by Adele Niles
“I got it from here, Lora,” she said, her cheerfulness forced.
“Oh, I—I can handle it.”
“No, the cupcakes are almost done, right? Don’t want to burn them.”
Right. She didn’t want me talking to him. I looked to Bradley again and smiled weakly, then turned to go check the cupcakes in the oven. But I could hear them talking, as much as Kenzie seemed to be trying to keep her voice down.
“What the fuck, Bradley?”
“Jesus, Kenzie, calm down. No reason to freak out.”
“You don’t need to try and hook up with every single girl you meet!”
“Do we have to do this right now? I’d just like a cup of coffee and a muffin, okay?”
“Where did you go? Where did you take her?”
“Kenzie.” I spoke up, turning to face the siblings. Kenzie whipped around to look at me, scowling.
“Nothing happened. Okay? Those guys were harassing me, and Bradley made sure I got home safe. Okay? He got me home and settled, then left.”
Kenzie frowned, looking from me to her brother. Bradley nodded in agreement.
“You saw them,” I continued. “They were being jerks. I was pretty freaked out. I really appreciated the help getting out.” I let my gaze drift to Bradley. “I need to thank you. For last night. For everything you did.”
He blinked, then broke into a grin. “Of course. Any time.”
Kenzie looked suspiciously between us, but didn’t say anything. She made Bradley a cup of coffee and grabbed him a pumpkin muffin. He paid cash. She dropped his change into our tip jar.
“Later, Kenzie. See you, Lora!” He turned to leave.
I watched him. I remembered how strong his back had felt under my fingers, how much I’d clawed it. I wondered how marked up he was. His ass looked amazing in the tight jeans he wore. Just watching him walk away was such a turn-on.
I needed him back in my bed. Soon.
Kenzie touched my shoulder, shaking me out of my wet daydream. I looked at her, blinking. Her expression was sympathetic.
“You okay, Lora?”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, I’m great.” I smiled. “Last night was fun. Even with the asshole college boys.”
She brightened, giving my shoulder a squeeze before letting go. “Good! I hope my brother and his friends weren’t jerks?”
“Not at all. They’re pretty cool. Some of them come on a little strong, but they’re good.” More than good, as far as Bradley was concerned. I wanted him to come around more often.
“Good!” Kenzie moved to grab some oven mitts. One of the timers was about to go off.
I went to help, laying out cooling racks for the cupcakes.
“You know,” Kenzie said, “maybe you should do more stuff like that. Go out with us, find some guys to fool around with. It could be good for you to just have some fun, you know?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I think you’re right. That’s exactly what I want to do.”
Kenzie didn’t know that I intended to have that fun with her brother.
Chapter Five
Bradley
“So how ’bout that fight last night?” Benny asked, standing behind the counter.
I had just walked in, but this was a welcome conversation. “I missed it, dude. The whole thing started over Lora. I was getting her out of there.”
“Huh. Shame. It was a good one.” He looked up at me, smirking. “But Lora, huh?”
“Yeah, what about her?” I shrugged. “She’s cute.”
“Cute? That’s all you’ve got?” Benny shook his head. “She’s a knockout.”
“I’d take her home. I mean, god. She’s gorgeous.” Zoe looked up from the tablet she used for our scheduling. She reached across the counter, punching me in the shoulder. “So, spill it. How was she?”
“What?” I shrugged again, taking a sip of my coffee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Benny snorted. He stood up straighter, cupping his hands around his mouth to holler into the back of the shop. “Hey! Who saw Bradley leave with Lora last night?”
Every one of them raised their hands.
“You left with her right before the fight,” Logan called. He was standing, cleaning his station before any clients arrived. “And neither of you came back.”
“Yeah, ’cause he was pounding her into the mattress.” Ryker sounded jealous. “I was hoping to get her home myself.”
“You’re all reading it wrong.” I shook my head. “This is stupid.”
