The presentation ended, and Riley packed away her supplies and made sure all of her needles were secured before she started cleanup. The Royal Caravan Hotel needed them to make sure the room was free of ink and other materials before they vacated the premises. Giovanni had left unannounced halfway through the presentation and hadn’t returned, so Riley was left to do the work herself. She didn’t mind, but she wondered where he’d gone. Part of her reasoned that with his broken wrist, he needed more downtime to recover and he was going home to sleep. A smaller, but more vocal part convinced her that she’d embarrassed him by dragging him up to deliver some of the presentation. It felt like no matter what she did, she was making wrong turns. But it was hard to know what was right when she couldn’t figure Giovanni out.

Strong, silent, brooding, brash, he was the kind of man she could spend years getting to know on a surface level. The executives she’d dated, while climbing the social ladder in New York following her graduation, had been the same. There were layers to peel back and rules to learn, and she was left to find her way through the dark.

Riley refused to give up.

There was a good chance that Giovanni didn’t want her, and now that he’d had his way with her, he’d show her the door. There was a good chance she’d sacrificed what could have been a dream career over a moment of passion. Yet, the thought of Giovanni wouldn’t fade from her mind no matter how much she wished it would. He was under her skin and in her head, and Riley knew she wanted more. Needed more.

If that wasn’t in the cards, maybe it was better that she moved on.

The room emptied. On the way out, several artists stopped to congratulate her on a presentation well given. Some asked her questions about her techniques, and Riley was glad to elaborate. By the time she was the only one left in the room, it was late. With a yawn and a stretch, she finished cleanup and went to gather her materials so she could leave. As she turned toward the door, she stopped short.

Giovanni stood in the doorway. Cradled in his left arm was a bouquet of roses, the red buds barely peeping out from behind the plastic wrapping. Riley looked between him and the flowers as her heart raced.

He stepped forward. “You did a great job with the presentation,” he said softly. “I know you’re not confident in your technical skills, but you hit it out of the park tonight. I think even the pros walked away learning something new.”

Flattered but embarrassed, Riley glanced to the side. She occupied herself with setting her bag down as she tried to still her beating heart. Hearing Giovanni praise her was like nothing else. “Thanks.”

“These are for you,” he said. He held the bouquet out, and Riley accepted it gingerly. She clutched the roses to her chest, knowing that there was no way in hell she’d ever be able to talk herself out of her excitement. The logical part of her brain told her it was simply a sweet gesture for Giovanni to give her flowers after her first successful workshop presentation. The emotional side of her brain insisted it meant more. “I wanted to stick around for the full presentation, but I had a few things I needed to tend to.”

“Oh.” Riley looked the bouquet over, feeling too overwhelmed to look at Giovanni. She knew if she lifted her chin that he’d tempt her. From his rippling muscles and the professional cut of his suit to the rugged handsomeness of his face, she was powerless against him. “That’s fine, really. It went exceptionally well.”

“I figured.” Giovanni paused. “When I left, I went to meet up with Antonio. There were a few things I wanted to talk to him about.”

That startled Riley enough to lift her chin and look Giovanni in the eyes. Her heart raced not out of attraction, but out of fear. “Oh?”

“I’ve been crunching the numbers you laid out, trying to make it work… and no matter what I did, nothing’s adding up.” Giovanni lifted his right hand and displayed his cast. “On top of that, I broke my wrist at the worst possible time. There’s no way that we can salvage the quarter without doing something drastic. So, I went to Antonio and told him everything. About you tattooing, about the workshops, and about all the overtime you’re putting in these days to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Riley’s ankles wobbled, and she leaned back against the desk for support. Giovanni narrowed an eye and grinned, but didn’t say anything. Was he really letting her go? Riley had never been fired before. If this was a goodbye, she’d never tempt fate and return to tattooing again. Her father had been right. Nothing good had ever come out of art.

“So we chatted for a while about the quarter, and expectations for the quarters to follow if you kept doing what you’re doing, and I get back to it after my wrist heals. Antonio’s incredibly impressed by your work, and he’s already heard mention of your name through word of mouth.” Giovanni’s grin grew, and Riley trembled. “Mitch? The client you tattooed a while ago? He hasn’t got a lot of visible ink, but it turns out he’s some big shot at Inked magazine, and everyone he knows is a big name with big connections. They’ve all been talking about you, Thorn Tattoo, and the workshops.”

