Pretend You're Mine (Inked Hearts 3)

“He’s such a fucking pig.”

She laughs. “It worked.”

Yeah, it did. But not because of her tits. “I hired you ’cause I liked you.”

“Dean hired me. You just didn’t veto it. Which is actually a lot. Now that I know you.”

“You must make less here.”

“You sign my W-2s. You know how much I make.”

More than I’d figure. But less than she deserves. She’s the only tolerable person at the shop.

A ray of sunshine on a dark night.

The warm smile that welcomes everyone.

Keeps them coming back for more.

I stare into her blue-green eyes. “How much less?”

“I don’t know. Thirty, forty percent.”

“That’s a huge pay cut.”

“I like it here.”

“That can’t be it.”

“I didn’t like it there.” Her gaze goes back to her laptop. “I was done working at a bar.”

“Dean did your rib tattoo, right?”

“And you did the dragon. And Brendon did the cherry blossom. What’s your point?”

“That was right after you quit Rock Bottom.”

“Ryan, I—”

“Why’d you leave?”

“I wanted to.”

“Can’t be the hours. You groan every time you get in at nine thirty.”

“It’s early.”

“Assholes still leer at your tits.”

“I appreciate the attention.”

I shoot her my best side-eye.

“Not all of us look like—” She looks to her computer. Taps the mouse a few times. “Romance cover models.” She turns the screen to me. Shows off the cover mock-up with me. Only now its title is Ryan and the author is Leighton Black.

“You think I can’t play this game?”

“Maybe.”