Page 63 of Ink & Desire

She nods. “Good. I got tested yesterday, so I’m sure it’ll come back clean too.”

How is she just casually discussing this over lunch in the employee break room? I keep waiting for one of the others to walk in and hear her mention cum or me using her body. I can just imagine the look on Jessie’s face if she learned I fucked Avery in the shop. I’ll never hear the end of it.

“Can we not discuss this right now?” I whisper.

“You brought it up,” she says with a shrug. “But fine. If you’d rather talk about it later, you’re welcome to stop by my place tonight.”

“Oh, no,” I say, shaking my head. “That’s a bad idea.”

She grins at me. “I think it’s a great idea.”

“What is?”

Jessie’s voice comes from behind us, and I jump in surprise, turning to see her standing near the door, a puzzled expression on her face as she looks at me and Avery.

“I asked Corbin if I could practice tattooing with some fake skin I ordered online,” Avery says without missing a beat.

Jessie shrugs. “Sounds like a good idea to me. Unless you want her practicing on you, boss?”

“You can volunteer your skin, Jessie,” I say.

I watch as she goes to the refrigerator for a bottle of water. “Not a chance. No offense, A. I know you’ve got the talent. But until I see you ink an actual person, I can’t be your guinea pig.”

Avery laughs. “No offense taken. I wouldn’t trust me to tattoo a person right now either.” Turning back to me, she says, “Make me a list of everything I need to buy. It might take me some time to get all of it, but I can buy a little at a time, right?”

I nod. “Sure. I’ll make a list.”

Jessie turns to leave the break room. “Enjoy your lunch, you two,” she calls.

“You can bring the list by my apartment later,” Avery whispers as she moves to stand.

Stunned that she’s trying yet again to get me to come to her place, I don’t reply. I just sit there and watch as shedisposes of the rest of her lunch and follows Jessie back out front. What the hell is going on?

Chapter 25

Avery

Corbin doesn’t show up at my apartment that night. Not that I’d really expected him to. I’d hoped he would, but he’s not the type of man to be so easily pushed into something he thinks is a bad idea. But it hadn’t stopped me from trying. I’d followed Cass’sinstructions to flirt with him and I’d made my intentions crystal clear. I still can’t believe I kept my composure during that entire conversation. I know I shocked him; that much was obvious. And I’d seen a hint of interest. He couldn’t hide the fact that he wasn’t indifferent to my advances. But he hadn’t shown up at my apartment, either.

I’m not discouraged, though. I’m not wrong about him. He wants me just as much as I want him. He’s just worried about what it will mean for our working relationship, not to mention what the others will think if they find out. I understand his reservations, even if I don’t agree with them. I’d be lying if I said I agree with his plan to just ignore this attraction between us. Especially not after the amazing sex we had Saturday night. I can’t just pretend he didn’t fuck my brains out. And I can’t pretend I don’t want him to do it again. So, I keep my strategy the same for the next three days.

Whenever I have a moment alone with Corbin, I make comments that make it obvious I want him again. Like today, when Jessie leaves the shop to pick up lunch from one of her favorite sushi restaurants and Noah goes into the back to grab some water, I lean close to Corbin. My breasts brush against his arm and a shiver of excitement goes through me.

“My offer still stands, you know?” I whisper.

He turns to look at me, brows lowered. “What offer?”

I smile and drag my gaze down over his body. “I think you know. But if I need to spellit out, I can.”

I watch his throat move as he swallows hard before shaking his head. “No need,” he says. “I’m not interested.”

I nearly laugh. “Now who’s the liar?”

“Avery.”

He says my name in a way that sounds like a warning. Or a promise. I’m not sure which it is, but I don’t care. I’m willing to push him until I find out.

“Corbin,” I counter, matching his tone. “Don’t pretend you don’t want this.”

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