Accidentally Yours
Chapter 82
Nope. Not today. You have to work. You have to keep your hands steady and your head clear.
…God, but he’d look so good in that supply closet.
By noon, the convention floor was in full swing–machines buzzing in stereo, someone’s Bluetooth speaker blasting early 2000s rock, the air thick with ink, sanitizer, and overworked air conditioning.
Dom and Gino had stationed themselves like bouncers–one leaning on the corner of her booth, the other scanning every single person who so much as glanced in her direction.
It was sweet. And also suffocating.
She set her machine down between clients, glancing at the clock. “You two should go grab lunch. You’re making it weird hovering like this.”
Dom’s brow arched. “Weird? We’re making sure no one messes with you.”
“You’re also making it look like I’m about to get my kneecaps broken if I don’t tip right.” She shot them both a look that said she appreciated them but also please go. “I’m fine. Promise.”
Gino didn’t move. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. Go. Eat. Flirt with the girl at the taco truck. Live your best lives.”
Reluctantly, they exchanged a glance and headed toward the exit, Dom muttering something about “ten–minute check–ins” over his shoulder.
Good. Now maybe I can breathe without feeling like I’m under FBI surveillance.
She used the quiet to wipe down her station, swap gloves, and line up fresh needles. Right on cue, her next appointment slid into the chair–a tall man in a tailored shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, forearms inked in the kind of meticulous, expensive work only certain artists dared to touch.
His smile was easy, warm. “Lola, right?”
“That’s me,” she said, gesturing to the chair. “You Rafael?”
“That’s me.” He sank into the seat like he owned it, like he owned everything. “Appreciate you picking my design, I’m sure you had a lot of people trying to get to you while you’re here.”
Confident. Well–dressed. A little too smooth. Definitely not from around here.
She didn’t recognize the name, but expo clients came from everywhere. “Nice to finally put a face to the name and it’s no problem. Let’s see the reference and get you numbed up.”
He handed her his phone, the image already pulled up. “I figured you were the one to do it right.”
Her mouth curved. “Flattery will get you… a couple of good dad jokes and maybe a gentler hand.”
He chuckled, leaning back while she prepped. Calm. Polished. Not a hint of nerves.
The needle buzzed steady, the angel’s wings taking shape on the tender skin of Rafael’s inner bicep. Lola had warned him it was a brutal spot–most clients tapped out for at least one break–but he’d sat like stone for the past forty minutes.
“You’ve got a high pain tolerance,” she said, dipping the needle for the next pass.
“Comes with the territory,” he replied, voice low and even.
Chapter 82
She arched a brow. “And what territory is that?”
He didn’t answer right away. His gaze swept over her booth instead–her setup, her tools, the neat little row of ink bottles. Then he looked back at her. “One where you don’t complain when it hurts.”
She smirked, keeping her focus on the fine lines of the halo. “Guess that makes you a good client, then.”
“Guess that makes you a dangerous artist,” he countered.
“How’s that?”
His lips curved, slow and deliberate. “Because if this hurts and I still enjoy it, what else could you make me enjoy?”
Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Accidentally Yours (Merffy Kizzmet)