by A. C. Bextor
I let my gaze linger on her flawless face as I reach to move a strand of hair out of her eyes. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Beast mode seems to have disappeared, but I still detect some hesitation.
Cocking my head to the side, I say, "Are you still annoyed at me?"
"For forcing me on a date?" I love how she doesn't beat around the bush.
"Yes."
She steps outside, into my personal space, closes the door behind her, and replies, "Just so you know, there won't be any sex tonight. This is purely dinner and conversation. And it's a once-off. And if you try and pull that bullshit again, it won't work."
I can't control it—my lips curl up into a smile. The woman has fire in her that I'm not sure I could ever get enough of. "What bullshit are we talking about exactly? You know, so that I don't do it again." She's standing so damn close to me that I'm concerned about keeping my hands to myself, but at the same time, she's not standing close enough.
She places her hand on my chest and lightly pushes me. "You know exactly what bullshit I'm talking about, Tanner. Now, go."
Stepping to the side, I gesture for her to lead the way, which she does, while I follow, making sure to commit every line of her body to mind.
Once I have her settled in the passenger seat of my BMW, I steer the car in the direction of the restaurant I've chosen for tonight. Glancing at her, I ask, "So, did you tick anything off your five-year plan today?" I keep my gaze on her just long enough to see her eyes narrow in annoyance. I'd been aiming for a laugh, but I realise it may take me some time to break down her walls of seriousness. I have no problem with this—I've all the time in the world.
"Smart-arse," she mutters. "Why did you ask me on a date if all you're going to do is make fun of me?"
"I'm not making fun. It's just my way of asking you what you did today."
She doesn't say anything for a few moments and I wonder if I've completely pissed her off or if she can get her head out of her arse and see my sense of humour for what it is. Eventually, she shifts sideways to face me. "I did tick something off my five-year plan today, if you really want to know."
Thank you, God.
"I do. What was it?"
"I paid off the last of my credit card debt, so that means I am debt-free now." The pride is clear in her voice and I respect the hell out of her for clearing her debt.
Shooting her a smile, I say, "Good for you, sweetheart. Not many people manage to do that. I had credit card debt once and all I had to show for it was nights out on the booze, a holiday to Bali, and clothes. I hope you at least bought better shit than that."
"My debt was from two years ago when I helped my sister leave a bad marriage. She needed furniture and bills paid, and the only way I could come up with the money was to get a credit card."
My suspicions that underneath beast mode is an amazing person are slowly being confirmed. I don't know anyone in my circle of friends who would do that.
I glance at her again. "Your sister couldn't afford to pay the debt off?"
"No, she's a single mum with two little kids and can barely make ends meet as it is. I told her I didn't want her to pay it off." The way she speaks about her sister reveals the love she has for her and I wonder about the rest of her family after what she told me about her dad.
"She's your only sister?"
"Yes, it's just Lesley, me, and Mum. Lesley lives in Sydney and Mum is still in Dubbo."
"So how did you meet my sister? Were you over in LA?" I've been trying to piece this together for days.
"No. She saw one of my Instagram posts about my business and contacted me. We did a fair bit of online chatting before I finally met her when she came home a few months ago. I spent a lot of time with her while she was here and then online again while she was in Europe before she came back just recently."
I stop at the traffic light and turn to face her. "I don't know exactly what you do, except for the styling part of your business, but something you've done for her has really given her some confidence, because the Ana I'm seeing now is so much happier and has more faith in herself. Thank you for that."
She blinks a few times and it's like her whole body loosens. When her eyes light up a second later and she smiles, I finally see what I knew had to be under all that armour she wears. Juliette Taylor has a softer side, and I think I'm about to meet it.
Chapter Five
JULIETTE
Crap. This is not how tonight is supposed to go. He was supposed to pick me up, take me to dinner, continue to show me why he's all kinds of wrong for me, and then take me home. And then I was supposed to never see him again. Instead, he showed me all kinds of right during the drive here, and then backed that up during the entrée. Now we're having our main course and I'm ready to bow down and declare my newfound fascination for tattoos and beards.
And sexy lips that whisper promises of heaven without even uttering a word.
I've spent the better part of this date explaining my business to him. I love the interest he's showing in it—none of my friends or family seem to understand my entrepreneur thinking, but Tanner appears to really get it.
He leans back in his chair after contemplating what I've just said about social media. "I have a love/hate relationship with it," he finally announces.
I frown as I put my knife and fork down. "Why?"
"I love catching up with mates on there, but I hate the business side of stuff I have to do on Facebook. My customers are always looking for an instant reply, which is not something I'm ever going to give them."
"So your business is on Facebook?" I'm not sure why I thought it wouldn't be.
He chuckles. "I'm not that backwards."
Pulling out my phone, I demand, "What's your business name?"
He gives me a look that I am sure would be the male equivalent to a female eye roll. "Tanner Ink."
His Facebook page comes up and I still as I scroll through his posts. Damn. Raising my face to look at him, I slump back in my seat and shake my head. Dropping my phone down on the table, I say, "You just sat there through my whole little speech about the importance of social media, not saying a word, letting me think you knew nothing about it, and yet you've got a following of nearly two hundred thousand on Facebook."
