I wrap my arms around her shoulders and give her a hug. “Love you, too.”
“Now. Go find a man and give me some more grands.”
Shaking my head, I cough a laugh, clearing the emotions from my throat. I kiss her cheek and leave.
Chapter Seven
“How’s Dotty?” Lucia asks as I pull out my chair.
She got us a table outside on the terrace and has a Lemon Drop Martini waiting for me. After the noodle fiasco, sex talk, mother talk, and grandbaby talk…I need this drink.
“She’s great. She’s got a hot date tonight with the man who lives across the hall from her. She’s cooking him spaghetti.”
“An eighty-year-old with a hot date? She’s my hero.”
“And apparently she has one hell of a sex drive.” I lift a hand when her mouth pops open. “Don’t ask. I stopped the conversation before she went into further detail.”
Lucia’s laugh bursts from her. “She’s my favorite person.” She takes a sip of her drink and checks her phone for the tenth time.
“Are you expecting a phone call or am I just that boring?”
I’m met with a toothy grin containing a conniving edge. “Text actually. You remember Steve? He reached out to me last night.”
Ah, Steve. I had high hopes for him. He was a good guy—successful, handsome, and was into Lucia. However, according to her, he didn’t know how to swing his sword very well.
“Didn’t he move to another state across the country?”
She bites her lip. “Yes. But he’s in town on business and wants to catch up.”
“Code for wanting your ass bouncing on his lap again.” I snort.
“He might not have known what he was doing, but I did and I loved riding him.”
Her gaze lifts over my shoulder and something flickers in it. She bites down on her lip and looks back to me. I open my mouth to ask her what the look is for when the chair to my right suddenly slides out and a body drops in. “Ladies.”
Ash. Just when I thought I had dodged him today, he’s here. In the flesh. Looking hot as hell. His eyes are gorgeous, the clearest of gray, almost translucent and it highlights the light blue ring at the edges. He’s blessing me with a panty-melting smirk that’s outlined by short stubble on his jaw.
I shake from the Ash-induced fog. “What are you doing here?”
He leans back without a care in the world. “I was around and saw you. Figured I’d stop and say hello.”
Lucia beams behind the rim of the glass she’s got pressed to her lips. There’s a scheming glint in her eyes when she looks from me to Ash. “Did that guy end up getting his dick pierced?”
Ash’s deep and rumbly chuckle causes my heart to skip a beat as my stomach flutters. “Nah. Del got everything out and had his dick in her hands and tough guy wasn’t so tough anymore. Chickened out.”
My traitorous eyes lower to Ash’s lap. Would having a pierced dick make him hotter? I’ve never known anyone personally that has one, well, that I know of. For all I know the CEO of Graffix has one. But does Ash?
“No.” The word snaps my eyes back to his face. A smirk plays at the corners of his lips. Heat scalds my cheeks. “It’s not pierced.”
“I, uh…” I shake my head vehemently.
Thankfully, I’m saved by Lucia’s phone ringing. She snatches it up and shoves to her feet. “Steve’s calling. Be right back.”
The silence eats at me. I’ve got to say something to save face. “So do you pierce dicks?” Oh my god, no I didn’t.
“That’s Del and Fay’s job. I only tattoo and I won’t tattoo dicks. It’s too painful for me.”
“Too painful for you?
“Phantom pains. I’m sure I’d be in tears.” His smile is hypnotic.
Lucia comes back and drops a twenty in front of me. “Steve wants me to meet him at his hotel in thirty.”
As I start to stand, she pushes me back into the chair by my shoulder. “Stay. Enjoy the rest of your drink.” She winks. “I’ll see you later.”
I’m left alone with Ash. My nerves kick up. I don’t trust myself to speak since my last try at it was about dicks. Idiot.
Ash tosses some money on the table and clutches my hand. “Come on. Let me show you something.”
There’s no time to dispute. He pulls me to my feet and leads me to the side of the building where he jumps and grabs a fire escape, lowering it down.
“What are you doing?” I glance around, freaking out.
He throws his thumb to the stairs. “Climb. You’ll love it.”
“We could get in trouble.” I fret.
Reaching out, he pulls me to the stairs. “Then you might want to hurry before someone sees us.”
My pulse is in my ears as I ascend the metal rungs. If I go to jail, I’m disowning Lucia. This is her fault for leaving me here.
His eyes are on my ass. I feel it with every shaky step up, all the way to the rooftop. My legs are trembling, so the moment my feet hit the flat roofing, I stumble slightly. Then I gasp at the sight.
The sun is beginning to set, descending behind buildings and skyscrapers. Rich hues of red blended with oranges, crimsons, and purples paint the sky, making the normal busy and never-sleeping city seem tranquil. This would be the perfect picture to capture and hang somewhere luxurious.
“Told you you’d love it.” He steps up beside me and shoves his hands into his pockets.
The cool evening breeze whispers across my face and grabs my hair, teasing it. “How’d you know about this?”
The glow shines on his face and dances in his eyes when he peers at me. “Spent a lot of time up here.”
Of course he’d enjoy breaking the law.
He chuckles, shaking his head like he can read my thoughts. “I know the owner of the building. He’s okay with me up here.”
My mouth drops. “You could’ve led with that.” I bristle. “I’ve been seconds away from having a heart attack.”
He moves closer to the ledge, the glow of the sunset outlining his silhouette. His shoulders are broad under the black t-shirt. Tattoos wrap around his wrists and crawl up the skin of his arms, disappearing under his sleeves. I wonder how many more he has that are unseen.
“How long have you been tattooing?” I ask.
He turns, his gaze meeting mine. “Few years.”
“What made you decide to become a tattoo artist?”
An easy smile spreads across his lips. “My love for art and how it’s ever-changing. Tattooing is fascinating just as much as it’s challenging. Every person, every day, it’s something different.”
In a way, I can relate. I’m met with daily challenges, a push for creativity on each project, a shove to keep up with the ever-changing times. “How many do you have?”
“A lot,” he chuckles. “Arms, chest…” My eyes follow. “Shoulder blades.”
“Do any of them have significance or are they random?”
“Some.” He doesn’t elaborate. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a graphic designer for Graffix. Been there for a little over four years.”