Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(72)

I’d promised myself, never again.

But Dex wasn’t him. He wasn’t the man who’d ripped out my heart and humiliated me. And he wasn’t my father, either. He was a better man than either of them could ever hope to be.

And it was possible that I was maybe starting to fall for him. A little. Not too much. I couldn’t risk that yet.

Could I?

These were big questions and I was flirting with a word I’d never thought I’d use with a man. Forever.

I needed time to let this all settle in. My heart knew that Dex was different and maybe my iron clad rule about ultimate commitment didn’t need to apply. That maybe I was going to keep letting him break my rules. But a part of me was still scared—afraid to take that leap.

Afraid to take that risk.

We didn’t have plans tonight, and I wasn’t sure how late he had to work. But suddenly, I needed to see him. Even if it was just for a minute and all I could manage was a quick kiss. I needed him.

I packed up my things and left the office, but instead of driving home, I headed for Dex’s tattoo shop.





Dex’s shop smelled clean. The lobby was decorated with prints showcasing various tattoo options—everything from flowers and butterflies to skulls and knives dripping blood. The L-shaped front counter doubled as a glass display case filled with piercing jewelry.

The shop went straight back, with several tattoo stations on each side. A guy with a long gray beard that draped over his round belly was busy tattooing a client’s arm and behind him, a woman with dark hair pulled up in a ponytail worked on a client lying face down on her chair.

Behind them, I could see Dex.

He sat on a stool, his back to me, while he worked. I waited, enjoying this glimpse of him. Even from this angle, I could sense his concentration, his focus. He was deeply engrossed in his work and I realized how much I admired him. Law school dropout turned tattoo shop owner. He’d turned a dream into reality, and I was standing in it.

Suddenly, the shop took on new meaning. It wasn’t just needles and ink, skulls and knives, butterflies and flowers. It was his work, his art, his purpose. His accomplishment.

A woman with incredible red curls, numerous piercings, and tattoos down both arms came out from a back room. She offered a friendly smile. “Hi, can I help you?”

“I’m actually here to see Dex. Just to say hi.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh my god, are you Nora?”

“I am.”

“Awesome.” She looked me up and down. “Damn, he’s right, you are hot.”

“Thank you.”

“He’s with a client but he should be done any minute.” She glanced over her shoulder at the long-bearded tattoo artist. “Hey, Sonny, Dex’s girl Nora is here.”

Sonny turned and adjusted a pair of glasses. “You’re Nora?”

I nodded with a little wave. “That’s me.”

“Damn. Dex wasn’t kidding. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too.”

Dex didn’t seem to notice what was happening at the front of his shop. He was too engrossed in what he was doing.

“I’m Kari,” the girl said. “Feel free to hang out.”

“Thanks.”

She went to the back of the shop and disappeared around a corner. I waited up front, browsing the piercing jewelry in the glass case. The buzz of their tools and low conversation hummed in the air.

I moved down the counter so I could see Dex from a different angle. His client sat while he tattooed something on his upper arm. I loved watching him work, even from a distance. And a strange thought came into my mind.

What if he tattooed me?

Tattoos had never really been my thing. But since meeting Dex—and spending so much time up close and personal with his ink—I’d come to a new appreciation of them. They could be anything from beautiful body art to conversation pieces to a story of survival or honoring a loved one. There was so much variety, so much beauty in them. And Dex was incredibly talented.

It wasn’t so much that I wanted a tattoo, rather that I wanted a piece of Dex’s art—something that could be a part of me.

Finally, Dex stood and stretched his back. He talked to his client for a little while and Kari appeared again to help him bandage the new tattoo. I didn’t mind the wait. It was fascinating to see him in his element, especially because he didn’t realize I was here.

Kari said something to him and he turned. A slow, sexy grin spread across his face and my heart skipped as he came out to meet me.

He really did have a special kind of power over me. But strangely enough, it didn’t make me want to run. Not away from him, at least. I wanted to run straight into his arms.

And maybe, just maybe, I could imagine staying there.





30





DEX





Seeing Nora unexpectedly at the front of my shop instantly turned a good day into a great one.

Dressed in a dark teal blouse, fitted skirt, and heels, she looked like she’d come straight from work. Her hair was back with a few tendrils framing her face and the way she smiled at me as I approached made me feel like I’d just won the lottery.

“Hey. This is a nice surprise.”

“I thought I’d swing by. I hope you don’t mind.”