Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

Her tongue slides over her lips. "Are you saying she was asking for it?"

"No. I'm worried someone is gonna ask me about my underwear."

A laugh rises in her throat. She holds her hand over her mouth. Tries and fails to stifle it.

Her dark eyes light up.

Her expression softens.

She brushes a lock behind her ears. "You don't have a boss."

"Damn. There goes that." I lean closer. Raise a brow. "What if my subordinate asks?"

"I'm not sure this falls under manners."

"No?"

"More sexual harassment."

"That's bad, right?"

Her laugh is light. Soft. "Yeah, it's bad."

Fuck, her laugh still hits me everywhere. I want to do whatever it takes to make it happen again.

I should stay the fuck away.

Keep her at a distance.

Do whatever it takes to avoid her getting under my skin.

But I can't.

There's something intoxicating about being around Chloe.

I need more of it.

I need all of it.

And, right now, I don't give a fuck what that means.

I need to be around her. Period.

I move closer. Look to the paper. "You haven't shown me the mock-up."

"You want to tease me or you want to look at the mock-up?"

Both. I motion give it to me.

She hands the sketchbook over.

A rose unfurls over a Latin quote. Its thorns wrap around the words. Guarding them or destroying them?

Hard to say.

"You design this for anyone in particular?" I hand it back.

"That's all I get?" She presses her lips together. Shifts her weight from one foot to another. Nerves flare in her dark eyes. But still she stares up at me, unblinking.