“Kane said some things. I said some things. It is what it is. I’m though. Let’s not talk about him anymore. I really want a spicy yellowtail roll! They are my favorite!” I grab his hand with mine as I walk backwards smiling at him and dragging him to the door.
“You wound me, yet again! How could you ruin beautiful sushi with sauce?” Chase exclaims, appalled.
Giggling, I say, “Well, then it just tastes like fish. That’s gross.”
“You are just too cute.” He pokes my nose.
The waiter seats us and he orders one yellowtail roll and one spicy yellowtail roll.
“I’d like to take you out to dinner again since you didn’t feel well the first time.” Chase takes a sip of his water. A few drops linger on his lips, but I have no urge to lick them like I do Kane’s.
Ugh, him.
“That sounds great. I’m not sure when I can. I have plans with Molli and David the next few days. I’ll have to get back to you?” I end it in a question because hopefully that’s okay. I don’t want him to think I’m blowing him off.
I shudder at the thought of actually blowing him. That’s not good, right? I shouldn’t shudder at the mere thought of seeing him naked. But I do. I throw another piece of sushi in my mouth to hopefully disguise my discomfort.
“Sure, absolutely. It’s not like I expect you to stop your life for me.” He laughs. For some reason it sets me on edge. It appears his sincerity is a little too forced. Feeling like I need to get out of there, I scarf down the last few pieces of my sushi wanting to get back to the shelter.
Chase is making me feel like prey and not in a good way. Kane makes me feel like prey, but in a sexy way. When Kane captures me, he wants to please, but Chase has a look of…possession. I might be reading into things too much. Maybe I’m just shaken up over the fight with Kane.
“Wow, that was good,” I say chewing my last piece of sushi. I love soaking my sushi in soy sauce, it’s so good. The flavor just bursts in my mouth every time.
Chase lets out a deep laugh. “I’m surprised you can taste it with all the soy sauce you put on there! Can you even taste the sushi?”
“It’s not about the flavor, Chase. It’s about the experience.” Well, if that didn’t sound like an invitation, I don’t know what does. Great.
He doesn’t say anything, just lifts one of his manicured brows at me. Who has natural beautiful brows like that? Come on.
“Well, it’s time to get you back. I actually took the rest of the day off, so if you need me, one of the other vets will have to come.” He pulls out twenty-five dollars from his pocket and lays it on the table.
We get up and he pulls my chair out, when we walk and when we reach the door, he opens it, just like the car door. “Why, I do declare, you’re going to spoil me.” My hand dramatically lifts to my mouth in a southern belle fashion.
“What?” Chase looks at me confused as he stands by the passenger side door.
My face flames with embarrassment. “It was a joke…” I leave my sentence open-ended. Are you kidding me? The guy can’t even joke? I can’t live like that!
We ride in silence. The car drives smoothly for it being so old; Chase must take great care of it. The engine rumbles and it makes my thighs shake. The feeling reminds me of when Kane speaks. His voice, booming sound waves in my chest, make my nipples bead.
When we pull up to the shelter, Chase grabs my arm. “Hey, you going to be okay with him working next to you?” His thumb rubs my forearm.
“Yes. I’ll be fine. Really.” My gaze softens.
“Can you do me a favor? Can you think about a proposition I’m about to give you?” He looks down, the confidence leaving him.
“Sure. Anything.” I say, quickly thinking it’s something important.
“Can you think about coming to work for me? Close this place down. We can expand the vet’s office if you like and turn it into a shelter.” His hand cups my cheek. My breath hitches from memories of Kane doing the exact same thing with his big rugged hands.
I smile. “I know you keep asking, but the answer is still no. Thank you for the offer, but this place is everything to me.” I pat his arm.
Stepping out of the car, I hear him say, “I’ll convince you one of these days.” And he speeds away. I’m not sure how to take his tone. He can’t take a joke very well, but can he make jokes?
Walking up to the porch, I see Kane sitting on the swing next to the shop taking a lighter to a letter. He must hear my footsteps on the porch because his head lifts and his blue eyes pierce me. They look a little red, like he’s been crying, but I know that can’t be it. Kane doesn’t seem like the kind of man that would cry.
