same time. He had to be flexing a little bit – his arm was sleek and defined beneath the ink. How did he manage to stay so fit when he spent his days in a chair, carefully focusing on work that required an expert, steady hand, but not so much in the way of biceps? Maybe he worked out. She let her gaze sweep over his toned body again. Yes, he definitely worked out.

"Okay, let's give that dragon some face time."

Eric turned his back to the camera.

Karen clicked away.

Mina died a little inside. Why had Eric had to ask her to the coffee shop on that day – the one where she'd had to run out on him after five minutes? Would there have been a second date if things had gone differently? She chewed the inside of her lip, casting a cursory glance at the tattoo magazine because she was afraid Eric would feel her hungry stare on his back. It had probably been for the best that she'd had to leave. How could she possibly keep a guy – especially a hot one like Eric – interested when she devoted ninety-five percent of her time to caring for Jess and working at the bank? She spent what little free time she had tending the dozens of potted plants she'd cultivated in her apartment. Not exactly man-catching material. She might as well face it – she was boring.

"That should do," Karen finally said, lowering her camera and smiling down at the screen like it was her first-born child. "Unless..." A thoughtful expression played across her face.

Eric arched an eyebrow. "Unless?"

Karen surprised Mina by glancing back at her, and Eric followed her gaze. A flush heated Mina's cheeks as his blue eyes locked with hers. He'd caught her looking. Karen was talking to her, but she couldn't spare her a glance. Her world was rapidly dwindling to include only herself, Eric and the silent connection between them.

"I was thinking – I could probably get some really incredible shots if you two were willing to pose together."

If she'd been eating or drinking, Mina would have choked. "Together? Eric and me?"

Karen nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. You both have gorgeous tattoos. Don't you think it'd be cool?"

Mina shrugged, intensely aware of Eric's gaze on her. A part of her wanted to skip onto the set and sidle right up to him. Another part wanted to sink into the chair and never reappear again. "Did the owner of Hot Ink ask for shots like that?"

Karen shook her head slowly. "No, but if they turn out anything like what I'm picturing, I think he'll be glad I took them. So if it's all right with you two..." She looked directly at Eric.

"It's fine with me," he said.

Mina swallowed the knot of anxiety that had formed in her throat. "Okay." What else could she have said after he'd agreed?

Karen beamed. "Fantastic." She picked up the length of red silk and tossed it to Mina.

She managed to catch it, if just barely, and promptly turned the same color as the fabric. The thought of posing with a shirtless Eric, barely covered by the thin silk...it was downright naughty. Decadent. And embarrassing.

Eric politely turned away, facing the background. The black and grey dragon leered at Mina from between his shoulder blades. Feeling as if she were moving in slow motion, she pulled her shirt over her head and quickly clutched the silk to her chest. It didn't do nearly enough to hide her nipples, which hardened as the material glided over them. She let the fabric bunch and drape, hopefully obscuring her femininity at least a little.

A few moments later, she was standing in front of the paper background with barely two feet of space separating her and Eric.

"Scoot a little closer to him, Mina." Karen gave directions without a hint of empathy for Mina's shyness. "Put your shoulder against his chest."

Mina's entire being flooded with warmth as her skin met his and a shiver raced down her spine despite the heat. She prayed that he hadn't felt it. His chest was as smooth, firm and hot as a rock left out beneath the sun. She willed the tension out of her muscles, forcing herself to relax against him at Karen's insistence.

"Try to look natural," she instructed.

Mina suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Look natural while leaning against the shirtless guy who'd constantly been making his way into her daydreams over the past couple weeks? Not likely. She was no actress.

"Eric, rest your hand on her hip."

Mina's skin pebbled as he obeyed, settling a hand on the denim of her jeans, and her nipples shrunk to what had to be an all-time record of tininess beneath her flamboyant red excuse for modesty. She clung to it helplessly, feeling as if she'd been swept out to sea by a riptide of hopeless longing. They were so close, she could feel his breath on her neck. If he knew how much that fact affected her, he'd probably think she was an idiot. In reality, she was a twenty-four year old with the responsibilities of a forty year old and hardly any more romantic experience than a teenager. It was a devastating combination, especially when she considered that she might have had a chance at feeling him touch her this way outside of a photo shoot if things had been different.

But they weren't. So she let Karen boss her around, obeying when she urged her to twist and turn against Eric, posing at various angles that showed off each of their tattoos, all of the poses keeping them entangled in new – and for Mina – exciting ways. It was clear that Karen's vision for the photos was a sexy one – one that made Mina and Eric look like a couple. If Mina had known from the beginning that Karen had intended to direct Eric to move his hands all over her body, she probably never would have mustered up the courage to get up out of the computer desk chair.

"Eric, put your hand under her chin. And Mina, look up at him. Try for a soft expression."

Eric gazed down at Mina with a questioning look in his eyes. Clearly, he understood much better than Karen did that the instructions were embarrassing her. Mina nodded her consent and melted inside, going way beyond soft as Eric pressed his fingers lightly beneath her chin. "I have no idea what a 'soft expression' is," Mina said, glancing at Karen for a split second before returning her attention to Eric.

"You're doing it perfectly." Karen snapped away, as if afraid that the moment would pass and she'd be left without photographic evidence.

Mina was more grateful than ever for the heavy makeup. Continuing to meet Eric's gaze for the sake of the pose was a blessing and a curse at the same time. On one hand it felt surprisingly natural, and on the other hand, that fact was worrying in and of itself. It shouldn't have felt natural to stand there pressed against Eric with only a thin layer of silk between them. She could feel his heart beating and he could probably feel hers too. It should have been intensely awkward, and while it was somewhat uncomfortable, Mina suspected that it wouldn't have felt nearly as much so if Karen hadn't been there. If they weren't being photographed, if it were just the two of them...

"Crazy idea..." Karen said, and Mina realized that she'd stopped taking pictures. "But do you two think you could look like you're about to kiss?" As if she sensed Mina's sudden spike of alarm, she hurried to elaborate. "I mean, your lips don't have to touch or anything. If you could just part them a little and lean a bit closer... It would be the best photo of the session. I just know it." Her tone was half-pleading by the time she finished.

Eric didn't give Mina a chance to respond. Instead, he leaned closer, his breath heating her lips as he exhaled slowly. She could smell the pleasant sharpness of mint on his breath, as if he'd foreseen Karen's shameless demands and prepared. Her lips tingled, her mouth moistening in automatic response to his closeness. Karen made a victorious sound, and then Mina forgot all about her as Eric kissed her.

All the bones in her body seemed to melt as the embrace Karen had instructed Eric to wrap Mina in became firm and real, nothing like the imitation of passion that had preceded it. He tasted as fresh and sweet as he smelled, and Mina lost her breath in a rush as he pulled her tighter against him, slipping just a hint of his tongue past her lips. She yielded to him, her heart hammering against his chest. He lifted his hand from her shoulder, tracing the curve of her neck with his fingertips and burying it in her hair.

"Oh. My. God." Click. Click. Click.

Mina became aware of the world again and regretted it as Eric pulled slowly away, gently breaking the seal of their kiss.

"You guys!" Click. "That was incredible!"

One last rush of Eric's breath against her lips and the magic was over, the bond of intimacy between them dispelled by Karen's presence. "Take a look at this, Mina!"

Karen extended her camera, flashing the screen in Mina's direction – which was also Eric's, seeing as how they were still entwined. It was a good thing too, because Mina had all but forgotten her silk and it had slipped, the ends hanging loosely at her sides. It was sandwiched between her and Eric's bodies, their closeness the only thing holding it up. She silently implored some higher power to not let him move as she scrambled for a hold on the material, and as she shifted almost imperceptibly, she realized that there was a reason why he was holding so still – he was hard.

Karen was oblivious, and Mina could only hope that she'd stay that way. Even after she managed to get ahold of the rebellious silk, she didn't try to escape his grasp. The fact that she'd just had her first kiss in ages in front of her best friend and on camera was embarrassing enough. She could at least spare Eric – and herself – the awkwardness of Karen realizing that the kiss hadn't been play-acted solely for the benefit of her photographic vision.

"This is the photo, Mina." Karen danced back and forth on the balls of her feet, jostling the screen so that Mina was barely able to catch a glimpse of the image. "Thank you so much, you guys." She danced away, and Mina turned to Eric, feeling the pull of his gaze like a magnet.

Her breath caught in her lungs when she met his eyes, and for a split second the air of intimacy flared up between them again and she thought he might reinitiate the kiss. He only extended his hand though, offering her the end of the length of silk, which had somehow become entangled in his grasp. A powerful flush heated her face as she looked at him standing there, the delicate material caught in his fist. It would only have taken half a moment and a minimum of effort on his part to pull her cover away, baring her from the waist up. The look in his eyes told her that his gaze would have fallen on much more than just the ink he'd put in her body if it hadn't been for the silk.

She took it silently, and with one last lingering gaze, he pulled away from her, putting space between their bodies for what seemed like the first time in hours. Suppressing a sigh, Mina drifted to where she'd draped her top across the back of the computer chair and pulled it on. When she cast a quick glance over her shoulder, Eric was still facing the background, presumably waiting for his hard-on to subside. The set of his shoulders was tense, his muscles tight and defined beneath the ink. She felt just the opposite – as if she might melt into a puddle on the floor at any moment.

"I can't believe how well these images turned out. I've never been so happy with the results of a shoot. We have to celebrate."

Mina allowed her thoughts to return to the land of the ordinary as Karen turned to her, beaming. No, more than just beaming – glowing. She had that luminous look people always talked about pregnant women getting. "Let's all grab something to eat. My treat."

"I don't know, Karen. Jess is waiting for me at home. I told her I'd be back in a couple hours."

Karen waved away Mina's objection. "Why don't you swing by your apartment and grab Jess? It's on the way to Ruby's anyway."

Ruby's Bar & Grill was where Karen waited tables four nights a week, and she received a generous employee discount that she sometimes shared with Mina and Jess.

"You know Jess loves the fries," Karen said. She'd been friends with Mina for years and knew that the easiest way to get her to agree to something was to take advantage of her feelings for her little sister.

It was true. Jess loved the fries at Ruby's. Mina also didn't get to take her out as often as she wished she could afford to. Being wheelchair bound was tough enough for a fourteen year old – it was important to Mina to do whatever was within her power to make sure Jess had as normal a childhood as she could give her. "All right. I'll call Jess and tell her I'm coming for her."

"Eric, you'll come too, won't you?"

Mina's heart skipped a beat as Karen asked the question she hadn't dared to. As she dialed, she breathed a little quicker as she waited for his answer.

"Sure."

"Mina?"

"Hey Jess." She was aware of how breathy her voice sounded, but she couldn't help it. "Would you like to grab something to eat at Ruby's?"

Jess responded enthusiastically, and a twinge of guilt assaulted Mina. Jess had probably been bored to death stuck alone in the apartment on a Sunday afternoon. "All right. I'll see you in a few minutes."
CHAPTER 4

The fall air was crisp and fresh. Autumn was Mina's second-favorite time of year, surpassed only by spring. Normally stepping out of the apartment and into the pleasant weather with Jess at her side would have put Mina in a good mood, but as she locked the door, her stomach churned in a fit of nervousness. In just a few minutes, she and Jess would arrive at Ruby's, where Karen and Eric would be waiting for them.

Eric. Mina's stomach flip-flopped as she tried to imagine what he'd think of her when he saw her arrive with Jess, who, in many ways, was more like a daughter to her than a sibling. Would he still see her as the girl he'd kissed in the studio, or the much older woman she felt like? Maybe he'd regret the kiss. Trying not to dwell on the possibility, she unlocked her car, helped Jess into a seat – she could stand, but only for short periods of time – and folded her wheelchair, stowing it away in the trunk. By the time she finished the routine she'd broken into a light sweat. Fortunately, she was stronger than she looked.

Ten minutes later she'd parked in the Ruby's lot. Her mind whirled with thoughts of Eric as she went mechanically about unloading and unfolding Jess's wheelchair. When it was ready she helped Jess into it. "Ready for some fries?" She hoped her smile disguised her nervousness.

"Always." Jess beamed at her. "Is Karen already here?"

Mina nodded. "She should be waiting inside with Eric. He's the artist who did my tattoo."

"Karen knows him? I thought she hated tattoos."

"She doesn't hate them. She's just afraid of needles. Eric is here because the tattoo shop owner asked him to be a part of the photo shoot and Karen invited him to eat with us afterward."

Jess nodded, clueless that Mina had posed half-naked with Eric and then kissed him right in front of Karen and her camera. That was for the best. Mina didn't want Jess to get the wrong idea. It wasn't like she'd made a habit of getting so intimate with guys she barely knew. If anything, the opposite was true. She wasn't like their mother. In fact, their mother's behavior was a sort of inversed standard she held herself to. Whenever she examined her own habits and determined that they were exactly the opposite of her mother's, she was satisfied. She was on the right track as long as she wasn't on the train wreck of a path her mother had hurdled down.

The lively din of chatter greeted Mina as she opened Ruby's front door and held it that way for Jess, who rolled through in her electric wheelchair. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of Mina's stomach as she stepped through the door and it closed, isolating her from the cool, wide-open world outside. Now she was in the relatively small restaurant, in inescapably close proximity to Eric. Any second now she'd see him and he'd see her. They'd lock eyes and then he'd see Jess at her side and he'd know: Mina was already committed to someone in a way she could never be committed to any man. She didn't have any romantic ties to anyone, but her life was a tangle of responsibilities that didn't leave room for an outsider, no matter how hot or gloriously tattooed he was. Or at least, that was what she told herself. It was easier than getting her hopes up and being rejected when he saw her as a whole person; a guardian and provider instead of just another carefree twenty-something girl.

"Mina! Jess! Over here."

Mina turned in the direction of Karen's voice and saw her sitting at a large table across from Eric. He turned toward them in what seemed like slow motion, and in the span of one impossibly brief moment, Mina noticed everything about him. He was wearing the same simple black jacket he'd worn on the day of their failed coffee date. Today he'd unzipped it, letting the restaurant's heat flow underneath, where he wore the same grey cotton thermal shirt he'd worn – or rather, not worn – at Karen's studio. He seemed to have just finished a sip from the glass that rested on the table in front of him, half-full of water, not soda or beer. His choice of beverage supported what Mina had suspected when she'd seen him shirtless – he had to be into fitness. A drop of water gleamed on his lower lip and she waited for his mouth to curve down into a frown. She almost wished it would so that she could write him off and chalk the kiss up to impulsivity.

But he didn't frown. Instead he smiled as his blue eyes traveled over Jess and then met Mina's gaze. "Hey guys," Mina said quietly, feeling somehow defeated as she and Jess approached the table and Eric's smile didn't waver.

The low hum of Jess's chair's motor quieted as she reached the table and stopped at its edge. "Eric, this is my sister Jess. Jess, this is Eric, the artist I told you about on the way here."

Eric's smile widened a little as he extended a hand. "Nice to meet you, Jess. I hear you're an artist too."

Jess's eyes sparkled as she took his hand and nodded. "I like to draw, mostly."

"The tattoo you designed for your sister is amazing."

Jess beamed as a hint of color crept into her cheeks. "Thanks."

Mina unslung her purse from her shoulder and slid her jacket off, preparing to sit.

"Here, give me your purse," Karen said. "I'll put it over here with mine so you'll have more room over there."

Over there? Suspicion settled over Mina as she eyed the chair beside Karen. She'd deposited her purse directly onto the seat and was already taking Mina's, putting it with her own. The fact that Karen suddenly thought that handbags required their own seats left only the chair beside Eric open. She settled into it, shooting Karen a suspicious glance.

Oblivious, or perhaps only pretending to be, Karen grinned back innocently.

A waitress appeared out of nowhere, chatted with Karen, looked twice at Eric and finally took their orders. By the time the food arrived they'd made a little small talk and listened to Karen rave about the day's photos more than once. Mina wished she'd shut up. It would be just like her to 'accidentally' forget herself and give a detailed account of their on-camera kiss in front of the whole restaurant. "I'll be back in a minute," Mina said, pushing back her chair with a wistful glance at her barely-touched grilled shrimp and veggie kabobs. "Jess, do you want to come to the restroom with me?"

Jess shook her head, rendered speechless by a mouthful of fries.

Mina breathed a small sigh of relief and checked to make sure that Eric's attention was on his sandwich before shooting Karen a meaningful glance.

Karen downed one last bite of her salad before excusing herself and accompanying Mina.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mina asked when they were safely inside the restroom.

"Accompanying my best friend to the restroom for an impromptu interrogation, apparently." She narrowed her eyes at Mina. "Do you even have to go?"

"No, but I need to talk to you without Jess and Eric around."

"About what?"

"I need you to stop talking about the photo shoot."

Karen looked flabbergasted. "Why? It's the reason we're here celebrating."

"Because Jess doesn't know the particulars about the photos and I don't want her to know if and until I decide to tell her about them myself."

Karen finally sobered up. "Oh, Mina. It's not that big of a deal. I mean, there were a couple photos where your silk slipped a little, but I deleted them before we left the studio, I swear."

Mina shook her head. "The poses were just really intimate. I don't want Jess to get the wrong idea and think that I'm...you know..."

Karen shrugged. "What? An awesome model?"

"No. Promiscuous. I don't want her to think I'm promiscuous."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Trust me, Mina. You're the last person in danger of being accused of promiscuity."

Mina ignored Karen's last remark. "Please just try not to mention the photos anymore tonight. There are lots of other things we can talk about."

"Okay." Karen smiled and turned for the door, presumably thinking of her waiting salad.

"Wait." Mina laid a hand on her arm. "One more thing."

Karen paused mid-stride. "What is it?"

"Are you trying to set me up with Eric?"

The blush that flared in Karen's fair cheeks gave her away.

Mina sighed. "Please, please stop trying."

"No, no Mina. I won't stop."

Mina tightened her grip on Karen's arm, lest she sprint out of the restroom like a red-headed gazelle hell-bent on matchmaking. "Why not?"

"Just hear me out," Karen said. "After you guys kissed in the studio, I thought that maybe, well... Mina, how long has it been since you've had a boyfriend?"

Mina clenched her teeth, biting down on nothing. "That's irrelevant."

"No it's not. You're only twenty-four and you've already given up on trying to find someone. Eric seems like a really nice guy, and he's sort of just fallen into your lap. If I need to facilitate things to fan the spark that's already there, then so be it."

"I haven't given up on finding someone. I'm just not interested in a relationship right now." Her cheeks warmed as she lied smoothly.

"That's ridiculous. Nobody deserves to be alone, least of all you."

"I don't have time for a boyfriend."

"Yes you do. You're here now, aren't you? There's no reason why you and Eric couldn't be here together alone next Sunday." She donned a mischievous grin. "I'd be glad to hang out with Jess if you feel guilty about leaving her behind to go on a date."

Mina shook her head. "It's not just that."

Karen donned an incredulous look, her red brows climbing her forehead. "Then what is it?"

