Page 35 of A Billionaire Dom

Linsey

I’d spentmost of the afternoon looking into Heidi’s past, and I needed a break. That’s why I was at K’s Phoenix, double-checking the security systems I’d installed, both the ones keeping us safe in the building and the ones keeping her records and finances safe. I was confident in my abilities, but as reliable as tech could be, nothing was foolproof.

“Nope! No way! I’m done!” A college-age guy stumbled out of Kasey’s room with his pants and underwear around his ankles. On one pale ass cheek was a strange squiggle and a little blood. “That fucking hurts!”

“All right, if that’s what you want,” Kasey said as she appeared in her doorway. She pulled off her gloves. “But in the interest of full disclosure, you look pretty stupid with an unfinished line on your ass.”

“You can’t say stuff like that!” His face turned red as he pointed his finger at her. “I want to talk to your manager!”

“Well,peanut, I’m the owner, so will that do?” Kasey took a step toward him. “You signed, and then you said stop before I finished. That’s on you. Now, you either get out, or I’ll throw you out.”

He stared at her, his jaw hanging open.

“And your dick’s hanging out.”

I snorted a laugh that turned into a full-out cackle when the guy turned toward me, his little crooked penis wobbling with the movement. He took a step in my direction, tripped over the clothes tangled around his ankles, and fell flat on his face.

By the time Boyd and Tiarra manhandled him out the door, I’d managed to get myself back under control and was only occasionally snickering.

“I’m glad you find this funny,” Kasey said as she punched her code into the cash register. “Because it’s hilarious.”

“You’re not giving him a refund, right?”

She shook her head. “Not a chance in this world.” She leaned over my shoulder and peered at the schedule on the screen. “Looks like I’ve got some time before my next appointment. I’m going to grab some dinner. Want me to bring you back anything?”

On cue, my stomach growled. “I’ll take whatever. You know what I like.”

She grinned at me. “Damn right I do.”

I went back to my laptop and lost myself in the work while the only sound was the buzz of the tattoo machines and the low murmurs of people talking. It wasn’t until the bell above the door rung again that I raised my head, ready to deal with whatever customer had just come in…except it wasn’t a customer.

“Davin.” I closed my laptop as my heart picked up speed. “This is a surprise.”

“Hi.” The small smile he gave me was more about being polite than any genuine happiness. He didn’t look upset, exactly, but there was something…off.

“Are you okay?” I came around the counter as he approached.

Even if the expression hadn’t given me a clue that something was wrong, the fact that strait-laced CEO Davin Holden was standing in a tattoo parlor that was definitelynotin his part of the city was a pretty good indicator.

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” he said, tugging at the tie around his neck. “I’ve had a strange day.”

Strange didn’t seem to be the word he really wanted to use, but this wasn’t exactly a place conducive to what I suspected wouldn’t be a fun-filled conversation.

“When do you get off?”

I couldn’t help it. The set-up was too easy, and I needed to see him smile again.

“Before you, if you’re a gentleman.”

Surprise flashed on his face, but it was only there for a moment before he burst out laughing. It was a great sound, warming all sorts of places inside me. I took a half step toward him, drawn to him just like I had been every time I was around him.

“What if I’m not a gentleman?” he asked, some of the spark coming back into his eyes.

“Then you better make it up to me more than once.” I grinned at him. “Want to go somewhere where we can find out if you’re a gentleman or not?”

“I don’t want to interfere with your work.”

“Oh, she doesn’t work.”

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