Page 56 of Ink & Desire

I smile. “Francesca’s?”

“Yes! I’ve been dreaming about that carbonara for the past month.”

“Done,” I say, steering the car in the direction of the restaurant.

We keep our conversation light on the way there, glossing over subjects like work and family. It isn’t until we’re seated at the restaurant and studying our menus that Cass asks me the one question I’ve been hoping to avoid.

“How’s Tattoo Daddy doing? Have you two boned yet?”

My face goes instantly hot, and I know I’m blushing.

Cass's eyes go wide. "Oh. My. God."

“What?” I ask, trying and failing to sound nonchalant.

“You dirty whore,” she says, her voice far too loud for my comfort.

I glance around quickly, trying to see if anyone else heard her. “Shhh,” I hiss. “What are you talking about?”

She grins at me. “You did it. You fucked Tattoo Daddy, didn’t you?”

I shake my head in denial, even though I know she can tell I’m lying. Not that I’m making it difficult for her. The truth is written all over my face. I might as well have gotten a tattoo on my forehead that says, ‘I had the best sex of my life last night. Ask me about it.’.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, turning my attention back to the menu in my hands. “And stop calling him that.”

Cass yanks the menu from my grasp, forcing me to level my gaze on her.

“I was looking at that,” I say.

“I don’t give a shit,” she says. “Stop holding out on me. If you finally gave in and fucked that man, I need to know every filthy detail. Is he really a daddy? Wait. Did he make you call him daddy? I bet he did, didn’t he?”

“Oh, my god,” I say, covering my face with my hands. “What is wrong with you?”

Cass shrugs. “I’m in a drought. I’m living vicariously through your whorish ways. So, tell me everything before I spontaneously combust.”

“You have problems. You know that, right?” I say, eyeing her.

She just nods. “Yep.”

“As long as you’re aware,” I mutter. “Fine. I’ll tell you, but not here. This is not a conversation fit for the public. You’ll have to wait until we get back to my place.”

“Come on, A!” she whines. “You’re going to make me sit through an entire meal, just wondering?”

“I am,” I say. “But, if you promise to be a good girl, I’ll give you a few details to hold you over.”

“Oh, I can be a good girl,” she says with a wink, making me laugh.

“Save that for your next conquest,” I say.

She shrugs. “Suit yourself, but I have letters of recommendation for my status as a good girl.”

“I’m sure you do. Do you want to hear this or not?”

She motions with her hand for me to proceed.

“He’s intense,” I say in a low voice. “Like, way more intense than I expected. Even after all these weeks of working with him, I did not see that coming. He’s got a filthy mouth. And he likes to be in control.”

Cass leans closer to me across the table, her eyes lit with interest. Her voice is low, barely above a whisper. “How in control?”

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