Mina leaned back against the side of an empty stall with a sigh, her resolve not to talk about the issue wavering. "Karen, I'm boring." The rest of her confession tumbled out in a rush. "You're right – Eric does seem like a really nice guy, plus he's super-hot. Women probably come on to him all the time. Someone like me wouldn't be capable of holding his interest for long."

Karen looked at Mina like she'd sprouted a set of antlers. "Boring? Seriously? Mina, you're one of the most beautiful and interesting people I know."

Mina rolled her eyes. "You have to say that. You're my best friend."

But it was too late. Her green eyes glinting dangerously, Karen had already settled a hand on either of Mina's arms. "This is for your own good."

A spike of alarm pierced Mina's annoyance. "What?"

Karen began steering her toward the door. Mina tried to resist, but the soles of her shoes slid effortlessly over the smooth floor tiles, unable to gain traction. The door was perilously close. "Karen! Listen, you don't understand. Eric already asked me on a date and I—"

Karen pushed the door wide open, ending their private conversation.

"...blew it," Mina finished under her breath. She leaned in close to whisper in Karen's ear as they made their way toward the table. "I am never going to pose for you again."

Karen ignored her, settling down in front of her salad with a cheery grin. "Did we miss anything exciting?"

Jess piped up with a smile. "Eric thinks I could be a professional tattoo designer if I wanted to."

Karen shot Mina a questioning look and she shrugged, smiling as she settled into her chair, greeted by the tempting aroma of her still-warm entrée. "I bet you could, Jess."

"I hope you don't mind me telling her that," Eric said.

"Not at all," Mina replied, taking a sip of her iced tea. "She definitely has a talent for it."

Eric smiled ruefully. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly the career most people would choose for their kids. I'm sure your parents would rather she went to college."

That was hardly the case, but Mina let his assumption pass without comment. She wasn't about to crash the light-hearted dinner with a sudden revelation of her and Jess's depressing childhoods. She would have liked to let him know that she was Jess's guardian, since he apparently didn't realize that, but Jess was already chattering enthusiastically.

"I am going to go to college," she informed Eric, "art school." Mina and Karen had already heard all about Jess's college hopes a hundred times, but Eric was a fresh target. She gave him the briefest rundown of her carefully laid plans that Mina had ever heard, but she was still breathless by the time she finished.

"That sounds like a great plan," Eric said. "I wanted to go to art school too when I was your age."

"But you never did?" Jess asked.

He shook his head. "Nah. Life got in the way too fast for me, and before I knew it I was tattooing. I'm sure you'll get there though."

The afternoon stretched on, and they all lingered after lunch, with Jess and Karen doing most of the talking. Mina didn't mind letting them dominate the conversation. Talking a mile a minute just didn't come naturally to her. Eric seemed content to listen too. Mina watched him quietly, waiting for him to look toward the door or pull out his cell phone and glance at the time. He never did, just sat there looking as if he were genuinely enjoying himself. He was a nice guy. Maybe too nice for his own good. If Mina didn't intervene, Jess and Karen would talk his ears off. "Come on, Jess. We'd better get going if I'm going to help you with that research paper."

Jess frowned and cast a glance down at her plate. It was empty of fries, which left her with no excuse to stall. "All right." Her tone held all the enthusiasm that could be expected of a teenager agreeing to leave someplace fun to do homework.

"Tell you what – we'll order your dress today," Mina added.

Jess's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the mention of her homecoming gown. "Really?"

Mina nodded. Karen had given her a check from Hot Ink for her modeling, and the payment combined with what she'd managed to save was just enough to buy the gown.

"I have to go too," Karen announced. "I want to get a little rest before I have to come back here to work tonight. Come on Jess, I'll help you into Mina's car."

Before Mina could object they were gone, leaving her alone with Eric as she hurried to don her jacket. When she'd finally done up every last button and couldn't think of any other ways to procrastinate without being rude, she turned to him. "This was fun." At least, it had been for her, but maybe that was just a mark of her lackluster social life. He'd probably been bored to death listening Karen and Jess, though he'd managed not to show it.

He smiled as he laid a tip on the table. "Yeah. It was. Can I walk you to your car?"

It was maybe half a minute's journey away, but Mina didn't point that out. "Sure."

He stopped just a few yards outside the door. "Can we get together again sometime soon?"

Mina tried to hide her surprise, but the look that passed through his eyes told her she'd been unsuccessful.

"After all, I owe you a coffee."

She smiled. "Actually, I think it's the other way around. You bought me a latte and I abandoned it."

A sharp gust of wind sent Mina's hair dancing and he closed the distance between them, invading her personal space in a way that made her want to run through the poses they'd struck together earlier that afternoon in the studio. "Okay. You got me. I just want an excuse to see you again."

A shiver of mingled delight and alarm raced through Mina's being. "Really?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"Yeah. I'd kind of hoped you'd gleaned that from the kiss, though."

Beneath the heavy makeup she hadn't taken the time to wash off in the studio, Mina blushed. He was almost close enough to kiss her again, and her heart was racing as if he were about to.

"How about Tuesday?" he asked. "I'm not working late that night."

She searched her mind for a prior obligation or excuse but found nothing.

He misread her silence. "Do you have to work then?"

She shook her head. "No. Tuesday will be fine." She'd meet him and use the time alone with him to explain who she really was. When he found out that she and Jess were a package deal, he wouldn't be interested in seeing her again and that would be okay. It would sting, but she couldn't leave him in the dark. Not after the kiss. The memory of it sent her heart racing, and she could have used a little heartbreak to balance the effect.

"I'll pick you up. Any time after six will be fine with me."

"How about seven?" That would give her time to cook dinner for Jess before she left.

"Perfect." He leaned in suddenly, settling his hands on Mina's sides and pulling her to him. The kiss he gave her was sweet, but she sensed the tension beneath his restrained movements. She felt it too but didn't dare give in. After all, this would be their last kiss.

* * * * *

"Mina, take a look at this."

Mina tucked a stack of bills into her register, closed the drawer and turned to face her co-worker Amy. Amy was holding a cell phone, a snapshot on display on the screen. "You took a picture?" Ashley was the subject of the photo, looking annoyed as she stood behind the bank counter in her white sweater with its comically positioned salad dressing stain. After lunch that day she'd gone about her work for an hour before finally catching sight of her reflection in the drive-through teller window and noticing the bright orange smudge.

Amy shook her head. "Not me. Brian took it."

Laughter echoed across the lobby. Mina turned to see Brian, one of the loan officers, peeking out from his cubicle and flashing her and Amy a mischievous grin. It wasn't just the other tellers who couldn't stand Ashley. She'd only been working at the bank for three weeks and she'd already succeeded in offending almost every one of the employees, except for the managers. She treated anyone with a lick of power like royalty, simpering and 'brown-nosing', as Brian liked to call it.

"He's calling her 'Thousand Island Tits'," Amy said, returning Brian's grin.

The bank's front double-doors swung open and Mina suppressed a snigger as a customer entered. "I think it was actually French dressing."

Amy cast a glance over her shoulder.

"I'll take care of him," Mina said, nodding at the customer as she stepped toward her register.

She didn't quite make it. An argyle blur collided with her shoulder and sent her spinning. She tipped into Amy, knocking her against the counter. As they struggled to regain their balance and untangle themselves, something clattered against the floor tiles.

Amy's cell phone. It ricocheted off the wall and hit the spiked heel of Ashley's shoe. She stood there glaring from above the high neck of her argyle sweater, her eyes darting between the phone, Amy and Mina. Whether or not she'd realized that Amy and Mina had been talking about her at first, she'd seen the photo now.

"Are you okay?" Amy brushed a few stray curls out of her eyes and shot Mina a look of concern. It was a good thing neither she nor Mina were wearing shoes like Ashley's. They probably would have broken their ankles if they had been.

Ashley turned on her heel, somehow managing to simultaneously send the cell phone flying across the floor again before marching away, her shoes beating a staccato rhythm against the tiles, echoing noisily.

"I'm fine," Mina said, rubbing her shoulder. It would probably bruise where Ashley's bony arm had collided with it. "I'm not sure if the same can be said for your phone."

Amy stooped to retrieve the device. After a quick check, she pronounced it to be fine. "Ugh, I can't stand her," she mumbled quietly, glancing balefully in the direction Ashley had gone.

Mina silently agreed. A part of her would have liked to knock Ashley down in retaliation, but she didn't dare. Unlike that spoiled brat, she needed her job. It was hard enough making ends meet on her teller's pay as it was – unemployment was not an option. Besides, she was in the running for the junior loan officer position that had opened up a few weeks ago. If she got the job, she'd have her own Ashley-free cubicle, not to mention a pay increase. The possibility of promotion had been in the back of her mind ever since she'd submitted her application, though she tried not to think about it too much. If she got her hopes up any higher she'd end up hating her current job if she didn't get the position. Suppressing a sigh, she attended to the customer who'd arrived and watched the whole spectacle with a look of surprise pasted across his face. She quickly cashed his check and gave it to him in the requested small bills.

"Are you still being considered for that junior loan officer position?" Amy asked after the man left.

Mina nodded. "As far as I know."

Amy frowned. "So I guess you're not interested in helping me kidnap Ashley, drive her to the nearest body of water and toss her in?"

Mina snorted. "I'm afraid not. Not that the idea doesn't have a certain appeal..."

Amy laughed. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be out of here and in your own cubicle soon enough."

It was a mark of how miserable Ashley had made their jobs that they fantasized about a cubicle. "Why," Mina asked, "did Chris say anything about the job?"

Amy shook her head. "No, but you're the best teller we have and he said he'd prefer to hire a current employee instead of an outside candidate."

The doors swung open, admitting several customers at once.

"I hope you're right."
CHAPTER 5

Mina had cooked dinner for Jess before leaving the apartment, and Karen had volunteered to stay there with Jess for the evening. So there was no reason why Mina shouldn't relax and enjoy her time with Eric – or at least, there wouldn't have been if she'd already made her confession. But she hadn't, which meant that Eric still didn't know that she was a fourteen year old girl's sole legal guardian. He didn't even know what she did for a living. He didn't know her.

But they'd kissed. Mina's mind kept reminding her of that, as if it meant anything. A kiss didn't mean much more than a handshake to most women her age nowadays, did it? Well, maybe a little more, but few people gave it the significance that her heart was trying to assign to it. She tried not to think of the feel of Eric's lips against hers as she settled into her seat at the cozy restaurant table. "This place seems nice." Eric had picked her up at her apartment at seven as he'd promised and taken her to a Mexican restaurant known for their specialty fajitas. She loved Mexican food, but couldn't seem to muster up much of an appetite as the hostess handed her a menu.

"It's a favorite of mine," he said as he took a seat. "The fajitas really are amazing."

She managed a smile as a waiter hurried by their table, the platter he carried sizzling and exuding a surprisingly tempting aroma. "Mexican food is actually my favorite, too."

"Yeah." He smiled ruefully. "Karen called to let me know that."

Mina sighed. "Maybe I should be surprised, but I'm not."

He laughed. "Neither am I. I got the feeling that she was trying to push us together the other night at Ruby's."

"You have no idea," Mina said, thinking back to the heated conversation she and Karen had shared that afternoon in the restaurant's bathroom. "But anyway, I appreciate how nice you were to Jess. I know she can be chatty."

He shrugged, revealing a hint of a smile. "She's quiet as a mouse compared to your friend Karen. Besides, I didn't mind. She seems like a great kid." His smile seemed to waver for half a second, the lapse so brief that Mina wondered whether she might have imagined it. "And very talented, too."

Mina grinned, remembering their night at Ruby's, when Eric had been caught in the crossfire of Karen and Jess's characteristically enthusiastic conversations. "Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess I tend to surround myself with loud people." Maybe that was another reason she was so attracted to Eric. He was calm and relatively quiet, but not in a brooding way – more in a laid-back fashion. Her cheeks warmed as she remembered his complacency at Karen's studio, where he'd agreed to her suggestions without batting an eyelash – including her request that he pose half-naked with Mina. Was he always so agreeable, or had he wanted to wrap his arms around her with nothing but a sinfully thin layer of silk between their bodies?

They shared an appetizer, discussing the reason why they'd met in the first place – tattoos – between bites. By the time their fajitas were delivered hot and sizzling, she knew she'd only be able to enjoy the meal if she got her ultra-condensed life summary out into the open. Then they could enjoy dinner together and Eric would have a little time to contemplate it. It wasn't an easy thing to bring up. She'd just have to plunge right in. "I should probably tell you; Karen is keeping Jess company for me right now. Jess doesn't have parents – just me. I'm her legal guardian."

Eric set his water glass down on the table and Mina couldn't help but notice the moisture that gleamed on his tempting lips. "Wow. I wouldn't have guessed."

Mina nodded. "Yeah. We've been living that way for three years now. We're both used to it – I just thought it was something you should know if, you know..."

He nodded. "I understand."

His tone was easy and decidedly neutral; impossible to really interpret. She tried not to read too much into it. The moment of truth would come when dinner ended. For now, she'd just try to enjoy the meal as best she could.

She wasn't sure whether to be pleased or not when he suggested that they order dessert. On one hand, she was enjoying being with him, even when they were simply eating, making little conversation. On the other hand, if he was going to tell her he wasn't interested in seeing her again, she'd rather their date end sooner. Just like peeling off a Band-Aid, it would hurt less the faster it was done. Wouldn't it? She eyed him across the table as he gave the waiter their order, and couldn't deny the wave of longing that swept over her. Instead of tasting the tea she'd just sipped, she tasted him. His lips had been soft, and his hands hot on her skin...

"The flan here is great too," he said, causing her to divert her gaze from his arms to his face. He was wearing one of those sinfully simple cotton shirts again, which allowed her make out the curves of his biceps underneath. Now that she knew exactly what lay beneath, it was harder than ever not to think about it. "Are you okay?"

She snapped out of her muscle-dazed trance, realizing with embarrassment that she'd been staring at his arms again. She must have looked like she'd been zoning out. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about work. Sorry." It was sort of true. She'd never really gotten over the way Ashley had assaulted her and Amy that afternoon and the incident had been a prominent fixture in the back of her mind ever since.

"You said you work at a bank, right?"

She nodded. She'd mentioned it in passing but had steamrolled over the topic in her haste to confess her family situation. "I'm a teller."

"Do you like your job?"

She shrugged. "I did, but I have a new co-worker who's been making work miserable for all the tellers lately and I'm hoping to be promoted to a position as a junior loan officer." She smiled at the thought of her own private cubicle. "I guess you could say that I like working in finance though."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded. "Working with money is easy. If you run into a problem, there's always a way to solve it. All the counting and calculations...it must sound really boring, but there's something satisfying about knowing there's always a method that can be used to reach a solution." Unlike real life, banking was organized and formulaic. For the past three years she'd been striving to achieve that same balance and sense of comfort at home, despite how difficult it was to truly control one's life.

"I can imagine that," he said. "When I'm tattooing I sort of get into this zone where I'm not really thinking about anything else. When I'm in that state, I know the piece is going to turn out great."

She nodded. Applying permanent artwork to someone's body wasn't exactly the same thing as cashing someone's check, but she appreciated him trying to bridge the gap between their vastly different jobs. "That sounds great too. Too bad I don't have a lick of artistic talent or I might just consider trying my hand at something more creative."

He smiled. "You mean Jess is the only one who inherited the art gene?"

"She must have gotten it from her father. Our mother can't draw her way out of a paper bag."

He didn't say anything, but his eyebrow arched, unintentionally reflecting the question he was probably too considerate to ask.

"I mean, we haven't seen her lately," Mina clarified. "We're estranged. She's spent the past few years in and out of jail, which is why I was able to get custody of Jess. Truthfully, I don't even know where she's living."

"Sorry." Eric took a sip of his water. "I didn't mean to dredge that up."

"It's not a big deal. Her absence is no loss, to be honest. The day I was granted custody of Jess was the happiest day of my life."

The flan came and disappeared quickly – Eric hadn't been exaggerating, it was amazing – but when it was gone, her stomach felt somehow empty, as if the bottom had dropped right out of it. She rose from her chair reluctantly after Eric paid the bill and followed him out into the night, leaving the restaurant's spicy scents and lively music behind.

He opened the door for her and she drifted through, feeling as if her stomach were full of butterflies instead of fajitas and flan. His touch was feather-light, so that at first it barely registered when he pressed his fingertips to the small of her back. Despite his delicacy, a bolt of awareness shot through her, leaving her feeling as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her entire body tingling, she allowed him to walk by her side, his arm brushing her shoulder as he staked a quiet claim on her.

He maintained contact as they walked the short distance to the parking garage where they'd left his car, and when they stepped into the building and headed toward the elevator, her stomach flip-flopped and her nerves buzzed. When the elevator opened, it was empty. They stepped inside, alone together. The light-headedness that struck Mina had nothing to do with the sudden movement and everything to do with the kiss Eric pressed against her lips.

The lingering fajita spices leant a pleasant heat to his taste, which she experienced in full when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, searching for hers. She gave it to him, her inhibitions melting for at least a moment. She was still avoiding underwires for the sake of her tattoo, and her nipples pricked against the thin shelf bra that was built into the cami she wore beneath her shirt. Eric placed his hands on her hips, pulling her against him. She gave in to the seductive press of his firm body, relaxing against him as he leaned against the elevator wall. He teased her tongue with his, cueing her body to respond. She gripped handfuls of his jacket and slid her tongue deep into his mouth. It was almost impossible to think of how just moments ago, she'd been worrying over whether he'd want anything to do with her anymore. She gripped the fabric tighter, letting her fingernails bite into his sides as she tasted him, intensely aware of the hardness that—

Ding. The elevator came to a halt that seemed far too sudden, the doors rumbling ominously as she and Eric were exposed to...

No one. When she pulled her mouth from his and looked over her shoulder, there was no one waiting on the fourth level. She sighed, as much from desire as relief.

Eric took her by the hand as they left the elevator and she let him guide her, drifting by his side toward the car, still tasting him on her tongue. Her nerves were buzzing, her senses on red-alert. Worries were still whirling somewhere in the back of her mind, but when his lips touched hers, it was impossible to focus on anything but him. On how badly she wanted him, even though she knew deep down that it wouldn't work...would it? She sighed. His kisses had challenged what she'd thought she'd known – that he wouldn't be interested in her after learning about her unusual family situation.

"Is something wrong?" He gave her hand an almost imperceptible squeeze as they stopped at the car.

She looked up slowly, meeting the gorgeous blue eyes that had been haunting her ever since she'd first met him during her consultation at Hot Ink. "No." At least, it wasn't when he looked at her that way; like he wanted her as badly as she wanted him, and – even more importantly – like he actually cared.

"Good." He unlocked the car and opened the passenger-side door for her, his fingertips brushing the small of her back as she ducked inside.

"Where would you like to go now?" he asked once he'd joined her, sliding the key into the ignition as he settled into the driver's seat.

