Booshie was silent for a moment. “Damn.”
“Of course Stella didn’t know, but she told me they were talking about it, and then Cadeon came to me before their trip, asked, and pretty much shoved the diamond in my face.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “But she hasn’t said anything to me about it when she calls to check in, so I assume he hasn’t asked yet.”
“You’re not losing her. It isn’t like she’s leaving town with him. Cadeon is rooted to Reckless and respects the hell out of you and the club.”
“I know, and I’m happy for them, I really am. But when and if you ever have a kid and go through this, or lose someone you love, you’ll know what I mean.”
Booshie was speechless for a moment. “Scars, I look at Stella as if she were my own flesh and blood. I watched her grow from a screaming toddler to a gorgeous woman. But even after that, I know I could never really understand what you’re going through, not after all you lost.” The scar on the president’s face seemed more pronounced with his emotion.
Booshie wasn’t good in situations like this, but he needed to be there for his friend, brother, and the president of his club. “Take some time off, get your head on straight, and when you come back, everything will be as you left it.”
Scars turned away from the window he was looking out of and nodded. “Yeah, I think a couple days in the cabin might do me some good.”
“You could take one of the girls up with you. You know they can make you forget your name if they try hard enough.” Booshie stood and clapped Scars on the back. “The fort will be held, brother, but we can’t stay united if your head is somewhere else.”
Scars pushed off the table, and they slapped each other on the shoulders. “You seem different, more upbeat. You get laid or something?”
Booshie just grinned and shook his head. This wasn’t just about getting laid, or at least he hoped it wasn’t where Naggie was concerned. “Nah, I think I found myself an old lady.”
14
Naggie cleaned off her workstation and leaned back in her chair. It was already the middle of the week. She was moved in temporarily with Bennie and hadn’t heard from Rob—which was a good thing. The wall clock showed it was a quarter after five, and although they normally stayed open well past nine at times, she hadn’t booked anything after six aside from Booshie coming in, and she knew Ziggy didn’t have any more appointments either.
Booshie was supposed to be here any minute, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. They hadn’t seen each other since he dropped her off at the parking lot Saturday morning, but they talked on the phone enough.
With her getting as settled in at Bennie’s as she was going to get, and being packed with appointments for the last three days, she didn’t have much time to think about anything but giving ink.
“You sure you’re going to be okay?” Ziggy grabbed his car keys off the counter, put his baseball cap over his short mohawk, and stared at her.
“I’m a big girl.” She smiled. “But thank you for worrying. He’s friends with Cadeon and Stella and in the MC, so I think I will be okay.”
Ziggy nodded and pulled the cap down lower. “Okay, well, call me if you need anything.”
“Okay, thanks.” She followed him out and was about to lock the door when she heard the rumble of a Harley pulling into the parking lot. Booshie came to a stop and cut the engine of his bike. God, he looked so good in his plain white T-shirt, leather cut, and dark jeans.
His black boots looked like they could seriously kick the shit out of someone, and when he climbed off his bike and took off his helmet and sunglasses, she saw that he was wearing his ever-present black bandana. Her heart started beating a little faster, and she swore she got wetter just from the sight of him.
The way he walked toward her, with this swagger that reeked of badass motherfucker, had her taking a step back from the intensity of it. He pulled the door open and stepped inside, and she actually checked him out like she was sizing him up for a suit.
“Hey, baby.” He slipped his sunglasses inside his cut and took a step toward her. He ran his gaze up and down her body, and she felt naked. “You’re looking good enough that I’m about ready to say fuck the tattoo and bend you over the counter.”
Shit.
He was filthy, and bad, and wanting her if the erection pressing against his jeans was anything to go by. He took another step toward her, and another, and soon Naggie found herself pressed against the counter he mentioned bending her over. It had only been a few days since she saw him, but it felt like forever.
This little voice inside her head told her that this was becoming a physical “relationship,” even if they had only seen each other officially for two days. It seemed like they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and that worried her. That was how her relationship with Rob had gone, and look where she was now.
She placed a hand on his chest, stopping him when he moved closer. He stilled instantly, but she could feel how fast and hard his heart was beating. It was the same frantic rhythm as hers.
“I think this is fast.”
The corner of his mouth lifted up, but he took a step back and lifted his hands in surrender. “Fair enough, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” Silence stretched between them, but instead of her arousal dimming the longer they stayed apart, it grew hotter.
“I just want to try this with you—whatever this is. I know we have only really seen each other twice, but I don’t want to make this about sex.” Naggie thought maybe he’d get pissed. Most guys would by getting turned down. It wasn’t exactly like she was playing hard to get.
She had slept with him on the first night of them actually talking outside the shop. Sex ruined a lot of things, and she didn’t want this to be one of them. But he surprised her when he nodded.
“You’re right. I don’t want this to be just about sex either, Naggie. If I wanted easy pussy, I could get that at the club.”
His frankness was very welcome. Naggie had never been the type of woman who liked to have smoke blown up her ass, and she was thankful Booshie was not the type of man to deliver that.
“How about we do the tattoo?” He didn’t wait for an answer from her. He took off his cut, placed it on the chair beside him, and removed his T-shirt. All of his hard, golden, and inked-up skin was right in front of her in a matter of seconds. He turned and presented his wide shoulders and muscular back. “I was thinking of getting something done here.” He ran his hand along his side, right between two tattoos he already sported.
“What did you have in mind?” God, her voice came out all soft and breathy, and when he looked over at her with this hooded expression, she knew he could tell she was barely holding on.
He slowly turned back around, and she watched as his abdomen clenched, showing off his six-pack in the process. “I looked through your portfolio.”
Her hands were so sweaty all of a sudden. “You did?”
He nodded but didn’t come any closer. “Yeah, months ago when you were working on someone and I came to talk to Cadeon.”
His admission surprised her, because she thought she had known every time he had come into the shop.