“What do you think about this one?” Emily held the fork out to me with another bite of cake on it. After fifteen different choices, they were all starting to blend together.

“It’s good too.”

“Ugh, Parker. We have to pick one. We don’t have much time.”

I wanted to tell her that we wouldn’t be in this predicament if she hadn’t fired the first baker, but I was smart enough to know that comment wouldn’t be appreciated.

“Then I say lemon cake with that vanilla frosting.” I pointed to the yellow cake that was getting lost in the sea of all the others.

“Really?” She snarled her lip. “I liked the chocolate one.”

“Then get the chocolate one.” I had to force myself not to roll my eyes. I didn’t know why she brought me to this shit anyways. She didn’t really care what my opinion was.

“Babe, I have to go. I have another appointment at one.”

She smiled a tight smile, clearly irritated with me. “Okay. Love you.”

“I love you too.” I kissed her on the top of her head.

She didn’t look back at me again as I walked out. Instead she was deep in conversation with the baker, pointing to the chocolate cake.

I pulled my phone out and checked the time. I only had about twenty minutes until my appointment, and I was grateful. I needed to get lost with the vibration of my gun in my hand. It would clear my head.

Livy didn’t even look up when I walked into the door of the shop and that was fine. We had been pleasant toward each other since she started, having no problems, but we weren’t friendly. I could hear her joking around and laughing with Brandon and Staci while I was in my station, which was great, but as soon as I entered the room she tensed up. She tried to hide it, but I could see it.

We could all see it.

I began setting up my equipment, the routine almost robotic. I had just got it set up when my client walked in the door. We shook hands, and I adjusted my chair for him.

Before I even had to ask her, Livy had my music playing through the speakers. I got to work on the massive back piece I was finishing. I had already spent about six hours on it about a month ago, doing all of the outline, and now he was back to have all the color work done.

An hour into it, I was completely zoned out and didn’t even hear anyone else come into the shop. It wasn’t until I heard Livy’s voice and the words it was saying that my attention was pulled away from my work.

“I’m sorry. I already told you that we are completely booked out.”

We were booked out pretty damn far, but not indefinitely.

“Seriously, Livy. I know Parker has something. You can’t refuse me an appointment.” It was a woman’s voice. It was vaguely familiar and slightly annoying.

“First, don’t call me Livy. It’s Liv. Second, we have the right to refuse service to anyone we want.”

That got my attention.

“Give me a second,” I said to my client, and he just nodded his head.

I poked my head around the door of my workspace to see who on earth Livy was being so rude to. We never refused to tattoo anyone unless they were underage, drunk, or just wanted something so incredibly stupid that I couldn’t bring myself to tattoo it.

As soon as I saw the head of blonde hair that I knew belonged to my ex, Madison, I knew I might be in trouble. Livy was staring at her with murder in her eyes, and I didn’t dare interrupt them. Madison stopped by the shop about once every six months. Every time she came by, I refused to see her, but it never seemed to deter her.

“You’re a bitch, Liv.” Madison sounded out her name.

“Yeah, well you’re a fucking leech, Madison. Still trying to get close enough to suck the life out of him, huh? Didn’t you hear he’s getting married?” Livy was leaning over the desk precariously close to Madison.

“I did, actually.” Madison swept her hair over her shoulder. “But I think the two of us have that in common, not giving a fuck if he’s taken or not.”

I could see the anger filling Livy, and I knew from experience that girl had quite a bit of fire inside her. When she burned, everyone else burned with her.

I needed to step in. I should have stepped in, but I also wanted to know Livy’s reaction. I desperately wanted to know what was going on in that head of hers.

“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart,” Livy spoke through gritted teeth, looking hot as hell. “The only thing that the two of us have in common is that he broke both of our hearts. Now get the fuck out of here before I break something else.”

Madison hesitated only a second before she turned on her heel and marched out the door, the chime echoing throughout the building. Livy pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, and I knew she was trying to control herself. Trying to hide everything she was feeling in that moment.

