Page 49 of Chasing Sparks

“Will you stop with all the love and romance talk? I swear, if Ash hears you, he’ll run away screaming.”

“Or maybe he’ll surprise you,” Mina counters. “Maybe he feels exactly the same way, but worries that telling you will makeyourun away. Ever thought of that twist?”

I nibble my lip, her words sinking in more than I’d like to admit.

Maybe she’s right.

“I’m going to run next door and thank Ash for the book. Should I bring Braden back here as a gift for you?”

Mina gives an exasperated huff and turns away, but not before I catch the flush climbing her cheeks.

I love messing with her—and trust me, she gets her digs in, too.

I stroll next door to Black Lotus and pause at the reception desk, craning my neck to see if Ash is available. Unlike my store, there’s a high degree of intimacy and privacy involved in the parlor, and random intrusions are generally unwelcome.

Braden catches sight of me as he exits a room and shoots me a smile. “Hey, Ori. Everything okay?”

“Of course. I just wanted to thank your brother for a gift. Is he around?”

Braden glances over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. “To be honest, I have no clue where he is. In fact, he hasn’t been at the farm for a few days, either. Any idea where he’s been hiding?”

I feel the color climb my cheeks because Braden knows damn well where his brother has been hanging his hat. But it’s far more fun to play coy.

With a shrug and an innocent smile, I turn toward the exit. “How should I know? The man’s a legend, remember?”

“In his own mind,” Braden replies, snorting out a laugh. “I’ll have him call you when he gets here.”

“Thanks.”

I push open the door, nearly colliding with another woman.

“Sorry about that,” I murmur, holding the door for her.

“No problem. Have a good one.”

I step outside but can’t help glancing back. The woman strides into the parlor with the kind of confidence I envy—like she owns the place. She waves to Braden before slipping into Ash’s office.

Odd. Braden wouldn’t let a client waltz into Ash’s inner sanctum when he wasn’t around.

Unless … she isn’t a client.

I scan my memory, trying to place where I’ve seen her before.

Then it hits me—she’s an editor or photographer for a top tattooing magazine.

She’s also gorgeous and busty, because of course she is.

The same woman who interviewed Ash for her magazine while attempting to ply him with drinks—a plan I spectacularly derailed with one supreme pizza and a very amateur lap dance.

So, why is she back here again?

I shrug off my curiosity, reminding myself there are plenty of facets to Ash’s job that I know nothing about.

Still, I’m not entirely thrilled about her comfort level with my man—professional or not.

And now I sound like a crazed, lovesick stalker.

Gah. I need to go.

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