Page 40 of One Pucking Destiny

I make a show of trying all the cookies, but let’s face it, I’m voting for mine. I want that yes more than I want my next breath. I write the number assigned to my plate onto a strip of paper, fold it, and drop it in the jar.

It takes an excessive amount of time for everyone to try them all. “Come on, guys. Taste the damn cookies and vote,” I say.

A few of the guys laugh, and Cade says, “I think someone is nervous about that tattoo.”

I roll my eyes. “There will be no tattoo.”

Finally, all the votes have been cast. Gunner grabs another cookie from my plate, and I take it as a good sign.

Beckett retrieves the slips of paper from the jar and starts calling out numbers as Elena tallies them up.

It comes down to my cookies and the butter ones. We’re in a three-way tie with one vote left.

“The winner of the second annual cookie competition is plate number three.”

I release a groan as Ari squeals in victory.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

BASH

Ari’s phone pings with an alert that our Uber is here. “Let’s go, Cookie Monster. We have some tattooing to do.” The smile on her face is huge.

“Yeah!” a drunken Jaden yells from the pool. “Best bye week ever.”

Cade laughs. “I hope you know you’re never living this one down.”

A few more very unhelpful comments are shot my way from the peanut gallery as they enjoy their dip in the pool. Ari and I are the only ones not in our swimsuits, partaking in cold drinks and sunshine.

I can’t believe she’s making me go through with this. Strike that, I totally can. She’s not letting me win this one, and I can’t blame her. I was talking a lot ofsmack. Though we both know I’d never make her say yes when she didn’t want to, bet or not.

Yet I’m a man of my word, and I lost fair and square. I’d rather be the guy with a cookie tattoo than the guy who backed out of a bet.

“Let’s get this over with,” I grumble and follow Ari to the waiting car.

She shoots me a smile over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I brought the poker money from last night to pay for it. I’m not totally awful.”

I open the back passenger door and motion for her to get in. When she’s inside the car, I walk around the back and slide in the other side. She confirms our location with the driver, and he takes off.

“I’m not letting you pay.”

“No, let me. It’s bad enough I’m making you go through with this.”

“You keep your money. You won it fair and square,” I lie, seeing that Beckett totally gave her the win. “I have money to pay for my own tattoos.”

“If you insist.” She shrugs. “So I was thinking a chocolate chip cookie would be cute, but I mean, if you want to do a sugar cookie or an oatmeal raisin, that would be fine, too.”

“Chocolate chip is fine.”

I don’t know whether to be annoyed, mad, impressed, or turned on by the woman next to me. Shestirs a relentless dichotomy of emotions in me that are constantly dueling. She’s an enigma, and while it’d be ideal for today to damper the fire I feel for her, I have a feeling it’s only going to spark it.

We pull up to the tattoo parlor.

After thanking the driver, Ari all but skips to the building. “I can’t believe they had an opening today.”

---