by Adele Niles
I looked up at my client. Sweat was dripping down his forehead.
“Hey, man,” I said, smiling. “You wanna take a breather? Get some water?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his voice tight. “Yeah. That sounds good.”
“Okay. I’ll grab you a bottle, just sit tight.” As I rose and walked away, I took my phone from my pocket.
Sydney.
Hey! Kenzie and I are at The Republic! I skipped work lol. Come hang out when you’re done? And maybe we can make some plans for tonight?
My cock twitched.
I definitely wanted to make plans for tonight.
Sounds like fun. I’ll text when I’m on my way. Give me an hour.
Okay! See you soon!
I grinned, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and heading back to my booth.
* * * * *
I finished the guy up an hour or so later and sent him on his way. Once my station was clean, I headed up front, leaning on the counter. “Zoe, love of my life.”
“Gross.” Zoe looked up at me, freshly-dyed pink hair falling in her face. “What do you want?”
“I’m gonna cut out early. I don’t have any more appointments. If anybody comes looking for me, tell ’em I’m sick.”
“Sure, got it.” She nodded. “See you tomorrow?”
“Most likely.” I smiled at her and straightened, ready to go.
“Ryker!” Benny’s voice almost echoed across the shop.
I looked over my shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Office. Now.” He stood at the steps, watching me. He looked pissed.
I sighed. “All right. I’m coming.”
I turned and followed him back up the stairs. He led me into his office and shut the door.
Bradley was there, too.
They both looked serious.
I sank down into one of the chairs in the cramped space, next to Bradley. Benny sat at his desk, folding his arms. “Look,” he said. “Bradley and I have been talking, and we have to make some changes around here. For the good of the shop.”
What the fuck?
I frowned, crossing my arms in a mirror of Benny’s posture. “Yeah? And? Gonna fire me for cutting out early when I don’t have any more appointments? Good luck finding anybody to replace me. You know I’m one of your best artists. Probably one of the best artists in the state.” I snorted and shook my head. “I get more return customers than anyone else here, and you know it.”
Bradley and Benny looked at each other.
Benny raised an eyebrow and looked back at me. “Yeah. We know it.”
“Okay, so what? What’s the problem?”
“Oh, there’s no problem.”
I paused. “Wait, what?”
Benny continued. “There’s no problem. And that’s why we want to make some changes. We’ve been talking about the new shop and had to make some tough decisions.”
“You said nobody was going to get fired.”
“We’re not firing anyone, dude, just shut up and listen.” Bradley smiled at me.
When I looked back at Benny, he was smiling, too.
“You’re one of our strongest artists,” he said. “And you have a good work ethic. Even if I did catch you about to sneak out on us.” He grinned.
“Okay, so what are you saying?” I looked between them again.
“You’ve proven that you’re a loyal employee, and a talented artist, and a hard worker. That’s why we are making changes. I want you—no, we, Bradley and I—want to offer you a stake in No Regrets.”
I blinked, my mouth hanging half-open in shock.
“You know, we’re opening a new place in a few months. We want you to be one of the main people over there, in Malone. You and Logan are going to be owners in the business, if you’re up for it.”
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
“Yes!” I leaped out of my chair and halfway across the desk, grabbing Benny and pulling him into a hug. “Are you fucking serious? Yes!”
Benny laughed and patted me on the back. “You’re fucking up the desk,” he said, but I could hear the grin in his voice.
I let him go and hugged Bradley instead. He hugged me back, giving me a hard thump on the back.
“Keep it quiet for now, okay?” Bradley asked. “We’re gonna talk to Logan next, and then we’ll have a shop meeting. Tell everybody the good news, let ’em know what the next steps are. Okay?”
“Sure, yeah. Okay.” I nodded. “That’s fucking awesome, guys. Thank you. Uh, is it still cool if I take off early?”
I was so excited, I didn’t think I could keep myself together here.
“Get outta here.” Benny nodded toward the door. “Have a good day. We’ll see you later.”
“See you later.” I took a deep breath to control my expression, then walked out.
* * * * *
Sydney and Kenzie were both tipsy when I made it to the bar, each with a small collection of empty bottles before them. I grinned, sliding into the booth beside Sydney. “Ooh, a little day drinking, huh? I like it.”
Sydney gasped excitedly. “You came!”
“Told you I would.”
I draped my arm over her shoulders. She leaned into my side.
Kenzie watched us from across the table, frowning at me.
“Yes?” I asked.
She frowned for a moment longer, then sighed, shaking her head. “Ryker. The threat still stands.”
“What threat?” Sydney asked.
“Don’t worry about it.” I squeezed her gently.
Kenzie continued. “You treat her right. Or else. Got it?”
“I don’t plan to do anything else.” I smiled.
Sydney dropped one hand to rest on my thigh.
Kenzie nodded. “All right. Good. Then we’re cool?”
“We’re cool,” I said. “Thanks, Kenzie.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sydney
The beers were hitting hard now, but I didn’t mind. It felt good to be celebrating.
Kenzie wasn’t mad anymore, and Ryker was here, and they were both getting along wonderfully.