“Oh my god,” Riley whispered. She raised a hand to cover her mouth, eyes wide. “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. It’s the honest-to-god truth. So not only is Antonio impressed, but he’s under the impression that the next few quarters to come are going to be explosive for Thorn Tattoo. We’re going to go from a middle-to-high range shop to a powerhouse in the industry… if you keep tattooing for us.”

There were no words Riley could think to say that would properly convey her emotions. She thought back to Amanda, and how their friendship had been sparked by art. Now she was being hailed as a giant in an industry that she loved with all her heart. Amanda’s death had been the catalyst to bring her out here to Vegas. Riley was meant to tattoo.

And honoring Amanda’s memory would be far easier as an artist than as a manager.

“I know that you’ve got some emotional baggage about tattooing, but I’m ready to work around that. We can start small, and you can be exclusive. Maybe only a few customers a week. Then, if you feel like you can do more, we can—”

“No.” Riley shook her head, tears beading in her eyes. Giovanni’s face instantly fell. He thought she was rejecting the offer entirely. “No, I mean… it’s not necessary to start small.” Riley wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, careful not to smudge her eyeliner. “I’m ready to take on full-time work. I want to do this. I want to see Thorn Tattoo succeed.”

She wanted to see Giovanni flourish, too, but she didn’t admit it. The mess that was their relationship was separate from the work she did, and she didn’t want to confuse them. Giovanni made her feel jumbled enough as it was.

“I want to see you succeed, too,” he whispered, as though he read her mind. Riley’s posture went rigid, and she felt herself tense all over. The back and forth between fear and stunning attraction flipped again. Her heart beat strong for him. “I want to see you smiling and glowing with happiness, just like you were tonight. I want to see you come to work every day in love with what you do.”

Softly, Riley’s lips parted. “I don’t need to tattoo for that to happen,” she whispered.

The distance between them had closed. Giovanni stood so close they were almost chest to chest. Riley set the roses down on the desk, wanting nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and hold him close.

“Maybe not.” Giovanni reached out and cupped her jaw. The palm of his hand was warm, and the skin of his thumb, as it traced along her cheek was rough, masculine, and protective. “But I want you to reach for your dreams and accomplish them. I want you to be satisfied in all walks of your life, not just one.”

Was he saying what she thought he was? Riley pressed her cheek gently against his hand, eager for his touch.

“Then I feel like we have plenty to talk about,” she murmured. “I’m satisfied with my job, Gio. It’s going to be hard at first, but I know now that I’m meant to tattoo. There’s something else I want, though. I’ve wanted it for a long time now.”

“I know.” His voice was a deep baritone that curled in her stomach and clenched in her core. “That’s on me. That’s always been on me. You deserved better, and I wasn’t the man you needed. But today, since all this shit went down with my wrist… since I saw you rising up and taking control, doing what was right for the shop instead of what was right for you, I realize what an ass I’ve been this entire time.”

The confession flowed from him, and Riley had no doubt that it was genuine. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from interrupting him. How was she supposed to listen when she wanted to throw her arms around his neck, pull herself close, and kiss him until her jaw ached and her lips were sore?

Taking care of the shop had never been about him, but knowing that the work she did might help him reach his dreams too made what she did even more fulfilling.

“I want to work with you toward building a better future, Riley. I don’t want to fight you anymore.” Giovanni’s hand tightened slightly on her jaw, and he drew her face a hair closer. Their noses brushed, and Riley closed her eyes in anticipation of his lips. “I want to make things right between us, both at the shop, and outside of it. I’m sick of pretending you don’t mean shit to me because of pride and arrogance. You mean the fucking world to me already, and I barely know you. I can’t imagine what I’ll feel like once we’re a year into this, actually giving us a try. I don’t want you only for sex, I want you for you. You’re one of the most intelligent, beautiful, charismatic women I’ve ever met, and I want to do good by you.”

The words pulsed inside of her, and Riley reveled in each one of them. Her body reacted to his nearness and she felt the air between their lips move as he spoke.

“Let me prove myself outside the shop. I don’t give a shit about dating coworkers, or workplace drama, or whatever else. If you want me to quit this job, I’ll fucking do it. All I want is a chance to get to know you better, and to bring you into my life.”

How did he know how to say every word so right? Riley opened her eyes slightly to find his were still open, his expression sincere. Giovanni meant everything he said.

