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His arms went wide, and I didn’t waste time in doing just that.
“The most beautiful woman in the world just walked into my shop. Step back, baby, let me take another look.”
Firm hands on my shoulders spun me around, and I grinned, pulling his hands into mine once our gazes connected.
His fingers locked with mine and his gaze was intense and fierce just like I remembered. When you had his attention, Diesel never gave half. He was an all-in or nothing kind of guy and I was happy to see that hadn’t changed over the years.
“I don’t know about prettiest, but it’s so good to see you again, Diesel.”
Those piercing brown eyes of his were locked onto me and took in how I fiddled with the edges of my scarf. Curiosity had me dying to blurt out why the hell my dad seemed so hell-bent on keeping me away from him, but my Southern upbringing had me holding my tongue.
He pulled me back in, and I might have sighed a little when his strong, warm arms came around me. I thought he heard me too because he chuckled a warm sound.
I won’t lie. When I felt tight muscle coil around me, heat exploded through me and I was right back on that beach, pinned to his body and us drinking each other in like we couldn’t get enough of each other. It felt all sorts of hot to know he wanted me. I was certain it would be the night I had my V-card punched.
I was wrong. My brother found us making out a ways down the beach when I should have been back at the bonfire. The summer before I left for college, I had curiosities I needed Diesel to help me with. He was all for it back then, but my brother...er, not so much.
When he found us tongue deep in each other’s mouths and a few articles short on clothing, a few punches were exchanged. Words were tossed around, and my brother demanded he walk away. Much to my dismay, Diesel did, and for a while took my heart with him.
That was the last time I saw him.
Cushioned against firm pecs and a hard body, I leaned in and inhaled the scent of fresh sea air and all male. He'd been to the beach recently and I felt a pang of jealousy, wishing I could have gone with him.
After he released me, I stepped back and took all of him in. “Talk about pretty.” My eyes dropped to all the tatts I could see peeking out from the edges of his button-down.
His lips quirked, and he tilted his head back a bit. “Go ahead and look. Everyone does.”
“It’s stunning.” A dragon, lifelike with scales, and a depth of color that made you feel you could reach out and stroke its rough skin. My fingers hovered in the air without me thinking. I blushed wildly and quickly pulled my hand back.
He laughed. The warm sound poured through my body. Comforting and exciting at the same time.
He took my fingers in his and guided them over the inked skin of his forearm.
“He likes it when you stroke him,” he teased, winking at me.
My God. I almost died. Only thing keeping me upright was pure determination not to faint like a Southern belle.
“Not that I mind, but what brings you in today?” He eyed me, and for the first time in a very long time, I grew aware of what I planned to do. My past came tumbling through the years to sit on my shoulders like one hundred pounds of weight.
But not for long. Not after today.
I pulled back my white-blonde hair that had once lured in he-who-shall-not-be-named shortly after arriving in Chicago and tied it into a knot at the base of my neck. When I looked in the mirror, the wide innocent blue eyes that had once been so naive held sparks of wisdom now.
“Don’t judge, but I kinda need a cover-up and my brother told me you were back. Since I am too, it sorta felt like the universe was saying it’s time.”
“You’re in the right place. My specialty.”
“Everyone always thought you were the best and we were right.” I pointed at the posters.
He only nodded, but I caught the shadow of pain that flashed over his expression.
“So, let’s see what you need done. I see you’ve got more than a little ink already.” His eyes skimmed over my knuckles that had tiny hearts and stars and my blouse was pulled over my shoulders to reveal my hummingbirds.
An angel in flight was inked on my forearm, and some ribbons trailed up my round thighs, partly visible beneath the edges of my short jean skirt. “Beautiful work. I wish I could have been the one to put all that pretty color on your skin, but whoever did the job did exceptional work.”
“Thank you.” I blushed fiercely when he trailed a finger over my knuckles and brushed another over the wings of my angel.
“I can’t imagine you want to cover anything up. I’m curious. What do you have that I can’t see?”