“Okay, then who’d you go home with?” Zoe asked, putting one hand on her hip.
I huffed. “Some girl. I dunno. She was outside the bar with her friends. I got Lora in a car to go home and started talking with this chick. She was hot.”
“Some random hot girl outside the bar.” Benny looked skeptical, but he shrugged.
I shook my head, turning away from the counter to go to my station. “Lora’s off-limits. Kenzie said so. I’m not going to piss off my little sister.”
Ryker looked up, eyebrows raised. “Since when have you let Kenzie tell you what to do?”
“Dude, she would kick my ass. I know it, you know it. We all know it. She wants us to be friends with Lora, not sleep with her.” I shook my head. “You need to back off.”
“Fine, fine.” Ryker waved one hand. “But if you get to her first, without the rest of us getting a fair shot, it’s on.”
I shot him a challenging look. “You want to take this outside?”
“Mad you missed the fight last night?”
“No. Wish I could’ve kicked some ass, but it’s fine.”
“Eh, well, you missed a good one.” He shrugged. “Garrett got a few good punches in. I’m proud of him.”
Garrett looked up, grinning. He was bruised, one blue eye swollen partway shut.
I gave him a nod. “Good job, buddy.”
With that, I turned my attention to my station. My first appointment would be here soon, and I had to get my head clear. I had to quit thinking about Lora. But every time I closed my eyes, I could see her naked and bouncing on me, her head thrown back in pleasure. It made my dick stir to remember. I wanted her again, bad.
I had to get her off my mind.
* * * * *
The conversation turned back to the bar fight around lunchtime. I was finishing a client, listening to the other guys chat about how good they’d done, how they’d fucked up the college boys and gotten them chased out of The Republic for the weekend. We were still welcome. Of course we were—we were the regulars, and we were good to the staff. It was a harmonious relationship.
My mind was on Lora, though. I felt bad for letting her get harassed by the college guys. She was new to town, and I imagined she was looking for people to hang out with. I didn’t want to see her run off because of one good scrap.
I was brought back to the conversation when I heard her name. Ryker was leaned over the half-wall, talking to Benny. I tuned in halfway through something Benny was saying. “...Lora isn’t gonna last longer than it has with anyone else.” His voice was lowered.
“Yeah, but, you know. Maybe. She’s cute. And friendly. And funny, when she’s drunk. It could be a decent match.”
“Look,” I interrupted. I put my gun down, finished, and turned to grab the roll of clear bandage. I cut a piece to size for the client. Up front, the door chime rang. “You seriously need to quit. There’s nothing going on between me and Lora. I just helped her get out of the bar.”
“Hey, Bradley!” Zoe called. “Lora’s here!”
Of course.
Ryker laughed, turning away. I covered the client’s new tattoo and handed him the sheet of care instructions. “Here you go, man. Zoe will check you out at the counter.”
I rose and headed to the front.
Lora had taken her hair down from its bun and left her apron at the bakery. She smiled, holding one hand up in a little wave. The other hand held a bag from Bakeology.
Logan whistled. I looked at him o
ver my shoulder, but he just grinned.
“Hey, Bradley,” Lora said.
“Hey, yourself.” I turned back to her, my smile returning. Damn, what a beautiful girl. I wondered if her hair naturally had that pinkish hue to it, or if she tinted it.
She held up the bag. “Lemon poppyseed muffin. Fresh out of the oven.”
“Wow. Thanks.” I accepted the bag. My fingers brushed against her knuckles.
She blushed.
That was really cute.
But more than that, it felt like there was a spark between us. Just that little touch made me want her. This woman was going to drive me crazy if I didn’t get another ride soon.
“So,” I said. “Thanks for the muffin. Anything else I can do for you?”
“Well…” She looked past me. We had framed prints of our flash sheets on the walls, along with some of the art the guys and I had done. Lora walked past me, looking up at the different framed designs. “I was kind of starting to think about getting one.” She turned her head and looked back at me. The smile on her lips was teasing. “And I was wondering if you’d do me.”
