Page 43 of Whatever You Want

“And here I thought you were a gentleman.”

“Give me a chance and I’ll prove exactly how nice I can be.” I winked and gave her a sly grin.

“Is that right?” Her fingers massaged my scalp. My eyes closed at the feel of her hands kneading and pressing against my skin. “And here I thought you were a bad boy.”

My eyes popped open. “Which one do you prefer?”

“It depends. During the day, I like a nice guy who opens doors, pulls out chairs, and buys flowers and jewelry for no reason. But at night, I like the unexpected, the rebel who takes what he wants and keeps me on my toes.”

I hissed out as her hands dug deeper into my scalp. “That sounds like a lot of pressure on a guy.”

“You asked.” She dragged her hands down my neck. My mouth fell open when the little tease leaned in closer and dropped her voice. “Do you happen to know anyone who fits the bill?”

“I might. Is there a sign-up form I can fill out?”

Her throaty laugh caused her hair to drift forward. Unable to resist, I pushed it back away from her face. A touch of pink, the same color as her top, crept up to her cheeks. Our gazes lingered for a moment, her lips parted, and I wanted to reach up and taste them. Our eyes stayed locked; I could feel that spark between us intensifying, the one that made me forget about everything else going on in the world but right here.

She cleared her throat and turned the water off. “All right, funny guy, follow me.”

She guided me to her station, filled with styling tools, hair products, combs, and brushes. There was a lot jammed into the small space, but surprisingly it didn’t look cluttered. I slumped in the chair and glanced around, noticing the framed cosmetology license on the brick wall, as well as a few pictures of Madison and Drew.

She squeezed my shoulder and spun me around. “No looking into the mirror until I’m finished.”

“That requires a certain level of trust. I’m not sure we’re quite there yet,” I teased as she ignored me and started running a comb through my hair.

She pushed my hair off to the side, grazing her fingers along my stubble. My bulge was getting bigger and bigger. There was no way she couldn’t see it. It practically tested the restraint of my zipper.

“You’ve got great hair. I don’t want to take too much off.”

“I want you to cut it however you like it. Your opinion is the only one I care about.”

She shook her head and started trimming away. “You’re too smooth for your own good. You know that?”

She thought I was joking. I was dead serious. I didn’t give a shit about what anyone else thought but her.

I glanced around the salon. It was small and trendy, with dark brown flooring and a sitting area with dark chairs and white table lamps. It had a good vibe, and it was a hell of a lot cleaner than the barbershop I usually went to.

“So, Kara is the other owner, right?” I asked, rearranging the black cape along my chest.

“Yes, we worked together when we were both starting out.” She held my hair up by her fingertips and started snipping away.

“How did you end up in business together?” I was eager to learn every little detail about her life.

“When Madison came along, I wanted to have the flexibility to make my own hours. And I figured it would be the perfect way to put my business degree to good use. When the previous owner was looking to sell, I approached Kara with a marketing plan and asked if she wanted to go into business together. She’s a couple years younger than me, but she’s very driven and we just clicked.”

“Not to mention, I’m one of the few people who can put up with her,” Kara added as she walked by with a customer.

Ava shook her head and laughed. “There is no privacy in here.”

I kept my hands folded in my lap to keep myself from doing something stupid. Seeing that Ava seemed to appreciate my sense of humor, I kept my well-timed jokes coming as she worked on my hair. The ladies around me laughed their asses off at my antics. I tried to explain to Ava that it was all part of my charm.

“Whoops.” She cringed and stood back. Concern filled her eyes.

My gaze jumped to hers. That didn’t sound good. “What’s the matter?”

“Shit, I accidentally shaved a bald patch up the back of your head.”

“What the hell?” I sat up straighter in my chair and tried to turn around, but she stopped me by pressing her hands to my chest. “How the hell did you do that?”

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