Ink & Dagger (Sins of Eden #1)

2. Chapter II

Chapter II

Emily

I ronically, “Witch Hunt” played softly in the background through the studio speakers as I turned the page of my book and I laughed. Still smirking at the lyrics as I read, the soft ‘ting’ of the bell on the front door sounded.

“I’ll be right with you,” I shouted, loud enough to be heard from the back as I stood from the tattoo bed and stretched.

Setting down my bag of Skittles and mentally dousing myself with a bucket of cold water, I stuck my Chucky’s Bride sticker that I used in place of a bookmark to hold my spot, and slid off the bed. I’ll be right back for you, Daddy Raine, I thought with a sigh.

Walking down the hall that led to the front, I turned the corner into the lobby and bounced off the hard chest of a familiar man striding toward me. His large tattooed hand reaching out to wrap around my waist was the only thing keeping me from landing on my ass and I was immediately thankful for an excuse to be close to him as I inhaled his intoxicating smoky scent.

The hard dips and planes of his muscles were barely concealed behind an open leather jacket and the tight black Henley he wore, but it was the thick bulge at his groin that had me nearly panting.

Mother, Maiden, and Crone, I needed to get laid.

A knowing smirk graced his lips through his dark brown stubble as I mentally scolded myself for practically drooling all over this walking God. It was him. The man in the shadows. My elusive stalker.

To say sparks were flying would be putting it lightly. The air crackled around us as I stared up at him, like an electric current, pushing and pulling between us. Not only was he stunning to look at up close, but he was dark, mysterious, and dominating. A trio of sins, making him the most appealing Venus fly trap I’d ever witnessed. He was easily the type of man that I could fall for if I allowed myself and it fucking terrified me.

“Emily Cross?” He asked, his deep voice awakening every cell in my body as my breath caught in my chest.

Fuck. Words.

Why couldn’t I think a single coherent fucking thought? Something about his presence and aura made my words jumble and left my tongue twisted.

A deep ache grew in the pit of my stomach and desire slicked my panties. The urge to rub my thighs together for friction against my throbbing clit grew the longer we stood there staring into each other’s souls.

“Me. I mean, yes. That’s me. Are you here for the eight o’clock? You’re a bit early,” I stammered. Trying to gain my bearings, I looked past him to the large clock on the wall. Ten after seven. “We could get started now, if you’d like.”

His dark eyebrows furrowed as he gazed down at me in confusion. Realizing that his large palm was still wrapped around my waist, I blew out a steadying breath and looked away from his rich whiskey eyes to break my trance and pull myself together. I bit my bottom lip and took a step back to put some much needed distance between us, otherwise, I’d end up climbing him like a damn tree.

“A tattoo? Right.” He shook his head softly with a lopsided grin. “I’m actually here for another talent of yours,” he told me, advancing closer.

I looked up at the clock again, allowing myself another step back and felt the hard wall behind me. “Look, if you’re not my eight o’clock, then I’ll have to give you this and ask you to get back to me,” I said breathlessly, pulling a business card from my back pocket and holding it out to him.

He studied the tarot card design on the front of the card and flipped it to the back.

“Is this the number I should call for your other services?” He raised his eyebrow as he looked down at me. The corners of his mouth pulled up into a wide mischievous smile, revealing his white teeth, before he drew his bottom lip between them.

“Listen bud, I’m not a hooker for hire and I won’t pretend to be Lydia Deetz just so you can get your rocks off, but if you actually need something, you can call that number and schedule a time to meet with me,” I huffed. “I typically work through lunch, but my last client should be finished about nine o’clock tonight. That would probably be a better time to discuss whatever it is that you think you’re looking for.”

His rough chuckle sent a delicious shiver down my spine as he stepped into me, bridging the distance between us and closing me in between himself and the wall.

“I’ll be back around nine then. I’ll even bring dinner. Chinese good?”

My nipples hardened as he placed his large hands against the wall on either side of me, boxing me in. An image of him bringing his large hand up to my throat and pinning me in place against the wall before stealing my breath in a realm shattering kiss played out in my mind and my eyes widened.

Where the fuck did that come from? Fuck, Emily. Pull. Yourself. Together.

“You could just call like a normal person, you know. That way you can see if I can actually help, before wasting your time and gas,” I said, a bit more breathless than I intended, as I tried to focus on the conversation we were having, rather than his firm body still pressed against mine.

Leaning forward, his short beard prickled against my cheek and I held in a moan as he whispered low enough to just be heard over the wild racing of my heart and the blood pounding in my ear drums.

“Oh, Sweet Witch. I’m anything but normal. I’ll see you tonight,” he purred, pushing off from the wall and shooting me a wink before turning for the door.

I admired his firm ass in his tight dark wash denim jeans while he strode toward the front door and I let out the breath I’d been holding. Following after him, I watched with hearts in my eyes through the lobby window as he climbed onto a slick black Harley. I was more of a sports bike kind of girl, but I still couldn’t help admiring a man who rode with that much power between his legs.

As he turned the key, he kicked the jiffy stand, and shot me another wink before shifting it into gear and taking off in a cloud of dust down the empty road.

Fucking swoon.

I was a sucker for a man in leather on a motorcycle and this one already starred in every single one of my wet dreams.