Bull chose that moment to walk in, thank fuck. I did not need to see her again, not yet. Bull gave me and Dane a chin lift, but there was a deep frown on the guy’s face.
“What’s going on?” I knew him better than almost anyone and something was definitely bothering him.
“Your sister’s a stubborn little shit,” he grumbled.
I chuckled. “Now tell me something I don’t know. What’s she done?”
“She won’t fucking rest. Keeps trying to do everything herself, coming into the bar and trying to help. She’s uncomfortable as hell and struggling with the heat. How do I get that woman to take it fucking easy?”
I rested a hip against the counter. “What does her doctor say?”
Bull’s scowl deepened. “She told me to stop worrying and give Quinn space. Can you fucking believe that? She’s my wife…give her space? What if she falls or something? What if she’s hungry or thirsty and I’m not there?”
To think Bull actually thought I’d be pissed when I found out he was seeing Quinn. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband for her. I never had to worry about her happiness or safety, Bull had it covered and then some.
“So what you’re saying is, Quinn’s fine, and you’re the problem?” Dane said.
Bull grunted and headed toward the back.
Chuckling, I followed him down the hall and into one of the rooms—the same room where Cal, Riff, and Trix stood gathered around a sketch pad.
“What’s going on?” Bull asked.
“A new portrait,” Trixie said, not turning around. “It’s, um…well…why don’t you just take a look.”
Bull walked up and leaned over the sketching table. “Who’s this for?”
“A new client; they’re her parents,” Trix said, motioning to her sketch.
Bull’s head jerked back. “I mean, you’ve done an awesome job, Trix, like always, but…what the actual fuck?”
Cal stared down at it. “I’ve tattooed some weird shit on people, but this is something else.”
“So she actually asked you to…” Riff tilted his head to the side as he took in Trix’s drawing. “…ink a picture of her parents fucking on her back?”
“It’s supposed to be the moment of conception,” Trix said. “She gave me photos of them from before she was born and told me the ah…position they should be in.”
The room went silent while they all mulled that one over.
Finally, Cal shook his head. “If that’s what she wants, I guess, and if you’re comfortable doing it?”
She shrugged. “Sure.”
They all turned then, and Trix finally noticed me standing there. She kind of just…froze, her eyes widening a fraction before she hid her reaction.
“Am I good to use this room for Mase?” Bull asked her.
She crossed her arms over her pretty blue dress. It hugged her waist and hips and ended just below her knees. She had on platform heels to match. Her lips were dark red again, and her hair was down in soft waves. “Yeah, I’m all done for the day.” Her gaze slid to me. “So what are you getting done, Mason?”
The way she said my name, it always sounded like she was challenging me in some way, like she was pushing me, trying to get me to react.
Hold me down. Her voice echoed through my head.
Oh, I wanted to react all right.
Jesus, not now. Don’t think about that now.
“Back piece,” I said, trying to fucking breathe normally when my heart was beating faster just being in the same room as her.
“Let’s see it,” Riff said while Bull got things set up.
I reached back and tugged my shirt over my head and tossed it on the chair beside me—and I didn’t miss Trixie’s little indrawn breath or her eyes moving over my chest before I turned around.
“Nice,” Cal said.
“Another couple of sessions and we’ll be done,” Bull added.
“It’s gorgeous, Bull,” Trix said. “Have you done all Mase’s ink?” she asked as I turned back.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “Mase was also lucky enough to be the recipient of my very first tattoo. The man was my crash-test dummy.”
I shook my head. “What the fuck was I thinking?”
“You weren’t, brother,” Bull said. “Janie said she liked bad boys and you practically begged me to do it.”
The room went silent and Bull actually winced.
“Which one was it?” Trix asked, breaking through the awkwardness.
I held out my arm and pointed to a spot on my forearm, where the treetops of a forest now covered it. “Under there, thank fuck.”
“You covered it?” She smirked. “That bad, huh?”
“That bad,” I said.
“I’m right here, you know?” Bull said. “And it was you who thought a dagger would be badass.”
Trix laughed, the sound light and so fucking sweet, I wanted to kiss her. Now. Badly. Her gaze slid to mine and she stopped laughing and blushed, not missing what I was thinking, not at all.
She swallowed, audibly. “Right, well, I better head off. Jimmy will be waiting, and I promised him a swim.”
The others, except Bull, followed her out, and obsessed fool that I was, I watched her leave, not looking away from her round ass and the way it swayed in that tight blue dress, until I couldn’t see her anymore.
Chapter Seven
Trixie
Jimmy pulled on his leash as we neared the lake, excited to be here at his absolute favorite spot in the whole world.
It was early, the sun just starting to rise. I hadn’t been able to sleep. Something that was happening a lot lately. There was the whole Mase thing, and I missed Gran so much. Even after she moved into a nursing home, we’d talked every day. Sometimes more than once.
I missed her voice, the affection that was always there for me. Her jokes and encouragement. I missed everything. With all of that running through my head, sleep wasn’t happening. In the end, I’d gotten up and spent most of the night sorting through old photos. Gran and I on our travels, the fun and adventures we’d had. Not all of it had been wonderful, but life had never been boring, that’s for sure.
Lonely at times, yes. But never