Hell yeah, I’d do her. Any way she wanted.
I smiled and came closer. “Yeah. Of course. Anything you want.” I stood at her side, a little closer than normal. She didn’t move away. “Any ideas?”
She hummed, reaching past me and touching a simple design Benny had done that looked like a succulent. “This is cute. But I was thinking something a little more personal?”
“Yeah?” I raised an eyebrow. “I can do a custom piece. I’m assuming you want me to do it?”
“You’re the only one I trust to do me right.”
My cock was starting to strain at my jeans.
“Any of us would be good, but I’m the best.” It was hard to keep myself from thinking about her perfect skin, her beautiful body. I needed her naked again.
She looked up at me. I was struck by how pretty she looked like this—casual, not out to impress, on her way back to work.
“I know you’re the best. You told me last night you’re impressive, and you backed it up.” She was whispering now.
I lowered my voice to match. “I aim to please.”
“Oh, I was pleased. I almost pleased myself again this morning.”
That was one of the hottest things I’d ever heard. I liked where it took me—I could picture her spread out on her bed, legs kicked apart, her fingers pumping into herself. Maybe she’d moan my name when she came.
I cleared my throat, nodding. “Well, when you’re ready to lose it, come see me.”
Lora bit her lip. Her cheeks were still pink. She nodded slowly. “Maybe today? After my shift?”
“I’ll be here. Come back and see me.” I took a step back from her, holding up the bag with the muffin inside. “Thanks. I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah.” She sounded breathless, nodding too quickly. “Yeah. I’ll see you.”
She turned and fled the shop.
As the door closed, Zoe snorted. “Man, you are so fucked.”
“What—” I turned to look at her, then realized that all of the guys were standing near the counter. They’d been watching. “It’s not like that.”
“The hell it’s not,” Benny said, shaking his head. “I hope we get to see it when Kenzie kicks your ass.”
“She’s not gonna kick my ass.” I shook my head. “Get out of here. Go get some lunch or something.”
“Mm-hmm. What are you eating for lunch? Lora just left.” Ryker grinned. “I mean, she’d be my first choice, too.”
I shook my head and reached into the bag. I broke off a piece of muffin and shoved it in my mouth. “Fuck you. All of you.”
Chapter Six
Lora
I couldn’t believe I’d decided to get a tattoo.
It felt like there was no backing out now. I walked back toward Bakeology, my heart pounding from nerves. I wanted to do it, I was sure about that, but I was still a little nervous. People said they hurt, and that they bled, and I wasn’t sure I’d be okay. I’d always admired people who had any tattoos; they had to have been brave to go through with that first one. I’d never been able to muster up the courage, but…
Bradley made me want to try.
He made me want to do a lot of things.
I came back into Bakeology. It was quiet, only a few customers, and Kenzie smiled at me as I came back in. “Welcome back. Nice walk?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. It was good. I just went down to No Regrets.”
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow at me, suspicious. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about, you know. Getting some work done.”
She tilted her head to one side, considering this with that suspicious look still on her face. “Yeah? Did you decide who’s going to do it? All of the guys have different strong points.”
I felt my cheeks heat up. I hoped I wasn’t blushing visibly. “Yeah. Bradley.”
Kenzie sighed softly, placing both her hands on the counter. “Lora, you…you should think about it, okay? I mean, you just met the guys yesterday. And you’ve never really expressed an interest in getting a tattoo before.”
I shrugged, grabbing a bag of flour from one of the shelves. “I’m sure,” I replied. “I’ve wanted one for a while. I was just scared. But I’m sure. I trust him. I’d trust any of them, really.”
Kenzie let out a huff.
I had my back to her, but could imagine her shaking her head.
“Lora, listen. Bradley? He’s a good guy, but not with women. Okay? He’s bad news. I’m not really sure what you’re wanting out of this, but I don’t know if he can give it to you.”
