Surrender of a Tattooist: Obsessive Dark Romance Alpha Bad Boy (Tattooist Series Book 2) (13 page)

Pixie uttered every curse word she could think of as she headed home.

She was done. Period. To hell with him.

To hell with all men!

The traffic was heavy, and she was angry enough to engage in a little shouting and finger gestures that left other drivers yelling right back.

Her anger was not just directed at Cliff either. It was directed at herself. She had known better than to go over there. She should have backed off, given him some space, and not tried to force her way in.

Oh, to hell with that!

She was his girlfriend; she had every right to know what the hell was going on, and if he was breaking up with her or not, which was exactly what she was the most worried about.

Were they breaking up?

Tears spilled for her eyes and ran down her cheeks unheeded. If they were breaking up, she had the right to know. He didn’t get to just walk off and leave her with nothing but a text and no explanation.

But, fuck, that hurt.

She’d fallen so in love with him, just what she had known better than to do. She had known deep down that if she and Cliff started something, it would be the most painful thing she had ever had happen if they lost it.

She got out of her car in the parking garage, kicked the door shut, and headed toward the elevators, still fuming. She punched buttons on the car’s panel and waited impatiently for it to make its way up.

The doors were yanked back open by a hand connected to a heavily-tattooed and lean arm.

Cliff stepped into the car. His blond hair was messy and his eyes were narrowed in anger. “Do you know you were driving like freaking Batman? I thought you were going to die on the 405!”

“Well, if I was driving like a freaking Batman and you were, apparently, right behind me, what does that say about your own driving?”

“Not much.” His anger had apparently died. Hers didn’t. The elevator stopped at her floor and she asked, “What do you want?”

He stepped out of the car with her. The hallway stood deserted and empty around them. He said, “You, damn it. That should be obvious. Only, I guess I haven’t made it really clear. Look, I lied to you today when I said working with Cara was no big deal. It is.”

She threw her hands up. “I knew it!”

“It is because…I didn’t know why she left. I figured I’d fucked it up somehow and I was sure whatever I had done wrong with her I was going to do wrong with you. I spent so many years sure I was a screw-up that I couldn’t even have a relationship, and I was okay with that because after she just bounced on me like that I didn’t really want to.”

Pixie hesitated, blown away by his opening up like that. She was also seriously embarrassed by the way she had just jumped on him. She blew her bangs away from her eyes. “Do you want to come in?”

“Unless you want me to keep pouring my heart out to you right here in the hallway.”

She giggled. “I have friends who are into, like, BDSM. They might say yes to that, but I think public humiliation is sort of weird.”

He shrugged.

Her anger evaporated like dew in the face of his obvious confusion and remorse. She opened the door and they went inside. She turned to him, suddenly awkward, and asked, “So what now?”

“Damned if I know. I was sitting around, getting all pissed off because I thought you couldn’t get past your ex when it hit me that I haven’t really dealt with all the stuff from Cara either.”

“My ex?” Pixie shook her head. “I can’t even remember his name now. See what you do to me? What about Cara?” Her heart threatened to shatter into a million pieces if he said he had feelings for her.

“I’m over her. Man, am I ever, but I never really tried to sort it all out. I guess that makes me a real…”

“You’re right.”

He blinked at her. “What?”

“I haven’t gotten over it. Him, my ex.” She’d lied to him a moment ago, and decided she would never do that again. “What he left behind—no. I know that and I’m working on it, but I can see where that would bother you.”

Cliff sighed and ran a hand over his forehead. “What do we do now then?”

“I guess we just have to learn to trust each other.” She was so glad she hadn’t hurled the accusations she had wanted to toss at him. “Do you want some wine?”

“That would be nice. Have you had dinner?”

She shook her head.

“How about I order us some pizza? I’ll have them leave the cheese off your half.”

“You’re…” she choked up.

He pulled her against his chest. She could feel his heart beating below her cheek. Tears stood up in her eyes and she whispered, “I’m so sorry. I let my brain go on vacation or something. I want to trust you, I do, and I know you haven’t done anything to make me not trust you. It’s just really hard.”

