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“I don’t think one beat-up cowboy’s going to scare them much,” she said.
If he thought she really meant the words, he might have been insulted. But the very way she avoided looking at him told him she was all too aware of his presence. He liked that. She didn’t look like the kind of woman who was easily unnerved, but he’d managed to get to her. Score one for the cowboy, beat-up or not.
“Besides, it’s a free country,” Theresa continued. “We can’t stop them from walking on the sidewalk.”
“Screw ’em,” Eric said. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”
“They don’t have much of a sense of humor, do they?” Kyle leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “A guy out there told me this place ‘encourages overt sexuality and flaunting of the body.’ Like that was a bad thing.”
“Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it,” the blonde said, flexing a scrawny arm.
“Sounds good to me.” Kyle’s gaze lingered on Theresa’s inviting cleavage once more. “What do you think, Theresa?”
She switched off the machine and patted Eric’s shoulder. “I think that’s all for today,” she said. “Next time I’ll do the talons and finish up the pyramid at the bottom.”
“Thanks, T,” the biker said. He raised up on his elbows while she cleaned and dressed the fresh tattoo. “You here for a tattoo?” he asked.
Kyle shook his head. “No, I’m just here to harass Theresa. I know how much she loves it.” There went that blush again, the slightest pink along her cheekbones. It was immensely gratifying and sexy as hell.
Eric dressed and left. Kyle got up and walked over to where Theresa was cleaning off her work space. “I’ve been thinking about you,” he said softly.
Her shoulders stiffened, but she kept on working. Pretending to ignore him.
He smoothed his hands down her upper arms. “I’ve been thinking about the way you kissed me.”
She shrugged out of his grasp and moved over to the workbench. “I didn’t kiss you. You kissed me.”
He followed. “Ah, but you kissed me back.”
She stripped off her latex gloves and turned to face him. “So what if I did?” Her breasts rose and fell, almost brushing the front of his shirt, though whether she was breathing hard from anger or arousal, he couldn’t tell.
“A woman who can kiss like that shouldn’t be content with just a kiss.” He resisted the urge to touch her again, and settled for staring into her eyes. They were dark brown, almost black, a shade lighter than her hair. Heavily lined in black, the lashes lush with mascara, her eyes looked exotic. Erotic as the rest of her. He shifted his stance to accommodate his growing erection. If she had any doubts about his reaction to her, one look would tell her all she needed to know. “Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about the proposition I made.”
She glanced past him, over his shoulder. Too late he remembered the blonde at the cash register. “Scott, go ahead and go to lunch,” she said.
“Now?”
“Yes, now. You don’t have any appointments until three, do you?”
“Figures you’d run me off just when it was getting interesting.” But he scooted his chair back.
A few moments later, the bells on the door sounded and they were alone. He reached for Theresa, intending to kiss her, but she scooted sideways, out of his grasp. “What’s in it for me if I do agree to your proposition?” she asked.
He folded his arms across his chest and struck a casual pose against the workbench. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The fireworks we set off the other night were just a little preview.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, cowboy.”
He shrugged, ignoring the uneasy feeling in his gut. “What do you want?”
She bit her lip. Her uncertainty surprised him. She took a deep breath. “Okay, here’s how it is. If I agree to do this, it’s just you and me for six weeks. No other women on the side.”
Easy enough. He nodded. “Darlin’, I don’t intend for either one of us to have time to see anyone else.”
She hugged her arms across her breasts. “And you won’t try to change me—not the way I dress or act or anything.”
He looked her up and down. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“And no lies.”
He blinked. “What would I lie about?”
“In my experience, some men will lie about anything. Just don’t try it with me. If I find out you’ve lied, you will live to regret it.”
He was starting to get a picture here of one or more lying, cheating, manipulative men she’d been involved with in the past. The thought of some bastard hurting her that way made him more than a little angry. “No lies from me,” he said. “Believe it or not, all that stuff about truth, honor and the cowboy way isn’t just hogwash.”
She nodded, though she hadn’t relaxed one bit. “All right then.”
