I stood at the balcony and enjoyed a smoke. It wasn’t the first time that I’d a little fun in the middle of the afternoon when I was supposed to be working. But it was certainly the first time it felt like it mattered so much.

Hazel was everything I could have ever dreamed of. The curves on her body were made for my fingers to explore. The way her skin tasted, something like a rare, delectable honey, one that I now thirsted for, and that thirst never went away. The touch of her sweet core, feeling that wet heat, proof that my touch mattered to her.

Fuck.

I was still piecing everything together in my head. I couldn’t stop seeing the stain on the wall, the glass on the floor, her camera in pieces in that grocery bag.

I sucked on the cigarette hard and curled my lip as I blew out smoke. I was shaking. Fucking shaking. I never got like that. Not from a woman. Not from sex. Not some situation that had nothing to do with me.

I heard the door open behind me.

I looked back and saw Hazel with the green eyes as she stepped out, now wearing nothing but a long t-shirt with a faded picture of a motorcycle on it. Her hair was pulled back, still messy, almost glimmering with the leftover sweat from what we had done in her bed.

I hurried to put the cigarette between my thumb and middle finger, ready to flick it away.

Hazel grabbed my forearm. “No. It’s okay.”

“It’s not the greatest habit in the world, sugar.”

“Could be worse.”

“Right.”

I smiled. I wasn’t wasting half the cigarette.

Then it hit me…

Was I just about to toss my smoke because of a woman?

That hit me hard in the gut, too.

“Maddox, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now…”

“Ah, Hazel, don’t go deeper than it needs to be,” I said. “Okay? I’m not that kind of guy.”

“The way it felt was different. And I’m not saying that to scare you.”

“Meaning?”

“I let it happen because it always happened around me,” Hazel said. “Okay?”

I nodded.

That didn’t make it right, but I didn’t need to tell her that.

I then stood there and stared straight ahead, giving her some space but being close at the same time. Again, something I was not used to doing.

When I blinked, that split second my eyes were shut, I saw her, arms open, apologizing, going off the ridge.

That wasn’t going to happen to Hazel.

“I don’t want you involved though, Maddox,” she said. “It’s not your problem or your fault.”

“I can’t stand by and watch you get hurt. I think we both can agree that this time it was a flower vase and a camera…”

I saw the look on her face.

I saw the scar under her right eye.

Slowly, I reached for it. With the tip of my index finger, I traced the line on it.

“See, I know how strong you are. Even though you don’t believe me or don’t believe yourself. But I know it. I watched you stand up to me. I’m an asshole. I wanted to chase you away but you refused to leave. Pictures or not, you refused to leave. And this. This scar. This scar has a story and you wear it.”

“You can’t get rid of a scar, Maddox.”

I flicked my smoke away and turned, leaning against the railing on my left side. I put my hand to her hip. That damn curve wanted to kill me.

“You can cover up a scar,” I whispered. “Or a cut. Or a bruise. Anything you want in life you can cover up. But from the day you busted into my life with your damn camera, that scar has always been visible. Beyond those beautiful green eyes, there’s the scar.”

“Yeah, well, not wearing makeup doesn’t make me some warrior or anything, Maddox.”

I pulled her close to me. Her hands touched my bare chest. She let out a gasp.

“Yes it does,” I said. “To me, you’re a fucking warrior, sugar. And whenever you’re ready to keep giving me pieces of the story, I’m here to listen. And if you ever need me for something more, I’m here.”

I saw her chin quiver. “Maddox…he just shows up when he wants. I broke it off a long time ago. To him, he still has that power. And the camera? He gave me the money to buy the camera that I started my business with. So…”

“So, what?” I asked. “That gives him right to take it away like that?”

“I can’t have this conversation. I can’t.”

Hazel put her hands to my chest and pushed away. She wiped the corners of her eyes and then cleared her throat.

“I have some stuff to do. So…if…”

“You want me to go,” I said. “Not a problem, sugar.”

I grabbed the handle of the sliding door and wanted to rip the fucking door off its track and throw it a mile away. I hated the way Hazel felt, and I hated that I couldn’t just fix it.

I gathered up the rest of my stuff and met her at the door.

I touched her chin one more time. “I know you’re not going anywhere. I know you’re not doing anything. Don’t be afraid to be honest with me, sugar. I promise I will always be honest with you.”

“It’s not you, Maddox. Okay? It’s just all this…”

“Shit,” I said. “I know. I get it.”

I leaned in and planted a soft kiss to her cheek. As I pulled away, she grabbed for my shoulder, wanting me close. I turned my head a little and our noses touched. Her lips were gorgeous. Lips meant to be kissed. Lips meant to watch as she spoke words or let out moans as I touched her.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For being here. Right now. Like this. Today.”

I nodded. “I’m not going anywhere, sugar. And you’re not quitting St. Skin. Not yet, at least.”

“I don’t have-”

I brushed my lips against hers.

Then I left the apartment.

I hurried down the stairs and grabbed my phone.

I called for Max. He did portrait tattoos at the shop. He was the best. Honestly. The best I had ever seen in my life. He could do a portrait tattoo and you’d swear it was the real thing. Because of that…

“Max,” I said. “Brother. I need a favor. I need to know everything you know about cameras…”