He stares at me for a moment. Leaning forward, he rests his forearms on the table and says, "Is that a question, because it sounds like one?"
"No. Maybe…. Why didn't you say you've got this social media gig down?" I feel stupid for assuming he knew nothing.
His chest rises and falls on a sigh. "Sweetheart, I'm not the kind of man to brag about shit all over town. Yes, I work hard; yes, I learn what I need to so I can build my business; yes, I've achieved some awesome things in my life, but to me, that shit's not the important stuff in life. This"—he gestures between the two of us—"is more important to me. And that Facebook stuff? I got lucky when some celebrities promoted me, that's all."
And there he goes again—saying all the right things. The difference between him and other men I've dated, though, is that I believe what he's saying.
I'm about to reply when a guy walks over to our table and slaps Tanner on the back. "Tanner, man! Haven't seen you in months. How the hell have you been? And where have you been? Last I knew, you were with Vanessa." He eyes me as he says this, and I can't decide if he's said it to piss me off or out of a genuine interest in what his friend has been doing.
One look at Tanner, though, and I realise this man isn't a friend as far as he's concerned. His displeasure is written all over his face and his body has stiffened in a way I haven't seen yet. "Dwayne, can you not see I'm in the middle of dinner?" His voice carries a warning tone and his laid-back attitude has disappeared.
Dwayne reads his mood and takes a step back. "Sorry, dude. You need to call me sometime soon, I want more ink done and no one does it as well as you."
"I'm booked for the next three months, but Zac can fit you in." He folds his arms over his chest as he
says this and waits silently for Dwayne to reply. Tanner has more patience than I've seen on any man and I find that impressive. My father had a temper and zero tolerance for pretty much everything, and while I struggle a little with mine, I don't love a quick temper on a man.
Dwayne slaps him on the back again. "Cool, cool. I'll book in with him." He eyes me again for a moment before looking back at Tanner. "I'll see you around, yeah?"
"Sure," he agrees, but even I can tell he doesn't mean it.
Dwayne appears to buy it, though, and with a grin, he nods and saunters in the direction of a table a few over. When I give my attention back to Tanner, his body is still quite tense as he watches me. "I take it you don't like him."
He takes a deep breath and finally relaxes his shoulders. "He's an old client of mine and nothing more, but the guy thinks we're friends. As far as I'm concerned, he's a fool and not the kind of person I want to spend any significant time with, but he never wants to take no for an answer."
"And Vanessa was an old girlfriend?" I'm dying to know more about her. Usually I wouldn't be so forward with someone I hardly know, but I feel comfortable enough to ask him.
"She was, and she's the only woman I've ever lived with. We dated for a couple of months and she moved in after her flatmate asked her to leave. It was only supposed to be for a week or so, but she stayed for five weeks before we broke up. Turned out we weren't compatible after all."
"You argued too much when you lived together?"
He reaches for his drink and takes a sip before elaborating. "Not at all. The reason we weren't compatible is because I'm not the kind of man who tolerates cheating, and she was the kind of woman who cheated."
Memories surface of being cheated on by my ex, Jeff, and sympathy for Tanner fills me. It's one of the worst feelings I've ever felt in my life. All my insecurities flared when Jeff cheated, and I replayed conversations and situations over and over in my head, imagining him thinking I was a fool the whole time for believing everything he'd ever told me. I started to doubt myself in ways I never had, and when you added all that new doubt to the lack of faith I already had in myself, I was a walking bundle of confusion and humiliation.
"I'm sorry." My voice is soft and I hear the traces of pain in it that I still feel over the betrayal. It happened just over a year ago, but some days, that pain rears its ugly head and is as fresh as it was then.
His eyes narrow on me. "You've been through it, too?"
"Yeah, my boyfriend of seven years cheated on me with someone he worked with." I rub my thumb and pointer together in my lap. "They'd been together for a year before I ever realised."
"You must have met him when you were young?"
"We were high school sweethearts from the age of sixteen. I thought he would be my forever. As soon as I found out, I left him and then a couple of months later, I got evicted from where I was living, so I took the plunge and moved to Sydney to follow my dream of working in fashion. It's been hard, but things are starting to work out and leaving him was the best thing I ever did."
He doesn't say anything, just watches me for a beat before asking, "Do you want dessert here, or are you up for some fun?"
I'm wary of what his kind of fun might be, but I take a chance. "I'm up for some fun."
His face breaks out in a huge smile and he practically jumps up. "I'll be back in a minute." Before I have time to ask where he's going, he leaves, and I wonder exactly what I'm getting myself into.
Tanner is pulling me under his spell. After spending some time with him the other night and now tonight, I bet he has women falling at his feet. Not only is he good-looking, he has the kind of personality that charms you and leaves you hanging for more time with him.
My phone sounds with a text, interrupting my thoughts. It's my sister.
Lesley: How's your date going? Did Mr Ink prove you were right about not wanting to date him?
