Page 37 of Renewal After Dark

“Freak me out?”

“The tats scare some people. They think I must be a menace or something.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I agree, but I didn’t want to scare you, so I stayed away. I regret that now.”

“I went to your house first that night when I left the cabin, but you weren’t there.”

He winced. “Oh crap. I was at the Beachcomber with some friends. We closed the place ahead of the storm.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“It was, but I wish I’d been home when you came by.”

“Thankfully, Blaine saved us.”

“I’m so glad he did.”

He took a right into the ferry landing parking lot and drove to the far end where his shop was located alongside the massage studio in a two-story building that had apartments on the second floor. The rent from those apartments helped to keep him afloat in the off-season when the studio was slow. Not that she needed to know that.

He waited until she’d removed Jax from the car seat before he got out of the truck and went around to open her door.

“Thank you.”

Her smile was so dazzling, it made him go stupid in the head. “No problem.” Duke hoped it was okay to take hold of her elbow to help her down from the truck.

He was so out of practice when it came to being around women, and he never wanted to be anything other than respectful. But he couldn’t let her trip and fall, especially with the baby in her arms.

As he put the key into the metal door that bore the logo he’d designed himself withDuke’s Tattoosin the center, he felt the familiar pride that hit him any time he walked into the studio he’d made his own over the years.

A red-brick wall bearing the same logo was the first thing visitors saw when they entered the space. To the left was a reception desk he’d built and varnished himself following an online template that’d looked much simpler than it’d turned out to be.

He flipped on the lights, which flickered for a second but stayed on. “The power is still kinda sketchy.”

“I hope it stays on.”

“You and me both. I’m out of business without it.”

“This is such an amazing space.” She took in the exposed ductwork that lined the ceiling, which had been painted black, and the leather sofa in the reception area. “I’m not sure what I expected, but this is really nice.”

“Thanks. Took me a few years to get it the way I wanted it, but it was worth the effort.”

“Tell me everything. How does it work?”

“Never had a tat?”

“Nope. I’m untouched by ink.”

“Well, that’s a crying shame.” The words were said before he took a second to decide whether they should be.

McKenzie laughed. “I’msucha baby when it comes to needles. I can’t imagine willingly sitting still and letting someone poke me with them for hours.”

“It’s not that painful. Well, most of the time, it isn’t. Depends on where you’re getting the ink. Joints and bony areas tend to hurt the most.”

She shuddered. “I couldn’t do it.”

“Sure, you could. You survived a hurricane—and childbirth. A tat would be nothing after that.”

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