“I get it. I didn’t even know that I didn’t trust you the way I should have been doing all along until you stormed off.”

She leaned back. “Are you really having trouble with Cara working there? You could always tell Hawk, you know.”

“She basically cornered me and demanded that I hear her out. Hawk came in while we were yelling at each other and he fired her, but…but I told him I could work with her. I can. Cara’s a good person; she’s just very selfish. She doesn’t have any idea of how to respect people’s boundaries either. But she isn’t bothering me, and I damn sure don’t want her. I don’t think she wants me either.”

“Really?” Pixie was terrified at the hope growing inside her.

“She just had to have her say. That’s so classically her. She has to have the last word all the time. She was always like that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I spent most of the day wondering if you were going to do something crazy…”

Pixie’s lips twitched, “You mean like show up over there, drag her outside, and give her a concrete facial?”

His confusion was obvious. “Concrete facial?”

She bit back a grin and said, as earnestly as possible, “It’s the newest beauty craze. It’s pretty cheap too.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, okay. No. I mean no to the concrete facial. On any face, especially yours.”

“I wouldn’t do that, Cliff. I was kidding. That’s your job. I respect that. I’ll admit that I’m not crazy about her being there. I don’t know if I ever will be completely okay with her being around you. I don’t trust her worth a damn. You, on the other hand, I do.”

Had she just said that?

She had.

What was more, she meant it.

She did trust him.

She hadn’t, not at all at first. She had thought all sorts of things but as soon as he had stepped out of that house, she’d known he was there alone. She’d known that it wasn’t him she was worried about—it was Cara, and maybe the only cure for that was to sit Cara down and have a heart to heart talk with her.

She decided not to tell him that. He was a good man, but he was a man and he wouldn’t get it.

Cliff grinned. “Thank you.”

“Cliff tats penises. Cliff’s sweet.” Caligula chirped from his cage.

“What the hell?” Cliff’s eyebrows popped up as he stared over Pixie’s shoulder at the bird.

“Sorry.” Pixie tried not to laugh. She covered her mouth with her hand but Cliff pulled it away.

Then he kissed her.

That kiss was long and slow. His teeth plucked at her lower lip, held it for a moment, and then tugged gently, sending little shivers up and down her spine. Her body sagged against his. His hands pressed against the flesh of her back then dropped to her buttocks, neatly outlined by the tight yoga pants.

Desire washed over her, carrying her along on a tide of want that just grew higher with each thrust and parry of their tongues and each slow caress and squeeze of her flesh.

Their mouths finally parted. She stared up at him, acutely aware of just how badly she wanted him, and just how sweaty she was. She muttered, “I need a shower.”

“Do you?”

His eyes glowed with a wicked light.

She had to struggle for air. The intent was written large in his eyes and she could see it.

She said, “Maybe you want to soap my back.”

He grinned. “I’m going to soap up more than just your back.”

They headed into the bathroom. She turned on the water and they stripped and got in. The water sluiced over their bodies and ran down over their skin. Cliff took up a washcloth and began to lather soap into it. His hands were gentle as he ran the cloth over her shoulders and then down into the slight valley between her breasts. He made small circles on her skin, circles that left her skin tingling and her blood heating as he went ever lower.

The washcloth darted between her thighs. The scent of lilacs mingled with the hot steam and she whimpered as he continued to wash her body, turning her around so that he could let his hands and the washcloth travel along the curve of her spine and then down her buttocks, running between them gently before going lower.

She washed him too. Her hands ran over his skin, made slippery with soap. Her body pressed against his and their mouths met. The water beat down over them and his teeth tugged at her bottom lip, let it go, and then his lips parted hers so he could kiss her deeply and furiously.

Cliff reached over and turned the water off. He helped her out and dried her gently while she dried him too. The slow desire building became much hotter as they made their way to her bedroom. Cliff laid her on the bed and let his hands and mouth explore her entire body. The intimacy that had been missing earlier was back, and she whimpered as he kissed and caressed every inch of her body.

