“It’s not that I don’t want to.” Kong rested a hand on her thigh, which she peered down at before looking back over into his shadowy orbs. “I’m just not in that space, and you don’t deserve that. You’re a good girl.”
“Just not good enough,” she mumbled, shoving his hand off her and gazing back out her window.
Kong had to eat that. Her feelings were obviously hurt, but he’d rather have that now than enter something with her that he couldn’t fully commit to and have it end worse later. The situation with Nay had already proven how shit could take an ugly turn.
“Did you see Moose with that chick last night?” Trini questioned her girl, Simone, when she used her key to unlock the door to Ink Realm that morning.
All night, she’d watched him in his own little world with Inari, his brothers, and those other girls. It seemed that Moose had a new inner circle, and now she was on the outside looking in, which she hated, especially since she was trying to get back in herself. Moose was a hard sell, though. With him, once he washed his hands of you, that was pretty much it. Sex was something he used as a form of communication, which she’d grown used to over the years of dealing with him.
“Oh, yeah. I know her.” Simone sipped her iced coffee and closed the door behind her.
The shop didn’t open until 11:00, and it was approaching 9:00 a.m. Trini usually came in to set up things early and go over her own schedule and clientele. The shop didn’t run without her, and Moose knew this, which was another reason he kept her around. She knew business, and she had connections in the streets through her own family. Her uncle, Lionel, had a business relationship with the Blackmoors, purchasing guns from them. He’d always drilled in her head that Moose was better to have as a friend than an enemy. Everyone in Ree Heights knew how that family got down and what loyalty meant to them.
“How do you know her?” Trini walked back to her booth with a sneer.
“She works over at Vintage Vault with my auntie, Tollie. I heard she’s one of their top ranked auctioneers too. She be bringing bank, so her commission is fat when she makes a sale,” Simone bragged.
Trini tossed her keys on the counter and dropped her big Dior bag on a chair. She rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was hear how great Inari was. She was clearly older than Moose, but that didn’t seem to matter to him. What intrigued her most was the mention of the business she worked for. Maybe she could somehow use that if she had nothing else. For some reason the name Vintage Vault was ringing like alarms in her head.
“What?” Simone sheepishly shrugged. “You asked.”
“I don’t need to hear about that. What else do you know about her? Give me something good.” Trini squinted past her girl and peeped that the door to Moose’s suite was still cracked.
He never left his shit unlocked, so she was curious as she moved past Simone and across the hall. Something hot lingeredin the air, and when she peered into the darkened room, she spotted two figures draped across the tattoo chair. Moose’s head was turned, tatted chest on display, with Inari between his legs, naked and sleeping peacefully against his chest. One of his arms was draped over her, and a small blanket covered her ass, but her back was exposed.
“What the fuck?” Trini mumbled.
“What’s wrong?” Simone came up behind her and gasped at the vision in front of them. “Well, damn.” She brought her straw to her lips and sipped. “Looks like a time was had.”
Moose stirred at the sound of their voices, raising his hand and wiping the sleep from his eyes before peeling them open one by one. He narrowed them both suspiciously when he spotted Trini and Simone in the doorway together.
“Shit.” He grumbled, looking down at Inari’s peaceful face as she shifted against his large frame and moaned sexily. His morning wood was with whatever as it flexed between his legs.
“Mmm, it’s too early.” Inari muttered. “Why is your dick that hard?”
“Must be the company,” he countered sexily, which gained a sexy chuckle from her.
“Oh, shit!” Inari’s eyes popped open, and she shot up with the cover wrapped around her when she spied Trini and Simone in the doorway.
Both feet were stuck to the ground, and neither girl seemed to want to move.
“Damn, do you mind?”
“I work here.” Trini tucked her arms across her chest. “I saw the door was open and just came to check. It’s not like Moose to be so lackadaisical.” She cut her eyes at him as Inari’s also drifted over to his face.
He lifted his arm and pinched the bridge of his nose before yawning.
“I wasn’t thinking about that last night. You can close the door, though.”
Trini scoffed, shooting one last glare at Inari before backing out and slamming the door closed.
“Rude ass nigga.” She stomped back over to her booth, so she could prepare for her first client of the day when the shop opened.
Inside Moose’s suite, he sat up in his chair with Inari still seated between his legs, holding the blanket up to her double Ds to shield them from him. Batting her big, brown eyes, she hid a smile and glanced at the blanket.
“I should go. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep like that. I guess we can blame it on the alcohol.” She tittered.
“Nah.” Moose shook his head and grinned. “Blame it on the horny.”