Turning away from him and going inside the shelter is the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Tears threaten my eyes, feeling as if I just ripped a vital organ from inside my body. The pain is unbearable. Why? I barely know Kane. I shouldn’t care so much. My stupid naïve voice in my head said that our souls knew each other. What shit, right? I felt bound to Kane and not just physically. I really do feel like my soul is intertwined in his. We don’t have to talk, we don’t have to laugh, we don’t have do anything. I can just…be. I would lay next to him forever and not say a word because the deepest part of my soul would feel comfort in his embrace.
And you know what? It’s stupid to feel like that. I sound like a thirteen-year-old girl with a crush.
“Hey Leslie, how was your date with Chase?” Rorie doesn’t look up from what she is doing behind the desk. I know she’s mad at me. She was right. I shouldn’t have gone.
“You were right, you know,” I whisper patting Flamingo on the head.
“Yep. I know.” Rorie continues to write without looking at me.
“I’m sorry.”
Rorie sighs. “It’s not me you need to say that to, Leslie.”
“Kane and I aren’t good for each other. We fight and pull at each other. We don’t understand one another. I take a step forward, he takes a step back. I can’t do that dance forever.” I put my hand in my pockets as I lean against the desk.
Rorie slams the pen down and glares at me. “Love isn’t easy. Nothing good in life is. If you have to fight and get past one another’s walls, then that’s what you have to do. Some people have defenses up so high, it takes patience to break them down. Some people don’t have any.” She shrugs.
“Are you saying I don’t have patience?” I scoff.
“Yep.” She grabs her book. “Bye. I’m out of here. Lucky is puking so good luck with that. Hopefully that isn’t too difficult for you to handle,” she snips.
I just stand there with my mouth open. Oh, the nerve of her…honesty!
The bell on the door rings. “Rorie, I’m sorry, but you know I can take care of Lucky. It isn’t a problem.” I turn around and the smile I had on my face vanishes when I see that it’s Kane.
“You.” I click my tongue in annoyance.
“Me.” He sighs. “So, you went out with him to hurt me?” Kane blurts.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I guess. Seeing you with those girls fawning all over you, it didn’t sit right with me. You drew a line and I realized what side of it I was really on.”
He steps closer. “Those girls don’t mean anything. They’re a job. A fake smile here. A fake smile there, a wink, and I get paid.”
“Like you need the money!” I shout. My face flames. “It’s not about you tattooing women. It’s about feeding in to their fantasy of them wanting you. You dangle it in front of them! It’s not okay, Kane.” I shake my head.
“You going out with Chase isn’t okay. It isn’t going to happen again.” He points his finger at me.
“You don’t have the right to come in here and dictate how I live my life when you won’t make any sacrifices. Hell, I’m just asking you to say you’re taken and pay attention to me when one of your bimbos is in the room. You’re a hypocrite!”
“It’s a part of the job.” He shrugs as if it isn’t going to change.
&nbs
p; “Well, then I don’t want to be with a man whose job makes me feel less than. I deserve better. I deserve to come before those girls. I deserve your acknowledgement. If you can’t respect that, there’s the door. Don’t let it hit you in the ass on the way out!” I scream at the top of my lungs. My throat hurts and tears blur my vision.
“Just get out!” I cry torturously.
Chapter 4
“I am not leaving!” Kane’s voice echoes throughout the shelter making the dogs bark. I weep behind the front desk with my head in my hands.
“Why? Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why do you play with my emotions like this? You don’t want me! You just like the idea of me! I refuse to be the girl in the shadows while you flirt your way through every ink bunny in town!” I say in defeat. I never thought I’d be begging for…loneliness. It feels so much better than this. My heart feels like it can’t breathe.
“I can’t leave you alone because every since you, ever since seeing you, ever since experience your fire, your lips, your body, I can’t get you out of my head. You did exactly what I said I couldn’t let you do.” He walks to the desk and grabs my chin.
“You got in.” He places his hand right above his heart.