She smiled, drunk on the power of his tongue, and spread her legs as an invitation for him while her hands began to massage her own breasts, tweaking and pinching her own nipples.

Cliff stared, his breath growing heavy as he watched her. With a confident grin, he positioned himself between her thighs, his hands precise like a true artist. He concentrated on reading her body’s reaction as he played with her nub and explored her inner chamber.

Pixie’s neck arched back as Cliff found her pleasure center and began rubbing against her G-spot again and again. Her thighs wrapped around him as he brought her to climax again. “Cliff, please,” she begged. “Fuck me.”

His hard cock was ready and he grabbed a condom, tearing it out of the packet with his teeth. Panting, he quickly slid up her body as Pixie lifted her legs and spread them to the sides, pulling her knees back with her own hands and opening herself up to him more.

Cliff gripped her thighs and pressed the head of his erection along her slit. The repeated orgasms had lubricated the way. He squeezed her thighs and thrust inside her. He buried himself to the hilt, Pixie’s hips bucking against his movements. “You’re incredible,” he panted.

Pixie moved her legs so her feet rested on his massive shoulders. Cliff grabbed her rock-hard ass and guided it back and forth over his shaft. “Make me yours.”

Cliff’s steel rod thrust in and out of her as he moved harder and harder. Pixie felt the building of another orgasm and cried out as her tunnel spasmed and tremored against his movement. “You’re mine,” he whimpered as he took her, and climaxed inside of her.

Pixie’s stomach let out a long gurgle and she giggled and rolled over. She lay naked on the bed next to Cliff, still trying to catch her breath. “Wow, maybe that’s your cue to order that pizza.”

He gave her bottom a playful swat. “I’ll get my phone.” He sat up, giving her a terrific view of his naked bottom as he reached for his pants. Just as he pulled the phone out of his pocket, it rang. He frowned. “What the hell?”

She sat up. “What is it?”

“It’s Cara. I didn’t give her my number, though.”

“It’s on the list on the wall in the office.” Pixie’s blood began to boil. “Give me the phone.”

Cliff chuckled. “Be nice.” She glared at him and he gave her a playful warning look. “Just find out what she wants.”

She clicked the phone and said, “Hello,” in as sweet a voice as she could manage.

Cara’s voice was startled. “Oh. Um…I’m sorry, I think I have the wrong number.”

“If you’re trying to reach Cliff you’ve got the right number. This is Pixie. What do you need?” Her anger was seriously rising. It was not like her to be so angry so much of the time, and she didn’t like it. She also didn’t like that in the less than twenty-four hours since Cara had walked back into Cliff’s life, she had managed to neatly flip everything upside down.

Cara coughed. “I was just calling because…er…well…”

“Well, what?” Now she was really mad. “Look, I don’t know what you want, but I can tell you right now if it’s Cliff you can forget about it.  But here, I’ll let him talk to you himself because it’s his phone and, frankly, it’s his circus and you’re his monkey. I just want to tell you, loud and clear, if you call again, someone had better be dead. Like holding your severed head in your hands and in need of real help. Or you need him at the shop because Hawk’s dead or holding his severed head in his hands. You got me?”

Cara’s voice was low, but angry too. “Listen, woman, I just need some advice from him.”

Pixie scoffed. “I see. It’s past working hours, so I don’t know what kind of advice he can give you, but here you go.”

She handed the phone to Cliff. His face was contorted with laughter he couldn’t quite disguise as he set the phone on speaker and said, “Cara, obviously you still don’t know about boundaries. It’s way after working hours. I’m with my girlfriend. I don’t know what you need. Just tell me fast.”

“Body armor, apparently,” Cara said dryly. “I need to ask you about that guy you sent me home with. Damn, that came out wrong. You know what I mean.”

Cliff hit the speaker button and looked over at Pixie. “You mean Mitch? What about him?”

“He asked me out.”

Bemused all he could do was ask, “You called me because Mitch asked you out?”

Her reply held ire, “Well I figured since you stuffed me in a car with him, you had to know him.”

Pixie lifted an eyebrow.