Not quite the enthusiastic response he’d been hoping for. “Is that a yes?”
“Come back tonight after closing.” She turned and began rearranging things on the workbench. He stared at her back, at the leather miniskirt that clung to her shapely backside, at the fall of straight black hair that reached almost to her waist, at her shoulders hunched against him. That was it? An order to come back later?
“That’s not the way to seal a bargain.” He closed the gap between them in two strides and put his good hand on her waist, his mouth next to her ear. “We need to give each other something to mark the occasion.”
She looked back at him with a puzzled expression. “You want me to give you a gift?”
He smiled at her confusion. He liked this version of her, soft and a little vulnerable, almost as much as he did the sexy, woman-in-charge side of her. Gently he turned her until she was facing him, her back against the workbench. He moved in closer, letting her feel exactly how much she turned him on. “A kiss will do,” he said. “One kiss to give us both something to think about until tonight.”
Her lips were every bit as soft as he remembered—soft and sensuous. He coaxed them apart and her tongue met his, sparring and retreating in an erotic dance. He sucked gently at her mouth and she responded, nipping at his upper lip, sending a jolt of heat straight to his groin.
With a sound that was part growl, part purr, she reached up and put her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. She pressed her breasts to his chest and ground her pelvis against him. He slid his good hand down to cup her bottom, bringing her closer still. They were as close as they could be without being naked, and the sensation drove him half-crazy. To hell with waiting until tonight. They had a pretty comfortable-looking reclining chair right here….
Then, in an instant, it was over. She slipped out of his arms and stepped back, one hand to her swollen lips, her breasts rising and falling as she struggled to control her breathing. “I-I’ll see you tonight,” she stammered.
He started to protest, then thought better of it. She’d laid down the rules, and for now he’d do best to follow them. He didn’t want to risk her turning skittish and backing out of the deal. Not when he was on fire with wanting her. He took a step back, toward the door. “Yeah. Tonight.”
Before he could change his mind, he turned and left, pushing past the protestors, ignoring their attempts to press more flyers on him. He had to get away from Theresa now, but he’d be counting the minutes until he saw her again.
“SO WHAT’S UP WITH YOU AND that cowboy?”
If Theresa had hoped Scott would forget about Kyle over lunch, she had no such luck. He’d returned fifteen minutes after Kyle left the shop, bearing a burger, fries and a Coke—and a lot of questions.
“It’s personal,” she said, settling at the table in the back room to eat her lunch.
He turned a chair around and straddled it. “That was obvious. How personal?”
“None of your business. Shouldn’t you be up front, in case anyone comes in?”
“We can hear the bells from here.” He rested his chin on his folded arms and studied her. “If you ask me, it’s about time you hooked up with somebody. I don’t think you were cut out to be a nun.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged. “Just that ever since Zach left, you haven’t been in a very good mood. Getting laid might be just the thing to cheer you up.”
She glared at him. “Who asked you?”
He laughed. “Hey, it always works for me.”
“Some of us don’t get off on sleeping around like a stray dog, okay?”
He preened, running a hand through his spiky bleached-blond hair. “Can I help it if women find me irresistible?”
She took a long drink of Coke and shook her head. “Some women have no taste.”
“So tell me about this new employee you hired. Guy or gal?”
Grateful for the change in subject, she relaxed a little. “Female. She’s a music major at UT.”
“A musician who knows tattoos?” He grinned. “Does she play in a band?”
“I have no idea. Apparently her mom and dad have a shop in Denver. She grew up in the business.”
“I can’t wait to meet her. When does she start?”
“This afternoon.”
He started to get up, but she leaned forward and grabbed his arm, squeezing hard. “Scott?”
“What?” Worry lines stood out on his high forehead.
“No hitting on the help, okay?”
“Just a little flirting….”
“Not if she’s not interested in flirting back. That’s sexual harassment and it could get us both sued.”
She released him and he leaned back, rubbing his arm. “I won’t do anything stupid,” he said huffily. He shoved back the chair and left the room.