Where to now? She'd assumed that he'd take her home after dinner. Unless he thought...

"I'd planned to take you to a movie, if that's something you'd like."

A movie. Mina's heart slowed just a little as his words washed over her. She glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard, noting that it was already nine o'clock.

"If you'd rather not, that's all right," he said. "I know you have work in the morning."

She nodded slowly, trying to imagine what it would be like to sit close beside him in the dark for an hour or two. Would she be able to pay any attention to the movie at all? Would she actually be able to keep her hands off of him for that long, or would the slightest touch in the dark of the theater turn into something like what they'd just done in the elevator? She didn't normally think of herself as someone who'd steal deep-reaching kisses in elevators or movie theaters like a sex-starved teenager, but the temptation to do just that was undeniable. She just couldn't deny her attraction to him, which was stronger – surprisingly, alarmingly stronger – than anything she'd ever felt toward anyone else.

"Would you rather I took you home?"

He was polite, but the low note of angst in his voice didn't escape her notice. She turned her attention away from the digital clock, looking to him instead. It was semi-dark inside the car, but what light had managed to make it in was reflected in his eyes, rendering them almost luminous. "No." It might not have been exactly what she'd intended to say, but it was the truth.

Before she knew it his lips were brushing hers, soft and hot, still tasting of spices. Had she leaned forward or had he? Every inch of her skin tingled as he buried a hand in her hair and pulled her close, his teeth denting her lip as his tongue glided over hers, deep into her mouth. By the time his fingertips made contact with the soft skin above the low waistband of her jeans, it was as if she'd been waiting for a million years for him to touch her there. He kept his hand in her hair as he traced the curve of her hipbone with the other, eliciting a second, even-stronger wave of longing. She couldn't help trembling when his fingertips brushed her belly.

She was sure he knew exactly what he was doing. His touch was just light enough to make her crave more. She remembered the way he'd grasped her hand as they'd left the elevator and the way he'd held her in the studio. Why couldn't his touch be that solid, that possessive, now? He was teasing her, holding back and rousing her impatience. He had a light, precise touch when he chose to use it – he had to, for his line of work.

She pushed her tongue deeper into his mouth, letting her rapidly increasing desire take over, demanding more. Her teeth dented his soft lower lip and he finally flattened his hand against her belly in response, touching her in earnest. His palm was hot and his fingertips were just touching the lower curve of her breast. It ached – she ached – for more. Arching her back, she pressed herself against him, filling his palm. It was perfectly sized to accommodate her curves. He cradled the swell of her breast, sending a wave of bone-deep satisfaction through her.

It was short lived. After the initial sense of gratification faded, the ache in her breast returned with a vengeance, wanting more of his touch. She kissed him harder, inviting him to abandon gentleness. He tightened his hold, exerting a gentle pressure that caused her core to tighten and the skin between her thighs to tingle. He found her nipple with his fingertips and explored its hardness. She could just imagine his lips moving over her chest, soft and hot, eventually finding the stiff peak of her breast. He massaged it, fueling her sudden fantasy. Her moan was lost in the low hum of a working motor and rolling tires, and just like that, she remembered that they were in a parking garage, making out like a couple of teenagers as another car rolled past.

Eric slowly withdrew his hand from beneath her top, giving her breast one last regretful caress. He waited a few moments longer to break the kiss, and she didn't complain. A part of her didn't want to ever stop kissing him. Another part of her was suddenly hyper-aware that they were in the front seats of his car in a public parking garage, divided only by the console that was digging into her hip. She finally opened her eyes and met his, facing reality.

His eyes were as blue as ever, his gaze hazy. His lips, which were normally naturally full, seemed a little more so – inflamed from hard kissing. Hers felt the same way – tingly and slightly swollen. God, she wanted him. And she had a feeling that if they'd been in a place that was the least bit accommodating, she'd already have him.

But they weren't. She hadn't imagined that a first date – well, if she didn't count the coffee shop thing – would have ended like this; with her wishing that they were in bed instead of in a car and that his hands were still on her body. That he wouldn't stop until he'd touched every last little bit of her, and then some. That just wasn't her. She didn't usually give in to physical temptations, and in any case, she'd never found anybody as tempting as Eric. And the attraction seemed to be gloriously mutual, despite what she'd told him about herself. Either it wasn't an issue for him, or...

Her stomach lurched unpleasantly, and for half a second she thought she might lose her fajitas. Maybe any future complications caused by her responsibilities weren't an issue because he wasn't thinking that far ahead. Maybe he thought she'd be up for a one night stand before they went their separate ways. She bit the inside of her lip, studying his eyes as she tried to ignore the crushing feeling that had settled over her. They were so gorgeous, hazy with the same desire that was flooding through her veins. Could he really be thinking she'd go for that?

Maybe so. After all, she certainly hadn't resisted any of his advances. Maybe they hadn't all even been his; maybe she'd been equally responsible. And then there were the photos – they'd been racy, evocative. God, they'd actually kissed. If he thought she'd do that for the sake of a photo, then why wouldn't he expect her to be up for a meaningless tryst? After all, the physical chemistry between them was undeniable.

"Is everything okay?" His eyes cleared a bit, his gaze sharpening with apparent concern.

No, it wasn't okay. She suddenly felt like she'd led him on, and now she either had to admit it and apologize or live up to the impression she'd apparently given. Did he expect her to go home with him now? Her nipples were still rock-hard, the one he'd touched tingling with the desire for more attention. Her body wanted more of him, but she didn't do one night stands. She didn't do meaningless. Her life had been far too full of emptiness up until a few short years ago, and she'd worked hard to obtain the sense of comfortable control she now had. If there was one thing she'd grown to hate, it was watching a woman treat her body like public property to be rented out to any man who promised her a few minutes of attention. She'd grown up seeing it happen time after time, and she had no desire to behave that way. It didn't matter how good Eric made her feel, or how attracted she was to him. Remembering that he was waiting for an answer, she shrugged, unable to bring herself to say yes or no.

"Is it something I did?"

"No." It wasn't a lie. What bothered her was what she might have caused him to think, not anything he'd done.

"Is it something I can fix?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little...surprised at myself." It was the truth, even if it did sound stupid. She despaired as his full mouth turned down, hinting at a frown. When he reached out to touch her face, her heart leapt.

He gently stroked the curve of her cheekbone, his eyes locked with hers as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It's all right. I'll take you home."

* * * * *

It had only been a few days. Sometimes it felt like it had been years, and other times, only minutes since she'd last seen Eric. After their date he'd dropped her off at her apartment, as promised. At the time, she'd been grateful for the escape he'd given her. She'd gone home and attempted to collect her thoughts, but to her surprise, it hadn't worked. They were still whirling, and the feel and taste of him were just as vivid as they had been several nights ago. She should have been glad he'd sensed her discomfort and taken her home, but instead she was almost regretful. She still longed to see him, to feel his touch and to taste him...

"Mina?"

She turned, doing her best to shove her sudden fantasy from her mind as Amy approached her. "What is it?"

Amy had a strange expression on her face, almost as if she were attempting to suppress a smile. She kept her voice low. "Chris wants to see you in his office."

Mina's heart froze then sped. "Chris?"

Amy nodded, her eyes gleaming.

"Do you know what it's about?"

"No, but I'd bet anything it's about the junior loan officer position. I mean, he's certainly been taking his time choosing someone, don't you think?"

Mina nodded mechanically, hope rising up in her heart even as she tried to stop it. Maybe the reason Chris wanted to see her had nothing to do with the position. Maybe there'd been a mistake with her check – that had happened once – or he needed her to sign something, or—

"You'd better go," Amy said. "I'll take care of things here."

Mina drifted toward Chris's office in a half-daze, and she couldn't help glancing toward the cubicles as she went. Maybe she was about to be given one of her own. Soon she was standing in the open doorway to Chris's office, feeling as if her stomach had tied itself in about a dozen knots. "Amy said you wanted to see me."

Chris nodded. "Come on inside." He waved a hand toward the chair across from his desk as he stood and closed the sturdy oak door.

Mina eyed it apprehensively. He almost always kept his office door wide open. What did he have to say to her that was so private? Her nervousness spiked. Maybe this was it. Maybe when she walked back out the door, she'd be a junior loan officer instead of a teller.

"Mina, there's something serious I need to talk to you about."

Mina nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Another employee brought something to my attention this morning, and it needs to be dealt with."

Mina's high hopes plummeted. This didn't sound like a preamble to a promotion. It sounded downright ominous. "Is it something to do with me?" She wracked her mind for anything she might have done that could have gotten her into trouble at work. Nothing came up. She was a model teller – punctual, honest and attentive to her duties. Chris knew that. In fact, he'd told her that was why he was considering her for the junior loan officer position.

He nodded, gave her an unnervingly solemn look and opened a desk drawer.

Mina waited on pins and needles as he pulled out a piece of paper. "This is the issue." He laid it on his desk and smoothed out a few crease lines that marked where it had been folded.

Mina leaned forward, her hopes that Chris was being overly dramatic and that the problem wasn't really about her evaporating as she laid eyes on the paper. "Where did you get this?"

"Like I said, the problem was brought to my attention by another employee."

She was silent for a moment, eyeing the paper – obviously a computer print off – and the pictures it displayed. "And this is really a problem?"

Chris nodded. "As an employee, you're a representative of this bank. This is not an appropriate representation."

Heat flooded Mina's cheeks as she glanced at the paper again, unable to look away for long. "I wasn't working at the time. I wasn't aware that I was expected to let my employer dictate what I do outside of work."

Chris shook his head. "What you do on your own time is your business. But these images are being displayed publicly, and not far from here, either. Customers may see them and consider them offensive."

Annoyance tinged Mina's nervousness. "I doubt that anyone would notice and put two and two together."

Chris waved his hand over the paper. "Someone already has noticed."

Mina couldn't help but mentally substitute 'someone' with 'Ashley'. She couldn't imagine who else among the staff would have made a big deal out of the photos. She curled her hands into fists as she remembered Ashley listening to her phone conversation with Karen. Mina hadn't thought much of it then, but now that she considered it, Ashley had probably been plotting a way to use what she'd heard against Mina ever since that day. And apparently, she'd succeeded.

Chris sighed. "Look, Mina. This sort of thing is bad for the bank. Look around." He gestured toward the window. "There are dozens of other banks out there, and if something we do offends customers, they won't hesitate to go to them instead. It's difficult enough to remain competitive without something like this driving customers away."

A thick knot of anxiety had formed in Mina's throat. She swallowed it. "What does this mean?"

"It means these photos have to disappear from public view, or you'll be dismissed."

Mina's ire rose. Dismissed? "Over this?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry. I know I was considering you for the junior loan officer position, but—"

Mina barely heard the rest of his sentence. Was considering. He'd said was, not am. "You mean I'm no longer in the running?"

He shook his head. "Sorry."

Mina couldn't help the frown that pulled her mouth down at the corners. Now that the possibility was gone, she realized that she'd been counting on getting that job. It was supposed to have been her ticket to out from behind the counter, not to mention the higher pay, which she needed badly. The weight of the loss descended on her like a storm cloud, darkening her outlook. The thought of returning to the tellers' counter with her tail between her legs, knowing that she'd blown her chance at advancement, made her feel physically sick.

Chris must have noticed her chagrin. "Honestly, if no one else knew about the photos, I'd be willing to sweep this under the rug if you took care of things. But the employee who brought this to my attention also brought it to the HR department's."

Mina's stomach twisted as a wave of anger washed over her. "Right. So I'm really going to be fired over this?"

Chris raised his eyebrows. "Not if the photos disappear from public view."

Mina gripped the arms of her chair. "I can't do that. They're advertisements. I was hired and I signed a model release and everything."

Chris frowned. "Then I'm afraid your other job conflicts with this one."

Mina started to say that modeling wasn't her other job and that it had been a one-time thing, but stopped. It wouldn't be any use. There was nothing she could do about the photos. She couldn't even return her pay and beg Hot Ink's owner to stop using the images of her. She'd already spent the money on Jess's homecoming dress. Besides, it would devastate Karen if her prized photos were returned. She could feel her emotions and her temper quickly spiraling out of control. "Fine," she said, pushing her chair back and rising. "It doesn't look like I have a choice, does it?" She strode quickly out of his office, grabbing her jacket and handbag on her way out of the building. Within moments she was outside, leaving a bewildered Amy behind without answering her questions.

She ducked out of the biting wind and inside her car, jamming her keys into the ignition. As she backed out of the parking lot, she couldn't help but think of the one thing she'd left behind – the little silver star plaque inscribed with her name and 'three years of service'. She'd left it on the counter beside her register. Three years of working her ass off at the bank, of Chris telling her that she was the most competent teller...and it was all gone. She had nothing. No money, and now no job. And it was all because of a couple photos. She took a hard right, steering not toward home, but another section of town. She had to see the images that had damned her for herself.

Fifteen minutes later she was standing on the sidewalk in front of Hot Ink, the cause of her sudden unemployment staring right back at her from a glossy poster that took up nearly an entire pane of storefront glass. In it, she and Eric were entwined, their lips almost touching. The photo had been taken the moment after their kiss had ended, and the desire she so vividly remembered was written across their faces. As for the rest of their bodies, the poster ended at their waists, but nearly everything above was exposed. The angle showed off half of the dragon on Eric's back. Her own new tattoo was almost completely revealed. The length of red silk Karen had given her 'for modesty' was trapped between her and Eric's bodies, useless except for the splash of color it lent to the image. Mina glanced up at the shop's neon sign. Hot Ink – Karen's photography definitely lived up to the name.

As Mina stood staring, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was the glamorous looking woman in the photo, a pang of regret lanced through her. Anyone who walked by Hot Ink or caught sight of the photo online would see the moment of passion she and Eric had shared. Just like them, the image would be the only tangible tie she'd have to that kiss. If it weren't for the tingling in her lips and the remembered taste of Eric, she would have felt even more like an outsider; as if it were some other woman in the photo instead of her. She glanced at the poster one last time and turned away. Knowing that Eric might be inside the shop was too much. She hadn't had any contact with him since he'd taken her home early after their date.

She pulled her jacket tighter as she strode quickly down the sidewalk, unsure of why she was hurrying. The poster had already lost her job for her. What else could it possibly do that could be worse? A lingering sense of longing answered that question: it hurt to look at the poster. Or rather, it made her want Eric so badly that it hurt. She hastened her step, and when a voice called out to her, she almost thought it was a product of wishful thinking.

"Mina?"

Eric appeared at her side, slightly breathless, but definitely real. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him and she stopped dead in her tracks. "Eric."

"I thought I saw you standing outside the window."

A moment of silence stretched between them.

"Do you need something – a touch up on your new tattoo? Or did you come just to see the posters?"

Mina's heart fluttered at the thought of Eric's hands on her body, even if it was just to touch up her tattoo. "I came to see the posters."

A hint of a smile curved his lips. "Well, what do you think?"

Her throat tightened ominously, and she cringed at the way her eyes stung. No way was she going to lose it. Not now and not here in front of Eric. But it had been hard to keep it together at the bank, and even now, almost all she could think about was that in a few hours she'd have to pick up Jess from school and tell her that she'd lost her job.

"Hey." Eric laid his hand on her shoulder, and his touch was comforting, even through the layers of Mina's jacket and top. "Are they really that bad?"

She shook her head, swallowing the thick feeling in her throat. "The posters look great." She tried to smile. "Karen is a fantastic photographer."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I..." Her eyes stung again, and she tried to blink away the feeling. "I lost my job. Just a few minutes ago."

His gorgeous eyes clouded with concern as he frowned. "What happened?"

She tipped her head in the direction of the shop. "One of my co-workers saw the posters, took photos of them and turned them in to my boss and the HR department. They said that either the photos had to come down for good, or I'd be terminated."

He shook his head. "That's ridiculous. Come on though – I'll take you to talk to Jed. He's the owner, and I'm sure he'll understand—"

"No." She cut him off, shaking her head. "I can't ask for that. Karen would be devastated, and I already spent the money Jed paid me." She sighed. "Besides, it's done. My job is gone. I can't even truthfully say that I want it back."

He took her hand, enclosing it within the warmth of his own. "Do you want to go somewhere? I don't want to leave you alone."

She bit down on her inner lip, debating. She wanted to go with him – anywhere or nowhere, it didn't really matter where. She didn't want him to let go of her hand and go back inside the tattoo shop, leaving her alone on the sidewalk with her misery. But after the way she'd embarrassed herself last time she'd seen him, she was almost afraid to say yes. Maybe it would be smarter to call Karen. If she hadn't gone in to work yet, Karen would commiserate with her, and maybe even help her get started on her search for a new job. Eric was looking at her with those blue eyes – she had to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to say no. "I don't know."

A little bit of the light went out of his eyes. "Look, about last time... I didn't realize I was making you uncomfortable. I guess I read your reactions wrong. I'm sorry." He gave her hand an almost imperceptible squeeze.

She shook her head. "No, you didn't." She'd practically jumped into his lap in the car. How was it possible to misread that? "You didn't do anything wrong."

He arched an eyebrow at her in question. "Really? You seemed pretty upset."

"I was, but with myself, not you."

He took a step toward her, invading her personal space.

Mina's heart skipped a beat as she was reminded of the hard heat of his body pressed against hers, first in the studio and then in the car. Hopefully she was just imagining the way her hand seemed to be shaking inside his.

"I don't get it," he said.

She flinched as a cold gust of wind sent her hair flying. "It's not really something I can explain standing here on a sidewalk."

"That's fine." He tightened his hold on her hand, taking a step forward. "I'll take you someplace else. Just say where."

She let him guide her up the sidewalk, and couldn't help but turn to stare at the posters in Hot Ink's windows as they approached them.

"Pretty nice, huh?" He stopped beside her to admire their poster, still holding her hand. The husky tone of his voice suggested that 'nice' wasn't exactly what he meant.

A wave of heat swept through Mina as she stood, entranced by the image of their entwined bodies and almost-touching lips. She could vividly remember how the firm planes of his stomach had felt pressed against hers, with little more than a thin layer of silk between them. And his heat...she could feel it even now, the warm rush of his breath against her cheek as he spoke, so close beside her. "Yeah," she replied, her eyes glued to the tattoo winding across Eric's toned back. That same body was pressed against hers now, firm even beneath the thick layers of their clothing.

"I don't know about you," he said, "but I really like this one, too." He stepped to the side, indicating the poster displayed in the window on the other side of the door.

Mina followed his gaze, her lips cracking open in surprise as she looked closely at the poster for the first time. There was just one person on this poster – a glamorous woman inked from shoulder to hip, a soft cut of red silk wrapping around her body, not quite managing to hide the curves beneath. It was her. She hadn't realized that when she'd first stood in front of the shop – she'd been too distracted by the image of her and Eric together. It was obvious now, though the way she looked in the picture wasn't exactly how she pictured herself. "Karen is a real artist," she said.

"Why do you say that?" Eric was still admiring the poster, his eyes slowly tracing the curves of her body.

