Page 84 of Falling for my Brother's Best Friend

“Liam, it’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. Do you mind if I snap a picture? It’s just for original tattoos I do myself.” I nodded, and he pulled out his phone and took a shot. He showed me the picture. “Just the tat. None of you.”

“Thanks.”

“Let me put some ointment on it and bandage it up.” He went back to work, and after he took off his gloves, he disappeared before returning with a box of tissues.

I wiped my eyes, and he still didn’t say anything about my meltdown.

“What do I owe you?”

He put his hand on mine as I reached for my wallet. “It’s on the house. Do you need a ride home?”

I shook my head. He unlocked the front door, and I stepped out into the cold winter weather.

When I turned around, he was still in the open doorway. “Thank you, Liam.”

“I’m here whenever you need me.”

I waved, and he watched me slide into my car and drive away. If I had to pinpoint when things shifted between us, I’d have to say it was that moment.

“Savannah?”

My name being called pulls me back from the memory and into the present.

Rhys waves. “He said two minutes.”

I nod and notice the two girls who were across from me are now standing with a third girl. Her shirt is all tangled, the buttons not aligned, and my stomach clenches. I quickly remind myself that it’s his job to tattoo people and I myself was pant-less on his table once.

“So?” one girl asks.

“He said he’s kind of with someone. That he wasn’t interested,” the girl who got the tattoo says.

The other girl glances my way and murmurs to the other two. The third nods.

I’m so busy watching their interaction that I don’t notice Liam coming out from the back.

“I heard someone has pie?” he says, hopping over the small partition.

I stand and hand it to him. “Here you go.”

“Oh. Okay.” He rocks forward. “I have to be honest, I was hoping for a different kind of pie.” He gives me that sexy grin that makes it impossible not to smile back.

Rhys finishes running the girl’s credit card and she signs, her two friends ushering her out.

“Do you get a lot of offers like that?” I ask him.

He looks at the girl who just left. “No, but I’m rarely asked point-blank. It sucks, but I’m just a tattoo artist, and I’m not giving any mixed signals.”

Perfect. Now that that’s out of the way, I gather my courage so I can say what I came here to say. I nod and step closer to him. “Take me home, Liam.”

He turns but he must hear something in my voice because he does a double-take, asking me with his eyes my definition of “take me home.” When we lock eyes, he shouts, “Rhys, close up!”

Someone groans behind me as Liam puts his hand on the small of my back, escorting me out of the shop.

“I think someone else wanted your services.”

He grabs my hand and we walk by the three girls, which I kinda feel shitty about.

“I’m only servicing you tonight.” He picks me up over his shoulder and I squeal.

Why have I held out this long? It’s been Liam since he branded me with ink. How was I so blind?

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