I shake my head. “If I got in, those other girls wouldn’t be an issue right now.”
“Those other girls mean nothing!” he shouts and Flamingo walks over to him, growling, his hair lifting in warning.
“They mean something. They mean something to me. Seeing you with them is like you seeing me with Chase. Can’t you get that? I don’t even let Chase touch me. How can you let them touch you? It isn’t okay! The fact that you don’t see that let’s me know I haven’t even chipped a piece off the wall you have built around your heart.” I stay behind the desk. Another symbol, just like the glass on the door, stays between us. If he were to hold me, I’d give in. And this time I don’t want to give in.
“I’m trying.” He hangs his head in defeat. “I can’t change overnight.”
“Change? As if finding someone you care about and telling other women about it is such a huge effort? Are you kidding me? Okay, I’m done with this. How about you take yourself out of my shelter, go swim around in your thirty-four-billion-dollar account, buy all the Ink Bunnies you want and stay out of my life!” I slam my fists against the counter. Flamingo barks in agreement. If there is one man that always has my back, it’s him.
“How do you know that?” His eyes narrow and his voice is a whisper.
“You should be more careful leaving your stuff lying around the shop. I saw the letter from your lawyer. I mean I knew you had money, but I didn’t actually think it was that much money,” I say offhandedly.
“That was private. That money is not only from my grandpa, but the inheritance I got from my parents’ deaths. No, you know what? I don’t have to explain myself or why I have money. I’ll just go buy some ‘Ink Bunnies’ as you call them, and never have to deal with this bullshit ever again.” He turns around and my eyes feast on his jeans one last time. They encase his butt so well. I never noticed but there is a rip in his jeans right under where his butt cheek is. It makes me bite my cheek in response. I’ll never stop wanting Kane Bridgeshaw and I don’t think anyone else will ever compare.
“Goodbye, Kane,” I say after he slams the door to the shelter. The violence of it shakes the glass and I can feel the rumbles beneath my feet crawling up my body to rumble my core. The ringing of the bell chimes over and over from the aftermath. My nerves are rattled. I call Rorie and Matt to take over for the day. I can’t be here.
After I get that all set up, I call Molli and David. Thankfully, it’s Friday and that means it is ladies night and karaoke night, and I need to drink. What better way to end a bad day on a good note? Right? I don’t need Kane. I don’t need his hands on me, or mine on him, or his thick girth inside me giving me the most pleasure I’ve ever had. No sir, no ma’am. I sure don’t!
Twenty minutes later, Rorie walks through the door. “So I take it the talk with Kane didn’t go well,” she says as she hangs her coat up on the hook next to the door.
“I really don’t want to talk about it, Rorie. You don’t know the entire story. Please drop it.” My words come out hollow. Kane has defeated me, yet again.
“Okay. Well, I hope you have a nice day off, you deserve it. You put a lot of work into this place.” Rorie comes and pulls me into a tight hug.
“Thanks. Call me if you need me.”
She nods and I walk out the door. Glancing to the right, I know that if I take ten steps, I’d be in front of Kane’s shop. I’d be able to see him. I’d be able to see his hair cascade down his shoulders. I could see his blue eyes spark, and his strong hands drawing another beautiful piece of art.
Taking a shaky breath, I veer left to my car leaving Kane behind me. After I get in my car, the shaky breaths turn to tears and they keep falling down my face. Ten minutes later, I pull into the house and Flamingo jumps out of the car. I see David’s car and know that my two best friends are waiting in the house.
Checking my face in my rearview mirror, Flamingo catches my red-puffy eyed gaze, “Flamingo, I’m just a sucker, aren’t I?” I say sighing.
Flamingo wines and licks my cheek making me smile, like always.
“Come on pretty boy, let’s go inside.” After opening the car door, Flamingo hopes out and runs to the front entrance. David opens the door and holds out his arms, which makes me break down. I run into him and cry into his shirt.
“It’s okay. Everything is going to be fine. We have you.” David kisses the top of my head and takes me inside. Sitting on the couch, Molli puts a blanket over us. I give her a sad smile. The house is warm, and Titanic is playing on the tv.