Heat warmed her cheeks. "Well, look at me. I don't look that good right now." Not that she wasn't happy with her appearance, but the glamorous woman she'd been transformed into for the sake of the photo shoot was bound to turn more heads than she did as her everyday self. Of course, that was the point.

He surprised her by looking away from the poster, turning to face her instead. His gaze swept from her head to her toes, and though she was more than modestly dressed in her work clothes and high-buttoned jacket, she felt as if she were wearing nothing but the red silk again. "Yes you do," he said, his voice firm and sure.

She was suddenly hyper-aware of his hold on her hand, of his closeness. All it would take would be for either of them to lean a few inches, and their lips would be locked as solidly as they had been half a moment before the picture on the first poster had been taken. The thought released a swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

He began moving again. "Let's try the whole coffee thing again." His clear blue eyes met hers and one corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "What do you say?"

"All right." How could she say no to coffee? It was innocent, even if her secret thoughts weren't.

They went to the same café they had the first time, and Mina ordered the same thing, vowing not to leave it behind this time. "I don't think there are any open seats," she said, clutching her vanilla latte and turning to scan the shop's small interior. Most of the tables were occupied by people with laptops, their bags and coats filling the seats they didn't. Here and there, couples sat together, and the sight of them made Mina glance toward Eric, wondering if he'd reach across the table to touch her hand or kiss her lightly with lips that had been warmed by coffee. She shouldn't have been thinking about it, as if they were a real couple like the others scattered around the shop, but she couldn't help it.

"There are a few tables outside," Eric said, frowning as he glanced at a man whose computer and accessories took up every inch of a table made to seat four.

Mina nodded as she glanced out the window. All three of the outdoor tables were empty, their umbrellas closed and bound shut. No one wanted to sit outside in the cold fall wind, but it didn't look like she and Eric had much of a choice.

"So how's Jess?" Eric asked, settling into his seat across from Mina as he opened his coffee's lid, letting the steam rise to be blown away by another harsh rush of wind. "Does she still have those stitches?"

Mina shook her head, inwardly pleased that he'd remembered Jess's injury and cared enough to ask. "The doctor removed them yesterday. The wound has healed nicely. He says it shouldn't leave too bad of a scar."

"Great." Even his short hair was visibly moved by the next gust.

"Yeah." Mina took a sip of her latte, wondering exactly how red her nose was from the cold. Eric might think she looked as beautiful as her professionally made-up and edited image, but she suspected that she looked more like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer than the girl on the poster. She lowered her cup onto the table, wrapping her hands around it for warmth as she tried to keep her teeth from chattering.

The knowing look that passed through Eric's eyes was unmissable. "Look, it's freezing out here. Would you rather finish your coffee at my place? It's just a few blocks away."

Her surprise must have shown on her face, because he reached out to touch one of her hands, just like the guy in the coffee shop had done to his girlfriend. "You don't have anything to worry about. I just can't sit here and watch you turn into an icicle."

Another blast of biting air sent her hair flying backwards, as if she were standing in a wind tunnel instead of sitting outside a café. "Okay."

Their chairs scraped against the cement as they rose, and Eric walked close beside her, leading her to his place. The butterflies in Mina's stomach maintained a state of unrest as she imagined his home and what it would be like to be with him inside it – alone. The idea was both unnerving and slightly intoxicating, but at least it took her mind off what she'd have to say to him once they arrived. After all, she'd agreed to tell him what had upset her during their date, and she wasn't looking forward to confessing.
CHAPTER 6

"Here we are." The brick apartment building was thoroughly ordinary, and a rush of relief swept through Mina as they stepped inside, safely ensconced in the narrow hallway, away from the cold wind. Eric led her to the third floor, and her heart beat as if they'd run all the way up the stairs as he pushed his key into the lock and turned it.

The inside of his apartment was just as ordinary as the outside – modest but reasonably neat and clean. Her eyes settled on a guitar propped in one corner, a couple yards behind the couch that sat in the middle of the living room. Did he play?

"I have a roommate," he explained. "He's the one who plays guitar, but he's at work right now."

She nodded, settling onto the edge of the couch after he gestured toward it. He sat beside her, his blue eyes locked with hers as he opened his coffee again, releasing curling tendrils of steam. "So about last time," he said. "You're going to have to explain if you really want me to believe it wasn't something I did."

She took a deep breath and wrapped her fingers around her cup, drawing on its warmth for courage. "If it was something you'd done, I wouldn't have come here with you."

He waited patiently for her to explain, his blue eyes locked on her.

"I agreed to go on a date with you because, well, I really like you, but I figured that it would be our last, after I told you about my family situation."

"Family situation?" He blinked, like he thought he'd missed something.

She looked directly into his eyes, doing her best to ignore the way her heart fluttered as she did so. "You know – that I'm Jess's guardian."

He still didn't look like he understood. Mina repressed a frustrated sigh. How could she possibly make it any clearer?

"So let me get this straight. You thought that I wouldn't want to continue dating you because you're caring for your little sister on your own?"

She nodded, clutching her barely-touched latte. The cup wasn't as warm as it had been. Soon her drink would be cold, wasted like the first one. She forced herself to take a sip, and the sweetness felt alien on her tongue. All she could think about was bitterness – she'd be up to her eyeballs in it once Eric confirmed her theory and turned her away.

"That's ridiculous."

She snapped her gaze back to his face. "What?"

"I can't believe you thought I wouldn't be interested in a relationship with you because of that."

Relationship. She took another sip of her drink, just to hide her face, lest it betray the sudden sense of hope that had risen up in her. "Are you telling me I was wrong?" It sounded blunt, even to her, but she didn't think she could stand her emotions being toyed with. Not by him.

"Of course." He cocked a dark brow at her again. "I don't know why you thought that would deter me."

She sighed. Maybe he just didn't realize what her life was like. She glanced around the room, where all signs indicated that it was home to two single men. He just couldn't understand the responsibilities of caring for another person – a person who needed her help for even some of the most basic things. Not that she could blame him, but... She steeled herself for disappointment all over again as she looked him directly in his amazing eyes. "I don't think you understand. Eric, I love Jess, and I wouldn't give up my guardianship of her for the world, but I have a lot of responsibilities, and they might make dating difficult at times. Jess will always take priority over any man – or anyone else in the world, for that matter. I know a lot of guys can't handle that." She'd learned that firsthand – the relatively few times anyone had shown interest in dating her over the past few years, they'd backed off quickly after learning how much of her time and energy was devoted to her little sister.

He took one of her hands in his. "Mina..."

She held her other hand up, imploring him to let her continue. If she was going to get this all off her chest, she was going to say it all at once, not dole out her discomfort in little doses, extending the heartbreak of separating herself from Eric. "My life is more like the existence of a middle aged mom's than a twenty-four year old's." At just fourteen, Jess would need Mina for years to come. "Sometimes I look at other people my age, and I can't believe they're supposed to be my peers. I don't have their freedom, and I don't have as much to offer someone like you." She clutched her coffee cup with her free hand, still meeting Eric's gaze. If that hadn't been direct enough, nothing would be.

His expression was unreadable. "Is that everything you wanted to say?"

She nodded silently, her heart in her throat as she awaited his response.

"Good." He squeezed her hand as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her mouth. It was soft and, in comparison to the way they'd kissed in his car several nights ago, light. His lips were hot from his coffee, just as she'd imagined them. Something inside her wavered as his heat suffused her, warming not just her lips, but her entire body. Maybe she should have resisted, but the rigidness she'd mustered up had gone out of her spine and shoulders and all she wanted to do was melt against him. When he pulled away, it was too soon. Left to face reality instead of focusing on the perfection of his touch, her mind whirled with confusion.

"Mina, I want to keep seeing you. I don't care if our relationship isn't your top priority – I don't expect it to be. I think what you do for your sister is amazing."

The defenses she'd quickly erected in preparation for his rejection crashed down, leaving her feeling exposed and stunned. "Really?" She hated the hopefulness that tinged her voice, but she couldn't help it. Of all the reactions she'd imagined he might have to her words, this wasn't one of them. Amazing? Could he be serious?

"Yeah." He leaned in – not kissing her, but close. "I can't believe that's what this was all about. I didn't contact you after I took you home that night because I really thought you weren't interested in dating me."

She knew her confusion showed on her face as she replied. "Why would you think that?" After all, she'd responded to his advances with alacrity until she'd gotten a rein on herself and allowed him to drop her off at her apartment.

He laughed softly. "I didn't know, but I had a few guesses. Believe it or not, tattoo artists aren't exactly at the top of most women's lists for potential boyfriends."

She couldn't help but smile. "Like I care about that. I love what you do. And besides, I'm just a bank teller. Well, an ex-teller." Her expression rapidly turned into a frown. Back at Ruby's, when he'd said that life had gotten in the way of the education he'd dreamed of as a child, she'd known exactly what he'd meant.

His smile reached his eyes. Had he really thought she'd fled his advances despite her attraction because of his job? Maybe she wasn't the only one who'd harbored some major misconceptions until now. The thought threw her mind into a spiral of doubt. Before, she'd taken comfort in knowing what to expect, even if it had been painful to imagine Eric rejecting her. Now, she didn't know what to think.

He loosened his grip on her hand a little and began to massage the back of it in a comforting gesture. Her muscles were stiff beneath his fingertips, knotted with anxiety. "Mina?"

She raised her gaze – she'd lowered it into her lap, lost in contemplation as she tried to wrap her mind around the concept that Eric thought the fact that she cared for her sister was 'amazing'. "Yeah?"

"I mean it, you know. The fact that you're responsible for Jess isn't going to cause me to lose interest in you."

The uncertainty she felt must have shown on her face, because he continued.

"I had a little sister," he said, his eyes a shade darker than usual. "Amanda."

Had. The word tripped some internal alarm inside Mina, and she braced herself for whatever he was about to say. The faraway look in his eyes told her it wasn't going to be a happy story. Her heart wrenched a little in premature sympathy. She knew all about tragedy.

"She was killed in an accident," he said, "when she was about Jess's age. She and my brother were in the car when it slid on an icy road and rolled into the median. He only suffered minor injuries, but her side of the vehicle was obliterated. I like to think that if she'd survived, I would have done whatever I could have to make her life whole again, even if she'd been badly hurt or disabled. So when I see you taking care of Jess, I think of her, and I know that I would have done the same if I'd had to. If I'd had the chance."

Mina swallowed, trying to ignore the way her throat had tightened. Eric didn't know how close to the truth he'd come, but she couldn't tell him that now – there was enough sadness in his story to last a lifetime, let alone a day or a single conversation. Hers could wait. She really was lucky to have Jess, and apparently, she'd underestimated Eric. She was lucky to have him, too. "I'm sorry," she said, clasping his hand tightly.

He shook his head, as if shaking off the sorrow of his sister's death. "That was years ago. I'm not trying to depress you; I just wanted to let you know that I could never fault you for caring for your sister." His smile returned, and his eyes were the color of a summer sky again. "Actually, I don't know if you'd noticed, but..." He pulled off his shirt in one smooth, unexpected movement.

Mina's heart went crazy, fluttering like a caged bird as she eyed the broad expanse of his inked shoulders, all fair skin and contrasting dark ink. And then – oh God – there was everything below that: the arms she hadn't been able to stop eyeing since the day she'd met him and his flat stomach...

"This was my first tattoo." He indicated the design on his upper arm, and Mina noticed for the first time that he was pointing at something.

She dared to lean closer, her pulse quickening as she examined the design up close. The tip of his index finger rested on a place where the spiraling ink formed an 'A' that blended seamlessly with the rest of the design. "Amanda," she said. "You got this tattoo in memory of your sister."

He nodded. "I had it done a few months after she died, and that was when I started seriously considering tattooing for a living. So I took up an apprenticeship, and the rest is history."

Mina touched her own side lightly, trailing her fingers over her ribs. If that poor little girl hadn't died, Eric never would have done her tattoo. She probably never would have met him. The thought twisted her heart. She reached out to touch Eric on the shoulder, but he seemed to have moved on.

"So if you really thought I wasn't interested," he said, "what in the world were you thinking when I kissed you after dinner?"

Heat rushed into her cheeks. "I figured you were interested...for the night." She tried not to eye his perfectly toned torso as she said it, but that proved impossible.

"That wasn't the case." He was silent for half a moment. "Though I guess I can't blame you for thinking that after the way I acted. I'm sorry." He was so close his breath rushed across her lips, warm and tempting.

"Don't be."

"No, really. You deserve to be treated much better than that."

She would have pinched herself if she could have gotten away with it without Eric noticing. This was all going so differently than she'd imagined. She'd entered his apartment with a storm cloud over her head, and now she felt like she was walking on air instead of sitting on his couch. His lips brushed hers, and she was more than ready for another kiss. Unfortunately, the door swung open as soon as she parted her lips, ready to admit his tongue.

She and Eric pulled apart, though he still held her hand, and turned to face the front door. A tall man who was perhaps a few years older than Eric had walked in, and the expression on his face was one of surprise. "Sorry. I didn't even realize you were here Eric, let alone that you'd brought someone with you." He eyed Eric's cast-off shirt dubiously, looking increasingly embarrassed as he took in the scene.

Eric's expression was wry as he turned his gaze back to Mina again. "Mina, this is my roommate Garret. Garret, this is Mina."

They exchanged cordial hellos, and though there was a certain air of awkwardness in the small living room, it couldn't douse the inner glow that Eric's words had sparked in Mina.

"You want me to, uh, leave?" Garret asked.

Eric shook his head. "No, you're fine. I was just about to take Mina back out anyway."

Garret shuffled back to a room that was presumably his bedroom, leaving Eric and a mildly disappointed Mina alone. Now that she knew Eric was really interested in a relationship with her – the real her, not the girl on the poster – she wasn't exactly eager to go home to wallow in the loss of her job.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, "but I have an idea, and if it sounds good to you we'll need to leave here anyway."

She looked at him, curious. "What is it?"

"About your job – I'm sure you need a new one, and I might be able to help. The pay's nothing to brag about, and I don't really know how it compares with what a bank teller makes, but if you need a position fast, this would definitely be that."

She tried not to sound too desperate at the thought of possibly finding a new job so quickly. With the crappy economy, thoughts of a months-long job search had been tormenting her ever since she'd walked out of the bank. She had no savings and the rent was due in two weeks. She'd be willing to at least consider almost anything. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "We normally have two receptionists down at Hot Ink, but one of them quit a few days ago and Jed needs someone to take her place as quickly as possible. He's been having the other girl work crazy hours and filling in himself when she's not there. Is that something you might be interested in?"

The mere mention of working not only at a tattoo shop, but the same one as Eric, had immediately kindled her interest and her curiosity. "So I'd be at the front counter answering phones and scheduling appointments?"

He nodded. "That and answering some clients' basic questions, selling the little bit of merchandise we carry, handling payments and stuff like that."

She loosened her hold on her coffee cup just as the liquid was about to spill over the top. "That sounds great. Do you think Jed would be interested in hiring me?"

Eric grinned, and it fueled her enthusiasm to see that he seemed just as pleased at the prospect of her working there as she felt. "I'm sure he would be. You have experience with customer service and handling transactions, plus your image is already being used to advertise Hot Ink. I'd say that makes you perfect for the job."

She beamed back at him. Maybe she wouldn't have to tell Jess she was unemployed after all. "Do you think you could recommend me to Jed?"

"I can take you to talk to him right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he hired you on the spot – he's working the front desk and he hates it."

* * * * *

Mina tapped her pen against the counter, thinking of Jess as she stared out Hot Ink's large storefront windows at the darkened street beyond. It was a quarter after eleven. The shop was supposed to have closed at eleven, but Eric was still working, finishing a tattoo that was taking longer than anticipated, thanks to the fact that the client receiving it couldn't seem to hold still for more than a minute at a time. He'd be done soon – hopefully, anyway. The other artists had left just a few minutes ago, leaving only Mina, Eric and his client behind. She didn't really mind. She'd started at Hot Ink three days ago, but this was the first time she'd worked at night. She was supposed to work mostly during the day, but the other receptionist had left her shift early, sick. When Eric had called Mina to relay Jed's request that she fill in for a few hours, she'd agreed after a quick phone call to Karen, who'd promised to swing by Mina's apartment and check on Jess. With Jess taken care of, Mina didn't feel too guilty over leaving her home alone at night. After all, she could use a couple extra hours on her paycheck.

Not that her pay was bad. She'd assumed she'd be taking a loss by accepting the job, but as it turned out, when she counted the tips the artists paid her in return for her booking them appointments, she was actually making a little more than she had at the bank. She'd decided on her first day that she loved working at Hot Ink, and the pay revelation had been icing on the cake. Besides the money, there was the fact that she could basically wear whatever she wanted to work. Today she wore jeans, a casual sweater and her favorite flats. The ensemble was infinitely more comfortable than what she'd had to wear at the bank. More importantly, she didn't have to deal with anyone like Ashley. In fact, she liked everyone she worked with – especially Eric.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, where he was hard at work tattooing his restless client. He was lost in concentration, but he frequently made time for her when he wasn't with customers. Working together made it easy for them to spend time with each other, even if it was just chatting from opposite sides of the glass display case that housed the shop's selection of body jewelry. She smiled when he put down his gun and looked up at her as he mopped excess ink from his client's arm.

He returned her smile before turning back to the other man. "All right. We're finally done." He put down his ink-stained towel and proceeded to clean the fresh tattoo, cutting an appropriate length of bandage and securing it.

Mina reached into the cubby beneath her register and pulled out a sheet printed with aftercare instructions. She handed it to the man before he left, tucking one of Eric's business cards with it. When he was gone, she turned to face Eric. "Long day, huh?"

He flashed her a wry grin. "Too long." He strode over to the door and locked it, simultaneously flipping the switch that turned the shop's electric sign off. "No other clients are getting in here until one tomorrow." That was when the shop would open the next day.

"Sounds good to me." She stifled a yawn, glancing at the clock that hung on the wall to her right. Only half an hour until midnight. She was used to going to bed earlier, since she'd had to rise early for work at the bank. Sleeping in – at least, on the weekends, when she didn't have to get up to take Jess to school – was another thing she liked about working at Hot Ink.

"Tired, huh?" he asked, stepping behind the counter and laying a hand on her arm.

A shiver of delight raced down her spine, her body warming. She had been tired, but his touch dispelled her drowsiness, making her feel as if she'd been sleeping all day and had just now come awake. Ever since she'd visited his apartment briefly, the affection he'd shown her had been light and sweet; the occasional brush across the cheek or five-second press against her lips. She knew he was holding back. So was she, but why, exactly, she wasn't sure. "I feel like I could stay up a little later," she said. Now that the client was gone and the time had come for them to part, she was reluctant to leave him.