This was great.
He kept his arm around me, too, the whole time. He kept pressing little kisses to my face and hair. Even that was enough to get me going.
I wanted him. Now. Here. And at home, too.
And always.
I had it bad. Way worse than I’d anticipated.
Kenzie was telling a story about a customer they’d had, but I was barely listening. Something about a woman wanting a hundred cupcakes and never actually placing an order, then coming to pick them up? It sounded like a good one, but all I could think about was Ryker. How good he’d made me feel this morning, how good I wanted him to make me feel again.
Kenzie finished her story. Ryker laughed, so I did, too, then looked at Kenzie. “Hey, we’ll be right back.” I nudged Ryker. “Come with me. I wanna talk to you.”
He raised one eyebrow. “You do? Damn, what’s with all these talks today?”
But he slid out of the booth anyway. I followed him, grabbing his arm and walking him to the hallway in the back. One door led to the kitchen, but the other doors led to the bathrooms.
I opened the door to the ladies’ room. Empty.
“Sydney?” he said, frowning.
I pulled him inside, shutting and locking the door behind us.
Ryker laughed. “What are you doing, huh? What’s going on?”
I pulled him down and kissed him, one arm around his neck. With my other hand, I reached down and unzipped his pants.
“Oh, shit,” he murmured.
I laughed and tilted my head, kissing his neck. “I need you. Right now.”
“Can’t wait until we get home?”
“No. Right now.”
I pushed his jeans and underwear down, taking hold of him. With just a few quick strokes, he was rock-hard in my hand.
“God, you’re good.” His voice was low, rough with lust.
It just made me wetter, more desperate to feel him inside me.
“Do you have a condom?” I asked.
“Restocked his morning.”
He took a half-step closer, pinning me to the wall.
I unzipped my jeans, pushing them and my panties down to my ankles, then stepped out of them. By the time I’d finished stripping from the waist down, Ryker had the condom on.
He lifted me off my feet, my back resting on the wall.
I looked at him, my arms around his neck, legs curled around his waist. “I want you.”
“You got me.” He tilted his hips forward, pushing into me.
It felt just as good as every other time. I let out a soft moan, pulling him close to kiss me.
His tongue slid into my mouth. I whined quietly.
He started to move.
I wanted to scream from how good it felt. I still couldn’t believe I’d waited so long for this.
I pulled back from the kiss. “God, Ryker, fuck me,” I moaned.
“Shh.” He kissed me again, muffling my cry as he thrust harder.
He was going to make me come fast, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I lowered one hand between us, rubbing small, quick circles on my clit.
Ryker grunted against my mouth, then pulled back, gasping. “I’m gonna come,” he mumbled.
“Me, too.”
Fuck, I was so close.
He pulled back, then gave one last, hard thrust, and went still.
I tilted my head back so hard it hit the wall, but the stars that flickered across my vision weren’t from that. My back arched, my legs trembled.
God, he was good.
He leaned forward, resting his head on my shoulder. I combed my fingers through his hair, kissing anywhere I could reach.
“You’re insatiable,” he said. I could tell he was grinning.
“Yeah. I am. Thanks for helping me figure that out.”
He laughed and pulled out slowly. I lowered myself to the ground, one leg at a time.
My knees were wobbly, and I laughed.
I dressed again while Ryker was still cleaning up. I glanced back at him, smiling. “Thanks for the quickie.”
He turned to look at me. I was already unlocking the door.
I winked at him. “Y’know, you might be the kind of guy I could fall in love with.”
His eyes lit up and he smiled. It was unexpectedly cute. “Really?”
I grinned. “Maybe. If you come out and buy me a drink.”
I left the bathroom, leaving him standing there with his jeans around his ankles.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ryker
“It looks so far away.”
Sydney and I were sitting on a blanket together, on the Richland side of the river. We faced West Virginia—Malone, specifically, where the new location of No Regrets was going to be. Benny and Bradley had already found the perfect building and were in the process of updating it, getting it ready to open. Soon, we’d start interviewing for new artists, running advertisements for the new location.
It had been a wild month already, and the next few would be just as crazy. But it was exciting. Every time I thought about it, my heart beat a little faster. Benny and Bradley were putting a lot of trust in me, and I couldn’t help but be afraid of disappointing them.
But every time I voiced those thoughts, Sydney reminded me that they’d picked me for a reason. I needed her to keep being my voice of reason.
She leaned against me, looking out at the river. “But, I mean, it’s not. It’s just a few miles between the two shops.”
She knew, of course. I’d told her everything, with the condition that she not tell Kenzie or Lora. She’d kept her word, and we talked about it often.
I was nervous. Really nervous. But Sydney kept telling me that I’d be great, and I had to believe her.
She hadn’t lied to me yet, and I figured she wouldn’t start lying to me now.
“I know it’s just a few miles, but it’s just gonna be weird, you know? Not to work with the guys every day.”
“But you’re gonna be there a few days a week, right?”
“Yeah, but I’ve been there five years, you know? With Benny and Bradley. And now that I’m a co-owner, I’m not gonna see them all the time.”
