Page 6 of Teased By My Roommate

Their usual receptionist Heather had the flu, but luckily she was incredibly organized. In minutes I had everything under control – answering the phone, letting each artist know when their next appointment was arriving, and welcoming people to the shop.

It was an extremely different clientele than my usual job, but most of the tasks were the same on my end.

All five of the tattoo artists were booked solid for the day, but they all took a few moments to chat to me, and anyone waiting in the lobby, as they arrived.

Hawk made a point of putting his arm around me any time they came close. I guess he wanted to give the impression that we were together. But why? Was he afraid that one of his friends would hit on me? Would that bother him?

It certainly bothered me when his one o'clock appointment was someone named Alex, but thank goodness it turned out to be a guy. I honestly didn't know if I could handle watching Hawk's hands all over another woman's skin.

As the day went on, his arm around my shoulder slipped to my waist. His innocent snuggles pulled us closer together. Hawk couldn't keep his hands off me, and didn't care who saw it.

I loved it. It made me feel like his. Yet it felt like things were going in the wrong order. He hadn't even asked me out. We hadn't even kissed.

Kissing him was the only thing I could think about every time he spoke. Those lips. His faintly smoky, earthy scent. Those huge hands that gripped me whenever he guided me around the shop.

Before I knew it, the shop was closing and Hawk latched his arm around me as we went back to his truck.

"You were a trooper today, Lila," he said, backing me up against the passenger side door. "Thank you."

"I was glad to help. Plus, the extra money doesn't hurt."

He smirked. "I don’t think you did it for the money. I think you wanted to help your man out of a desperate situation. Didn't you?"

My head fell back as I laughed, and he leaned in, placing a single kiss at the hollow of my throat. My breath caught, then his hands gripped my hips. As his mouth approached mine, I had to hold back a whimper. I'd never wanted anything so much in my life.

A car drove by, the rev of the engine completely spoiling the mood. "Let me get you home and feed you," Hawk said, helping me into the truck. "Can't let the girl who saved the day go hungry."

As we drove home, his hand reached out to tap my knee now and then. He was so casual about touching me. Why wouldn't he kiss me properly?

Maybe he was simply teasing me because I was a woman in his space, and he thought it was amusing. Maybe he thought I was too shy to be interested in someone like him.

The time for teasing was over. I wanted a kiss from those perfect lips, and I had to find a way to make that happen immediately.

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