“I want you, too,” she said softly. “There’s something about you that hooks me and refuses to let me go. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. If I let you go because I was afraid… if I walked away from someone who means so much to me, even if I can’t rationalize that attraction, I’d be repeating the past. I walked away from tattooing once because I was bullied into quitting, and I regretted it. I refuse to let that happen to me again with you.”

The last syllable was barely out of her mouth before his lips were against hers. The kiss was passionate, and it stole her breath away, but Giovanni was careful not to push it too far. His touch was tender, like she was more than just an object for his pleasure.

Like she was someone he truly cared for.

Someone he loved.

Tears gathered again in Riley’s eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him and drew herself close. The kiss endured, sweet but sultry, and when it broke, it lingered on her lips and in her heart.

Riley blinked away her tears and took a small step back.

“Why don’t I help you with your equipment?” Giovanni asked in a soft voice. “I may have a broken wrist, but I’m not entirely useless.”

Composing herself, Riley shook her head. “I’m not too sure about that,” she said coquettishly. “I’m worried that you won’t be able to take care of yourself all alone in your apartment with a broken wrist. I think maybe I should stay the night. You know. Just in case.”

The gleam in Giovanni’s eyes spoke for him.

The kiss they shared, ravenous and scorching, was the cherry on top.

* * *

Giovanni brought her home that night, and as the apartment door closed behind him, he pulled her into his strong arms and reignited the kiss they had shared in the conference room. The apartment was dark, and Riley didn’t know her way, but she trusted Giovanni. There was an understanding between them now. The cards were laid out on the table, and the way forward was clear.

There was still ground to cover and things to learn about each other, but their wants were the same. Until he gave her reason not to, she’d trust him blindly.

He was her protector.

Giovanni guided her through the apartment, their kiss growing hotter, never breaking. Riley ran her palms along his chest, savoring how muscular his body was and feeling herself start to get wet as she remembered the sculpted planes of his chest and abdomen. Decorated with tattoos, Giovanni’s body was literally a piece of art, and she wanted to enjoy it again and again.

His hands traveled down her back until his palms met the curves of her ass. He squeezed, and Riley gasped into their kiss and pressed her hips against him. Even with her heels on there was a significant height difference between them, and she felt his hardened cock press against her lower stomach.

Imagining how deep he’d fill her and how connected they’d be when he pushed all the way inside stirred heat in her groin and pulsed in her clit. Riley craved to feel him stretching her all over again.

They made it to the bedroom door. Riley pressed him against the doorframe and ground herself against his cock, desperate. The longer he kissed her, his rough lips claiming her in primal ways, the more she wanted him.

To think they’d have this for as long as they were together—maybe into forever—flushed her cheeks.

“God.” Giovanni’s lips brushed hers as he whispered the word. “You’re so fucking hot, Riley. I’m so lucky.”

“You?” Riley hoped he could feel her grinning. “I’m the lucky one. Have you looked in a mirror lately? It’s insane you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“I do now.” Giovanni’s hands tightened on her wrists, and he pushed her against the doorframe so she was the one now pinned. “I’m dating the hottest girl Vegas has ever seen.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Well.” Giovanni stole another kiss that wrenched at Riley’s soul and made her desperate to take him to bed. Giovanni was untamed, and she wanted him in the worst way. “Admittedly, she’ll be hotter once we get some ink on her, but I still think she’s the hottest woman I’ve ever seen.”

Riley’s heart jumped into her throat as she imagined herself lounging, nude, looking up at Giovanni as he inked her hip. The pain. The pleasure. Riley pictured how he’d push her onto the bed once he was done and make her forget the pain by making gentle love to her until she came around his cock.

How they’d spend the rest of the night bringing each other to orgasm, too desperate for each other’s touch to pull away.

Dizzy, Riley tugged him into the room. They staggered toward the bed together, and Giovanni backed her onto it. Riley’s ass sunk down against the firm mattress. Giovanni’s room smelled like him—like the woodsy cologne he wore, and the natural notes of his body that smelled better to her than any man-made scent ever could. Hard work. Sweat. Masculinity condensed in the air and reminded Riley that she was in the bedroom of a man who wanted her.

And she wanted no one else but him.

She crawled backward as he crowded her on the bed until her hand slipped and she fell back against the mattress. Giovanni huffed a dry, growling laugh and lowered himself over her. Their kiss resumed, the pressure of his lips demanding, and Riley gave in to it entirely.