She shook her hands out then her eyes met mine. She held my stare for a moment, giving away too much of herself, but not nearly enough. I wanted nothing more than to run to her and hold her against me. I wanted to tell her that she was nothing like Madison, that they didn’t have a damn thing in common. There were so many things I wanted to tell her. So many things that were on the tip of my tongue, but I had a client lying in my chair, gloves on my hands, and a fiancée that I seemed to keep forgetting about when I was around her.

So instead of doing everything I wanted to, I reached for the control on the wall turning up the radio, then I went back to work trying to numb out everything that was running through my mind.

By the time I came up for air, it was dark outside and there was no one around. I rang my client up since Livy wasn’t at her desk then shook his hand. He was a quiet guy. We barely spoke a handful of words during his session, but he was beyond happy with my work and that was all that mattered.

The door chimed as he walked out, and I wondered where in the hell everyone was. Staci’s laugh rang out through the shop and I followed the sound into Brandon’s workspace.

As soon as I saw them, rage filled me.

I had no right to feel that way.

It was insanity that I did, but it didn’t change anything.

It rushed through my veins.

It took over every rational thought.

Livy was lying back in Brandon’s chair, her shirt rolled up to the bottom of her breasts, her stomach completely on display.

I loved seeing the smooth skin of her stomach. It reminded me of times when we had gone swimming together, of the times I had her body under my touch, but then memories of her dancing half naked in front of my friends ran through my mind and seeing Brandon’s hands on her now took every good memory I had and ruined them.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Livy looked up at me, confused. I didn’t blame her. I was confused myself.

“I’m about to give Livy her first tattoo,” Brandon said without looking up at me.

Staci was swiveling in a chair next to Livy, and she had a grin on her face that was often there. It was full of mischief.

“It’s not happening.”

Brandon’s hands stopped pressing the transfer paper against Livy’s skin, and he finally turned to look at me.

“I’m sorry. What?” Livy sat up, crumbling the design that rested against her body, making me smile.

I looked at her. Only at her. “If you want a tattoo, then I’ll do it. Otherwise, it’s not happening.” I knew that I sounded like a maniac. Hell, I felt like one, but there was no way that I was allowing Brandon to ink her body. Not for her first time. Maybe not ever.

Just the thought of his hands running over her skin as he marked her for life was driving me insane.

Livy looked to Brandon for help maybe or advice. Either way, it pissed me off even more.

“Brandon?”

He didn’t turn to look at her though. He was staring at me, watching me with his gaze that could see straight through me.

“It’s cool, Liv,” he said. “Let Parker do your first tattoo. Maybe he’ll even do that drawing that you really wanted. You know the one, Parker? The heart with all the butterflies.”

That motherfucker.

He knew what that drawing meant to me. He knew why I had always refused to tattoo it on anyone.

It reminded me of Livy. I think subconsciously, I drew it for her.

“Parker James,” Livy stood, pulling down her shirt. “You piss me the fuck off.”

She stormed out of the room, knocking into my chest on her way out the door. Brandon and Staci both tried to stifle their laugh so I flipped them the bird before I walked out, following her.

“You piss me off too, Livy.”

She stopped in her tracks, her hand resting on the desk, and her chest heaving in anger.

“What the hell did I do to piss you off?” She turned toward me.

“You knew that I’d be mad if you let Brandon tattoo you. Is that why you did it? To get under my skin?”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why would I want under your skin, Parker?”

“I don’t know.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “But you promised me that I would be the first person to ever tattoo you.”

It was a stupid thing to say. Did she promise me that? Yes. Was that a long ass time ago? Yes again.

“Are you kidding me? That was over four years ago. Four fucking years.” She held up four fingers for emphasis. “And you promised me way more than that, buddy. I guess it’s my turn to start breaking some promises.”

Her words hit their mark, exactly where she intended for them to, and I felt it burn in my chest.

She pulled her bag from underneath her desk then looked up at me again. “I’m going home for the night.”

“Okay,” I said hesitantly.

“I wasn’t asking for permission.” She gave me an evil look, and I wanted to close the few steps that were separating us. I wanted to kiss the attitude right out of her. I wanted to apologize for everything I had ever done to her with the touch of my lips, and I wanted to punish her for still making me want her with the force of my tongue and the nip of my teeth.

But instead, I let her walk out, and I had no clue what I was thinking.