He pressed a kiss against her mouth, and though it started out gently, she tempted him by parting her lips, inviting him to slip his tongue inside. He obliged, sliding his tongue over hers and moaning as he reached deep into her mouth. She sensed that whatever sense of restraint had been holding him back over the past few days had broken, and her heart fluttered. She pressed her hands to his sides, seizing fistfuls of his shirt as he leaned her against the counter, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tight against his chest. The edge of the counter dug into the small of her back and she shifted against him, uncomfortable but unwilling to end the kiss.

He pulled away. "Am I hurting you?"

Her lower lip jutted out of its own accord. "Don't stop." She'd been daydreaming about him kissing her like this for days. Now, every fiber of her being throbbed and tingled, aching for more.

"Only for a second," he said, pulling her away from the counter.

Moments later, they were on the couch in the waiting area, pressed side by side and entwined in the middle of the cushions. Eric nipped her lower lip between his teeth before she could suck it back in, and her nipples tightened beneath her clothing. She opened her mouth, letting his tongue slide inside again as she clung to him, her nails biting into his shoulders.

He slipped a thumb beneath her sweater, running it over the curve of her hipbone. She sighed, her breath rushing over his lips. If only they were somewhere other than the shop. True, it was closed and locked, but the large glass windows destroyed any notion of true privacy. If they'd had that, she wouldn't have stopped him from doing anything that involved his hands on her body. The couch was facing opposite the window and partially obscured by an alcove, but that wasn't enough cover for the things she wanted to do with him.

As he continued to tease her tongue, she moaned. He'd tucked his thumb beneath the waistband of her jeans, and her pussy was quickly dampening in response. It had been so long, she'd almost forgotten that anyone was capable of making her feel this way. She shifted against him and the seam of her jeans pressed against her clit through her panties, sending bolts of fire through her belly and leaving her feeling like she might die of unfulfilled desire – not that she had anyone to blame but herself. He'd meant to kiss her sweetly at the counter, but she'd encouraged him, and now they were here; locked in an increasingly heated embrace that could end in nothing but frustration. She had Jess and he had a roommate. This would be the only time they'd get alone together tonight, before they said goodbye and parted ways at the nearby parking garage. She knew that, but she couldn't resist arching her hips, letting his fingers slide beneath the waistband of her jeans to join his thumb.

He kissed her harder and pressed his fingertips against her burning flesh, stroking the soft edge of her cotton panties, a hairsbreadth away from touching the curls beneath. She moaned, letting her lips go soft against his. He took advantage, plunging his tongue deep inside her mouth. Her clit throbbed harder than ever, now that his fingertips were within a few agonizing inches of it. "Touch me," she said, pulling her lips the barest fraction of an inch away from his when he let his hand rest. "Please. Even if it's only for a second." If his fingertips didn't make contact with her swollen nub soon, she wouldn't be able to stand it.

He responded with alacrity, finding her clit and beginning a slow massage that made her toes curl inside her comfortable black flats. Her heart raced, and every nerve in her body buzzed with sensation as her muscles tensed, leaving her feeling as if she might shatter. It felt too perfect to last for long – she'd either come or simply fall apart beneath his hands. He touched her in deep, lazy circles, and all the breath rushed out of her lungs in an involuntary gasp. The tension in her core mounted, growing more and more unbearable until...

He stopped. She bit her lip, barely managing to contain a sigh of disappointment as he pulled his fingertips away from her inflamed flesh, leaving nothing but soft cotton and denim against her tingling skin. Why couldn't he have touched her for just a moment or two longer? The want hammering in her heart and surging through her veins made her head spin, and thinking that it would go unsatisfied was unbearable. But he was standing, leaving the couch and her behind, heading for the door. "Eric?" she asked, trying to keep her sudden uncertainty out of her voice. Had she done something to turn him away? Was he really going to leave her like this?

His voice was surprisingly husky when he replied. "I'll be back in a second." A quiet click followed his promise, and all the lights went out.
CHAPTER 7

Relief flooded through her, along with excitement, as she realized that he'd risen to turn off the lights. Her clit was still throbbing, aching and swollen, and though she could only make out his outline as he crossed the waiting area, she could hear his footsteps clearly. Her head swam as her imagination went wild, speculating over what he planned to do to her in the dark. When he stopped behind the couch and placed his hands on her shoulders, she leaned back into him, letting her head rest against his firm belly.

"Mina." He slowly pushed his hands downward, caressing the curves of her shoulders before cupping her breasts below, his thumbs trailing over their peaks, causing her nipples to harden, even beneath the cover of her clothing.

An anticipatory shiver raced down her spine as she imagined his palms and fingertips against her bare flesh, holding the weight of her breasts and teasing her nipples just as he was now. Below, her clit throbbed harder than ever. She'd never wanted anyone this badly.

In what seemed half a second he withdrew his touch and rounded the couch, settling close beside her again. Her heart skipped a beat as the cushion shifted beneath her in response to his weight, forcing her to lean against him – not that she didn't want to. She rested her head on his shoulder and pressed her lips against his neck, kissing a trail from his lightly stubbled jaw to his collarbone. Meanwhile, butterflies erupted into flight inside her belly as he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled down the zipper. Before she knew it her lips met empty air as he slid off the couch, dropping to his knees in front of her.

"Eric, I..." Nervousness struck her as he began to ease her jeans down over her hips.

He paused, the denim still caught firmly in his fists. "What?" His warm breath hit her belly, causing her nipples to shrink to aching points and the skin on her arms and the back of her neck to pebble.

She blinked, straining to meet his eyes in the darkness. She couldn't – it was too absolute. Streetlight filtered in through the windows, but the new posters blocked much of it and none of it reached the alcove where the couch was situated. If she couldn't see his brilliant eyes, then he surely couldn't see much of her either. The knots of tension in her stomach eased a little. "Nothing." When he tugged on her jeans again she arched her hips, allowing him to slide them down to her knees. Her flats fell to the floor one by one as he pulled her pants over her ankles.

The plush couch cushions were sinfully soft against her thighs and bottom, and for a split second, all she could think about was that she was so wet that she'd soon dampen them. Eric increased her worry by peeling off her panties, pulling them down and over the lengths of her bare legs as smoothly as he had her jeans. Her folds were slick, her clit tingling. The couch cushions didn't stand a chance, and the thought mortified her. This was her place of work, and if she sat naked below the waist on the couch much longer, it was going to be as wet as her.

Eric put a stop to her fretting by reaching around her hips to grasp the round curves of her ass and pull her to him, so that she was balanced on the edge of the couch, her pussy touching nothing but air that was warmed by his breath instead of the plush couch cushion. He put his hands between her thighs and flattened his palms against the insides, willing her to open them as he exerted a gentle pressure. She let them unfold, exposing herself to him and trembling when his breath hit her slick skin, streaming over her clit. A part of her consciousness was detached, as if she could hardly believe what was happening, while the rest of her sparked and hummed with anticipatory delight, reveling in every little sensation. When Eric pressed his mouth flush against her pussy, he demanded every bit of her attention, forcing awareness into every corner of her mind. He gripped her thighs firmly as she shook, shocked by the feel of his tongue against her clit.

He explored her slowly, working his tongue over the swollen nub and then reaching the folds below. He slipped the tip between them, pushing inside her. She couldn't help the tremors that raced through her thighs as he penetrated her with his tongue, sparking an ache in her core so fierce that she shifted beneath his hands, forcing him a little deeper. Pleasure shot through her, causing her sex to tighten against his tongue as a searing heat spread through her body. When he withdrew she relaxed for half a moment before he applied his tongue to her clit, covering it with firm strokes.

The tension in her core mounted, leaving her slumped and gasping on the couch as he held her steady, his lips and tongue as hot and wet as the flesh he pressed them against. She reached down and settled her hands on his forearms, feeling the tension in his muscles as she squeezed, her nails digging into his skin. If it hurt he showed no sign, just licked her harder, his tongue sweeping over her inflamed flesh and his teeth denting it ever so slightly. That was what sent her over the edge. She gripped his arms harder than ever, gasping as the first wave of pleasure rolled over her. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own – it tried to writhe, but Eric held her firmly, stilling her legs and hips as he drove her to arch against the cushions, moaning.

A few moments later her climax was over, leaving her feeling boneless and lost in a haze of waning sensations. Eric's touch anchored her, warm and real. His lips brushed the insides of her thighs as he pressed kisses against them, finally loosening his steady grip on her legs and smoothing his hands over her hips instead. When he climbed onto the couch next to her again, she realized that she was still gasping. Making a conscious effort to steady her breathing, she leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder as she struggled to piece her thoughts together so she could say something coherent. When he tucked his hand beneath her chin and tilted it upward so he could kiss her, she forgot about words altogether. Instead she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips, demanding entry. When he granted it to her she thrust her tongue past his teeth and deep into his mouth, deciding that this was as good a way to convey her feelings as any. He wrapped an arm around her waist and turned, pinning her against the back of the couch.

Her core tightened as one last weak wave of pleasure swept through it, prompted by the hardness that pressed against her bare belly, causing her shirt to ride up. Even through his jeans, she could feel every inch of his erection. He was harder than she'd ever known anyone to be. Sympathy lanced through the haze of her pleasure, pricking her consciousness. If he felt anything like she had before he'd released her, he had to be ready to explode with desire. She lowered a hand into his lap and gripped him, wrapping her fingers around his shaft as thoroughly as she could through the denim.

He groaned and flexed his hips, filling her hand. The blunt tip of his cock crossed her palm, sending a shiver of delight down her spine. She held his hardness in one hand and began to negotiate the button above the fly of his jeans with the other. She could do for him what he'd done for her. Her mouth watered at the thought, and she could hardly wait to feel the hard rod of his erection skin-to-skin. He felt thick and tempting. No, more than tempting – irresistible.

"No." He grabbed her wrist, wrapping his fingers around it and pulling it from his lap.

"What – why?" She tried to search his eyes, but couldn't make out enough to glean any hint as to why he'd stopped her.

"I'm not asking you to do anything for me."

"I want to." She tried to pull her wrist out of his grasp, but he maintained a firm but gentle hold.

"Not tonight." He let go of her wrist, bending to pick up her jeans and panties from the floor. "Here, I'll help you put these back on."

"Eric..."

He lifted one of her ankles into his lap and slipped her panties over it. Inadvertently, she brushed his erection with the side of her foot. It was hard and throbbing. It had to be taking all of his willpower for him not to let her release it from his jeans and give him a taste of the same pleasure he'd granted her.

Soon he had her back in her panties and was holding her jeans. "It's late. I know you don't like leaving Jess at home by herself at night. I'll lock up the shop and walk you to your car."

As a last ditch effort, she pressed her palms against the sides of his face and pulled him into a beseeching kiss. He returned it, but only for a moment, and then he was back to business, sliding her jeans over her ankles. She stiffened when he got them over her knees, his knuckles brushing the top of her right thigh. She felt the telltale moment of numbness, and her stomach lurched, threatening to overturn in a moment of alarm.

Eric said nothing, just paused for a moment and then pulled her jeans all the way up. She'd helped him by raising her hips, suddenly eager to be covered. He was silent, but she knew that he'd noticed. Maybe it was stupid that she cared, considering the fact that he was bound to notice sooner or later – sooner, in light of what they'd just done. But she couldn't help the unease that settled over her as she imagined the next time he undressed her, without the cover of darkness.

"Come on." Eric took her hand and helped her to rise. "It's past midnight."

She waited for him to lock up and walked close beside him as they headed toward the parking garage, enjoying the feel of his arm around her waist and the pleasurable afterglow that had settled over her body in the wake of the incredible climax he'd brought her to. All she could think about was the next time they'd be alone together, and though she looked forward to it – in fact, she was trying to plan a time as they walked – she couldn't help the thread of doubt that wove its way through her thoughts, making her wonder what his reaction would be when he stripped off her clothing again and saw what he'd only felt tonight.

* * * * *

Mina smiled at the little slip of paper stuck to her apartment door. Tucking it into her purse, she turned to leave again instead of going inside. She'd just arrived home from work and had planned on relaxing for a little while before heading to the high school to pick Jess up from her art club meeting, but this would be even better. She could swing by the post office and have Jess's homecoming dress in hand when she picked her up. She'd be thrilled.

Things went smoothly at the post office, and before she knew it, it was five-thirty and she was pulling up in front of the high school. Jess was waiting for her around the side entrance near the art studio, as usual. She sat in her chair, bundled against the chill in her favorite fuchsia pea coat, flashing a smile in Mina's direction. Mina hurried to help her into the car and deposited her wheelchair in the trunk, eager to share the news. "Guess what arrived today?"

Jess peered over her shoulder and into the back seat, where the large protective cardboard box took up most of the space. "Is that my dress?"

Mina nodded.

Jess beamed. "I can't wait to try it on! Patty got her dress last week and she's been showing me pictures of it every day. I told her..." Jess launched into an account of her friends' dress-buying experiences, using her fingers to draw tally marks on the foggy window as she counted who'd bought their dresses already and who was waiting until the last minute.

Ten short minutes later, they were home. Mina walked behind Jess, hugging the large box against her chest. Imagining seeing Jess in the gown, she was almost as excited as Jess herself. She could just imagine Jess's smile when she saw herself in the exact same dress the model in the catalogue had worn – the one she'd wanted above all others. A warm glow of satisfaction enveloped Mina. She'd done it. She'd managed to get Jess the dress she wanted, and she was going to love it. Wheelchair or not, she wouldn't be left out – just like her girlfriends, she'd have a beautiful dress and a date to the dance.

Mina struggled to maintain her hold on the box as she stood in front of her apartment door, fishing in her pocket for her keys.

"Here, let me hold that for you." A voice came seemingly out of nowhere, and the awkwardly-shaped box was lifted out of her arms.

"Oh, Blake, thanks." She smiled at the boy, their neighbor from two doors down, as she shook a cramp out of her hand and turned her key in the lock. He was a cute kid with sandy hair and big brown eyes, a year or so older than Jess. They went to the same high school, though as far as Mina knew, they didn't have any classes together.

"No problem." He beamed back at her, and Mina pushed the apartment door open, feeling amused and slightly embarrassed. Blake was sweet and helpful – just last week, he'd helped her carry her groceries into her apartment. Mina suspected that he had a crush on her.

"See you later, Blake." She waited for Jess to cross the threshold before stepping inside herself.

"Don't you want your box?" Blake asked, staring down at the package.

Mina smiled and took it from him. "Definitely. Thanks. It's Jess's homecoming dress."

"Great." He waved a goofy goodbye to her and Jess before Mina eased the door shut, smiling at him before turning to Jess.

"All right. You ready to try this thing on?"

Jess watched with gleaming eyes as Mina pulled the tape from the box and opened it, pushing aside several layers of tissue paper before lifting the gown from its depths.

"Oh my God. It looks even better than in the catalogue!" Jess clapped her hands together, eyeing the dress with glee.

As she stared down at the silky purple confection, Mina had to admit that it was nice – perhaps even nicer than it had looked in the photo, as Jess had said. It was downright gorgeous, and the expression on Jess's face convinced her that it had been well worth the money. "It'll look even better when you're wearing it. Come on."

They retreated to Jess's bedroom, where Mina helped her out of her chair and onto the edge of her bed. She sat there steadily, barely holding onto the end of the bedframe for support. Her bi-weekly physical therapy sessions had really been paying off. She'd developed an amazing amount of core strength for a fourteen year old girl, and though her progress came in marginal increments, she was getting better at standing, too. Sometimes Mina wondered if Jess would someday be able to take a step. The thought stirred a bevy of conflicting emotions – pride at Jess's progress and positive attitude, as well as the familiar anger and bitterness that always rose up in her when she thought of Jess as she had been several years ago, when she'd been able to walk. She shoved the thoughts into a dark corner of her mind, unwilling to spoil Jess's joy over her new dress by brooding.

In a few short minutes, she helped Jess out of her street clothes and into the gown. She pulled the zipper up slowly. "How is it? Not too tight or too loose?"

Jess sighed, as if she'd been holding her breath. "I think it's perfect. But there's only one way to tell for sure. Help me stand up."

Mina obliged gladly, helping Jess to her feet and offering her arm for support.

"That's okay," Jess said, waving away her offer. "I'm fine. Will you open my closet door?"

Mina hurried across the room, knowing that Jess couldn't stand on her own for long. As she swung the closet door open, Jess gasped.

Mina hurried to stand beside her, where she could see her reflection in the full-length mirror that was attached to the inside of the closet door. To her equal surprise and chagrin, tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she took in the image. Jess looked beautiful. Standing there in the gorgeous gown, she did it more justice than the model in the catalogue had. "Jess, you look amazing."

Jess's face was split from ear to ear in a gigantic grin. "I knew I'd love this dress. Thanks, Mina. For buying it for me, I mean."

"No problem. I'm glad we sprung for it. I can't wait to see you on the night of the dance, with your hair and make-up all done up..." The pressure behind her eyes mounted as she imagined it.

"Mina, are you crying?" Jess asked incredulously.

"No." Mina hastily wiped her arm across her eyes, catching the incriminating moisture with her sleeve. To her horror, when she opened them again she saw that Jess's legs had given out and that she was collapsing backwards onto the bed. "Jess!" She reached for her, but it was too late. Jess had landed squarely in the middle of the mattress in a heap of violet satin.

Jess giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Sorry, but you're acting like one of those moms who cry at weddings or something." Jess sniggered, splaying her other hand across her belly as if to suppress her laughter. It didn't work. Soon she was all but braying with amusement.

"Ha ha," Mina said austerely, not quite managing to hide a smile of her own.

Jess looked as if she might make another jibe at Mina, but Mina's cell phone interrupted first, ringing shrilly from her purse, which she'd deposited on Jess's desk. Mina's heart leapt. Maybe it was Eric. After pausing to help Jess into a sitting position, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Mina, it's me." Karen almost always greeted Mina that way.

"Hey. How's it going?"

Karen launched into an enthusiastic account of her recent days, relating how beneficial her work for Hot Ink had proven to be. Jed had allowed her to leave a stack of her business cards on the front counter – Mina saw it every day at work – and apparently, they'd resulted in more business than she'd initially dared to hope for. "I mean," Karen explained, "people are willing to endure a lot of pain and sacrifice a lot of time and money to get their tattoos in the first place, right? So why wouldn't they want to have them showcased with professional photos? I shot like five Hot Ink clients this week."

"That's fantastic, Karen."

"That's not all though," Karen added, her choice of wording and apparent excitement combining to make her sound more than a little like an infomercial. "Guess where else my photos are appearing?"

Mina shrugged before remembering that Karen couldn't see the gesture. "I don't know. Where?"

Karen rattled off the name of a publication, and it took a moment for it to click. When it did, Mina's eyebrows shot halfway up her forehead, seemingly of their own accord. "Isn't that the tattoo magazine that was on your desk in the studio?"

"Sure is."

"Which photos are they publishing?"

"Oh, a couple, including a certain photo that you might recognize from Hot Ink's window. You know, the one of you and Eric."

"Seriously?"

