Brady sputtered a laugh. “Uh, what are you talking about? Of course you’re interesting. That’s why I asked, TJ!”
I might’ve been half-fishing for compliments, but his genuine enthusiasm made me feel good.
“Well... I’m a single alpha.” I shrugged. “Work is all I do. But I love my job, so I can’t complain.”
A hopeful curiosity flickered across Brady’s face. The bait I’d dropped worked.
“Single?” Brady echoed. “You? No way.”
I chuckled. “Way.”
“How’s that even possible? Are you like…a serial killer?”
“No, but that would’ve been a good cover story,” I joked. “No one’s caught my eye before.”
Before today,I wanted to add. But I held my tongue.
“I see,” Brady murmured. “Well, you’ll have no trouble finding someone. I know it.”
I knew it, too. The someone I wanted—the someone that wasmine—was right in front of me. It took every ounce of willpower not to blurt out the truth.
“Thank you,” I said. “I suppose you could say I’m picky. Flings aren’t my style. Go big or go home, you know? I wantthe one.”
Brady was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, I get it. That’s a pretty noble value for an alpha. The ones I’ve met aren’t choosy as long as they get what they want.”
Judging from his sour tone, I got the feeling he made a jab at his ex. My protective alpha fire burned within me. I wanted to ravish Brady, make him forget that man ever existed...
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” I said. “You don’t deserve anything like that.”
“Thanks,” TJ murmured with a slight smile. Examining the linework on his arm, he said, “Man, I really wishyouwere my first artist.”
“I’m happy to be your second.”
Brady grinned. “Yeah, but you could’ve taken my tattoo virginity.”
The playfully naughty comment took me by surprise. I let out a laugh.
“Sure,” I agreed in a low voice. “But you’ve got plenty of naked skin left. There’s other places I could take your tattoo virginity.”
Brady’s cheeks went redder than the ink on his arm. It was cute seeing him so flustered. But I figured I should stop teasing him lest he melt into the chair while I was in the middle of his cover-up.
“I’m joking,” I said, though I didn’t sound as convincing as I should’ve.
“Haha, yeah,” Brady agreed.
I got the sense he saw right through my fib. And that was fine with me.
Five
Brady
I was so investedin my conversation with TJ that I had no clue how much time had passed since we walked into Heraldry Ink. I felt like I could’ve sat there talking to him forever.
Eventually, TJ took a breath and scooted away from me on his stool. Snapping off his gloves, he said, “Phew. You were a trooper for sitting through that, Brady.”
I glanced at my arm. TJ wasn’t done, but the difference was amazing. The old tattoo was engulfed by TJ’s skilled new lines. The petals fanned out in all directions from the center, bright and sunny. I got emotional looking at it.
“Let’s take a break,” TJ suggested. “Feel free to get up and stretch, go to the bathroom, drink some water... Oh, but hang on a sec.”
