It was a struggle, but she found her tongue. “What? No, the piercing’s great. Expert work, as always.” Oh, fuck. Did she sound as big a dumb ass to him as she did to her own ears? Get it over with! “I, uh…needed to ask you some questions.”
He considered her for a second. “Oh. Okay.” He nodded. “We can go in the back.” She would say one thing for Stone Bowman—he was patient as hell. She could almost sense Richie’s exasperation, but Stone acted like he had all the time in the world and he was happy to give it to her. Yeah, Richie could learn a thing or two about customer service.
Must. Not. Look. She really wanted to check out his ass, but she was glad she didn’t, because when he got to the door, he held it open for her, and she would have been caught gazing. She smiled and walked through, waiting for him to lead the way. “So what’s up?” he asked, pausing by the counter that held his tattoo supplies.
Kory’s mouth was dry. Somehow in the short time she’d had to wait, followed by the overabundance of nerves while he walked her in the back, her adrenaline supplies had depleted themselves, but not without first dumping all they had into her body. She felt jittery, like she’d had too much caffeine and no sleep. Her stomach was woozy and she was beginning to doubt she could ask her question.
She sucked in a deep breath. “Okay, so…” She swallowed, even though there was nothing in her mouth to force down her throat. “I really want to get a tattoo, but I’m afraid of that gun. Does it hurt really bad?”
She could almost hear Tina in her head, shouting at her. What the hell? That’s not what you were gonna ask him!
Stone shrugged. “Depends on your pain tolerance.” He had a sly grin on his face. “You seem to have a high one, and I have a hard time believing you’re afraid of my gun. How many piercings do you have so far?”
Oh, he had no idea. She really was totally fucking afraid of needles and pokey things, and the piercing might have started out as a way to get past all that. Then her fascination with Stone had made it tolerable, but she hated the damn things. Really hated them. Really, when she thought about it, the tattoos might be easier to handle than all this pincushion torture she’d been putting herself through. She forced a laugh. “I don’t know. I lost count.”
He shook his head. “I think you could handle it just fine. What do you have in mind?”
She could still hear Tina in her head. Worse yet, Lacey’s voice was joining hers, and Kory didn’t want to seem like a wuss. That’s what she was, though, and after all that tough talk about being able to handle anything.
She spat it out. “I wondered if you’d want to go out with me sometime.”
Oh, holy hell. She’d actually said it.
And she couldn’t register Stone’s reaction to save her soul. He seemed taken aback a bit, but that was understandable, because he’d been waiting for her to talk about tattoos. Then he smiled. “Okay. What did you have in mind?” He said it just like he’d said it before when he’d asked what kind of tattoo she’d wanted. That was what convinced her he was just toying with her.
Oh, shit. But was he maybe actually considering it? “Oh, uh, I dunno…” She couldn’t ask him out for a drink, so she said so. “I, um, can’t go to the bar, but maybe, uh, pizza or…”
His eyes. They were lit up. Amused, maybe? Kory wasn’t sure. “Yeah. Pizza’s a great idea.”
“Yeah, sure, pizza.”
“Okay. When?”
Holy fucking shit. Was he really saying yes? “Oh, uh, yeah? You want to?”
His smile was huge. She didn’t think she’d ever seen a smile like that on his face. It was beautiful. “Yeah.”
“Um…maybe Friday night? I don’t work then.”
He nodded. “I’m done here a little after eight. That’s not too late, is it?”
She shook her head. “No, that’s fine.”
“There’s a pizza place across the street. You want to meet there, say around eight-thirty?”
Kory nodded. “Yeah. I like that place.”
“Okay. Now tell me about this tattoo you’re wanting.”
She grinned. “How about I save that for Friday?” Because she had to get the hell out of there before she fainted…or freaked out…or both.
Chapter Four
TINA AND LACEY were impressed with her efforts. Lacey admitted that she didn’t think Kory would do it, because of how tongue-tied she’d been just when she’d been talking about Stone.
Friday night arrived quickly, and Kory felt just as weird about choosing what to wear as she had been when she’d gone to ask him. This time, she did want to look like she’d put a little more effort into it, but she knew too that she didn’t want to pretend. She also knew he’d be coming straight from work, so he’d be wearing jeans and probably a tee. Nothing fancy. Plus they were going for pizza, so there wouldn’t be a need to dress up. Still, she wanted him to appreciate what she wore, and she was going to have to figure out something different.
She was excited but nervous. She’d been crushing on this guy for so long that she wondered if they’d actually be compatible. She had always been so convinced… Oh, who cared? The only way she’d ever find out for sure would be by spending time with him.
She was called in to work but she told them she couldn’t go. Ordinarily, she’d jump at the chance for more hours, but not this time. There would have been no guarantee they could have let her go in time, and she was not going to blow this chance. She would never have the guts to ask him again, so she had to take the opportunity while she had it.
Tina took her downtown and dropped her off. Kory didn’t have her own car and mostly walked everywhere, but it was hot out and Tina knew her friend would want to look as fresh as possible. “Good luck, girl.”