Me: No, he bloody proved me wrong.
Lesley: LOL. So what happens now?
Me: I don't have time for dating.
Lesley: Everyone has time for dating. You need to move on from Jeff and put yourself back out there.
Fear curls through my stomach at that thought.
Put myself back out there to be trampled again. I've only just started recovering from the last time.
Lesley: You still there?
Me: Yes, and I know, but I think I need more time to think about it.
Lesley: God, you think too much! Just do it. Take a chance for once in your life.
Me: What does that mean?
Lesley: It means you spent seven years with Jeff in your comfort zone. You took a chance by moving to Sydney but then you moved back to your comfort zone. I'm worried you'll end up an old spinster. Get back out there. Love can hurt like a bitch but it won't kill you. Don't end up like Mum.
Her words sting and I shove my phone into my purse. She's right, even if I don't want to admit it. Mum never found anyone after she left Dad. Instead, she closed her heart to love and refused to even consider dating.
I don't want to be my mother.
"You ready?"
Looking up, I find Tanner smiling down at me, holding his hand out.
I refuse to be my mother.
Placing my hand in his, I stand and nod. "I'm ready."
Chapter Six
TANNER
"We're nearly there."
"You do know that heels aren't made for this kind of thing, right?" she grumbles, but it's only a half-arsed grumble. Beast mode has completely left the building and I'm fucking ecstatic about that. I estimate a week, tops, and her walls will be down.
"Sweetheart, heels aren't made for anything."
We've walked about seven blocks and are now climbing the stairs inside the building that will take us up to the most breathtaking view of Sydney I know of. The chef at the restaurant I just took her to is a friend of mine and lives in this building. I borrowed his key for this. She's a few steps up from me, and turns to look down. Pausing on the step, she says, "So you're telling me that at this very minute, you're not loving the view of my legs in these heels? You'd take flats over these heels any day?" The grumble has disappeared from her voice and in its place is a new sexy tone that I'm digging.
Goddess mode.
My gaze traces her legs down to her shoes, and I appreciate everything she has to offer. Juliette must exercise like a demon, because her legs are made of some gorgeous muscles and tone.
"Well?" she challenges me.
Grinning up at her, I hold my hands up in defence. "So it turns out heels were made for something."
Heat flashes in her eyes and those pouty lips of hers twitch with a smile. "I rest my case." With that, she turns and continues her climb while I slow my pace down so I can enjoy the view a little more. She reads me like a pro, though, and says, "Come on, Mr Ink, don't slow down now. You have fun to show me."
I chuckle, loving the hell out of her new playful tone. Picking up my pace again, I catch up to her and murmur near her ear, "What's with the Mr Ink?"
At that moment, we reach the end of the stairs and as she steps out onto the roof she turns to face me. I'm so close that she ends up in my arms. Our eyes lock, and the world spins around us while we both catch our breath.
She's so damn beautiful.
Her hands land on my chest while my arms embrace her. I watch as she blinks and her long lashes sweep over her skin. It's like everything's happening in slow motion and I'm overcome with emotions. Jesus, I want this woman more than I realised. She's bewitched me in a way I don't ever recall experiencing before.
"Mr Ink is what my sister and I call you," she finally admits. "You know, because of all the tattoos you have." I can tell by the hesitant, almost shy tone in her voice that she doesn't want to tell me this.
"You've been talking to your sister about me?" The fact I fucking love this is evident in my grin, and when she returns that smile, I want to kiss her and celebrate my first victory.
Her walls
are coming down.
I don't kiss her yet, but I'm working up to it. She might have laid down the law about no sex tonight, but she didn't say anything about me kissing her.
All traces of hesitancy are gone when she replies to my question. Goddess mode is back. "I had to tell someone that I met an inked guy with a confidence problem, and she's my person. She was the one who named you Mr Ink."
I chuckle. "A confidence problem?"
Her eyes twinkle and I don't miss the fact her hands relax against my chest. "Yeah, as in way too much confidence."
"Bullshit. I don't have too much confidence. How did you come up with that?" She's right, but I'm not letting her have that one.
"Uh, almost the first moment we met. You said, and I quote, 'I'm amused when a woman, who is clearly attracted to me, flinches at my tattoos.' Tell me that's not confidence."
"That is not confidence, sweetheart. That is the truth."
One of her hands begins to trace lazy patterns on my chest, but I'm not sure she even realises. She stares at me for a long moment, not saying anything. "My sister would agree with you."
My breathing slows. "But would you?"
Now her breathing slows and I love her voice when it is all breathless like this. "I would."
I was going to wait to kiss her, but I only have so much self-control, and when it comes to breathless women standing in front of me letting their walls down a little, I can't hold myself back. Bending, I brush my lips over hers. It's only a whisper of a kiss, but when her hands slide up my chest and loop around my neck, I press my lips to hers and give her another reason why she should take a chance on me. As our tongues tangle, I tighten my hold on her, forcing our bodies together. Her scent—some kind of flower, rose maybe—is driving me crazy, and I can't get close enough.
I want everything she has to give.