The smile Mina knew Karen wore was practically audible. "Yeah, which reminds me – I've got a check to split with you two. The payment isn't huge, but Mina, this is my first magazine publication! And don't worry," she added hastily, "I got permission from Jed before submitting the photo. He's thrilled about it. Hot Ink is getting credited, along with Eric and the artist that did his dragon tattoo. They're even mentioning that you work there."

Mina smiled. "I'm really happy for you." As for the photo, she didn't mind who saw it. It was already on display in Hot Ink's windows and on their website. Now that she'd left the bank behind, she had nothing to worry about.

"Thanks again for posing for me," Karen said. "I knew that photo would be amazing. But anyway, that reminds me – how are things with you and Eric?"

Mina wandered out of Jess's room and into her own, closing the door behind her. "Amazing," she said, her reply coming out more breathily than she'd intended it to.

Karen laughed. "So does that mean you finally..." She trailed off delicately, but Mina knew exactly what she meant.

"Not exactly. But Jess's homecoming dance is coming up, and since she's going to be out late that night at the dance and the after party the school is hosting, Eric is going to come over to my place."

"I see." Karen sounded almost smug. "Well if you need someone to drive Jess anywhere that night, just let me know. I'd be glad to play chauffer. I can't tell you how glad I am to finally see you being happy with someone."

"Thanks a lot." Mina smiled, not minding, for once, that Karen seemed to think Mina needed a boyfriend to be truly happy. In truth, she felt happier than she had in a long time – maybe happier than ever. Just a week ago, things had seemed so rocky, with her work woes and the trouble Jess had been having with bullies at school. But now, things really seemed to be shaping up. Everything was going smoothly for Jess, and Eric was turning out to be more than Mina had ever really thought she'd find in a man. She couldn't wait until Friday, when they'd finally have a night – or at least, half of one – alone together. She intended to finally show him exactly how she felt about him.

* * * * *

Mina barely made it to the high school in time to pick Jess up. It had been an especially busy Friday afternoon at Hot Ink. As she pulled around the side to look for Jess at her usual place, a group of girls scampered in front of her car carelessly, laughing and practically skipping. Thank God Mina had been moving at a crawl. Excitement over the homecoming dance seemed to have infected all the students, depriving them of their common sense. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed. She was excited too; for Jess, and for herself. Tonight, she and Eric would have her apartment to themselves and would finally make love. Her stomach flip-flopped nervously as she contemplated it, unconsciously smoothing a hand over her right thigh.

Jess was in her usual spot, her bright coat causing her to stand out among her classmates. Mina kept her gaze on Jess as she parked, trying to make eye contact, but Jess was staring down at her lap, absorbed in – what? Mina climbed out of the car and started across the asphalt. "Jess!" she cried when she got within hearing distance.

Jess didn't look up.

She took a few more steps toward her. "Jess!"

She slowly raised her head, revealing a face devoid of the excitement reflected in her classmates'.

"Jess?" Mina stopped at her side. "Is everything okay?"

Jess shrugged and pushed her chair's joystick, moving forward. Her giddy classmates moved aside, allowing Mina and Jess to emerge into the parking lot.

Jess remained quiet and subdued as Mina helped her into the car. When they were on the road and the high school had faded from sight, Mina tried again. "Jess, what's wrong?" As she waited for a reply, it was as if a dark cloud were hanging over her head. What could have Jess so upset mere hours before the dance she'd been looking forward to for weeks? One particular possibility came to mind, putting Mina on edge.

"I'm not going to the dance," Jess said, her tone low and her voice quiet. "Will backed out on me today at lunch."

Sadness lanced through Mina's heart, leaving her feeling as if it had broken in half. "I'm sorry, Jess. But maybe you should still go. Don't you think you'd have fun with your girlfriends, even without a date?" She tried to keep her frustration out of her voice. What kind of jerk would back out on Jess at the last minute, leaving her without time to find a new date?

Jess shook her head furiously, and her honey-blond waves fell over her face. She left them there, probably to hide tears. When she spoke again, she sounded like she was on the verge of crying. "I can't go. It would be too humiliating."

"Is Will going with someone else?" Mina asked, suspecting the answer before Jess replied.

Jess nodded, her hair cascading forward and covering her face more effectively than ever. "He's going with Stephanie."

Mina sucked in a breath and bit down on her inner lip, her ire rising instantly. Stephanie was the ringleader of the group of girls who'd sent Jess to the emergency room because she'd been jealous of Jess's homecoming date in the first place. "She shouldn't even be allowed to attend the dance. None of those girls should. What's your principal thinking?" She tightened her hold in the steering wheel, her knuckles going white as she wrung it in a death grip.

Mina wracked her mind desperately during the rest of the drive, trying to think up some way to convince Jess to still go to the dance, to somehow enjoy herself. By the time they reached the apartment, she hadn't managed to come up with much. "Jess..." she said as she closed and locked the door behind them, "are you really sure you don't want to go?" It was heartbreaking to think of Jess's beautiful dress hanging in her closet, unworn as Jess sulked through the night while her friends had fun without her.

Jess stopped her chair at the edge of the living room, peering over her shoulder at Mina with red eyes. "I'm not going. Will probably only asked me to the dance in the first place because he felt sorry for me. I'm tired of being the girl in the wheelchair!" She rolled down the short hallway and into her bedroom.

Mina followed her, her heart wrenching.

Jess faced her with a stubborn expression. "Don't try to talk me into going. If I do, Stephanie and her friends will just laugh at me, and all my friends will pity me." Her face twisted in an expression of disgust as tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"All right, I won't pressure you to go. But Jess, listen. I don't think Will asked you to the dance because he felt sorry for you. I think Stephanie manipulated him into taking her instead." She reached out and touched the thin, pink scar at Jess's hairline. "She'd do just about anything to get her way."

Jess shook her head viciously. "I might not be able to walk, but I'm not stupid, Mina. I see the expressions on people's faces when they look at me. I hate being pitied and treated like a baby." By the time she finished, she was almost yelling. Before Mina could respond, Jess tilted her chair's joystick, facing the wall and turning her back to Mina.

Mina struggled to keep her tone firm and even. "I know you're not a baby. Those girls didn't bully you because you can't walk – they bullied you because they're jealous. And they have a lot to be jealous of. The fact that you use a wheelchair doesn't make you any less beautiful, or talented, or creative or likeable. Will was lucky to have you for a date and he blew it. He'll probably regret it."

Jess sighed, and though Mina couldn't see her face, she could tell that she was still crying. When she spoke, the anger was gone from her voice, leaving it quiet and wistful. "Yeah. I just wish I could be like everyone else."

Mina laid a hand on Jess's shoulder. "Tell you what. You and I will spend the evening together. We'll do whatever you want. I have to go make a phone call, and while I'm gone I want you to think about what you want to do."

Alone in the living room, Mina dialed Eric's number on her cell, her heart heavy. When would they ever have a chance to be truly alone together? She was falling more in love with him every day, but she had yet to be able to truly express that. But he'd understand – or at least, she thought he would. After all, he'd known that Jess was and would remain Mina's first priority when their relationship had started.

"Mina?" Eric's voice was a balm to her frayed nerves.

"Hey Eric. I have some bad news. Jess's date backed out on her today at school and now she's not going to the dance. She's really upset, so I'm going to spend the evening with her."

"I'm sorry to hear that." There was more than a hint of regret in his voice, whether for Jess or for himself and Mina, Mina didn't know. Probably both – he was sweet like that.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too."

"So how are you and Jess going to spend the evening?"

Mina chewed her lower lip. "I don't know yet. I'm trying to get her to suggest something, but I don't know if it'll work. I can't even remember the last time she was this upset." She lowered her voice, just in case Jess could hear her. "She's feeling really down about using a wheelchair. Usually she doesn't let it get to her, but I think this whole thing has her feeling left out. That's why I want to try to get her out of the house. I don't want her to feel stuck in here with just me while her friends are all out having fun."

"Would you like me to take you two somewhere?"

Mina thought for a moment, taken aback by his offer.

"I mean, if you think it'd be better if it was just the two of you, that's fine. But if not, maybe we could take her to Ruby's – I know how much she likes that place – and to a movie or something. My treat."

"I think that's a good idea. She really likes you. I'll call and invite Karen too – she offered to help me out with Jess tonight anyway. Hopefully between the three of us, Jess won't feel so isolated." Hope sparked in Mina. While a group of twenty-somethings wasn't exactly ideal company for Jess, inviting Jess's friends wasn't an option, as they would all be at the dance. Jess really liked Eric and Karen, and at least this way, she wouldn't have to be alone. "Do you want to meet us here?" Mina asked.

"Sounds good."

"Okay. Just give me an hour or so to get Jess calmed down and ready."

"See you then, Mina."

Warmth spread over her as he said her name. The night would be a far cry from what they'd originally planned, but it was touching that he was willing to sacrifice his evening to help her cheer Jess up. Her heart ached as she remembered his story, and she was sure that he would have done the same for his own sister, Amanda, if he'd had the chance. After saying goodbye, she ended the call and dialed Karen's number, explaining their plans. When she agreed, all that was left to do was to get Jess on board.

"Hey," Mina said, standing in the doorway to Jess's room. "What are you drawing?"

Jess was sitting at her desk, bent over her sketch book, her hair hanging around her face like a curtain. She shrugged. "Nothing. Just a design."

Mina crossed the room and stood behind her, craning her neck to see what little bit of the paper wasn't obscured by her hair. "A floral design? It looks a little like my tattoo." The vines Jess was sketching were gnarled and more thorn than blossom, but Mina chose not to mention that.

"Yeah. Kind of." She sketched harder, her pencil scratching loudly across the paper.

"Have you thought about what you want to do tonight?"

Jess shrugged again.

"Well unless you have a different idea, Eric, Karen and I would like to take you out. We were thinking Ruby's and a movie – your pick. How's that sound?"

"Fine, I guess." She agreed easily enough, but her tone was flat and devoid of enthusiasm.

"I'm really sorry about the dance, Jess."

She kept sketching, and after a couple moments, Mina returned to the living room. She'd give Jess a few minutes to cool off before she suggested that they get ready. After all, she had an hour before Eric and Karen would show up. She took a seat at their small kitchen table and began cutting up an apple, snacking on the sweet slices as a couple birds hopped around on the sill of the kitchen window, where her favorite potted geranium was in full bloom. She was almost done with the apple when a knock came at the door. Had Eric or Karen arrived early? She frowned. Jess wasn't ready yet.

But it was neither Eric nor Karen at the door. "Blake?"

Her teenaged neighbor stood at the threshold, a small bouquet of wildflowers clutched in one hand, the other shoved deep into his pocket. "Hi Mina." His cheeks were a blazing shade of pink.

"Hi..." She eyed the colorful flowers, noting the similarity between the fuchsia daisies and his flushed face. God, could they be for her? Alarm coursed through her as she remembered the ways he'd been so helpful over the past few weeks, always helping her to carry things and never failing to say hello when they passed in the corridor or the parking lot.

"Is Jess here?" Blake asked, finally meeting Mina's gaze. His eyes seemed larger than ever.

"Yeah, she's..." She was sketching angrily in her room, maybe still crying. But Mina couldn't say that. "She's here," she finished lamely.

"Could I talk to her?"

Realization settled over Mina. The flowers weren't for her. Dual waves of relief and wariness washed over her. "What exactly is this about, Blake?"

He looked down at his toes. "I heard at school that she's not going to the dance with Will anymore. I was wondering if she'd like to go with me. I mean, if she doesn't already have another date."

Mina eyed the bouquet again, as well as Blake's furious blush. He seemed genuine, and when she thought back over the past few weeks, it all suddenly made more sense. Could Jess's night be saved? She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up – after all, she had no idea how Jess would react to Blake's offer – but she couldn't help it. "Wait right here. I'll go get Jess."
CHAPTER 8

Jess had given up sketching and was sitting in her chair, looking glum as she stared at nothing in particular. "Jess, there's someone here to see you."

Jess replied without meeting Mina's gaze. "Eric and Karen?"

"No."

Jess looked up suspiciously. "Who?"

"It's Blake."

"Why's he here?"

Mina fought the smile that was threatening to spread across her face. "Why don't you go see?" Maybe Jess would accept Blake's offer and end up having a good time after all.

Jess hesitated for a moment before finally relaxing her frown just a little and rolling out of her room. Mina followed her, her stomach churning with nervousness. Would she say yes? Her dress hung in her closet, ready to be worn. There was still time for her hair and make-up to be done. It could work. The night could be saved.

"Hey Jess." Blake stood in the doorway, looking more nervous than ever. "These are for you." He thrust the flowers toward Jess before she could say anything.

She accepted the bouquet and stared down at the vibrant riot of blossoms, looking faintly bewildered. "What for?"

He seemed to have spent his time waiting working up the courage to ask a single question. "Will you go to the homecoming dance with me tonight?" It came out rushed, but clear enough.

Mina's heart wrenched as Blake and Jess made eye contact and simply stared at each other for a moment. Blake's gaze was nervous and hopeful, while Jess's was wary, but beneath their inhibitions, they both wore identical expressions of hope.

"You're not asking me just because you feel sorry for me, are you?" Jess asked, her tone suspicious, but softer than Mina had expected.

He shook his head. "No. I wanted to ask you weeks ago, but I was nervous and Will asked you first."

"Well then..." She dropped her gaze to the flowers in her lap, stroking a deep purple petal. "Okay." She smiled up at him tentatively, and he beamed back.

Mina turned toward the kitchen, hiding a huge grin. When she was able to smooth her features into a somewhat less ecstatic expression, she faced Jess and Blake again. "We'd better hurry to get you ready," she said, crossing the room and placing a hand on Jess's shoulder.

"When do you want me to come back?" Blake asked.

"How about six?" Mina suggested.

Jess and Blake both nodded. "See you then," Blake said, casting one last glance over his shoulder at Jess as he retreated toward his own apartment.

"Okay, let's get started on your hair." Mina ushered Jess down the hallway, pausing only to call Eric and Karen to inform them of the change in plans. Karen offered to drive Jess and Blake to the dance, as well as to a restaurant beforehand if they wanted. Mina thanked her profusely, her heart fluttering as she imagined her half a night alone with Eric. Everything was back on, and for a moment she was almost as nervous as Blake had looked when he'd come to the door asking for Jess. The remembered feel of the warm press of Eric's lips and tongue between her hips put some fire in her blood, quelling her worries a little. She couldn't wait to finally have him and the apartment to herself.

* * * * *

"Hey." Mina dusted a few flecks of fine glitter from her palms as she greeted Eric. She'd misted Jess's perfectly curled hair with a shimmer spray before she'd left with Blake and Karen, and a little of it had stuck to her hands.

"Hey." Eric stepped inside, cradling a porcelain pot against his chest. "This is for you." A slender stem rose from the pot, ending in half a dozen perfect violet blossoms.

"An orchid," she said, relishing the way her body warmed when Eric's fingertips brushed hers as he handed her the plant. "One of my favorites, and it's beautiful. Thank you." She sat it carefully in the center of the kitchen table – she'd find a permanent place for it later. Right now, all her thoughts were locked on Eric.

"I'm glad you like it." Eric pulled the door softly shut.

Mina's heart began to speed as she looked at him, drinking in the image of his perfect figure – slim muscles concealed by well-fitted denim and a shirt that was decidedly, deliciously on the tight side. His jacket hung unzipped, granting her a view of his flat stomach and – oh God – the bulge at the front of his jeans.

She glanced down at her own ensemble self-consciously – did his arousal mean that the form-fitting top and skirt she'd chosen were as flattering as she'd hoped? The skirt was long enough to cover her thighs, but it still complimented her figure. Originally, she'd bought it for work, but had decided afterward that it was a little too flattering and had never worked up the courage to wear it to the bank. Tonight, she'd put on the outfit after Jess had left, choosing her clothing for sex appeal – something she virtually never did. She'd even donned a pair of heeled boots despite the fact that she'd sworn off heels after losing her job at the bank.

Eric reached out and wrapped her in a loose embrace, brushing his lips across hers in greeting. "You look beautiful. Where do you want me to take you?"

Mina pressed her face against his shoulder, breathing in his scent as her cheeks heated. "Nowhere."

"You got all dressed up just to stay home?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist, taking a second fortifying breath. His scent had become familiar to her, mostly during the dozens of kisses and caresses they'd shared, none of which had ever been enough. Now, it reminded her exactly why she didn't want to leave her apartment. Not tonight. "Exactly."

He tightened his embrace, pulling her against his chest. "You sure?"

A shiver raced down her spine as she remembered him kneeling between her thighs, his breath streaming over her slick skin. She could feel how hard he was now; his erection was digging into her belly, causing the butterflies that seemed to have taken up permanent residence there to burst into flight. "Yes."

He buried his fingers in her hair, crushing his mouth against hers and slipping his tongue inside, reaching deep as he tasted her. His hips shifted slightly and his cock pressed against her belly. She reached for it, thinking of when she'd touched him there several nights ago. He'd refused to let her do any more than that then, but tonight would be different. "Come with me," she said, tracing the thick outline of his shaft beneath the denim.

She took him by the hand and led him down the short hallway that branched off from the living room. This was the first time he'd ever been inside her apartment, and she found herself more nervous than she'd expected to be as she led him to her bedroom. She'd never brought a man home before – at least, not since she'd gained custody of Jess three years ago. What did he think of her modest bedroom, and would her narrow bed be comfortable enough for the both of them? More importantly, what would he think of her? She smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from the front of her skirt, her fingers gliding over the ridge of her scar. Slowly, she turned to face him.

"It feels like I've been waiting forever for this," she said, placing her hands above his hips, relishing the feel of his firm muscle beneath her palms and the steady rise-and-fall of his sides as he breathed. It felt as if she was breathing twice as fast. Was she just imagining it?

"It feels that way for me too," he said, shedding his jacket and then his shirt.

Mina sucked in a breath as he let it flutter to the floor, taking in the perfect lines of his body and the designs inked across it. He looked every bit as good as he did in the poster, and when she reached out to touch him, he felt just as hot and firm as he had in the studio. And she felt just as decadent and turned-on as she had that day as she smoothed her hands over his stomach, tracing the ridges of his abs.

He placed his hands on the small of her back, his fingers brushing her spine as he tucked them beneath the hem of her lacy top. Her nipples puckered inside her bra cups at just the thought of being pressed against his chest with nothing between their skins. Slowly, he raised her shirt, his fingers sweeping over her skin and causing it to pebble as desire gripped her. He treated her shirt with more care than he had his own, taking care not to tangle her hair in the material as he pulled it over her head and let it drop.

When he pulled her into another embrace, she pressed kisses against the side of his neck as he undid her bra clasp. It came undone within a moment's time and soon joined her top on the floor. Eric cupped her breasts in his palms, his breath rushing over the top of her head and causing a few strands of her hair to dance. Her nipples shrunk to tiny aching points as he trailed his thumbs over them. She wanted to lose herself in the sensation, but a little nervousness tinged her arousal, peppering her thoughts with imaginings of how he might react when the rest of her clothes came off. She pulled back and met his eyes – they were as blue as ever, hazy with desire.