“Really? Titanic again?” I chuckle.
David comes out with a tray of Margaritas. “We never got to finish it the first time. And Celine Dion makes everyone feel better. We’re going to drink this pitcher, watch Rose fall in love with Jack, go to karaoke night, maybe that bouncer will let us in again, and we are going to have fun. No worrying about some douche canoe that can’t get his head out of his ass or doesn’t know which way is up. You deserve better. It’s not like you need anyone anyway. You have me and Molli,” he says confidently as he takes a sip of the strawberry margarita.
“Why are there starbursts in mine?” I pick up the glass and hold it to the light. I see three cherry starbursts sitting at the bottom.
“I thought it would taste good. We know how much you love them.” He shrugs.
I gulp down the contents just so I can get the sweet candy. David laughs.
Chewing the sweet fruity snacks, I say, “You’re right. This was delicious.” Some juice drips down my chin, making me laugh.
“Goodness woman, we can’t take you anywhere!” Molli laughs as she pours me another glass. She unwraps a few starbursts to plop in there.
“Drink it slower. The candy will be there when you are done. Don’t rush or we’ll never make it out.” Molli hands me the glass making me roll my eyes.
***
A few hours later we’re ready. We order our Uber and when we pull up to Saturn’s the line isn’t as long since it isn’t as late.
“Awesome!” David shouts, catching a few people’s attention.
I’m not dressed as cute today. I’m just wearing a black tank top, red skinny jeans and glitter flats. Only mascara and lip gloss to make it look like I tried. I’m not really feeling up for it.
“Leslie!” I hear my name shouted and it makes me turn around. When my eyes finally catch the culprit, I notice it’s Logan, the bouncer from last time. The one who stood me up.
“I don’t think I should go over there,” I mutter.
“Don’t be so dramatic. Maybe he had an emergency last time. Maybe he had to work, or his mom fell down the steps, or his dog died. We don’t know, do we? No. The only way to find out is to walk up there and ask,” David says as he pushes me forward. I look back at him over my shoulder and narr
ow my eyes.
He raises his hands. “Oh, I’m so scared.” Molli slaps his shoulder telling him to shut up.
A few people give me the stink eye as I walk past them to get to Logan.
“Leslie, you look amazing.” Logan looks me up and down, and licks his lips. It annoys me. I want nothing to do with men.
“Cut the crap, Logan. You stood me up last time. What do you want?” I put my hand on my hips glaring at him.
He rubs his head with his hand. “Aw Leslie, I’m sorry about that. I had to work. One of the other bouncers called off, and I didn’t have a chance to tell you. It was so busy that night.” He looks at me apologetically.
“Oh.” Well, that took the wind from my sails.
“How about I let you and your friends in as a kind gesture?” He unhooks the rope.
“Hmm, I think that’s fair.” I chuckle and wave my hands to David and Molli, telling them to come on.
“What are the chances you’ll forgive me, so I can buy you a drink?” Logan’s voice gets deeper. He grabs my wrist gently and his cinnamon colored eyes gaze at me.
“Depends. What’s the drink?” I lean closer to him. My confidence comes back and I feel sexy. Maybe it’s temporary. Maybe it was because of Kane. I don’t know. What I do know is Logan wants me, and why can’t I want him? I’m allowed to flirt because that’s what single people do!
“Anything your beautiful heart desires, Leslie.” Logan leans forward. His lips just a breath away from mine.
“Kiss her already!” A voice shouts from the line. It makes me lean back, giving Logan a shy smile.
“Get me a drink first.” I kiss his cheek. His light beard scrapes against my lips, making it tingle.
“I’ll get you anything you want, beautiful.” His eyes drink me in. They map my face, making the moment that much more intimate.
“All right, love birds. We’ll be inside. You can find her in there.” David pushes me forward and when I look back, I catch Logan staring at my rear. He sees me and he freezes like a deer in headlights. I throw him a wink and sashay my hips as I walk. I didn’t know I could be so…sexy! I feel great!
The Ink Romance Series Page 10