On the job, she was confident and independent. With Giovanni in the bedroom, all she wanted was to be owned. Taken care of. Made to obey.

“Take off that pretty dress for me,” Giovanni uttered against her lips. The dominance in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and Riley knew instantly that she’d obey. “I want to see how good you look naked in my bed.”

In a haze of kisses and awkward positions, Riley unzipped her dress and managed to tug it off. Left in her bra and thong, she looked up at Giovanni to find that he was shirtless. The bright collage of tattoos on his chest and down his arms captivated her as much as the muscles beneath them.

“That won’t do,” Giovanni said. His fingers ghosted across the tight skin of her stomach and down to her hips until they brushed against her underwear. “This needs to go. And this, too.” He reached up and squeezed her breast through her bra.

Even with a single hand, he was driving her wild.

Riley stripped out of her underwear without a second thought. With other men, she’d always felt shy, as though she had something to be ashamed of. With Giovanni, she had no hesitation at all.

When Riley was bare from the waist down, she lifted herself on her elbows and undid the clasp of her bra. The straps fell slack and slipped down her shoulders, and she cast the garment aside.

Giovanni growled under his breath as he watched, and Riley’s sex throbbed in response. She knew she was drenched, and she wanted him desperately.

“Gio….”

But his lips were on hers, crushing, needy, and she had nothing more she could say even if she wanted to. Riley drowned in him, and she didn’t regret a second of it.

Together, they slid Giovanni’s pants from his hips and worked down his boxer-briefs to expose his swollen cock. Riley took it in her hands, caressing it as it drooled precum for her. One of the only parts of Giovanni’s body that was untouched by ink was hers and hers alone.

The power in knowing a man like him wanted her was astounding.

Giovanni pressed her against the bed, and Riley parted her legs for him. Their bodies responded to each other naturally, as though they’d been lovers for years. Giovanni worked his hips against her, supporting his weight on his left hand while Riley held and stroked his cock. Effortlessly, they were joined. Giovanni stretched her out and Riley threw her head back in ecstasy.

The indescribable force that was Giovanni refused to let her go. Riley gyrated her hips and pushed back against him as he thrust into her, delirious pleasure numbing her to everything but the man on top of her. He sank all the way in, then pulled out and did it all over, time and time again, until she was babbling his name and begging for more.

Giovanni challenged her in her professional life and owned her in her private life. The satisfaction of giving in was otherworldly. Even with a broken wrist, he ravaged her. Riley had never known a greater lover.

Like in a dream, only flashes of what they shared registered in her mind. Blinding pleasure. Giovanni’s low, gravelly grunts. The weight of his body. The rocking of his hips. The throbbing of her sex. The way her orgasm clenched low and came on all at once.

Riley cried out, desperate and breathy, as Giovanni pushed her over the edge. Her body pulsed and tightened around him, and she felt every inch inside of her, buried deep.

Giovanni’s cock pulsed and he shuddered as he came. Hot seed shot into her, and Riley clutched at him tight and held herself to him. Panting and slick with sweat, they collapsed on the bed. Giovanni slipped out of her and lay by her side. Riley took a few deep breaths to fill her aching lungs before she spoke.

“So, after all that, I have a feeling you’ll be fine on your own overnight,” Riley murmured as she drew herself to his chest and kissed him. “… but I’m going to stay over, just in case I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong sometimes?” Giovanni cocked a brow and Riley snorted.

“Rarely, but it does happen. So I’m going to stay here, with you, to make sure you’ve got everything you need. Sound good?”

“It sounds perfect.” Giovanni kissed her forehead, and Riley melted. Not only was he the best partner she’d ever had, but he made her feel like she was sixteen and in love for the first time all over again.

In love.

Riley blushed and cuddled up with Giovanni.

After all the fear and uncertainty, what could have been a terrible situation had turned into the best possible outcome. Riley was in love, and Giovanni wanted her. Together, they were going to make it work.

The future had never been brighter. She was working a job she loved alongside a man she loved, and soon, she was sure she’d grow to love Las Vegas, too.

She’d strayed off the path, but had returned just in time to find her happy ending.

The struggle had been worth it.

She’d found Giovanni, but more importantly, she’d found herself along the way. No matter what happened between them, Riley wouldn’t trade the moments they shared for the entire world.