He surprised her by sweeping her feet out from under her, scooping her up and lowering her onto the bed. He pressed himself on top of her, and soon they were so entwined that the narrow mattress left them room to spare. She closed her eyes and returned his hard kisses, letting her libido rise until it made her all but forget about her nervousness. That lasted for several glorious minutes as he ran his hands over her body, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples as his tongue delved deeper and deeper into her mouth. Then his hands found the button at the waist of her skirt, and she tensed beneath him.

He paused, ending their kiss and smoothing a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes as he searched out her gaze. "Is something wrong?"

"No." She found his free hand and squeezed it. "I'm just nervous." She considered telling him what had her on edge, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew he'd felt the thick line of scar tissue that spanned her right thigh during that late night at Hot Ink.

"Don't be," he said, squeezing back.

It was impossible to know whether he'd been thinking of her scar when he'd said it or whether he'd forgotten, but she couldn't quell the butterflies in her stomach as he unbuttoned her skirt and pulled the zipper down. The thin lace of her panties showed beneath the parted fabric, peeking from between the zipper's teeth. He pressed a kiss just above her bikini line, his lips hot against her skin, and pulled her skirt a little lower, baring her hips. Her lacy panties, which she'd bought in preparation for this night, left virtually nothing to the imagination. Still, she knew she'd feel much more exposed when he pulled her skirt just a few inches lower. When the material began to glide over her skin again, she closed her eyes, too nervous to watch.

Eric pulled her skirt smoothly over her ankles, the motion followed by the soft sound of crumpling fabric as he tossed it aside. The sheets caressed the backs of her legs, leaving the rest of her exposed to Eric. She could practically feel his gaze on her body. "Mina."

She opened her eyes slowly and found herself locked in eye contact with Eric. He smoothed a hand over her thigh and she experienced the familiar lapse in sensation when his fingers glided over her scar. She was numb where her skin had once been torn.

"Were you really embarrassed for me to see this?"

She tensed. There was no derision in his voice, but there was a hint of concern that made her feel vaguely ridiculous. But she wasn't going to lie. "Yes." The scar was ugly – it twisted down the front surface of her thigh, an eight inch ridge of raised, white flesh. When it rained, she could still feel the tiny particles of glass that had once been ground into the open wound. It made her feel unattractive and old – what kind of twenty-four year old complained about her leg hurting when the weather was bad? That was something elderly characters always did in movies.

"It doesn't matter to me at all," he said. "Mina, you're beautiful."

"I know it's just a scar and I should be glad that it wasn't a lot worse, but I couldn't help being nervous. I just really wanted you to like what you see."

"I do." He lay down next to her on the bed, grasping a breast and pressing his mouth into the hollow of her neck. "God, how could I not?"

She sighed as a little of the tension left her. Maybe it had been stupid of her to get so worked up about it. But he was so perfect that she hadn't been able to help herself. She wanted him to feel the same way about her.

"You're perfect," he said, sending a sensual shiver down her spine. It was as if he'd read her thoughts. His fingers fluttered against her thigh. "How did it happen?"

She rolled onto her side, facing him. "Car accident. The same one that hurt Jess – that's why she can't walk."

He was silent for a moment, listening, and – Mina assumed – thinking of the crash on a winter road that had robbed his sister of her life. She hated to make him think of it.

"It happened seven years ago," she continued. "Our mother was driving, and she was high. The car clipped another vehicle, veered off the road and rolled down a bank." Familiar anger coursed through her as she told the story as briefly as possible, leaving out the weeks she'd spent in agony at the hospital by Jess's bedside, feeling guilty for coming away from the disaster with just cuts, bruises and a fractured wrist when Jess's life had been changed so drastically. Their mother hadn't felt nearly guilty enough, and so Mina had borne the burden, feeling bad enough for them both. "That's why I wanted custody of Jess. She spent a lot of time in foster care after that – well, we both did at first, but I was a lot older and only had to spend a year in the system – and I couldn't stand to see her shuffled around."

"I'm sorry." Eric pressed a kiss against her temple and Mina closed her eyes, willing the angry tears that had sprung up to go away. They always came when she thought about the accident.

"No, I'm sorry," she said. "This isn't very romantic."

"I asked," he said. "Besides, I'd wondered why you have custody of Jess."

She frowned.

He slid down the mattress, keeping his hands on her body and not stopping until his face was level with her hips. Slowly, he kissed his way down the winding trail of her scar. The raised flesh was numb, but she could feel his lips on her skin beside it, hot and soft.

"At one point I thought I'd have it tattooed over," she said, her stomach fluttering as he continued with his kisses, "but all the artists I went to said that the scar tissue was too thick."

"They were right," Eric said. "But it doesn't matter. You don't need to cover it up. You're perfect." His fingertips fluttered against the inside of her thigh, inciting an ache in her core.

She sucked in a breath when he raised his hand to touch her delicate panties, his fingers trailing over the lace, brushing her clit. It tingled in response, aching as she remembered his tongue gliding over it. "Eric..."

He gently gripped the wispy material and pulled, baring one hip and then the other, until she was barely covered. She arched her hips, letting him whisk the lace away and toss it to the floor with the rest of her clothing.

"You look amazing." He pressed his fingers between her hips again, brushing her clit and the slick folds below. Her core tightened, and her eyes went automatically to the bulge at the front of his jeans.

"What about you?" She placed a hand on the fly and undid the button. All the muscles in his torso tightened as she pinched the zipper and pulled it down. She rose to her knees, trying not to betray the way they tried to give out on her as he let each one of his fingers trail over her clit before pulling his hand away. Seizing fistfuls of denim and cotton, she slid his pants and underwear down, pressing herself against him so that her nipples hardened against the warm planes of his chest.

"God, Mina." Eric groaned as she reached below and wrapped her fingers around his erection, trailing her tongue down the side of his neck. He was hard and throbbing in her palm, as smooth as she'd imagined. After a last kiss she leaned back, looking down at the sight she'd been imagining for weeks. Despite the fact that she already held him in her hand, a fresh wave of arousal rolled through her as she laid eyes on him. His cock was every bit as thick as she'd suspected after that night in Hot Ink, when she'd felt him, just for a moment, through the cover of his jeans. It was perfect, just like the rest of him, and her pussy slickened and tightened at the thought of it inside her.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him, smoothing a hand over her ass and squeezing as he sought her lips with his. He kissed her hard and she did the same to him, nipping his lower lip with her teeth and thrusting her tongue against his. Just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, he lowered her against the mattress, his hips grinding maddeningly against hers. The tip of his cock skimmed across her belly as he flexed his hips, supporting himself on one elbow as he cupped one of her breasts with his free hand, lowering his head and teasing the nipple with his tongue.

She sighed, arching her hips and reveling in the way his cock pressed harder into her belly, sending anticipatory pleasure rolling through her middle. He closed his mouth around her nipple, drawing it in as he caressed the swell of her breast. She writhed against him, her breath escaping in a rush. He stopped much sooner than she would have liked, but only to press his lips against her other nipple, biting it lightly before he drew it into his mouth. Dampness crept down the insides of her thighs, leaving her impossibly wet and ready for him. "Don't stop," she said when he pulled away and began to rise.

"Only for a second, baby." He lowered his head and brushed a kiss across her lips. "Believe me, I don't want to stop." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and kicked off his jeans and underwear completely, bending to fish in the pocket of his pants. As he pulled out his wallet, opened it and reached inside, Mina rolled onto her side and laid a hand on his arm.

"Not yet," she said, running her fingers over his side and lowering her hand into his lap, gripping his cock again. She slid off the bed and fell to her knees between his, her mouth watering. She'd been wanting to do this ever since he'd spread her legs on the couch at Hot Ink and pressed his tongue inside her pussy. Parting her slick lips, she lowered her head into his lap and took the tip of his erection into her mouth.

He groaned and his cock jumped in his lap, his velvet-smooth flesh sliding against her tongue. She swept it over the head of his cock, tracing and tasting the thick ridge that marked where it ended and the shaft began. Reaching below, she cupped his balls, letting their warm weight rest in her hand as she took more of him into her mouth.

"Mina..." She opened her eyes and saw that he was gripping the edge of the mattress with both hands, his knuckles white. She took him deeper, her nipples tightening when the tip of his cock touched the back of her throat. It wasn't easy to take all of him, but the way he groaned her name again made it worth it. She slowly slid back, unable to resist sweeping her tongue over the end of his erection before sliding down again. He let her continue for a few more moments before laying a hand on her shoulder.

"You've gotta stop, baby. Come here." He helped her up, pulling her onto the bed and rolling on top of her. His cock throbbed against the inside of her thigh and she shifted beneath him, aching with the desire to feel it slide inside her. "In a second," he said in response to her impatience.

He picked up the foil package from where he'd dropped it on the mattress and tore it open. Mina's core tightened as she watched him pull out a condom and slide it on, his fingers gliding over his thick shaft. When he returned to her and settled between her thighs, she opened them readily. The tip of his cock met her slick pussy, causing her entire body to tingle. "Ready?" he asked.

She thought of when he'd asked her that as she'd lain in the tattoo chair, and how a sensual shiver had raced down her spine when he'd placed his hands on her side. The sound of his voice had caused her to dream of this then, but she hadn't known her fantasy would come true. "Yes."

He slid inside her slowly, taking his time as he filled her inch by inch. When he was finally completely inside her, she felt so full that she suspected even the slightest movement might send her spiraling toward orgasm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, wanting to seal the perfect moment with a kiss before her climax came.

He pulled back and pressed into her again as he kissed her, their tongues twining together. His chest brushed her nipples, causing them to pucker and tighten. She moaned, the sound lost in his mouth. Her channel tightened around him as he thrust again, and again, and again... She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close, ending their kiss and tipping back her head, gasping.

As she wrapped herself around him, he moaned, pushing deeper into her than before. She arched against him as the telltale tightening began, igniting each of her senses and setting her every nerve on edge as she prepared to lose herself. "You feel amazing," Eric said, his voice low as he punctuated his claim with another thrust.

White-hot pleasure struck her core and swept through her belly, causing her to gasp. She panted as he thrust harder and it kept coming, rolling through her in waves that wiped all coherent thought from her mind. Her body tightened around his cock, causing her to feel fuller than ever. She felt every inch of every thrust, and when her climax ended and she emerged from the haze of sensation, she was still moaning his name.

"Mina..." he groaned, stilling for a moment and brushing a kiss across her lips.

She kept her legs wrapped firmly around his waist, even though her thighs were trembling. This time, he'd experience the same pleasure she had. The thought only added to her enjoyment.

He flexed his hips, sending his cock deep into her channel again. She'd been left ultra-sensitive in the wake of such an intense orgasm, and his every movement sent hot little bolts of fire shooting through her belly, like aftershock. She tipped back her head and reveled in the sensation of him moving inside her, his hardness a delightful contrast to her own soft flesh. When his breathing grew heavy and he tensed on top of her, she knew he was going to come. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck, feeling the muscles in his shoulders shift inside her embrace as he drove himself into her. By the time he began to moan, she had to join him. It felt too good not to, and the idea of him coming inside her was the most erotic thing she could imagine.

A few moments later, he kissed her one last time before withdrawing and settling onto his side beside her. Cupping her chin, he gently guided her gaze until it locked with his. His blue eyes were gorgeous, still half-lidded with pleasure. "Was it worth it, Mina?"

She rolled onto her side too, stretching as a delicious sense of warmth settled over her. "Worth what?"

"The wait. Letting me see your scar."

"Oh, God Eric, yes." She pressed herself against him, curling against his body and laying her head on his arm, the spiraling design of his tattoo just visible in the corner of her eye. "I don't think I've ever been happier." She'd thought it would feel like going out on a limb to admit it out loud, but it didn't. She felt comfortable, like she belonged there – lying against him, glowing with satisfaction. "No – I know I've never been happier."

He dropped his hand from beneath her chin and smoothed it over her back. "Me neither."
EPILOGUE

Four months later...

"Bye Garret." Mina waved as Eric's roommate stepped out of the apartment and into the hall, holding the last of his boxes against his chest.

"See ya, Eric, Mina." The door swung shut and he was gone.

"So are you going to advertise for another roommate?" Mina asked, glancing around the living room and the adjoining kitchen. The apartment seemed strangely empty without Garret's belongings. She'd grown used to the sight of them over the past few months. Not that his move was entirely a bad thing...it might leave Eric without anyone to split the cost of rent and utilities with, but she couldn't help but get excited when she thought that until he found a new roommate, they'd be able to have the apartment to themselves anytime they wanted. God, it would be nice to have a private place to retreat to without having to work out a schedule first. Up until now, they'd always had to worry over whether Jess would be home at Mina's place or Garret at Eric's, possibly with company of his own.

"I don't know," Eric said, turning his back to the door to face her. "I was hoping that I'd be able to come up with a better solution."

"What do you mean?"

"Mina," he took one of her hands and clasped it in his, "I know it's sometimes hard for us to find time to spend alone with each other. Being together at work and hanging out with friends is great, but I want more. What do you think about living together?"

As her heart skipped a beat, she swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat as he'd spoken. It wasn't like she'd been caught totally off guard by his question. It had occurred to her more than once before that he might eventually broach the subject, and now, with his roommate gone, was the perfect time. A part of her was thrilled that he'd asked, but... "I don't know, Eric. I love you, and I'd like nothing more than to have more time with you..." Just the thought of spending the night in his arms warmed her. Despite their months of intimacy, it was something she'd never done. "But I don't know if it would be right." She dared to meet his eyes, expecting to find disappointment and maybe even hurt. What they actually reflected seemed more like compassion, but there was no denying she still owed him an explanation.

"I've told you quite a bit about how Jess and I grew up. You know how our mother was always going from boyfriend to boyfriend, attaching herself to a new man each time one of her relationships blew up. I swear, each one was worse than the last. I hated having to live with those men. Our household was always changing, and we were always expected to mold our lives around my mom's latest guy. I know you're nothing like them, and this isn't the same sort of thing, but I promised myself that I'd never put Jess through anything like that again. I want her life to be stable and simple, and a part of me doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of living with a boyfriend. I don't want Jess to think that I'm like our mother." As she finished, she braced herself for his rebuttal. Surely he'd tell her that this was different. She knew it was, but she couldn't shake her inhibitions. Jess had been doing so well ever since the homecoming dance, and she didn't want to do anything to compromise her happiness or sense of security.

"You're nothing like her, Mina." Eric traced the line of her jaw with his fingertips and cupped her chin. "But I understand."

Relief flooded every nook and cranny of Mina's being. "Eric, you're perfect. Thank you. I wish I could say yes."

"Don't thank me. I'm not giving up just yet."

She tried not to let her confusion show on her face as he dug into his pocket.

"Would it change things if I was more than just your boyfriend?"

Realization struck her as he pulled a small black box from his pocket, and she froze, standing as still as a statue as he opened it.

"Mina, will you marry me?"

A diamond winked from the box's interior, but she could barely manage to tear her gaze away from his. His eyes were more gorgeous than ever, and his gaze melted something inside her, sending warmth flooding through her body. The butterflies that had plagued her when they'd first started dating were back in full force, fluttering like crazy in her belly. He was serious. This was really happening.

"Yes." She threw her arms around his neck, letting his stubble rasp against her cheek as she buried her face in his shoulder. The unease that had settled over her when he'd asked his first question was gone. This moment felt perfect. This moment felt right. She'd known a few short weeks into their relationship that she never wanted to be with anyone else.

He hugged her back, squeezing her so hard that her breath rushed from her lungs in a gasp.

After a few moments Eric loosened his hold, allowing a few inches of space to separate their bodies. He pulled the ring out of the box, took her left hand and slid it onto her finger. "Just let me know when," he said. "We'll get married whenever you want to. I'm not going anywhere." He brushed a kiss across her lips. "You're the only one for me, Mina."

She touched the tip of her tongue to her lip, tasting where he'd kissed her. "I'd marry you right now if I could, but I think we'd better wait a little while. Karen will kill me if she doesn't get to take any engagement photos, and I'm sure Jess won't want to miss out on the chance to be a bridesmaid."

"What, the poster doesn't count as an engagement photo?" he asked, teasing.

She smiled as she remembered the first time they'd posed together. If it hadn't been for that, they might never have fallen in love. She wriggled her fingers. "I'm pretty sure I have to be wearing the ring for it to count. Or at least, that's what Karen will say."

He grinned wickedly, drawing her close again and pressing his lips against the arch of her neck. "Whatever. Isn't she too busy with all of her clients and those magazines to be bossing you around? Maybe I should take you to the courthouse right now."

She giggled as his stubble tickled her neck. Maybe he was right – Karen's photography business had virtually exploded over the past couple months – but with Garret finally gone, she wasn't about to go anywhere until she and Eric took advantage of the empty apartment. "Wouldn't you rather spend the rest of the afternoon here? I mean, now that we've got this place to ourselves..."

He swept her feet out from under her and lowered her onto the nearby couch, pinning her against the cushions and kissing a trail from her jaw to her collarbone. "I guess you're right. We should celebrate getting engaged first."

Ink is forever. So is love.

Thank you for reading Hot Ink.

Stay up to date with the entire Inked in the Steel City Series by visiting the Inked in the Steel City page at ranaerose.com anytime.

Other titles in the series...

Innocent Ink (Book 2)

Dedicated Ink (Book 3)

Abiding Ink (Book 4)

Serious Ink (Book 5)

Irresistible Ink (Book 6)

Alluring Ink (Book 7)

Next title in the series...

Innocent Ink (Book 2)

Read on for an excerpt from Innocent Ink...

What did you think of Mina & Eric's story? Please consider sharing your thoughts via a review.

INNOCENT INK

Photographing exceptional tattoos for the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio turns into much more than just a job when Karen meets Jed, the sexy-as-sin owner. With attraction sizzling between them, each photo shoot is a labor of love ... and a chance to get closer to the man of her increasingly naughty dreams.

Curvy, vivacious Karen is everything Jed would want in a woman, if he wanted one at all. But a relationship seems like too dangerous a gamble for someone who's loved before and suffered the ultimate loss. So why can't he resist when he discovers the attraction is mutual? Even if he were willing to risk everything again, Karen's too young, too full of life to be burdened with someone whose heart bears scars as permanent as the ink in his skin.

When the two finally face what lies between them, the passion is undeniably real, but will the unexpected extinguish the spark of their love, or fan the flames?

Inked in the Steel City Book 2

INNOCENT INK EXCERPT

CHAPTER 1

Karen walked into the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio clutching a manila envelope over her speeding heart. Crackle. One of the photos inside bent, and she swore softly as she pulled the envelope away from her body, desperately trying to smooth it back out. If she'd damaged the photos...

Well, if she'd damaged the photos, she'd just have to print out new ones and come back a second time. She fought a manic grin at the thought, struggling to control her expression as the door fell shut behind her, sealing out the waning heat of a summer evening in Pittsburgh.

