I love music, but I love the tattoo parlor more. Owning my own business and having steady income is something I’ve always dreamed of and never thought I would really have. Call me boring, but I like stability. While some people may think living the rock star life, and touring around the country—or the world—would be amazing, it’s not a lifestyle I want. It would only feed my demons and dredge up my past issues with feeling unsettled and unwanted. I’ve seen how Vandal has to juggle the band, working at the shop, and his daughter, and I just don’t want to split myself that way.

So now, Storm is here to make sure I’m going to play live with them in a couple weeks at a club across town.

“I said I’ll do it, man,” I assure him for what must be the tenth time.

He’s excited and jumpy, as usual. “This is special. I’m singing a song to Evie,” he says, following me around like a little kid.

I look up at him as I clean my work area, trying to remember why that name sounds familiar. “The girl from the blizzard incident?” I ask him.

He nods, clapping me on the shoulder. “That’s the one. I gotta get this girl, Lukas. I’m fucking mad crazy over her. And your intro to the song is gonna kick fucking ass.”

“It’s gonna be sweet. No worries. So what’s the deal with the chick?”

He leans against the wall, right on top of one of my paintings. “She’s got a fucking douche-bag boyfriend she’s been with for like half a fucking century,” he says, rolling his eyes. “But she’s not happy.”

“Are you sure about that? Is that your assessment or her own?”

He glares at me. “Don’t use big fucking words with me, Lukas. She’s not happy. Period. I know it, and she knows it. I just have to get her to admit it.”

“I think I know the feeling.”

The front bell rings, meaning Ivy is here. Finally. “Look, that’s my next appointment, so you gotta go, Storm.”

He turns toward the waiting area, grins at me, and leans toward me, lowering his voice. “The one you were telling me about? The older chick?”

I push him out of my work area. “Yes. Be gone.”

I follow him to the waiting area, where Ivy’s sitting in one of the red velvet chairs, looking fucking amazing. Her hair is a new brick color, and her face is glowing as she smiles up at us.

“Hi,” she chirps happily when she sees us.

“Hey, Ivy, I want you to meet my cousin, Storm. And Storm, this is Ivy.”

Storm shakes her hand and looks back at me. “Dude, you were right. She’s beautiful.” I’m going to kick his ass if he embarrasses me. Or her.

Ivy laughs. “It’s nice to meet you, Storm. I love your name.”

“Yeah, it’s very fitting,” I interrupt, grinning. “He was just leaving.”

Storm puts his arms up and waves his hands. “I get it. I’m going. I’m going.” He turns to me. “I’ll see you soon, man.” He looks down at Ivy. “And hopefully you, too. Have a great holiday.”

“You too.”

I lock the door behind Storm, so no one else wanders in, and finally turn my full attention to Ivy.

“You look gorgeous,” I tell her. “You are rocking that fuckin’ hair color.”

She smiles and looks down a little, her cheeks blushing. “Thank you. My daughter helped me color it.”

“I love it. Come on. Let’s go back.”

Damn, I want to pull her into my arms and kiss her, and just forget about her tattoo for now. This time, when she changes her clothes, she comes back wearing these cute little black shorts with red hearts. I’m loving the changes I see in her today. She’s growing confident, and I’m hoping I’ve helped bring that out of her.

After she settles down in the leather chair, I wheel my stool closer to her and run my hand gently over her tattoo, which looks awesome spanning her leg.

“Did you wear these for me?” I ask her, my voice low, my fingers skimming the edge of the shorts. She nods and smiles shyly, and that just ignites my desire for her even more. Her shyness turns me on wicked bad.

“I like.” She watches my hand move to rest on her outer thigh. “I’m gonna finish this tonight, and I don’t want this to be the last time I see you.” I look up at her face, finding her eyes wide, and she’s chewing her bottom lip. “So what’s it gonna be, doll? Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night? I’d like to get you out of client mode.”

She nods, still not saying a word. “You sure?” I ask her, and she nods yet again, her eyes glazed as I let my fingertips brush just beneath the edge of her shorts, touching her silky thigh.

I bend down and kiss her leg, right above her knee, and a small gasp escapes her. Fuck, she is so easy to turn on. Bending her leg up, I kiss the sensitive spot behind her knee then slowly drag my lips up the inside of her thigh, tasting her sweet flesh. I stop just a few inches from the apex of her thighs and gently graze her with my teeth.

