It's not a ridiculous suggestion. The mock-up is badass. And incredibly phallic.
A giant octopus wrapped around a ship, tearing it to pieces, dragging sailors into the ocean.
No pretty mermaids or sweet turtles or sunny yellow fish. Deep blue and black and a red-orange that screams of destruction.
"Half-sleeve," I say.
"Should I repeat the question?" He slides onto the counter. Turns toward me as much as he can manage. "Half-sleeve ode to your dick?"
"For a client."
"I'm not hearing no."
"Why are you so interested in my dick?" I ask.
"If you're gonna wave it around for everyone." He smiles. It's bright. Pure troublemaker. Pure Holden. "I'm only human."
"Uh-huh."
"Is it an—"
"Get real," I say.
"Real?" He makes a show of scratching his head. "What's this real you're talking about? I'm not familiar with the concept."
"You are too."
He slides off the counter. Shrugs maybe, maybe not. Keeps up the shit-stirring smile. "You do look thirsty."
"What the fuck does that mean?"
From his suite, Forest chuckles. "You are obsessed with his dick."
"Look at him," Holden says. "Look at his face. Pure thirst."
Okay…
"What the hell is thirst?" Forest asks.
"Damn, you're old." Holden shakes his head sad.
"Not all of us can fuck eighteen-year-olds." Forest's gaze flits to me. I must look pissed—I don't need the reminder Holden is fucking my sister—because he mouths sorry.
Holden ignores the reference to his inability to keep his dick in his pants. He shakes his head it's sad. "Thirsty means in dire need of action." He nods to his crotch. "And you're wearing it all over your face." He draws a circle in the air. "You need to get laid. Bad."
Forest looks up from his spot. He's a dozen feet away. Too far for detail. But he still nods it does look bad.
"What's it been?" Holden asks. "Three, four days? Must be a record for you."
"Been long enough." My thoughts go to Luna immediately.
He notices the change of expression instantly. "Interesting."
"Nothing is interesting," I say.
He shakes his head. "There's someone."
"There's nobody," I say.
Even Forest nods there's somebody. "Don't date clients."
"You've gone out with clients," Holden says.
"You too." I need the change in subject. Or a way to speed up time. My client is due here in thirty minutes. That's an eternity. Way too long to contemplate my thoughts.
"I have to say it," Forest repeats. "With Chase on paternity leave."
Chase is the guy who runs the shop. He's a serious, no-nonsense, take no shit man who knows how to manage.
He also knocked up Forest and Holden's kid sister Ariel.
They had a baby two months ago. Charlotte. She's cute as far as kids go. I can't say I get the appeal.
Why screw up something pure and innocent? My fucked-up parents fucked up me and Daisy. They didn't mean to. They couldn't help it.
Maybe she's better enough to overcome that shit. Maybe she's okay now.
Me?
Not so much.
"Is that the issue?" Holden's grey-green eyes dart to the mock-up. "Is it the client?" He looks at me, studying my expression. "I don't think so."
"It's nothing," I say.
"How long has it been?" he asks.
Forest shakes his head you're ridiculous.
"That's none of your fucking business," I say.
"Excuse me?" Holden makes a show of holding his hand over his head. "Did Oliver Flynn just decline to offer details?"
I shoot him a stop look.
He ignores it. "The Oliver Flynn? The dirty bastard who's told me the story of the kinky yoga instructor who wanted to recreate every position in the Kama Sutra multiple times?"
Sure, I told him that story many times. Maybe I embellished a little. For effect.
The kinky yoga instructor did want to try a few near impossible positions. And it was exciting. At the time.
For a moment, the memory warms my skin.
For a moment, I see her. A petite brunette with flowing hair, sheer lingerie, a tattoo of Ganesh.
The two of us attempting wheelbarrow. It worked for about ten seconds. Until her wrists folded from the weight of holding half her body.
For a moment, I'm in that night, laughing and groaning and living it up.
I smell the incense. I hear the chanting music. I taste the bourbon.
Everything skips.
The light dulls. The colors grey. The fun fades.
Was it ever fun? Or was it just the booze?
"Are you seeing this?" Holden turns to his older brother. "There's something wrong with him. I think he needs medical attention."
"Are you here to work or fuck off?" Forest asks.
Holden laughs are you really asking that question? "This is my process."
"Get lost or get to work."
"Some brotherly love!" Holden feigns insult. "Are you seeing this? What a lack of loyalty."
Strong words from Holden. The guy did fuck my sister. After I specifically asked him to keep an eye on her.
Sure, he joked about how he was going to "introduce her to pleasure" all the time. He spent the entire summer teasing me about his plans to take Daisy's virginity.
It pissed me off, yeah, but I knew it was a joke.
And he knew how important it was to me, that someone keep an eye on her during her birthday trip to Mexico.
So finding out he interpreted that as fuck her—
Maybe I should cut him some slack. He says he loves her. She says she loves him. He does treat her like a princess. And she is over the fucking moon.
Maybe I should be happy for them.
A part of me is.
This other part refuses to let go of the betrayal.
"Where are the details?" He looks to me with that same shit-stirring grin. All smiles and ease and devil-may-care.
"You remember this day two months ago? I invited you to Puerto Vallarta. You promised to keep an eye on Daisy. You did it with your dick." My voice is short. It's harder than I mean it to be, but I don't want to soften it.
"Shit, dude, you know it wasn't like that." His expression gets hazy. "I love her so fucking much. Yeah, I know I should have kept my promise. But I'm not going to apologize for falling in love with her."
Whatever.
"And you can stay pissed if you want," he says. "But it won't stop me from giving you shit."
"Of course," I say.
"And it's not what's good for her. Don't lie to yourself about it being honor or duty or loyalty. It's self-indulgent paternalistic BS," he says.
I look to Forest. He sends me a shrug.
I guess the guy knows a thing or two about holding a grudge. For years, he was totally unable to get over his ex fucking some guy behind his back.
Holden shifts into effortless troublemaker. "So… how long has it been?"
"I'm on a hiatus," I say.