The other problem hits me all at once. I’ve gotten every single one of my tattoos here. This place knows me. The people inside know my story, probably better than anyone else. They helped me take my pain and turn it into something I could live with. Ink therapy. Long hours. Real friendships.
I know the shop’s owned by the Iron Reapers MC, but I guess I never really thought about it like that. This has always just been my place. How did it not occur to me that Lucky probably knows half the people inside?
I blow out a breath, grab my bag, and get out of the car. The bell chimes when I walk in, and the first thing I see is Lucky, standing near the counter talking to Cole. Of course he is.
Cole’s laughing at something Lucky says, shaking his head like he’s already over it. Then he spots me, and his brows pull together in confusion. He abandons the conversation mid-sentence and crosses the room in three long strides, pulling me into a big hug. “Please tell me I didn’t screw up,” he says. “Your appointment’s next week, right?”
I feel Lucky tense behind him. Not subtle at all. His attention is locked on the way Cole’s holding me, jaw tight, posture going still.
I pat Cole’s arm and step out of the hug. “Nope. The appointment's still next week.”
Cole squints at me. “Then what are you doing here, Savvy?” A smirk tugs at his mouth. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?”
“She’s here with me,” Lucky says in a voice rougher than I’ve heard before.
Cole’s eyes flick from me to Lucky, then back to me. He opens his mouth like he’s about to say something, then stops and shakes his head slowly. “He lost the bet to you?” he asks.
I nod, chin lifting just a little. “Of course he did.”
“Well, okay then. What did your evil little mind come up with to torture poor Lucky here?”
I grin wickedly and lean in, whispering my plan into Cole’s ear. He stares at me like I’ve finally snapped.
“You’re insane,” he mutters.
“If you’re sure,” he adds after a beat.
I nod. “Give me a few minutes to set it up.”
When I walk over to Lucky, he’s holding an iced coffee, condensation slicking his fingers. I stop in front of him and lift a brow.
“That for me?”
“That depends.” His gaze sharpens, heat flickering there. “Am I gonna have to beat the shit out of one of my club brothers?”
I blink innocently. “I mean… that’s kind of up to you. Why would you want to do that?”
He steps closer, crowding my space until all I can see is him. His voice drops, rough and possessive.
“Because, Firecracker, I’m the first man to make you come, and I don’t plan on letting anyone else have that honor. So either he touched you and did a piss-poor job of taking care of you, or he’s touching what’s mine and I’m about to rip his arms off.”
I pat his cheek, sweet as sugar, then take the coffee from his hand. I sip slowly, deliberately, letting the silence stretch before I sigh.
“Perfection.”
“Firecracker,” he warns, jaw tight. “You’re testing my patience.”
I smirk. “I thought we worked on that last night.”
His eyes darken. “Do we need to work on it again, right here in front of everyone?”
I shrug, taking another sip from the delicious coffee. “Could be fun.”
Deciding to toss the poor guy a bone, I loop my arm through his and tip my face up toward him. “Thanks for the coffee,” I say sweetly. Then I pause, let my smile turn wicked. “And the orgasm. That part was pretty great.”
“Pretty great?” he scoffs.
I nod, completely unapologetic. “Mmmhmm.” I give his arm a little squeeze. “And just so you know, Cole and I are just friends. He’s done all of my tattoos, so we’ve had a lot of time to talk. That’s it.”
