Page 27 of Worthy of Sunsets and Second Chances

“How do you know she hates needles?” Rem asks, giving me a strange look, like he just caught me with my hand in the cookie jar.

Clearing my throat I say, “Hannah told me.” Yeah that works, right? She is good friends with my little sister, so that would be the most plausible answer.

“Well, regardless, I did tattoo her.” Keller looks up at me, grinning. Even I can admit that he is stupidly handsome. Tattoos, bright green eyes, crooked smile with fucking double dimples, tall, muscular.

I hate that he had his hands on my woman.

Fuck—not my woman.

“There is not a chance in hell. You guys are just messing with me. If Kendra really got a tattoo from you, Keller, I’ll get my dick pierced.” I cross my arms, determined.

Whoops and laughter go up around the room from our friends.

“You sure about that?” Matt Ryder asks from his seat by the window.

“Of course, because I know I’m right,” I say with smug confidence.

“Fine. I am going to call Lainey,” Rem says with a grunt as he shifts to get his phone, “but you all have to shut the hell up because she can’t know we are at the tattoo shop, remember?” All the buzzing from the machines halt as the call rings and rings, the shit-eating grin on his face making my palms sweat.

Maybe I shouldn’t have made this bet . . .

“Hello, Remington.” Lainey’s kind voice echoes through the shop.

“Hey, beautiful. You’re on speakerphone, okay?” Rem says.

“Okkkkay? What’s going on?” Lainey asks suspiciously.

“You are with Kendra and the girls, right?” Rem asks.

“Yes, we are at Sutton’s house working on the favors for the wedding. What’s going on?” Her voice sounds worried now.

“Everything is fine, baby, we just had a question for Kendra.” Rem soothes her worries.

“Oh sure, hang on.”

“Rem?” Kendra’s sexy voice replaces Lainey’s a minute later.

“Hey, we are with the guys and talking about tattoos. Keller said he’s tattooed you, Lainey, and Sutton, and Eli is convinced that it’s a lie, that we are just messing with him.”

“Why?” Kendra asks.

“Because you are terrified of needles!” I exclaim.

Kendra growls, literally growls, on the other end of the line. “You don’t know everything, Hulk. Keller has in fact tattooed me. It was years ago. I bumped into Rem at the grocery store when I was visiting, admired his ink, and asked for a referral to his guy. He sent me to Keller.”

Keller, smug fuck, grins at me again.

“I’ve never seen it,” I state, like it will win me the argument.

“And you never will, but I can assure you, it is private and very much a permanent part of my body, needles be damned.”

All the guys roar with cheers and laughter, knowing I just lost the bet. Knowing that I . . . am . . . fucked. Because you don’t back down from a bet.

“Keller,” Kendra’s voice rings out over the raucous noise, “say hello to your brother for me. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.” Keller grins.

Nope. Don’t fucking like that either.

“Will do,” Keller says as Rem takes the call back off speaker to talk to Lainey again.