by Lindsey Hart
“Touché. You’re right.” He pulled out his wallet and forked over some cash. She looked at the bills for a minute and he hesitated. “What? Did I not count right?”
“It’s just that- you’re a newbie, so I’ll tell you this with all the respect and nicety that I can. It’s customary to tip your artist. Usually a hundred dollars for what we consider a full day tattoo, but you can give more if you’re feeling generous.”
Rhett nodded. He pulled out two more hundred and handed them over. Bella smiled. “Rick will really appreciate it.”
“No doubt. He did a good job. I’m quite happy with it. Might even consider getting another.”
Bella giggled. “Oh god. Now I’ve done it.”
“Last time I checked, you didn’t force me into it.”
She leaned against the desk, a smirk on her face. “No? You probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. And- that- why are you here anyway? Seriously, you could have just asked me out for dinner.”
“Maybe I’ve always wanted a tattoo but was too afraid to try it. I needed to go to a place I trusted.”
“I wouldn’t say that you could trust me.”
Rhett’s grin was dazzling. “No, but Rick’s a good guy.” He hesitated. “So. Are you going to let me pick you up in a few hours? Take you somewhere good?”
“It depends. If it’s classy, then count me out.”
“I was thinking more of a diner. Unless you like a hole in the wall instead?”
“Nothing wrong with a good hole in the wall or greasy spoon.”
“I think home-cooked is best myself.”
Bella hesitated. She had no idea what she was doing. She shouldn’t do it. God, she shouldn’t, but damn it, she couldn’t help herself. She was like a dude, thinking with her- well- the throbbing parts of her were siphoning all the blood from her brain. That was probably a nicer way to put it.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“From here? Or from your place?”
“My place,” she forced out, her mouth suddenly so dry and her head spinning, so that she craved one of her own super-sweet juice concoctions. Maybe I can convince him dinner is overrated. No. No- we are not going there again. This is just about making it up to him for not coming out of the bathroom, and damn, he really did get a tattoo just for me. Kind of. Probably. Maybe?
Rhett was all easy confidence. If he was rattled, she couldn’t tell. He produced a business card, of all things, a damn card, out of his wallet. “Good. You can text me your address.”
“I- how are you sure that I actually will?”
He frowned, but it was forced. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened adorably and god help her, he completely stole her breath. She watched his lips as he spoke, aware that she was doing it, but completely unable to tear her eyes away.
“Because if you don’t, I’ll come back for another tattoo and another and another, until you’re forced to explain who I am and why I keep coming back.”
CHAPTER 8
Rhett
He might have changed his last name a long time ago, but he was still a dick. Showing up at Bella’s work unannounced and getting tattooed wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done. He now had a permanent reminder of her aching on his leg.
Okay, maybe not of her, but… hell yes, he’d think of her every time he looked at that panther. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience of his life. He’d kind of dove right into the whole tattooing thing, but he was kind of surprised to find that he actually liked it. The experience left a little to be desired. During the first half hour, he wasn’t sure if he was going to have to tap out of it and walk away with a sixth of an outline on his leg, but Rick was right. When he settled in and it numbed out it was bearable. Up until the time it sure as hell started to feel like his leg had become little more than tenderized meat. Rick worked fast though and even with the hamburger skin, the guy finished fast.
His work was nice. Rhett hadn’t exactly gone in blind. He’d at least checked out the guy’s portfolio and the shop’s reviews before submitting himself as a human canvas.
His prize… Bella. She was so worth it. The art was pretty good too.
Rhett pulled up to a small condo. It wasn’t fancy, just a two-story skinny building with grey vinyl siding and white trim around the windows- the kind of thing that was mass-produced and sold for a budget price. The neighborhood was decent and there was a small playground in the middle of the square condo complex. The buildings were probably less than five years old.
Rhett paused momentarily as he pulled his rental sedan up to the visitor parking spot. If he really considered it, it was ridiculous for him to be there. It was completely inappropriate for him to take Bella out for so many reasons, not the least of which was that he’d got completely drunk and banged her on his wedding night then left after she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out. When he really thought about it, there was a high chance she’d probably lied about her address.
Wouldn’t that just be great if he walked up to the door and some angry old person told him to fuck right off when he asked if Bella lived there.
No, she wouldn’t play that kind of joke on him. Not once he’d threatened to keep coming back to her work. The last thing Bella obviously wanted to explain to her co-workers was that she’d- well, he didn’t know what exactly about him was so embarrassing. That he was a tattoo virgin. Or that he’d been so up until that afternoon. That was probably a good start.
I shouldn’t even be here. He was a dork royal, but hell, he’d been moping around the house long enough. He wasn’t just thinking with his cock either, though thoughts of Bella went straight to his groin and heated up his body in all sorts of ways that were just… wrong. Straight up so inappropriate. His body wanted what it wanted, and it had been a hell of a long time since he’d felt truly alive.
