Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

I look back to Dean. He knows Hunter a lot better than I do, but there’s no sign he knows why Hunter is all quiet and afraid of commitment.

God, he really is intense.

Hurt.

He’s trying to hide it, but it’s there. It’s all over his expressive eyes.

Thank god for eyeliner and mascara, or I’d be cursed with the same problem.

“Been awhile, huh?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I study Hunter. Fail to find a clue as to why he’s walking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “How have you been?”

“Alright,” he lies. “How about you?”

“I’m here.” I turn to Dean. Motion play along. I need to step into a role. I need to be someone other than the girl waiting for her test results. “It’s horrible torture, being here, but at least I’m learning.”

“Oh yeah? You want to quit?” Dean teases.

I flip him off. “What if I do, Dick Face?”

He blows me a kiss. “You know I take that as a compliment.”

My cheeks flush. “He’s under some delusion that by calling him Dick Face, I’m saying his dick is beautiful.”

“And?” Hunter asks.

“I’ve seen better.” There’s a wink in my voice.

Even though he’s behind me, I can feel Dean’s smile.

We’re flirting through Hunter.

It’s wrong. And weird. And hot as hell.

I take Hunter through everything in the suite. Explain the shop layout. Show him his schedule—when Emma isn’t working, I’m the one in charge of it.

He nods along with everything I say, quiet and intense, then he falls back into work.

I take his lead. Try my best to focus on our first appointment. Fail.

My head keeps going back to the test results.

To the little matter of whether I’m going to live or die.

When we finally break, I'm dead tired. Leighton wasn't kidding about tattoos being bad for your back. Hunching over clients all day is brutal.

I let Emma charm her way through check out, but she isn't her usual confident self. She trips over her words. Blushes endlessly. Shifts her weight between her feet nervously.

Her attention isn’t on the client.

It’s on Hunter.

She’s as bad as I am.

As smitten as I am.

I wait until he leaves to approach the counter.