“But are you happy?”
I had to pause and think for a second. Finally, I nodded. “Yeah. I am. I’m really happy. I wouldn’t have guessed this is where I’d end up, but it’s good.”
“Really?” Sydney leaned back, looking at me. I turned my head to take her in. She was in a little sundress for the warm day, her hair in a ponytail. She had a little bit of a pin-up vibe going on, and it was a great look on her.
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, if you’d asked me five, six years ago where I’d end up, it wouldn’t have been here. I wouldn’t have chosen this, but it worked out.”
She put her head on my shoulder again. The sun was starting to set, lights coming on across the river. Everything had a golden glow about it.
“As long as you’re happy, right?” she asked. “That’s what matters.”
“I am.” I put my arm around her. “I’ve got a great job, right? Co-owner of a successful tattoo shop. Successful enough that we can expand without taking a huge risk. And…” I tickled her side. She laughed. “I’ve got a gorgeous, smart, fun, incredibly sexy girlfriend.”
“Really? Man, any girl who gets to take you home a few nights a week is lucky.”
“Oh, hush.” I leaned to kiss her neck. “You’re amazing and you know it.”
“I never get tired of hearing it.”
“Ooh, modest. Even more appealing.”
She leaned back, grinning at me. “Who, me?”
“Mm-hmm, yeah, you.”
I sighed, reaching up and touching her cheek. She leaned into my hand. Her green eyes caught the light beautifully, and my heart skipped.
“You are unlike any girl I’ve ever been with. You keep me balanced, Syd. And you support me. You know that?”
She smiled. “You’re not like any guy I’ve ever been with. You’re not secretly into men.”
I laughed, shaking my head. Her wit caught me off-guard sometimes, and I loved it. “Man. You’re gonna be really disappointed in a minute.”
Sydney let out an exaggerated groan, rolling her eyes melodramatically. She threw her hands up. “God, now I have to move to another new city, find another new boyfriend. Great. Just great. Thanks, Ryker.”
“Don’t mention it.” I pulled her close again, giving her another kiss on the neck. Slowly, I worked my way up, kissing her jaw, then finally her lips.
She wrapped both arms around my neck and pulled me closer. She started to lean back, tugging me down until we were stretched out on the blanket.
She eased back from the kiss. For a moment, she just looked at me. “I love you, Ryker.”
It came out a whisper, almost shy. She held eye contact for a moment, then looked away.
What an amazing woman.
I kissed her again, gently, then once more.
“Sydney Lawson. I love you, too.”
I leaned over her and kissed her again.
Three Little Words
No Regrets Ink Series
Book 3
Chapter One
Bryn
Five Years Ago
The stink of cheap alcohol and weed announced Bryan’s arrival before he even hit the door.
I sighed and put down my pencil.
The key slid into the lock, and I watched as the door opened and my idiot younger brother walked in. He looked like a taller, male version of me—sandy brown hair, dark brown eyes, light skin. He wasn’t terribly tall, either, but at five-ten, he practically towered over my five-foot, two-inch frame.
He was wearing the same jeans and t-shirt as yesterday.
And he smelled fucking terrible.
“Welcome home.” I frowned at him as he opened the door.
�
��Bryn, hey, what—what are you doing up?” He smiled, wavering where he stood.
“It’s, like, ten a.m. A normal hour for people to be up.”
“Oh, right. Right.”
He crossed the room and flopped down on the other end of the couch.
I was supposed to be looking after him, and he was making it real fucking hard.
Taking care of Bryan had always been my job, as far back as I could remember. Mom always had to work hard to provide for the two of us, and as soon as I was old enough to know how to microwave a frozen dinner, I’d been babysitting my little brother.
That hadn’t changed as we got older. I spent a lot of high school with Bryan tagging along, until people just stopped inviting me places. It was, according to many of them, lame to have a freshman hanging around when we were seniors.
But I loved him. Even when he did stupid shit like get mixed up with a motorcycle gang.
I turned on the couch, looking at him. “You’re still drunk. You haven’t even hit the hangover yet.”
“It’s fine.” He chuckled, waving one hand dismissively.
It was not fine.
“Bryan.”
“Bryn.”
I hated when he did that. Just a reminder that our parents hadn’t been creative enough to give us unique names. No, Mom had always thought it was cute that we had matching names.
I hated it.
I felt my jaw clench and took a deep breath. “Look. You have to get your shit together.”
“My shit is together. God, get off my ass for a minute.”
“Bryan, I’m trying to look out for you.”
“I don’t need you to look out for me.”
He shrugged, folding his arms.
I sighed heavily and looked away from him.
“C’mon, Bryan. It’s what we’re supposed to do. Mom wanted us to stick together, and—”
“Don’t talk to me about Mom.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Uh… no, you need to hear about Mom. Sorry. You know she wanted us to stay close and look after each other, Bryan.”
“Yeah, well, if that’s what she wanted, she shouldn’t have died.”
My jaw dropped.
It wasn’t like our mom had chosen to have a heart attack.
I wanted to slap him, as hard as I could.