“Thanks.” She decided to wait outside and sat on a bench. She looked down to re-examine herself. Jeans—not too snug but not baggy; a black muscle shirt with a big white skull on the front; and black Converse shoes. She wore a black leather bracelet but, other than her piercings, that was her only piece of jewelry.
She also had money and her phone in her jeans pockets—the phone in the back and the cash in the front. She was all set.
But she had at least five minutes to wait…and she hoped she didn’t look stupid.
She got out her phone and opened the Kindle app. She’d accumulated several free books over the past year and saved them for times when she’d need to wait. Now was one of those times.
She started swiping through the screen. Most of the books there were sexy. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to read any of those while waiting for the hottest guy she knew to arrive for a date.
Wow. She had lots more books than she’d thought. Apparently, she’d found more freebies than she’d remembered. She swiped slowly, examining each cover before moving on. She was so engrossed that she didn’t notice when Stone approached her on the sidewalk.
She did, however, sense that he drew near. Was it that she heard his footsteps or noticed the change in the quality of light? She didn’t know, but she looked up, not knowing if it would be Stone or someone else. It was him, though, and he had a smile on his face.
She liked that. He didn’t seem to do it very often.
“You hungry?”
“Hell, yeah.” Kory stood. “How was work?”
“It was awesome.” He held the door for her and let her walk in before him. “I have to say, I have one of the best jobs on the planet.”
She grinned. “I can see how yours would be a good job. You can express yourself artistically while creating a permanent work of art on someone’s skin.”
“Yeah, but that’s not why.”
A waitress approached them where they stood. “Two?”
Stone nodded. “Yeah.” As they followed her deeper into the restaurant, he said to her, “I like being my own boss, and I like being in the same place every day.”
The waitress showed them to a booth. Kory had found Stone’s reasons for liking his job to be a little odd and had
wanted to ask some questions about it, but the waitress started telling them about the specials and then asked them what they would like to drink. Stone asked for a beer and Kory told her she wanted iced tea. By the time the waitress had left, they were perusing the menus and Kory forgot to ask Stone to tell her more.
He said, “Do you eat here often?”
She shook her head. “Not much.” She flipped the page to look at what they had besides pizza. “My roommates and I eat out once a week, and it’s the same place every week. You’d think I’d get tired of it, but I don’t.”
“Where’s that?”
“The Main Street Café. They make really good burgers.”
He nodded. “I’ve been there a few times.” He looked up from the menu. “So we’re getting pizza, right?”
Kory couldn’t help but smile. This super hot guy—one she’d been crushing on for a long while—was right here with her. Oh, God, this was like a date. No, not like. It was a date. She felt tingly all over, and it didn’t quite feel real, but she didn’t know that she’d ever felt this happy ever. There was something about Stone that made her feel like life could be good. Maybe that wasn’t true—maybe it was all in her head—but she knew she could only find out if she got to know him better. This was how she could do that. She knew, deep down, that there would be no way for them to learn more about each other by her getting a new piercing every month. Yes, she definitely knew that, if nothing else, it would give him the impression that she was damaged.
Well, she was, but that shouldn’t matter.
“Yeah, we can get a pizza. What do you want?”
“Did you know you can tell a lot about a person based on the kind of pizza they order?”
She gulped. Oh, God. She hoped this wasn’t a test. She had no idea what kind of things he’d be looking for. Forcing another smile, she looked up from the menu. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Some people get weird stuff on their pizzas, like anchovies, jalapeños, and pineapple—all at once. I figure those people are adventurous.”
Inside, Kory breathed a mental sigh of relief. Nothing deep. Just fun. “So…a person who orders a large pizza probably has a big family?”
“Or a big appetite.”
“Or a tiny budget and that fucker needs to last all week long.” Stone looked up at her from the menu, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, sorry. I guess you need to know that now. I have a potty mouth.”
He put on that easy smile he wore so well. “No, it’s not that. I’m just questioning what kind of person would want to eat week-old pizza, on a budget or not.” Kory laughed in spite of herself. “See? You can tell a lot about somebody.”
“Okay. So…what about a person who likes cheese only?”
“They like to play it safe.”
“Pepperoni?”
“They like to play it safe…with a little zest.”
Kory snorted. “You’re just making this shit up.”
“Yep. Yep, I am.”
“All right. So what are we gonna get?”
“Hmm.” As if on cue, the waitress delivered their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Stone said, “We need just one more minute.” Then he looked at Kory. “What’ll it be?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a combination?”
Stone’s eyes grew wide, and it took Kory a few seconds to realize he’d done it in mock horror. “You know what that says about you, don’t you?”
She frowned. “Oh, you’re funny. What does it say about me?”
“That you’re hungry. Tell me what you don’t like on pizza.”
“I think you named it earlier—shit like pineapple, anchovies, jalapeños. Most other stuff I’m okay with. Oh, olives are okay as long as there aren’t too many.”
“Then combination it is.” The waitress came by a few moments later, and Stone ordered a small pizza. “You want a salad with it?”
