Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

I bite my lip.

"You can handle your clients however you want. Do shit by the numbers. Talk about weather. Talk about celebrity gossip. Talk about the Dodgers. Fuck, be like Ryan and sit there in silence. Everybody finds what works for them."

"And perverted bro works for you?"

He presses his hand to his heart. "You know me too well, sunshine."

UGH. He's so…

He's right but he…

I…

I stare back at him. Try to find a calm, even response. Fail. "DON'T TALK ABOUT MY FUCKING UNDERWEAR."

"Sure thing, Chloe." He smiles serenely. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Bullshit."

He holds up four fingers. "Scouts honor."

Total bullshit. He lives to annoy me. How did he live before I started working here? That's the real question.

It's just…

He's so…

UGH.

I take a deep breath. Cultivate all the calm I can manage. "Don't ask about my panties, or my sex life, or my taste in men."

"Of course."

"Good." I bite my lip. There's no way he's just agreeing. He must be up to something.

"You distract our client, I'll keep our conversation PG." He offers his hand. "Deal?"

There's some catch here. I know there is.

I shake his hand anyway.

This is just like high school. We're competing again. And, this time, I'm not losing to Dean Maddox.

Chapter Seven

Chloe

Zack, our noon appointment, introduces himself with a nervous smile.

He's a bundle of anxiety.

We're doing a cover-up. As in, someone already fucked-up his first tattoo. As in, he has every reason to be cagey about ink penetrating his skin forever.

Dean watches me like I'm a monkey in the zoo.

Like I'm just oh so adorable and out of my element.

"It's going to look awesome." I cut out the temporary tattoo and apply it.