Blaze (Dark in You 2)

Instead, Knox folded his arms and leaned his hip against the wall. “I’ll wait here.” He liked watching her work. And it would be best to make it blindingly clear to the human in her chair that she was taken, since the guy was looking at her with gooey eyes.

“All right.” Harper turned back to the snake tattoo on the human’s shoulder. Knox watched her, admiring her steady hand, fascinated by the sheer focus on her face. At those moments, her attention was centered solely on her work, and any red-blooded male would wonder what it would be like to be the focus of attention like that. Knox could tell them. It was heady. Arousing. Enlivening.

Finally, she was done and advised the human on aftercare as she attached a bandage to his shoulder. He nodded along, wearing an awe-filled expression that said he’d jump into the fires of hell if she told him to. Well, if the little shit continued to stare at her, he might find himself facing that problem.

When the guy headed to the reception desk, Harper said, “Now I just have to clean up.”

“Do whatever it is you need to do. I’ll wait.” As she tidied the station and cleaned her equipment, Knox studied the various sketches and photos of tattoos that she’d tacked on the wall near her framed license. Pride swelled inside him. One glance at her work was enough to show that Harper had raw talent – there was no denying it. She had a true flair for design and a talent for putting a contemporary or inventive twist on the most original tattoos.

At last, she was slipping on her jacket. “Ready to go?”

Nodding, he shackled her wrist with his hand. “Come on.”

Saying goodbye to the girls, Harper let him lead her outside. Her shoulders slumped under the baking heat as she crossed to where Levi was waiting; holding open the rear door. At his short nod, she smiled and said, “Hi, Levi.” Sinking into the buttery smooth leather seat and escaping the merciless sun, she let out a happy sigh. She was tired and stiff, which was made worse by the fact that her muscles were still sore from her last flying lesson.

Knox sat close, combing his fingers through her hair. “How was your day?” he asked her as Levi pulled out onto the road.

“Good,” she said. “Yours?”

“Busy.” He kissed her. “Boring.” Another kiss. “Better now.” Also extremely frustrating, but he’d wait a little longer before he broke the bad news to her. He wanted them to enjoy some time together first.

“So, does taking me to dinner have anything to do with you wanting to make sure I was okay after the dolphin paid me a visit?”

“Must we refer to her as ‘the dolphin’?” he asked; it made him feel like he’d partaken in bestiality or something.

“We? No. Me? Yes.”

Sighing inwardly, he stroked her pulse with his thumb. “I’m angry at Alethea. I very nearly called her. But then I considered that I would be rewarding her behavior with attention. That could encourage her to do it again.”

“Just ignore her. That will annoy her more than anything else could.”

“There was never anything serious between me and Alethea. The picture she painted was very much false.”

“I know that,” Harper assured him.

“Good.” He circled her pulse again, liking the way it spiked. “If your business was located in the Underground, you would have better security. Not only would that make it more difficult for people to bother you, it would mean I wouldn’t have to rely solely on Tanner to inform me of any problems.”

“Is that a fact?”

“I’m just pointing it out.”

“Hm.”

Resting his hand possessively on her thigh, he asked, “What are your co-workers’ feelings on relocating the business?”

“They’re open to the idea. At this point, it’s just me who’s unsure.”

He rubbed her thigh. “What’s holding you back?”

“You’ll think it’s weird.”

“I often find your responses weird.” It was something that didn’t bother him, though. “Tell me. I want to understand.”

“I lived in a shitty flat, and then I moved into a mansion. I used to get the subway to work, and now I get a ride there in a Bentley – by a chauffeur/bodyguard, no less. My wardrobe used to be small and filled with vintage stuff from thrift shops. Now I have a walk-in closet that’s bigger than my old room and is full of designer clothes that I pretend are from thrift shops. I have a housekeeper. And a butler. I co-run a lair. I’m adjusting as best I can to all this, but I worry I’ll become…”

“A snob?” he supplied.

“I worry I’ll change and become someone who takes stuff for granted. My business has always grounded me.”

“But now I ground you, just like you ground me,” he said, watching as her face softened. “I understand the business is your baby and you’re protective of it. But I’m not asking you to close it down. I’m just asking you to relocate it. In the Underground, it would be safer, it would have less costs, and it would gain more profits. Let me show you the little building I think would be ideal for you. Check out the location and see what you think of it. There’s no harm in that.”

She let out a long, put-out groan. “Okay.”

“Good girl.” He didn’t bother to hide his satisfaction. “We’ll take a look at it tomorrow.”

“Fine.” She crossed one leg over the other. “So, where are we going?”