I didn’t think so. That furious gleam in TJ’s eyes when I told him why I broke up with Corey was proof. He was genuinely pissed. At that moment, he almost looked possessive over me. To be honest, it thrilled me. I’d never been on the receiving end of such an intense reaction before.
On top of that, there were all the times TJ called me perfect... If he wanted to win my heart, he was doing a damn good job.
But what about after the tattoo was finished? I couldn’t just go home like nothing happened. Maybe TJ was right about destiny. In the depths of my heart, itdidfeel like I’d stumbled into this shop for a reason. I believed it.
My heart danced every time TJ’s gloved hand brushed against my skin. I studied his face. His knit brow was focused, and his dark eyes were like obsidian shards, sharp and beautiful. Their quality was almost otherworldly. I’d never met someone with eyes as deep black as TJ’s.
And there was something about the way he growled earlier, the same moment he’d looked possessive for a few seconds. The sound that vibrated in his throat was almost like an animal, not a man. Wouldn’t it have been funny if he was a vampire or something?
I snorted quietly to myself and let the thought drift away. That was ridiculous. TJ was a regular human, just like me.
Since my thoughts drifted, my gaze did, too. I glanced around the shop. In the hours I’d been in the studio, it kind of felt like home. I knew that was crazy, but the cozy atmosphere and TJ’s warm welcome made it so inviting. I couldn’t help but feel comfortable here.
“TJ, you run this place all by yourself, right?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. Heraldry Ink is a one-man operation.” TJ let out a laugh. “Although sometimes I think about hiring a full-time office manager to do things like run the website, handle bookings, and so on.”
I couldn’t help but sit a little upright. “Oh! That’s kind of what I do at my current job. I mean, I’m not called the manager... I’m not that important in the ranks. But I know how to run a website and I’m very organized.”
TJ smiled up at me, his eyes glittering below his black lashes. “Are you pitching yourself to me, Brady?”
I blushed. Was I being too presumptuous? “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“You’ll start tomorrow,” TJ stated.
I blew out a breath, glad he wasn’t annoyed. “Very funny.”
“Who’s joking?”
I took a second to gather my scrambled thoughts. “Wait, what? Are you being serious?”
“As always.” TJ dipped the needle into the ink cup. “I told you about a job opportunity, you applied, and I accepted.”
“You haven’t even seen my resume!”
TJ grinned. “Don’t need to. If you say you can do the work, I believe you.” He wiped the excess ink off the needle, then winked. “And if you can’t, I’ll keep you on anyway. Just to keep me company.”
“You are so ridiculous,” I said with a laugh, but I didn’t really mean it. Judging by the twinkle in TJ’s eye, he knew, too. “But seriously, if your offer is real... That would be a huge help. My current job’s only part time, and I’m a single parent now. Sometimes it’s hard to pay the billsandspoil Kiara the way I want to.”
TJ’s face turned serious. “When you’re with me, you’ll never worry about that again.”
A tingle shot across my skin. I knew he meant ‘with him,’ as in working for the studio, but for a split second, it sounded like he meant romantically...
Geez, I had to stop thinking about that. I dropped the conversation, letting TJ finish his precise work while I stared into space.
But my gaze landed on the sign for the shop. Heraldry Ink. I regarded the peculiar red beast again, this time with more interest. TJ said it was a tyger, which I’d never heard of before. Not spelled with a ‘y’ anyway. Besides, that creature didn’t resemble a striped feline tiger at all, except for the four legs and ferocious snarl.
“So, what’s with the name of the shop?” I asked. “Heraldry Ink? Are you into the coat of arms aesthetic?”
TJ paused. An oddly amused expression crossed his face. “Something like that.”
I expected TJ to elaborate. Instead, he lapsed into an unusual silence. He almost looked conflicted. That was odd coming from him when he was so confident.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, worried I’d been the cause of his mood change.
TJ smiled at me, but the corners of his mouth remained tight. “Not at all.”
My heart sank. Why wasn’t TJ being honest with me? Didn’t he trust me?