I turned to look at her. “I don’t want anything. I mean, I do, but just a tattoo. I’m trying to keep my chin up so I can move on, you know?”
“But—” Kenzie started, but stopped. She sighed and held one hand up. “Okay. Just watch yourself around him. He tends to go through girls quickly, if you know what I mean.”
I did know what she meant. But she didn’t know the full story. I’d already slept with him, and it had been the most mind-blowing sex I’d ever had. If I could keep getting that from time to time, I’d be good.
Bradley didn’t have to be my boyfriend. We didn’t have to make this exclusive.
We could just have fun. That’s all that mattered. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to do something other than be sad about Chris all the time. And if Bradley wanted to help me with that, I wasn’t going to say no.
It’s not like I was going to find anybody better to go to bed with.
I looked over my shoulder. Kenzie was still watching me. I sighed and turned to face her. “Listen. I’m not going to jump into a relationship. I don’t want a relationship. With anyone. I’m just here to make some friends and have a good time. Okay?”
She considered me a moment longer, then nodded. “All right, just be careful. That’s all. I don’t want you getting hurt again right after Chris.”
I smiled at her. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”
* * * * *
I walked into No Regrets again that evening, hair still up, but without my apron. I’d changed into a clean flannel button-up, the top few buttons undone. Just a little cleavage didn’t hurt. I came into the shop and smiled, immediately approaching the counter.
Zoe looked up at me, her eyes bright.
“Hi.” My voice quivered with nerves. “I’m here to get a tattoo.”
“Nice! Is it your first?” Zoe grinned and picked up a tablet on the counter, tapping on it as she spoke. “I’ll need your ID and you’ve got to fill out the form here. It’s pretty straightforward, just some medical questions and a waiver.”
I nodded and reached into my purse for my ID. “Yeah, it’s my first. I’m nervous.”
“Aw, don’t be.” Zoe winked playfully. “It’s like losing your virginity. It’s scary until you get going, and when you’re done with the first time, you want more. Let me guess…Bradley?�
��
“What?” I looked up, cheeks red.
Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but she still smiled. “For your artist. Bradley? I saw you two talking by the flash sheets earlier.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. He knows I’m here. Well, I mean, he knew I was coming tonight.’
“I bet.” There was a tone to her voice that suggested something else. I ignored it. I didn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that we’d spent the night together. She just smiled and turned, hurrying up the five steps that led to the back of the shop.
I took my time filling out the form, reading each question carefully. I was over eighteen. I was not drunk, high, or otherwise intoxicated. No known bloodborne diseases. I checked the box saying I would not hold No Regrets liable if I didn’t take care of my tattoo and ruined it, then set the tablet down.
Zoe returned and snapped a picture of my ID, then nodded toward a row of chairs. “He’s wrapping up another client. He’ll be out shortly.”
I nodded and went to sit. I looked around the shop, studying the flash sheets. Many of them were cool, biker-ish designs. Snakes, skulls, fire, fantasy-inspired knives, and dragons dominated the designs. There were a few that featured pinup-style women, and some that included other animals: wolves, dogs, deer, a horse.
None of the sheets had what I wanted.
Bradley came down the stairs shortly after, leading a man who was still pulling on a shirt. He moved gingerly. I wondered what he’d gotten, and where, and how badly it had hurt.
Bradley looked my way and smiled. It made me warm inside.
He turned to speak with Zoe and the man for a moment, then turned his attention back to me. He waved for me to join him.
Together, we walked to his booth.
“I gotta clean up a little, but we can talk about what you want,” he said. “Let me wipe the chair down, and then you can sit.”
“Okay.” I nodded, leaning against the half-wall surrounding his station.
“So, what are you thinking?”
“Um…” I reached up, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “I was thinking a ladybug.”
He looked up, amused. “A ladybug? All right.” He nodded, spraying the chair with cleaner and wiping it down. “Photorealistic? Simple? Something stylized?”