Rhett pushed himself out of the car, hoping he wasn’t about to make a complete fool out of himself. He’d had enough of that lately. More than enough to last a lifetime. God. It was a good thing that the press didn’t care to report on rich dudes who got left at the altar. At least not him. Making a fortune in software wasn’t exactly media worthy and he’d been lucky enough to fly under the radar for a long time. If anything, he was happy that all the attention was directed at his company. He made sure that other people there got the spotlight. He wasn’t cut out for that. Never had been. Never would be. It was far better to dazzle behind the scenes.
I’m a dork. Bella would definitely say that if he had voiced that thought out loud.
The pounding pain from his thigh didn’t let up as he walked up to Bella’s door. The place was too normal. Far too normal. Non-descript, doorbell, even a damn doormat with the word, welcome, printed across its abrasive looking surface. Is this seriously where she lives?
Before he could bring his trembling hand to ring the all too normal looking bell, the door opened and there was Bella. She had on a tight-fitting red dress that looked like something straight out of the fifties. Her dark hair was swept up on top of her head and she’d added a fresh sheen of red lipstick to her dark makeup.
In short, she was fucking astounding.
“You were sitting in your car with a stupid look on your face for over five minutes.” She eyed him wryly and her lips twitched into a sarcastic smile. “Yeah. That’s right. I saw you. Either you were trying to work up the courage to come ring the bell, and I’m not sure why that would be the case given that you had no qualms about tracking me down and coming to my workplace or you were trying to decide if I’d sent you to the wrong house.”
Rhett had to smile. She had him pegged so completely. “I- was just nervous.”
“Really?” Bella’s dark brow arched. Her flawless creamy skin bunched up at the juncture between those perfectly shaped brows.
“You don’t think that’s possible?”
“You did track me down. Stalked me would probably be a more appropriate term.”
“Was I so embarrassing?
I didn’t even cry. Not even one tear.”
“That is impressive. Can’t say I expected it. I honestly thought you’d pass out after thirty seconds.”
Rhett barely managed not to grind his teeth together at Bella’s bluntness. “Hate to make it so obvious.”
“That’s alright, but we do need to talk about a few things before we go anywhere. So please-” she stepped back away from the open door. “Come in for a minute.”
He almost hesitated. Did she have some kind of trap in there? Or maybe there was a tripwire that he’d trigger when he plowed in and a bag of flour or slime or something equally humiliating would dump on his head. Maybe Bella had some secretly evil roommate who was waiting to devour him on the other side of that door.
“What?” Bella called him out, because, of course, she would. “Is this all too normal for you? I promise I’m not hiding anything. I don’t have any family members on the other side of the door. No one is waiting to like- shank you or something. There are no tricks. Just- just some conversation amongst friends, because that’s what we are, aren’t we, Rhett?”
His name flowed off her lips and like a heady wine or all that whiskey he’d consumed back at her hotel room, went straight to his head. And- uh- other places. He mentally sent his dick a memo to get its shit together and behave, but it wasn’t having any of it. It continued to lengthen and harden and create a very obvious bulge in his jeans. Bella’s eyes flicked down and back to his and there was a shadow of knowing there that made him feel like a horny asshole.
“Uh- god.” He brushed a hand through his hair, which he realized he did far too often. It was his nervous tell. “Now that I think about it, I bet this looks insane.”
Bella’s eyes flashed. “Which part?”
“All of it. Coming here. The wedding that went to shit. What I did that night. Being an asshole. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was. I didn’t exactly have your number and I didn’t think it was appropriate to text you.”
“So, this is a pity dinner.”
“No, it’s not a pity dinner!” Rhett sighed. There was a reason he didn’t do relationships. At least until he met Sarah. Then something went on in his brain that absolutely trashed any of his good common sense and he’d re-trained his brain into being a complete fuck up that thought it was in actual, real love. He didn’t get bored like he thought he would. He didn’t get much of anything at all, emotional or otherwise. Too bad it took him seven years to figure out the learning curve. “Look…”
“I’m standing right here staring.”
“I- this is going to sound terrible, but I had to come. I had to tell you I was sorry, but I also wanted to say that it’s completely inappropriate to say this at all, given who you are and that your sister was my ex-”
“Yeah, you seem to have a hard time getting over that one.” Bella was openly grinning now, but Rhett couldn’t tell if the grin was actually born of happiness or just pure sadistic sarcasm. Was she actually enjoying him making a complete shithead out of himself?
Of course, she is. If he was the one standing in her place, he had to admit he’d probably enjoy the show too. “Uh- I wanted to tell you, and I know you’ll think it’s stupid, but meeting you- er- hanging out- that was the first time I’ve been really honestly happy in a very long time.”
“Really?” Bella’s tongue swept out and moistened her lips and his cock gave her a high five for it. Literally. The fucker tried to reach up and tear right out of his pants.
She looked like she was going to cave and say something else, or just finally give him a break and tell him all the awkward shit was out of the way and let him relax, when a deep male voice sounded from inside the condo.
“You alright out there, babe?”
Bella stiffened. So did Rhett. Not his cock though. That other voice, that other male voice, did him in. The bastard deflated like it was a balloon that got too close to some incredibly sharp and volatile instrument of loathing.
“Rhett…” Bella started to say something, but he didn’t give her the chance.
