Page 58 of Enticing the Fixer

“Who’s seen his tattoo up close enough to know how it looks in person.” He smirks.

“Yes.” I eye him while daring him to make another comment.

“Discreet.” He nods. “That’s a nice change. Leo’s a great guy. One of the best and smart as a whip. I’ve never met anyone else like him.”

“Me, either.” I might not have known him long, but I know that he’s unique.

“He’s the kind of guy who’d do anything for his friends.”

“I’m going in with Remy to get my piercing.” Ann walks toward Remy.

“I’ll wait here for you.” I shove my hands into my pockets, not knowing what else to do at this point.

“Perfect.”

“It’ll take about fifteen minutes.” Remy motions for Ann to follow him into the room besides what must be their breakroom.

“Okay.” Fifteen minutes? How in the hell does it take that long to get two piercings done? I shift from foot to foot as my stomach growls. I should have eaten something.

Maverick flips the page to a simple rose tattoo and arches an eyebrow. “It looks like you have a free fifteen minutes.”

The blood in my ears whooshes. A tattoo? Am I seriously thinking about getting a tattoo? This is crazy, but I love Leo’s artwork. Would he be mad if I got one? Why? That’s silly.

I flip the pages as if my fingers have a mind of their own. A lamp. Nah. Although I like the concept of rubbing something and having all my dreams come true. I stifle a giggle. That seems to happen every time I stroke Leo. Stop it.

Maverick turns the page to a dandelion blowing in the wind. “This one? It takes more than fifteen minutes, but the details look great when it’s done. I can add a few birds taking flight where the last two dandelion seeds would be.”

The design calls out to me. It symbolizes hope. Which I didn’t have a lot of until Leo walked into the picture. I glance up at Maverick and gnaw on my bottom lip. The man is covered in exquisite tattoos that align with Leo’s designs. Leo said Maverick did most of his work.

“Girl, go for it!” Ann calls out from the doorway. “What better way to tell a guy you love him than to get a tattoo?”

“Ann….,” I growl.

“Pretending I didn’t say anything.” Her voice has a singsong tone as she disappears into the adjacent room.

But she has a point. “Why not?” I drag my jacket off and toss it onto the closest waiting chair. It lands in a puddle of fabric in the middle of the seat. “Let’s do this.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Leo

“Knock. Knock.” Carla’s grating voice pulls me from the computer screen. She leans against the doorframe with her opposite hand on her hip–elbow out, hip cocked, thigh dangerously exposed, and cleavage pointed in my direction. “What’re you working on?”

She eyes me up and down and licks her red-painted lips. Each day, her skirt has grown shorter and her tops tighter. The white button holding the two pieces of fabric together between her breasts is tipped sideways. With one wrong move, it’s going to knock someone’s eye out.

I straighten my shoulders and close out the software program. “Good afternoon.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t in this morning.” She snaps the door shut, and the scent of her floral perfume overwhelms the room, making my nose twitch.

“You don’t need to apologize to me. I’m not your supervisor.” I push my seat back to give the illusion of putting distance between us.

“Oh, I know.” Her hips sway as she walks to the edge of my desk. This is going to get awkward.

She sits on the corner of my desk and crosses one leg over the other. “But I’d love to have you boss me around.” She bats her eyelashes. “If you know what I mean.”

“Yes, I get your meaning.” I clear my throat, stand, and rest my hands on my hips to return the balance of power in the room.

Her eyes drink me in, and I force myself not to throw up in my mouth. Not that she appears opposed to this power dynamic. I dealt with women like this daily in Vegas, so I’ve perfected the art of deflection. However, I was hoping to avoid it here.

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