"Hey, Karen." Mina beamed from behind the counter where a cash register rested on top of a glass display case showing off body jewelry.

"Hey." Karen's voice came out a lot less breezy than she'd intended, and for a second, a spark of amusement seemed to gleam in Mina's dark eyes.

God, was she really that obvious? There were mirrors in all five of the half-booths that lined the shop's walls, and she purposely avoided looking at any of them. Her fair skin was always quick to show a blush, and if her cheeks were as red as they felt, she didn't want to know.

"Jed's in the back," Mina called as Karen made her way down the aisle between booths.

"I figured," Karen said, cringing inwardly. If she hadn't looked ridiculously excited to see him when she'd walked in with flaming cheeks and a goofy smile, she'd ruined that by making a beeline toward the back of the shop without waiting for Mina to direct her. She'd just been so eager to escape Mina's knowing gaze – sometimes, having a best friend who worked at the place her crush owned did not seem like an advantage.

Crackle. The envelope protested again as she raised a fist to knock on the closed door Jed was definitely behind. She couldn't help being aware of her heartbeat – it was pounding so loudly in her ears that it almost drowned out the not-so-distant buzzing of a tattoo machine – as her knuckles hit wood.

"Come on in." Jed's voice was so deep that it reverberated somewhere in her core – a place she tried hard not to think about as she turned the doorknob and stepped into the combined office and storage space Jed sometimes worked in when he wasn't tattooing or consulting with a client.

"Karen." Jed looked up from the desk that took up one corner, his dark eyes a little wider than usual as he placed large hands on its surface and rose.

He looked surprised, which wasn't exactly shocking – she'd sent him an e-mail telling him she was headed to Hot Ink, but that had been a whopping twenty minutes ago, and she'd high-tailed it to the studio, unable to resist the lure of showing him her latest work in person. She'd more or less memorized his work hours – a completely natural result of having done so much work for his business, of course.

As she stood before his desk, her gaze was drawn to him like a magnet to iron.

He was tall. About 6'3" if Karen's estimation was correct, and she was a pretty good judge of height – a consequence of being a 5'10" tall woman. Some guys were shorter than her, and most weren't much taller. But Jed ... she noticed every last one of the several inches in their height difference, and his muscular frame made him seem even bigger.

"I brought you those photos." She lifted the manila envelope and held it between them like it could shield her from the sexiness that radiated from the owner of the Hot Ink Tattoo Studio. The photos were feeble protection against his short but not too-short, almost-black hair and the dark stubble that shadowed his jaw. His dark eyes met hers, and she stood frozen. Some idiotic nervous instinct urged her to hop back and forth, or at least shift her weight from foot to foot, but she stifled the urge.

"McGinnis' back piece?" Jed rounded the desk and practically pried the envelope from her suddenly stiff fingers.

He took it from her, and with a crackle and a flash of script, it was in his hands. Jed Torino – she'd written his name across the envelope, as if she could possibly forget who it was meant for. It had taken all her willpower not to dot the 'I' in Torino with a heart, or to scrawl her own name next to it.

"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "I finished going through the images a little early last night, and there were some that turned out so well I couldn't resist making prints. And well, I thought you might like to look at them in person instead of on a computer screen."

"This is great," Jed said, sliding the stack of prints out of the envelope. "I was only expecting an e-mail, but this is even better."

"Hope you like them." Her voice came out higher than it should have, sort of like she'd just inhaled a lungful of helium. Her face warmed, but luckily, Jed had his head bent over the photos, which he shuffled through slowly, holding the prints gingerly between large fingers, studying each one.

Karen's heart thumped against her ribs like an unhappily-confined animal against steel bars. This was exactly the reason why she'd come to the studio in person. When Jed looked at her work, it was like he was in his own little world – a world that revolved around his passion and hers, which were tattooing and photography, respectively. He handled the amazing ink work and she photographed it in the most flattering way she knew how; in a way, it was like they worked together to create something beautiful.

Maybe the thought was a little cheesy, but she liked – no, loved – anything that involved her and Jed collaborating

"These are amazing." Jed carefully slipped a photo to the bottom of the stack, raising his gaze briefly to meet her eyes before poring over the next one. "As usual."

"Thank you." She resisted the urge to fan herself with the empty envelope as she studied him studying her work. With the exception of his ridiculously handsome face and his neck, Jed was covered in tattoos. There was even ink on his hands, dark and vibrant over the bulges of bones and sinew beneath the surface. It all added to his appeal. He was tall, dark and handsome in a bad-boy sort of way that made her head spin so fast she tripped a little and bumped her thigh on the corner of the nearby desk.

"You okay?" Jed asked, abandoning his perusal of the photos and shooting her a look full of concern.

"Fine," she breathed, resisting the urge to search for a nearby rock to hide under. Most people didn't trip while standing still. She was not most people.

She was so accident prone that she'd actually invented a few vivid fantasies that involved her tripping and Jed conveniently scooping her up, her knight in tattooed armor to the rescue... Thinking about those daydreams while standing right in front of him made her wish she could wipe her brain's memory clean just in case Jed developed the ability to read minds.

"Are these the final images?" Jed asked, holding one aloft.

"Yes. I mean, unless there's something you don't like about them? I could always pop them into Photoshop and—"

"No," he interrupted, "they're perfect. It's just that you're usually so adamant about editing images before you'll let me use them. I can never find anything I don't like about them, but I've gotten to know you well enough to realize that your standards are higher than mine." He grinned at her in a way he probably thought was good-natured. In reality, it made her feel in danger of melting from the inside out.

"I've already put those images through the editing process. Your client has great skin – I didn't have to touch up much. I just brightened the colors and cleaned up the background a little." Jed kept looking at her, and she knew she'd said all that needed to be said, but the words just kept coming. "Hardly any work at all, really, and voilà, they're ready to go."

Voilà?

She was naturally chatty and she knew it, but when she was around Jed, sometimes she spoke just because the idea of silence made her nervous. Afterward, she almost always regretted it.

He still held her gaze captive. His eyes were so dark that his gaze always seemed intense when he turned it on her directly. "They look great. Thanks again for photographing McGuiness for me. I'm going to add these images to my online portfolio and the studio's main page as soon as I get them in an e-mail from you."

"Great. But it wasn't hard to photograph, really – you did such an amazing job with that tattoo that it was easy to take a flattering picture." The back piece Jed had done for McGinnis featured a ship sailing at full mast, riding waves that reflected the vibrant colors of a setting sun. It was amazing – so amazing she could almost see the waves moving and the sunlight shining on the water's choppy surface when she looked at the pictures.

"Thanks." He held her gaze for another moment before finally lowering his eyes and sliding the photos back into the envelope. "Do you need these back?"

"No, you can keep them. I can always print out more if I need them."

"Thanks."

"Yeah." Her excuse for lingering in Jed's office had evaporated like a drop of water in a hot frying pan, but her legs didn't listen when she willed them to move. "So uh, just let me know whenever you have another spectacular project you want me to photograph, okay?"

She didn't have any other sessions lined up for Hot Ink at the time, but she'd already photographed well over a dozen Hot Ink clients, plus the photo shoot with Mina and Eric that had started it all. Jed had been using some of the photographs in advertisements for the studio and on its website. Sometimes, when one of his clients had an especially unique or elaborate tattoo done, Jed offered them a Hot Ink gift certificate and free photo prints in exchange for posing for Karen.

The shoots were easy and fun – the unique and beautiful ink Jed gave his clients kept things fresh, made sure Karen had something different to photograph each time. And best of all, doing semi-frequent photo sessions on behalf of the studio meant she was often in contact with Jed – via e-mail, phone and all the in-person visits she could muster up some semblance of an excuse to make.

"I will," he said, nodding. "Got a client coming in in a couple weeks for another back piece. If it turns out like I think it will, I'd love to have some professional shots of it for my portfolio."

"No problem." The soft lash of her own ponytail against the back of her neck alerted her to the fact that she was nodding too eagerly. Purposely stilling her bobbing head, she looked directly into Jed's eyes. "Just let me know when the tattoo's ready to be photographed – I can always find room in my schedule for Hot Ink clients." After all, the first photo shoot she'd done for Hot Ink six months ago had been what had really launched her full-time photography career.

"About that," Jed said, frowning. "I know your schedule has really picked up lately. I feel bad about taking up so much of your time when you're so in demand."

"Don't worry about it." Karen didn't even try to restrain her movements as she shook her head, the end of her ponytail whipping her jaw. "The tattoo shoots don't take long, honestly. I go into the shoot knowing exactly what I want to focus on, and I've picked up some tips and tricks on how to showcase tattoos."

"At least let me pay you more. I know you're shooting for Hot Ink at a much lower rate than you charge your other clients – I looked at your website."

Karen's heart did a funny little flip-flop maneuver at the thought of Jed browsing her website, taking in all the little details of her work – sort of like how she browsed Hot Ink's website, frequently stopping by Jed's personal page to stare at his portrait.

"No way. The rate stays as it is. I owe you a lot, Jed – that photo shoot I did for Hot Ink's display windows and ads got me a lot of attention and gave me the confidence to quit waitressing and pursue my photography full-time. I'd still be hefting around platters of ribs and beer and waiting for a big break if it wasn't for you."

Jed smiled, flashing a half-grin that showed a little tooth and nearly stopped Karen's heart. "You're too kind. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"You're not – I've actually been earning more since quitting my old job. I'm fine." The admission sparked an internal glow. She was making more money as a full-time photographer than she'd been making as a full-time waitress and part-time photographer. That had been the case for months, but when she really thought about it, it still seemed a little surreal.

Jed shook his head. "I'll wear you down eventually. Until then ... thanks." He waved the envelope. "I really appreciate the photos. Did Mina tell you how much our business has increased since we launched those ads and added some of your photography to our artists' portfolios?"

Karen grinned. "She mentioned it."

Something vibrated in the vicinity of Karen's left butt cheek, and she jumped.

Jed's dark brows rose an inch or two. "You okay?"

"Just my phone," she mumbled, pulling the object in question out of her back pocket. She swiped her thumb across the screen, keeping her head bowed – maybe reading the text she'd just received would buy her enough time to lose the blush that had burned its way across the bridge of her nose.

Just took some pumpkin pie out of the oven. Want to stop by for dinner? We can order in from that noodle place you like.

Karen read the text a second time, her gaze slowing over the glorious words 'pumpkin pie' and 'noodle place'. Nothing compared to her grandmother's pumpkin pie, but the soba noodles from her favorite Japanese restaurant were a distant second – and that was saying something.

"Everything okay?" Jed asked.

Karen shut her mouth as subtly as possible, cringing inwardly as the fact that she'd just licked her lips registered. "Yeah, that was just a dinner invitation."

"A date?"

"No." The fact that he thought she'd been licking her lips at the mere thought of a date caused her to die a little inside. "It was from my grandmother."

He grinned again for some reason. "I won't keep you, then."

"Okay. See you around, Jed."

She turned without tripping, stumbling or licking her lips and made a relatively cool exit, passing the door and emerging into the aisle between the artists' half-booths. She strode down it, ignoring the butterflies that burst into flight inside her stomach at the buzzing sound of a tattoo in progress. Yes, she loved photographing tattoos, but watching one be done usually made her feel faintly queasy. Needles ... ugh. She clutched her phone a little too tightly and typed a reply to her grandmother, Helen.

Be there in twenty. :)

"See ya, Mina." Tucking her phone back into her pocket, she paused at the front desk. It wasn't like she could leave without saying goodbye to her best friend, even if Mina was wearing an infuriatingly knowing little smile. It was easy for her to laugh at someone else getting flustered – she was already engaged to Eric, the artist who sat in the nearest half-booth and was responsible for the current buzzing sound.

With his dark hair and blue eyes, Eric was gorgeous, and perfect for Mina, but he didn't hold a candle to Jed. Jed was taller, darker ... more rugged. She forced herself to make eye contact with Mina, refusing to glance toward the back of the shop.

"What'd Jed think of the photos?" Mina asked, leaning on the glass display case full of body jewelry. Was it only a trick of the evening light, or did she actually waggle her eyebrows up and down a little bit?

"He loved them."

"As usual." Mina smiled and tipped her head, sending her dark, straight hair swinging.

"Yeah, well, it was the back piece he did for that McGuiness guy. The one with the sailing ship? It's an amazing tattoo."

"Mmmhmm." Mina just kept smiling, looking like the cat that had eaten the canary.

For the millionth time, Karen wished for the ability to travel back in time and stop herself on the night she'd split a bottle of champagne with Mina – to celebrate becoming a full-time photographer – and confessed how hot she thought Jed was. Just the thought of it was enough to turn her cheeks red; she'd actually used the words 'tall, dark and handsome' to describe him out loud.

"What's mmmhmm supposed to mean?" she whispered, just in case any of the other artists or clients were listening in.

"It's just that he always loves your photos. He loves everything you do."

Karen gave Mina her fiercest for-the-love-of-God-speak-quietly stare.

Mina just grinned. It was official – she was exacting revenge upon Karen for pushing her and Eric together. And she had literally pushed Mina out of her hiding place in a restaurant bathroom once, when Mina had been having doubts about whether Eric was really attracted to her.

Karen preferred to think that she'd assisted in boosting Mina's confidence. And it had all worked out in the end – Mina and Eric were engaged now. Very happily engaged.

"Guess I'll see you Friday," Karen said, choosing to ignore Mina's waggle-browed smile and teasing comments.

"Of course you will." Mina straightened, placing her hands flat on the countertop. "We'll all be there – me, Eric, Jess and Jed."

Karen's heart stopped, then banged back to life again. "Jed?" Why in the world would Jed be at Ruby's on Friday night? Had Mina actually invited him? Had he actually agreed to come?

"Didn't anyone tell you? You two share the same birthday."

"Who would tell me besides you?" Karen whisper-yelled, looking right into her friend's eyes.

Mina grinned. "Eric just told me yesterday. We figured we could all celebrate together. Abby, James and Tyler are coming too."

Abby, James and Tyler were Hot Ink's other tattoo artists, and the fact that they'd be attending would make Jed's presence seem more natural. Not that Karen's shameless imagination wasn't already perfectly convinced that Jed's presence would make the night nothing short of magical. Amazingly, awkwardly magical, considering the fact that Mina would probably be waggling her eyebrows and scheming to embarrass Karen at some point. Where had her sweet, reserved friend gone?

Engagement had changed her. Before she'd placed the order for her Tattooed Prince Charming's wedding tux, she'd never waggled her eyebrows at anyone.

"See you then," Karen said, stepping away from the counter.

Mina smiled. "Bye, Karen."

* * * * *

Black was a good color. You couldn't go wrong with black, right? Jed shoved his shirtsleeves up to his elbows and rolled them so they'd stay in place. He hated when sleeves touched his wrists, so he'd compromised. Usually, he wore a t-shirt, but for tonight, he'd chosen a shirt that actually buttoned up the front.

Because it was Karen's birthday. It was his birthday too, but that didn't matter. He glanced at the rearview mirror and made sure there wasn't anything on his face, like a giant sign reading I wore sleeves for Karen because I think she's amazing.

Nothing. He grimaced at his reflection and looked away, opening the door.

What the hell was wrong with him? Karen was too innocent, too young, too ambitious – too everything – for someone like him, and he hadn't been interested in a relationship in years. How old was she turning anyway? He mulled the possibilities over as he exited his Charger, gripping a box he'd wrapped just hours ago.

Ruby's, Karen's former place of employment, was packed on a Friday night. The interior was loud, and a little dark. Even over the noise of dozens of diners, he was able to pick out Karen's voice. "You have to try the strawberry lemonade, Abby," she said from a corner table.

"Of course it's alcoholic. And don't worry – we won't get stiffed on drinks here. Nate's working the bar tonight, and he makes them strong."

Jed arrived at the table just in time to see Karen winking at Abby.

Good God, she looked amazing. Not Abby – Karen. Abby might've looked good too, but Karen stole the spotlight so completely that there was no telling. Her blue-green dress stood in alluring contrast to her dark red hair and creamy skin, plenty of which was exposed by the low V-neck. She was leaning toward Abby, jabbing a finger enthusiastically at the drink menu, and the position showcased her ample cleavage like a dream.

"Jed!" Eric called out from one end of the table, where he sat with his arm around Mina. "Happy birthday, man."

His words unleashed a floodgate. The entire table erupted in a chorus of well-wishes, drowning out the rest of the noise completely for a few seconds. The outburst took him by surprise; when he'd laid eyes on Karen, he'd forgotten that it was his birthday, too.

He strode toward the table, acknowledging their sentiments with a nod, and took the nearest empty seat. It just so happened to be the seat directly across from Karen.

Tyler elbowed Jed in the side. "Already ordered a pitcher of your favorite."

"Thanks." Jed's mouth went momentarily dry as he stared across the table, and not just because Tyler's statement had him craving beer. Maybe he shouldn't have taken the seat across from Karen – he couldn't help staring at her in that dress. He had to look like an idiot. He felt like an idiot.

A rush of hot air and a sizzle came from behind, and a waitress spared him by lowering a platter of battered, spicy-smelling shrimp onto the table in front of him. It was an appetizer platter big enough for the entire group, and she'd barely placed a couple bowls of dipping sauce on the table top before everyone began reaching for the food.

Jed grabbed one of the shrimp and dipped it blindly into a sauce bowl, forcing himself to look at everyone seated around the table as he chewed, not just Karen.

Tyler, James, Abby and Eric – all Hot Ink's artists were there, plus Mina, one of the studio's receptionists and Eric's fiancée. Mina's little sister Jess was there too, eating shrimp and smiling as she sat in her wheelchair beside a teenaged boy who had to be her boyfriend. The kid was grinning at Jess with a distinctly dopey, instantly recognizable young love kind of look.

The sight of the two kids smiling at each other and goofing off with a couple of severed shrimp tails sent a pang of searing nostalgia through Jed's chest. His heart beat slowly but deliberately beneath the buttoned-up front of his shirt, reminding him that it was still stubbornly functioning even after being broken.

He understood the all-or-nothing nature of young love; the memory of it shimmered across the surface of his mind, startlingly vivid for a few fleeting seconds.

He shoved the memories away. He was in the middle of celebrating his thirty-fifth birthday, for fuck's sake. There was no ring on his finger, though the band he'd once worn had left a permanent mark against his skin, fainter than a tattoo, but just as lasting. This was where the love that had once consumed him had left him.

* * * * *

Innocent Ink is available from major ebook retailers everywhere and in paperback.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ranae Rose is the best-selling author of more than twenty adult romances and counting. Originally from Maryland, she grew up the daughter of a US Marine and always wanted to be a writer. Today she lives on the US East Coast with her man in uniform, young children, German Shepherd dogs and overflowing bookshelves. Writing and reading are lifelong passions that consume most of her time, and she's always working on bringing her latest love story idea to life for readers.

www.ranaerose.com

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