The doorbell rang.
“Joni,” he said.
I nodded. “Will you get that? And tell her to come up. I need her help getting ready.”
“You’re bossy.” He marched toward me and kissed me, slow and deep. “Let’s just see how bossy you’re going to be tonight when you get home and I strip everything off you except those boots.”
“Promises, promises,” I muttered.
We were engaged in a breathless kiss when the doorbell rang again.
“Really should get that,” he said, pulling away.
The door clicked shut and then I grabbed the T-shirt and scissors. Joni walked in when I was standing in front of the mirror, holding the top in front of me.
“What did you do?” she asked. “That’s so cool!”
“The art of T-shirt cutting,” I told her. The back and sides were sliced and it would reveal skin.
“You are going to have to show me how to do that,” she said.
“I will.” I looked her up in down, taking in her leather dress that crisscrossed down her back with the front looking like a corset. Her rich brown locks had been curled and sprayed, her makeup dramatic and heavy. She wore red vixen pumps to complete the outfit.
“You look amazing,” I said.
She brushed aside my compliment with a wave of her hand and then pointed to the boots. “Oh my God. Those are gorgeous.”
“I know,” I said with a laugh. “I was going to wear them with a pair of skinny black jeans and this shirt I just doctored. I won’t be under dressed next to you, will I?”
She shook her head. “We’ll just make sure the makeup and the hair go along with it.”
“I don’t have any of the heavy duty stuff.”
“Shoot, I should’ve brought my arsenal of makeup and hair products over.”
“That’s okay.”
“I can have Colt send one of the prospects to the drugstore.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to wait to go out. I want to leave the house before Colt changes his mind.”
“Changes his mind? Or yours?” She grinned. “I heard he was quite persuasive about the tattoo when you guys were yelling at each other in Charlie’s parking lot.” She gestured to the bandage peeking out from my tank top. “He got his way, didn’t he?”
“How did you know about all of that?” I asked in surprise. I slid out of my denim shorts and then got into the jeans that were on the bed.
“Reap told Rachel, Rachel called me. So can I see your tattoo?”
I gave her my back and tacit permission to move the bandage. “Wow. You really did it.”
“Yeah, I did.”
She concealed the tattoo, ensuring the dressing stuck to my skin. “Why?”
I took a step away to slide the cut T-shirt over my head. “Why? What do you mean why?”
“I mean you seemed pretty adamant about not getting involved with my brother and now you’re not just involved, you’re like, his woman. His Old Lady.”
I smirked at her in amusement and then went to the bathroom to do my hair. “Weren’t you the one who told me Colt was worth it? Loyal, strong, brave. All that stuff?”
“Yeah.”
“Not to mention, he’s wicked good in bed.”
She covered her ears. “And that’s my cue. Meet me downstairs. Hurry up, I gotta drink away what you just said.”
An hour later, Joni and I were sitting in a booth at Shortie’s, a bar in Blue Angel territory. We’d gotten more than a few looks as we entered, much to Joni’s delight. There was no way I was under the radar now. Not with Colt’s T-shirt and his name on my body. Even though the tattoo wasn’t on display, the two burly bikers who’d followed us in and then taken a seat in the corner to watch over us alerted anyone who was paying attention that we were with the Blue Angels.
Colt had been gone by the time I’d gotten downstairs. Zip had stopped by and they had both hopped on their bikes to drive away. I didn’t like that he’d left the house without telling me goodbye.
I wasn’t sure I knew how to do any of what was being asked of me.
“You look so pathetic,” Joni commented, her gaze drifting from me to her pint of beer.
“Me? You look just as pathetic as I do,” I stated. “In fact, why do you look so pathetic?”
She sighed. “Trying to tell myself to move on and actually moving on are two different things. I’m bummed Zip didn’t even spare me a glance.”
“Then he’s an idiot. You’re amazing.”
“Thanks.” She shot me a wobbly smile. “I’m going out on a date with a doctor I work with.”
“No way. Really?”
“Really.”
“When?”
“Next week when I get my next night off. He’s cute and funny, but he’s not Zip.”
“Then why even bother if all you’re gonna do is fake it?” I asked.
“Because maybe if I fake it and let some other guy distract me, it’ll take.” She took another sip of her beer. “I still can’t believe you got Colt’s name on you.”
“Yeah, I can hardly believe that myself. It’s been a crazy past few weeks.”
“What made you decide to get the tattoo?” she asked. “When the girls came over, you made it seem like you’d never do something like that. And now you’ve gone and changed your tune.”
“I got your brother’s name on my body because I love him.”
Her eyes widened. “No.”
“Yup.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“But, how? How did that happen so fast?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “But it did.”
“What does this mean for you guys?”
“It means whatever it means.”
“That’s so stupidly vague.”
“You’ve been in love with Zip for years, right?”
“Don’t remind me,” she grumbled.
“Sorry. I just mean, you’ve had years to think about what a life with Zip would look like. You’ve explored every avenue, you’ve grown up in this world, you understand what you’re getting into.”
“Yeah, so?”
“I love Colt,” I said slowly, finding it a miracle I didn’t trip over the words. “But that doesn’t mean I have it all figured out. You know?”
“I get it. Sorry if I’ve put any pressure on you to decide anything. I’m just glad he found you—and you found him.”
“You’re kind of amazing, you know that? I think you’d get along really well with my best friend.”
“I’d love to meet her. Why don’t you invite her out to join us?”
“Another time. I don’t want to have to explain the tattoo. She tried to warn me away from biker guys…”
Joni laughed. “Then she’s going to be in for quite a shock.”
A terrible new country song came on the jukebox. I jumped up from my seat and said, “I have to change it or I’ll go crazy.”
Joni pulled out her phone. “Okay, but you’re not allowed to play Journey. That’s my only stipulation.”