It was painfully obvious that Bella did have something in common with her sisters after all. She was a cheater. Except she’d obviously cheated on whoever was in there with- with him. Did that make him the asshole or her? Fuuuuuuck. He didn’t actually know. He didn’t want to wait to see some six-foot shadow grace the doorframe, ready to find out what they’d done and kick his ass when he didn’t deserve it. It was bad enough he already had a permanent tattoo on his leg to remember Bella by.
Rhett stepped back just as a great hulking beast did indeed step up to the doorway. He crossed his arms and the muscle that rippled under that t-shirt, the bulging biceps that were thick as tree trunks and that square jaw that looked like it was useful for eating rocks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, ground double time like the giant was thinking about eating him.
“I’m sorry,” Rhett mumbled as he turned. He eyed the distance between the car and the doorstep and wondered if there was any chance in hell that he’d make it before the four hundred pounds of muscle turned him into a human pancake. Weren’t muscly guys supposed to be slow? Maybe he did have a chance…
“Rhett!” Bella called after him. He didn’t slow down until he felt her touch, warm and graceful, graze his arm. That touch sent a thousand pinpricks of awareness shooting through his blood, which probably earned him an asshole of the year nomination. “Where are you going?”
He gave his head a shake. “What the fuck, Bella?” he hissed under his breath. He glanced at the beast, who was now leaning against the condo railing- probably not a smart idea since it didn’t look nearly capable of holding up that much weight. The guy wore an amused smile like he enjoyed watching his prey make a run for it.
“Uh… that? Him?” Bella’s forehead crinkled up. “Oh. Oh him. Oh my god. No. I’m sorry.” She let her hand fall away, which was a damn shame and shame on him for thinking it, and took a step back. “No. Sorry. This is- John.” Bella whirled. “It’s okay, John, this isn’t one of those guys that I need to be rescued from.”
“Those guys?” Rhett hissed. He felt like he’d been close to losing his shit and the sigh of relief he expelled didn’t exactly feel good. Handing in his man-card twice in one day was a little much. “What guys?”
“Guys that don’t get the memo. Stalkers. Guys that won’t take no for an answer. Clients who find out where I live. Exes that I don’t want coming around. Door to door salesmen- John plays a part for me. Whenever the doorbell rings and it’s a guy, he comes out like he’s not my roommate, like he’s- uh- well not my roommate. If it’s an ex, he just comes out to kick some ass.” Bella actually giggled like that shit show was funny. “I’m sorry. He didn’t know. I promise. I didn’t ask him to do that. I just got home from work and got changed and didn’t have time to explain…”
“So that- that- guy is your roommate?”
“Yeah.” She put her hands on her hips, back to being sassy, and raised a brow. “Is that not alright, given that I’m a woman? Can I not have a male roommate?”
“No, no, you can have whoever you choose.”
Her frown deepened. “But you obviously thought that he was my boyfriend. Which means that you thought that I’d be capable of screwing you a few weeks ago and not telling him.”
“I don’t know. Maybe you did tell him.”
Bella paused. “You’re a real prick, Rhett. You know that? I can’t believe I thought you were decent.”
“I am decent,” he insisted. “I’m sorry if at the moment I have huge triggers about cheating.”
“Yeah,” Bella ground out as she dropped her hands to her sides. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. The whole two weeks ago you were supposed to be getting married to my sister, who you’d been with for over half a decade, thing. That. That’s what I wanted to discuss. That- uh- I never really expected to see you again. That the whole thing we did together was a mistake that shouldn’t be repeated because it’s incredibly inappropriate and neither of us k
nows each other and I can give a thousand other reasons why you should have just started to move on and by move on, I don’t mean stalking me and showing up at my work and-”
Damn. Bella was incredible at all times, but she was sexy as hell when she was angry and went off on him. She looked like a damn warrior goddess, eyes blazing fire, frowning, lecturing him.
And damn him, he couldn’t help it. His cock was back to punching through his jeans. Bella was only two feet away and he covered that in a second. Her words trailed off into dead silence as he set his hands at her waist, bent his head, and kissed that angry expression right off her lips.
CHAPTER 9
Bella
I’m going to hell. It’s official now.
Not only had she screwed her sister’s ex on his wedding night, she was now fraternizing with him in a parking lot, letting him kiss her senseless, letting his far too talented tongue swept into her mouth, letting his hands keep her from falling over, letting him press his- uh- quite large- err- member up against her waist because he was taller than she was and it was incredibly hard and he was incredibly close.
She should have told him to get lost the minute he walked into her work. Phoned the cops. Made some shit up. Instead, she’d given him her address like a love-struck moron. Instead of sending John out to tell him she didn’t live there and ask who the hell Bella was, she’d answered the door.
Instead of letting him storm off and think the worst of her, she’d gone after him. Instead of being angry that he assumed the worst, she was standing there playing tonsil hockey where everyone could see.
And god, it felt good. Amazing. Sinful. Delicious. If she had a ticket straight to hell, the ride was so damn worth it.
Bella tore away because in the back of her mind was that nagging feeling that John was watching the whole thing and was going to question her about it later and that the guys at the tattoo shop were probably going to ask her who her friend was and then there was the whole moral dilemma too.