Page 11 of Sam (Eye Candy Ink)

“Am I forgiven?”

“Yeah,” she says before she stands on her tiptoes and brushes a feather soft kiss against my lips.

“That will be fifty dollars plus tip,” she says over her shoulder as she opens the door and heads back up front.

I can’t fight the smile that stretches my lips as I watch her go. This girl has got me by the balls but I don’t mind one bit.

9

Sam

I bite backa smile the next night when I see Max heading for the front door. I was wondering when he would be back and I’m pleased that it didn’t take him long. It’s almost closing time and I figured he wouldn’t be in tonight but here he is.

He reaches for the front door handle and I notice the paper bags he’s carrying in his other hand. I pretend not to see him as I get busy organizing my desk and packing up my bag for the night. Atlas is still here with a client but Zeke said he’d stay until they were done. I was going to wait until one of them could walk me to my car but now that Max is here, I’ll just have him do it instead.

I slip my bag onto my shoulder as he comes in and walks up to the front counter.

“Samantha,” he says and I bite back a smile. I kind of like how he never bothers with the pleasantries with me. It’s always just my name whenever he sees me, like he’s forgotten that other words exist.

“Hey,” I say, meeting his eyes.

“Are you heading home?”

“Yeah, I was just about to leave. Walk me to my car?”

“Of course.”

I smile at him before I head for the gate, calling over my shoulder to Zeke and Atlas before I open it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Wait!” Zeke calls and I look back to see that both Atlas and Zeke have poked their heads out of their rooms.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Zeke says at the same time that Atlas asks me who is walking me to my car.

“That’s okay. Max said he’ll do it.”

Atlas’s eyebrows shoot up but Zeke just grins at me.

“Have fun, kids,” he says with a knowing tone before he heads back into his office.

Atlas looks confused for a second, looking between me and where Zeke disappeared.

“Okay… Night, Sam.”

“Night, Atty!”

I let the gate bang closed behind me before I lead Max out the front door. We turn left and walk down the sidewalk side by side until we reach the parking lot next to the shop.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s in the bags?” I ask.

He waits until we reach my car before he sets the bags on the ground and pulls out what’s inside. He hands me a black box first with Converse written on it and I smile when I open the lid to see a pair of neon pink high tops inside. He passes me another box before I can say anything and I laugh when I see the matching pink hair dye.

“I thought we could eat dinner and dye your hair,” he says, waving the other bag at me and my stomach growls when I think about food.

I tap my chin, pretending to think about it and he steps into me, pinning me against my car door.

“Please, Samantha.”

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