Page 5 of Moments in Ink

A sexy-as-hell man with dark skin, close-cropped hair, and a sweet smile prowled toward the table, looking like sex on a stick. But I still wasn’t sure he was the sexiest of the three that walked towards us. A woman with sinful curves, dark hair, and Aaron’s eyes walked by the man’s side, her plump lips tipped in a smile.

But yet again, still not the sexiest of the three.

No, that was Zia. My neighbor, fully clothed this time and still making my mouth water.

Zia wore a lacy shirt that showed some of her stomach, a thin line of tan skin that looked lickable. Over that, she had on a leather jacket that was cut to accentuate her shape and looked as if it had been made especially for her. She wore suit pants with a leather strip down the side that clung to her legs, and her ass looked delectable as she turned slightly. She had on high heels, ones that were even taller than mine, and I tended to wear sky-high shoes.

Her hair was purple, a bright shade that made gazes stray even if it was a current trend at the moment. She looked as if she had started the trend instead of following along.

She had ink in strategic places, bare hints of it that begged for someone’s tongue. Her makeup was perfectly done as if she had gone to someone to have it applied professionally.

It was that smoky eye thing that had the perfect hues of purple that matched her hair and nails.

I had seen Zia practically naked, looking fresh-faced and sexy as hell, and she had looked beautiful then.

This well made-up and perfectly poised Zia looked sexy as hell, as well, and I had no idea which one I preferred. Then I asked myself why the fuck it mattered because it wasn’t as if I was going to act on any of these inappropriate feelings going through my mind just then.

“Hey, there, sister of mine.” Aaron kissed his sibling’s cheek, and Bristol grinned.

“Hey, there, baby brother,” she said before smiling at me. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were on a date. Sorry, hi. I’m his sister. And I promise I’m not evil and judgy, so I really hope you’re having a fun time.”

“Thanks,” Aaron said, rolling his eyes.

“We’re having a great time, but this isn’t a date,” I said, laughing. There was something about Bristol that made me smile.

“Oh? Then I’m not interrupting awkwardly. This is my fiancé, Marcus, and my best friend, Zia.”

“We’ve met,” Zia said, waving awkwardly.

I lifted my chin, not exactly sure what to say.

“You’ve met?” Bristol asked, narrowing her eyes, looking between the two of us. “Where? When? And why am I being so nosy?”

Marcus leaned forward and kissed his fiancée on the temple. “Because you’re always nosy, but that’s why we love you?”

“I’m delighted that he said it and not me because you’re not going to hurt him, but you would probably try to hurt me,” Aaron said, leaning back.

“That is true,” Bristol said. “So, Zia? Where did you guys meet?”

“This is my neighbor,” Zia said quickly, blushing up to her purple roots. “You know, the one that I met when I was wearing, well...”

“Really?” Bristol asked, interested curiosity in her expression.

Marcus met my gaze and seemed apologetic.

I had no idea what that meant.

“Wait? What were you wearing? What happened? Here, they set us at a four-top, but we’re only here for drinks. Come. We’ll get another chair. Join us.” Aaron looked at me. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Oh, that’s fine.” I cleared my throat, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt. “Seriously. Join us. It’ll be good to get to know other people in the area.” See? I wasn’t that awkward. Or maybe I was, and I needed to get better at it.

“If you’re sure,” Bristol said, looking between Aaron and me.

“Really sure. Totally not a date. I’m his accountant.”

I watched Zia’s face as her eyes widened, taking in my undercut paired with my professional clothing. I didn’t look like a typical accountant, especially when you saw the ink that I hid under my clothes. Still, I could look professional and straitlaced if I had to. And most days, I needed to.

The hair was new, something I had done after my divorce, and I was getting good at figuring out who I needed to be in each situation I was in. But for now, I was the accountant, perhaps the friend, but nothing more.

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