She contemplated her half-eaten sandwich. Of course Scott would do something stupid. He couldn’t help it. When a man’s hormones took over, his brain stopped working. Simple as that.
She was one to talk though. She’d just agreed to what was probably a stupid idea. A fun fling with a cowboy stud. It sounded good on the surface, but who knew where that kind of thing could lead? Hadn’t Zach and Jen’s relationship started the same way?
At least theirs had worked out okay. She didn’t have that kind of luck with men. For one thing, she wasn’t the soft, girlie-girl type they seemed to prefer. Even the biker dudes she’d spent time with had accused her of being too tough. The last guy she’d spent more than one night with had said she was too bossy. Which maybe was true, but he’d liked it enough in the beginning.
That was a man for you. Not consistent. When she’d been younger and more naïve, she hadn’t known that and it had gotten her into trouble. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
The bell on the door sounded. She didn’t have an appointment until two, but maybe the customer was early. In any case, she’d lost her appetite for lunch. She wrapped up the rest of the sandwich and stashed it in the refrigerator, then went up front.
She found Scott talking with a petite girl with short red hair. She wore a long, flowing sundress and sandals, and had no visible piercings other than two studs in each ear. A sun-and-moon tattoo adorned her left shoulder.
“What’s your name?” Scott was asking when Theresa joined them.
“Cherry. Cherry Donovan.”
Scott’s eyes lit up. “Cherry. Nice name.”
She scowled at him. “No cracks about the name, okay?”
He held up both hands. His innocent expression wouldn’t have fooled his grandmother. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”
Cherry glanced at Theresa and rolled her eyes. “You thought it. Men always do.”
Scott looked to Theresa for help. She held out her hand. “Hi, Cherry, good to see you again.”
“Hey, Theresa. I’m a little early, but my class this afternoon was canceled, so I thought I’d come on by and spend a little time getting to know the place.”
Cherry had a pretty smile and a vulnerable, elfin quality. Theresa felt like an Amazon. But the girl couldn’t very well help that she was short, could she? “We’re glad to have you here,” she said. “I see you’ve already met Scott.”
“So you’re the new part-timer?” He grinned and stuck out his hand. “I’m Scott.”
“That’s what she just said.” Cherry touched his hand briefly, then deftly moved away. Scott’s face fell.
Theresa turned her head, biting her lip to keep from laughing. So much for Mr. Suave’s chances with his new co-worker. Cherry was obviously less than impressed. “You pretty much saw everything when you interviewed, but I’ll refresh your memory,” Theresa said. She scooped up the cat that had been weaving around her boots. “This is Delilah. The other one, Mick, is around here somewhere.”
“I remember.” Cherry scratched underneath the cat’s chin. Delilah rewarded her with a rumbling purr. Theresa handed her the animal and led the way to the workbench and storage cabinets. “Over here is where we keep all the tattooing supplies.”
“I have my own machine,” Cherry said. “A graduation gift from my folks.”
Scott joined them. “I hear you’re a musician.” So much for thinking he was crushed. Theresa should have known better.
Cherry scarcely looked at him. “I’m a music major, yeah.”
“I used to play in a band myself.” He puffed out his chest.
Theresa figured if she bit down on the inside of her cheek any harder, she’d draw blood. Cherry gave him a scornful look. “I don’t play in a band. I perform with the school symphony. Cello.”
Scott looked so disappointed, Theresa almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “Evenings and weekends, when you’ll be working, are our prime time for walk-ins,” she said. “They’ll keep you busy until you get your own clients.” At least she hoped so. With the picketers refusing to give up, walk-in traffic had been slow lately.
“I can do piercings, too,” she offered.
“I usually handle the piercings,” Scott said.
Cherry shrugged. “I’m just saying I can do them, too.”
“I’m sure there won’t be a problem dividing up the work.” Theresa gave Scott a hard look. At least there’d better not be.
He shrugged. “Sure.”
He retreated to the front counter, probably to sulk. Theresa guessed she could live with that if it kept him quiet. She turned to Cherry again. “When you get a chance, make some copies of your portfolio so we can display them for the customers.”