“Lukas . . .” she whispers. Her hand goes to my head, her fingers in my hair, and all I want is to feel her yanking my hair and hear her moan my name while I give her all the attention she is starving for and deserves to have. I want nothing more than to give this woman my heart, body, and soul, and hope that she will give me the same in return.

Lifting my head up, I catch her eyes with mine. “I’m not going to do this like this.” I sit up and reluctantly pull away from her, which is sheer torture for me. As much as I want her, I’m not going to fool around with her on my fucking tattoo chair. This is where I work, and I’ve already crossed way too many inappropriate lines. More importantly, she deserves so much better than this. When I touch her and kiss her, I want it to be in the right place at the right time.

“What’s wrong?” she asks me, nervousness lacing her voice.

“Nothing at all. I’m just not going to start something I can’t finish the right way. I want to have a real date with you, and if we go further, I sure as hell don’t want to do it here in my work area. I want you in my bed, and I want a lot of time.”

Her lips part, but no words come out. She nods silently instead. I wish she would talk to me instead of nodding all the time, but the idea that I have such an effect on her that she can’t speak intrigues me. It means she feels something, and that’s what I really want.

Reaching across my worktable, I hold up the framed drawing that I made for her of the girl with the butterfly hair.

“This is for you. Don’t forget to take it home.”

“You framed it for me? You didn’t have to do that.” She takes it from me and holds it in her lap, studying it. “I love this so much, Lukas. It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s how I see you.”

Her mouth drops, and she’s speechless again. I’ve never met a woman so easy to make happy.

“My cousin Storm that you just met?” I grab my gun and prepare to get to work. “He was stuck in a truck during that bad snow storm we had a few weeks ago, with a girl he picked up on the side of the road whose car got stuck in a ditch.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yup. They were trapped in his truck for like an entire weekend.” I would love to be trapped in a truck with Ivy for two days. The things I could do with her to keep her warm. . . . Fuckin’ Storm has all the luck.

“Did he know her?”

I shake my head. “No, not at all, and I guess things got a little heated, if you know what I mean. Now, he’s got a thing for her, but it turns out she’s got a long-term boyfriend.”

“Oh, wow. That’s crazy. What’s he going to do?”

“The same thing I’m trying to do with you. Make her fall in love with him.”

I swear I can see her stop breathing as she absorbs my words. Then finally, she reacts with a hesitant smile. “I don’t think either of you are going to have to ‘make us’, Lukas.”

My hands shake and my brain derails at what she’s hinting at, making me stop working before I actually do screw up her tattoo.

“The weekend after Christmas, his band is playing at a club not far from here. I’d love it if you came with me?” If she says yes, it will be the perfect opportunity for me to show her that I’m also a musician, rather than telling her. I kinda want to surprise her and just let her hear me play.

“Like a concert?”

“Yeah, but small scale. It’s in a club. I think you’ll like it. My brother’s in the band, and all my cousins. And the girl from the blizzard is gonna be there.”

“All right,” she says hesitantly. “I’ll go with you. I’d love to meet some of your family and hear them play.”

I look up at her from under the shroud of hair hanging over my face, my gun poised just over her calf. “You don’t know how fucking happy I am that you’re saying yes to me now, Ivy. I was starting to feel like a creepy stalker, asking you a hundred times.”

She fidgets a little, moving her legs. “I’m still a little freaked about the age difference, but you asked me to give you a chance, so that’s what I’m doing.” She grips the edge of the chair as I tattoo the spot right above her ankle. “You kinda made yourself irresistible,” she adds.

“I know it hurts here, but it will be over in a sec,” I say, trying to hold her leg still. “So you think I’m irresistible?”

She flashes me a beautiful smile. “Are you fishing for compliments, Lukas?”

“Shamelessly.”

“Yes, you’re irresistible. Happy now?”

“Incredibly. And guess what? We’re done.” I wheel away from her and lay my gun on my workbench.

Surprise and excitement light up her face. “Really? It’s really done?”

“Yup. Go over to the full-length mirror and check it out. Let me know if you want me to add anything.”

She runs to the mirror and examines the tattoo that starts just below her hip and travels down to her ankle. It’s gorgeous, and I’m so proud of her for getting through such a big piece as her first.