Rule(69)

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for one of those guys to land a serious girlfriend?  Forever!  Sending away the ink bunnies has never been as satisfying as it is now and I never ever would have pegged Rule as the one to go down first.”  She waved a hand over her shoulder at the opposite side of the shop where the three artists I didn’t know were working and pointed to each one.  “Bixie, she’s married to a firefighter so she’s never caused to much fuss with weirdo client stalkers, Mase has an on and off girlfriend so he can behave but when they’re off he can give Rule a run for his money in the man-whore department, Jasper, well we call him Jaz keeps his liaisons all quiet and secret because he’s got ties with the Kings of Sorrow the local biker club and apparently that’s supposed to be hush-hush so the bunnies don’t hover around for him too much, but the terrible trio, man oh man I show those bitches outta here all day every day and even with Rule being hooked up with you it still seems like that’s my full time job.”

She talked so loud and so fast I had a hard time tracking everything she was telling me, plus Rule had snapped off his gloves and was prowling towards me in the way that made my legs go all gooey.  He moved with a limber ease that was just sexy and confident, also his hair was starting to grow back in and I liked the near black fuzz covering his scalp.

“Are you telling my girl stories Cora?  I told you Shaw’s been around for a long time you aren’t going to be able to scare her.”  He came around the corner and before I could get myself all worried about whether it was appropriate to touch him at work he had me all wound up with his hands in my hair and his mouth slanted across mine.  He tasted like coffee and peppermint; he also didn’t seem to mind that all eyes remained on us while he thoroughly devoured me, like we hadn’t seen each other in weeks rather than just this morning.  He gave his tongue one last flick, clicking his tongue ring against the back of my teeth.  When he pulled away I’m sure my eyes were glassy and I was breathing hard.  I cleared my throat and put a shaky hand on his chest until I regained my composure.  “I’ve got like a half an hour left are you cool to hangout that long?  You can come chill in the back and do your school shit or whatever.”  I nodded and took a step back from him.  He was potent and went to my head fast.

“No stay up here and hangout with me.  I’m dying to know all about this mystical creature that got you to act human for once.”

He shot an annoyed glance over his shoulder at the pixie.  “Shaw this is Cora Lewis.  She’s the shop manager and our resident body modification expert.”

She wiggled her eyebrows up and down and gave me a leer.  She twirled a finger in Rule’s direction.  “Since you’re with this guy I’m sure you’re familiar with my work.”

I choked back a laugh and put a hand to my mouth as a hot flush worked up Rule’s neck.  “Seriously Cora?”

She shrugged a tiny shoulder.  “What?  It’s true isn’t it?”

His arctic eyes landed back on me and the chagrin in them made me laugh out loud.  “She’s from Brooklyn.  None of us know where Uncle Phil found her and they refuse to tell us but she keeps the shop running like a well-oiled machine.  Most of us wouldn’t know if we were coming or going without her.”

“I can stay up here and wait for you.  I’m hungry though so you need to feed me when you’re done.”

He bent down and put his lips right next to my ear.  “Oh I’ll feed you when I’m done alright.”

A hot shiver shot through me so I gave him a heavy lidded look.  “Goody.”  He kissed my cheek and made his way back to the waiting client.  I shifted my gaze to Cora and blushed when I noticed she was gaining like a demented Cheshire Cat.

“So it’s like is it?”

I blinked and shifted from foot to foot.  She grabbed my hand and pulled me around the counter actually shoving me into another leather chair that was stashed back there.

“Like what?”

She swiveled her chair so we were facing each other and gave me a level look.  “It’s like all hot and bothered but sweet and fuzzy too.  I didn’t know the asshat had any of that in him.  You make him human.”

“That was the second time she had mentioned something like that but I had to wait until she fielded a couple phone calls to question her about it.  “What do you mean about that exactly?”

“I’ve worked with Rule for the last five years.  I was here when he and Nash started their internship right outta high school.  Phil and I go way back so I’ve known the boys for a while.  I adore Rule.  I think it’s genetically impossible not to be kind of in love with him when you come equipped with a vagina.  It’s just something about all that angsty, moody swagger he has that makes you want to cuddle him up and make him feel better.”

I knew exactly what she was talking about so I just nodded in agreement.  “But he’s also arrogant and explosive, he treats women like crap because too many of them let him get away with it and for a long time after his brother died I watched him just go through the motions of living his life the way it was before.  He came to work, he hung out with is boys, he gave me shit on a daily basis and he screwed his way through the entire Front Range but he was doing it all locked inside this bubble that none of us who loved him could get through.  He was cold and unreachable but then all of a sudden there were cracks and some of the old Rule was showing through.  The robot version of himself he had been operating from for so long started to fade and the good ole human Rule was back and I think it has to do with you.”