“I’d love to!” I tell her, instantly pulling her into a hug.
“Yeah? We have to decide what we want,” she says, practically bubbling with excitement.
“Do you even need to ask? I thought we already talked about that,” I state, remembering the tattoo we always said we’d get together.
Her eyes fill with unshed tears. “Really? You’d get that? I mean, we talked about that when I was like eight.”
“And I still love that idea,” I insist, recalling the simple daisy flower with the word sister written within the stem.
“Me too.” She beams at me before jumping up and down. “I’m gonna run and ask BJ to put us on the books. Be right back,” she states, handing me her Coke and taking off running toward the back entrance that leads to the apartment above us.
With a chuckle, I make my way to the bar where Collin stands.
“Everything okay? Is there a fire somewhere?” he asks, clearly having witnessed my sister run out of here.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. She’s off to schedule our first sisters tattoo with our aunt,” I reply, shaking my head. When he seems confused, I add, “My aunt who painted the mirror and the sign is an amazingly talented tattoo artist. When Em was like eight and I was eighteen, I was going to get my very first one. She was jealous and wanted one too, because she was my little copycat. Well, we said we’d get one together when she was legal. Since she’s eighteen now and leaving for school in the fall, we decided to get one before she goes.”
Collin nods. “Very cool. My twin and I have matching tattoos,” he states, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt and revealing the two linked puzzle pieces on his forearm.
Leaning forward, I notice the intricate details in each of the puzzle pieces. “This one’s for you,” I state, placing the tip of my finger on his flesh and feeling the sizzle of attraction with that single touch. I jerk my finger back, but if he notices my reaction, he doesn’t let on.
“It is,” he confirms with a smile. “The Hap Arnold Wings symbolize the Air Force and the flames for the firefighting career I was pursuing.”
“Very cool,” I tell him, studying the amazing detail of the ink. “So, your brother was also in the military.”
He nods. “Marines. This is the EGA symbol, or Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.”
“What’s this?” I ask, pointing to the bricks with some sort of device in front of them.
“He was a combat engineer,” Collin states. “He was in charge of a lot of things but mostly structures within a combat zone. He helped build, maintain, and destroy obstacles so our troops could do what they needed to do. He did a lot of work on mines, which is what this is,” he states, pointing to the small device. “He has a lot more experience with setting or deactivating them than any of us will ever know.”
My eyes are wide, I’m sure, as I listen to him talk. “Holy shit, you two are both badasses.”
He barks out a gravelly laugh, and I have to admit, it’s the sexiest sound. It travels through my veins and lands firmly between my legs, causing heat to pool. “Well, I don’t know about that, but we both found our callings in the military. I’m a full-time firefighter, and Cade works for a construction company, building roads this time instead of wrecking them.”
“Well, I’m impressed. Beautiful pieces,” I tell him, feeling a little lighter having learned something so incredibly personal about Collin.
“Thank you. Most of my ink was done by the same artist, but I do admit, some of my early stuff was done near where I was stationed in Texas.”
“So, you have more tattoos than just what’s on your arm,” I find myself saying, and instantly wishing I hadn’t. It sounds like I’m flirting with him, which I’m not. I’m just…curious.
“I have a few more,” he informs me with a little grin and a glint of something that resembles mischief in his blue eyes.
I stand up, preparing to walk away and end this conversation, when he asks, “What about you? If you were getting one at eighteen, that means you have at least one tattoo.”
Clearing my throat, I set my sister’s half-full plastic glass on the bar. “I have three, actually. BJ did them all.”
His eyes slowly scan me from head to toe, lingering a bit longer on my chest area than I’d expect. “Well, I don’t see any tattoos,” he teases with a grin that could make a nun turn in her habit.
Crossing my arms over my paint-splattered T-shirt, I lift my chin and reply, “Well, they’re not visible right now.”
The corner of his mouth ticks with a slight grin. “Interesting.”
I walk behind the bar and dump out my sister’s drink, so Collin doesn’t have to. As I move past him, I lean in and whisper, “I’d have to take off both my shirt and my pants, and I’m certain that’s not appropriate bar etiquette.”
Not to mention employer and employee etiquette, but I’m not getting into that right now.
When I reach the hallway, I glance over my shoulder and find Collin still standing there, a knowing smile on his lips.