“Nah. Just pizza.”
“Change it to a medium then.”
The waitress told them she’d bring the pizza out when it was ready and then scooted off toward the back of the restaurant. Stone took another long swig on his beer and looked at Kory for several long seconds, long enough that she could feel her forehead getting warm. Finally, he said, “All right. Now that we’re done with all that shit…tell me what secret you’re hiding.”
Chapter Five
KORY FELT HER heart begin to beat harder, thudding against her breastbone. Holy shit. It was like Stone could see straight through her. It didn’t matter, though. The only person who knew anything about her past—aside from her foster parents—was Tina, and Tina was loyal and tight when it came to holding onto secrets. She’d never once betrayed one of Kory’s confidences. Kory trusted her friend more than she did anyone else on the planet.
Stone, though…he seemed to know a lot more than he could have guessed. She could see it in his eyes. He knew something. What he knew, though, and—the more important question—how, she had no idea. She wasn’t just going to start blabbing. Instead, she had to call his bluff. “What secret? What makes you think I have a secret?”
He laughed. “Everyone has secrets, Kory. The question is how dark they are.”
Oh…hers were dark, and there was no way in hell she was going to tell any of them to him. Fuck. She thought she’d hidden them so well. “What are your secrets? I figure you should be the one spilling since you’re so goddamn eager to talk about them.”
A deep, hearty laugh. “Damn, you’re a little spitfire. I was just messing with you.” She let out a breath and, after a few seconds, forced a smile. She felt so foolish then, but the look in his eyes alleviated the silly way she felt. “My secrets? Hmm.” He took another drink of his beer, taking the liquid level nearly to the bottom. “Maybe I’ll tell you someday.”
“Really? So eager?”
He shook his head. “Nah, but someday. Someday I’ll tell you mine when you tell me yours.”
That was deep. Weighty…even though he’d said it with levity. “You’d trust me with that?”
He set his mug down on the table. “I get the feeling your secrets are heavier than mine.”
How did he know? What if he was wrong, though? And if his secrets for some reason wound up being deeper and darker than hers, there would be no way she could handle them. He was probably right, though. His probably weren’t nearly as horrible as hers.
She swallowed and took a sip of her drink, then forced her eyes to look in his again. “What makes you think that?”
His lips turned up in half a grin, but he looked serious. “I’ve been piercing and tattooing folks for a few years now. Lots of folks get tattooed and pierced as a statement. Many like their bodies to be a work of art. But some…some people feel broken—or are broken—and what they do on the outside is only a manifestation of what they feel inside.” He picked up his mug and downed the rest of the beer. “Sound familiar?”
“What—are you a shrink now?”
He shrugged. “Just messin’ with you.”
Yeah…and that was starting to piss her off. She realized, though, that she maybe wouldn’t have been feeling so angry had he not touched on a nerve. She knew the entire night would go downhill if she let him get to her, and she wanted to enjoy his company. Maybe trying to be funny and telling dicky jokes was part of his charming personality that she was going to get to know.
Shit. What if she’d been so looking forward to getting to know him better and, once she did, discovered she didn’t like him at all? Now she was wishing she’d ordered the salad just so she’d have something to do. Well, at least it would teach her a lesson—to never ask someone she barely knew (no matter how lustful she felt about him) out on a date. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Maybe he sensed her growing irritation, because he reached over and touched her hand before saying, “I didn’t mean to upset you. Look…why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? You’ve been coming into my shop for the past couple of years, but I know nothing about you. So tell me w
hat you think I should know.”
What he should know was exactly the information she wouldn’t divulge here and now…if ever. Still…there were plenty of superficial things that he might want to know about her that she didn’t mind sharing on a first date. “Well…the first time I went to your shop to be pierced was right after I graduated high school. It was a gift to myself but also a challenge.” He raised his eyebrows. She let out a small breath and smiled. “I have always had an almost irrational fear of needles…and I wanted to do something cool to help myself get over it.”
“Only you never have…gotten over it.”
“Right. But I’m more freaked out by your tattoo gun than I am the big needle you use for piercing. I have no idea why.” He cocked his head but said nothing. The waitress stopped by and asked if he wanted another beer, and he took her up on her offer. Kory continued. “It taught me one thing, though—that pain is temporary, but fear…fear can haunt you.”
He looked almost impressed by her then, as though she were wise beyond her years. She knew he couldn’t be that much older than she was, but his reaction somehow seemed more adult…as though he were old and sage and impressed by the precociousness she as a youngster had displayed. She tried not to let it throw her off. “Anyway, I also got it because I could. My…parents were against body modification, but I was eighteen then. They couldn’t say a thing.” Wow. That slight exaggeration had gone off more smoothly than expected. The people who had raised her the last few years of her life might have been pretend parents, but they weren’t the real deal, and—while part of her cared about them—she didn’t love them like she imagined her friends cared about their parents. That information, however, was TMI for a first date.
“Yeah, I guess they couldn’t,” he said. He paused and took a deep breath. “Pain’s not always temporary, though.”
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