“Just be careful. She’s already been through enough. She doesn’t need you shattering her heart.”
“Who said anything about hearts?”
“She’s not the kind of girl you fuck and chuck, Spike. And I’m not just saying that because of who she is.”
Her warning hangs heavy between us as another door cracks open.
“Is everything okay?” Zach asks, looking between the two of us, concern written all over his face.
“Yeah, just having a little chat. Right, Spike?”
“Yeah, it was totally enlightening too. I should probably…” I point down toward reception and duck past Biff to collect my client.
I feel both of their stares burning into my back as I walk away. I chastise myself for allowing that kind of conversation to happen with Zach only a door away.
I should just admit to him what’s happened and get the beating out of the way, but a huge part of me isn’t ready to talk about it yet. I want to keep her to myself just a little bit longer. Is making her my dirty little secret wrong? Hell yeah, but I can’t help myself.
“Hey, are you ready to get this show on the road?”
Hazel, my client, looks up with excitement etched onto her face.
“Yes, I’m so excited to see it.”
She hops up, but not before openly checking me out. She was the same the last time she was here, but while I might not be too choosy about who I spend the night with, I’ve always made a rule never to fuck a client. That shit could get messy the next time they turn up for some ink.
“Come on then. I’m all ready to go.”
Her eyes darken at my words, and I kick myself for playing into her hands. I’d usually say that shit on purpose, but today, to her, I have no intention of giving her any ideas. I might be about to get my hands on her body, but it’s going to be another that I wish I’m touching, I already know that.
“Hazel, this is Kas. She’s my new apprentice. Would it be okay with you if she sits in on the session?”
She looks between the two of us before nodding her head and agreeing, dropping her bag to the floor and hopping up in my chair like she owns the place.
I’ve met all sorts of people doing this job, all with different expectations for what’s about to happen, and I can already tell that this woman has absolutely zero nerves getting this tattoo. Even some of the hardest guys I’ve worked on look more apprehensive than she does right now before a session, especially with a project as big as hers.
I glance at Kas as Hazel gets herself comfortable to find her eyes narrowed on the slim blonde waiting for me.
A smile curls at my lips. Karma is a bitch, and Kas might just be about to learn that rubbing that nurse under my nose not so long ago was a very, very bad idea.
“Okay, here’s my finished design based on what we spoke about.” I hand Hazel the sketch Kas was looking at when I first found her in here earlier, only I made the few changes she suggested.
“Oh my God,” Hazel gushes. “I love it. It’s totally perfect.”
“Brilliant. I’m glad you like it.”
“How could I not? You’re a genius.”
“I’m not sure that’s true, but I appreciate it. Are you still set on where you want it?”
“Sure am.”
I glance at Kas, who’s watching the two of us with curiosity. She looks more nervous than Hazel, which is amusing.
“I’m going to need you to undress. There’s a partition over there if you’d like to make use of… okay, or not,” I mutter as she whips her top off without a care in the world. “There’s a sheet there to cover up with, plus it’ll stop you from getting cold.”
I turn my back on both of them as Hazel faffs around, but I know Kas’ narrowed eyes are trained on me. Tingles race beneath my skin, telling me that she’s feeling much like I was when she mentioned the nurse. Good.
I grab what I need before confirming that Hazel is ready and not about to flash me, although I wouldn’t put it past her.
“I’m more than ready,” she breathes, her voice deeper. I’m assuming it’s meant to be seductive, although it falls a long way from the mark for me.
Wheeling my station over along with my stool, I risk a glance up at Kas. As expected, she’s staring at me with narrowed, angry eyes.
I shrug at her. This is my job, soon to be hers. She’s going to need to get used to the idea of getting rather intimate with strangers.
“Okay, I need this sheet a little higher,” I say gently tugging to expose the swell of her breast.
Hazel wants this piece to start on her ribs, wrapping around her left breast and up onto her shoulder blade. I can’t deny that it’s going to look stunning, I also can’t deny that it’s the perfect tattoo for Kas to sit and watch me do right now.
Some fat and hairy biker certainly wouldn’t have the same jealousy swirling in her blue depths right now.
A sick part of me loves seeing her feelings so exposed. It tells me everything I need to know about how false the words she said to me not so long ago were.
At no point do I think about the fact I’m working on a half-naked woman. She’s no different to a blank canvas to me as I trace out the part of the design I’m going to work on today before grabbing my machine and getting down to business.
The buzz settles me, grounds me in a way that nothing else I’ve ever found has. Tattooing is my happy place. It always has been, and it’s what got me through the time in my life I refuse to think about. It allowed me to escape, to forget the betrayal, the