Cliff rolled his eyes. “He comes to the shop. He’s a musician, a country singer. And an actor. He’s in that show—the doctor show. I forget the name of it. He’s a good guy. From what I know. I’m not really sure.”

“Oh, great. So you could have just stuck me with a crazy dude…”

Cliff laughed. “True. Sorry about that. Go out with him. The restaurant there’s awesome.”

He hung up.

Pixie picked up a pillow. “Cliff, I love you, but if she’s going to be calling you for dating advice regularly…”

He held his hand up. “Wait, did you just say you love me?”

Her smile lit up her entire face. “I did.”

He released a breath and said, “Damn it, woman, I love you too.”

Joy exploded through her. He loved her! He loved her and he had said it aloud. He didn’t just want her, he loved her. She’d learned the hard way that sex and intimacy were very different, and that just because two people meshed it didn’t mean they really loved each other.

She did love him.

She loved him with a crazy, wild joy she had never felt before, and she knew that this time it was real. This was love, and she was in it as deeply as anyone could get.

Cliff said, “I’m going to have a long talk with Hawk tomorrow. If Cara can’t get her shit together, obviously one of us is going to have to go, but I think she just got the message loud and clear. I feel a little sorry for her really.”

Of course he did. Cara had stomped all over his heart, but he was a good man, and he could still feel compassion for her anyway. That made her even more certain she was right to give him her heart.

He added, “I think, honestly, that she’s a little lonely. She just got back today. All of our old friends are gone now. I mean, people move on. Cara’s …she probably never considered that things would or even could change while she was gone. She probably figured she could come back and pick up right where she left off.”

“Does that mean you think she thought the two of you could date again?”

“Yeah, I think she thought that. I also think she gets that that is not about to happen.” He sat down on the bed and said, “I didn’t ask for any of this to happen, you know.”

She did know. She put her hand on his shoulder and said, “I do know. Tomorrow I’m kicking Hawk in the balls, though.”

Cliff fought to keep a straight face, failed, and howled with laughter. “Don’t do it. He’ll fire me. Come on, let’s order that pizza.” He dialed the number while she went to go get wine. They settled into her bed, watching television while they waited for their late dinner. When it came, they ate in bed while the television played softly and they snuggled closer.

Cliff asked, “What time do you have to be at your interview tomorrow?”

“Eleven.” She nuzzled her face into his shoulder and asked, “What time do you have to be at work?”

“Eleven. You have to go all the way across town in rush hour. You’re going to have to leave really early.”

“I know.” Her hands played along his skin and she felt his chest rise as he pulled in a deep breath.

His next words stilled her fingers. “You do know if you get that job, living here will make you have a lousy commute every day.”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

His fingers caught hers. “I have a lousy commute to the shop, too, and I was thinking…you remember I said I was thinking of moving closer?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

He cleared his throat. “Well I was thinking if we got a place right between the two…I mean, if we found a rental or something, it would cut both our commutes.”

Her mouth dropped open. She sat up. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”

He looked her in the eye. “I am. I know you probably don’t want to move twice, and my lease is up later this month anyway, but if you want to stay at my place while we look for one…I mean, it would cut down your commute…”

“Is my commute all you’re worried about?” Her eyes locked with his.

He shook his head. “No, but I was hoping if I threw something practical into the mix you’d be more likely to say yes.”

“Oh, I
am
saying yes,” she said fervently. “Even if I don’t get that job, I’m saying yes. That is, if you still want to if I don’t get that job.”

His lips captured hers in a fierce kiss that he broke off long enough to growl, “Damn right I want you to, no matter what.”

Her pulse beat faster against the delicate flesh of her neck. “Good.” Then she kissed him again. His mouth tasted of wine and pizza, and his hands were slightly greasy from the food they’d indulged in.

His body pressed against hers and he whispered, “You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Have I told you that today?”

“No, not today.” Her eyes closed as his teeth and lips met her neck.

“Well, I’m saying it now,” he said. She forgot to reply as his hands slid down her body. The only thing that mattered was that touch and that he loved her.

Moving in together.

It was right, and it was time.

She loved him, and she trusted him with everything she had.