Gravity (Artistic Pricks Ink Book 1) (16 page)

His hand slides into mine before spinning me, out away from him; I can’t help the giggle that escapes my lips. Luke twirls me in the circle and pulls me back flush to his chest. “You’re fucking gorgeous when you laugh,” Luke says, dipping me backward. Looking into my eyes, he shrugs, “It doesn’t really matter if you’re dancing in a parking lot, scared shitless of a spider, or if you’re falling apart in your bed beneath me, you’re just beautiful.”

I can feel my face heating as his words wash over me. It means so much more than he knows to hear him say that. Luke sees me, not Sabrina. Hell, he doesn’t even know she exists. All the things shouted at me every night is nothing compared to the words he just said to me. With every passing moment, Luke tears at everything I’ve built to keep people out. He calls to me on this whole other level and he’s right, there’s no way I can fight it.

Righting us, Luke wraps his arms around me again. The warmth of his body burning into mine. Our bodies move together as the music stops. Commercials play and more songs play, but neither of us pay any attention. We are here in our own little universe, where nothing else matters. Nothing but us.

***

Hours later, Luke’s fingers run through my hair as we lie in the backseat of his car. Neither of us wanted to leave just yet so Luke pulled a blanket from his trunk for us when I got chilly. Propping his legs up on the pushed up driver’s seat, he settles me against his chest.

“What made you want to open Pricks?” I ask, my fingers running along the tattoos on his right arm.

“Mitch and I were hell on wheels in high school. Always getting into shit,” He starts. “He had this idea that we should become graffiti artists.”

“No,” I gasp, looking at him, giggling when he rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, well the building he chose for us to pop our cherry with was owned by Richard Matthews, but everyone called him Big Dick.” He smiles, no doubt thinking back fondly. “Let’s just say Big Dick wasn’t thrilled we were using his tattoo shop as a canvas. I was scared shitless when he came out for a smoke and caught us.”

“What happened?” I ask curiously.

“I was sure he was gonna beat our asses bloody,” he laughs. “Funny thing, he never even called our parents. He stood there judging the wall and said,
‘You pricks think you’re so artistic, huh? Well get your asses in here and show me whatcha got.’
So we did. He saw something in us both; so, we worked as his apprentices for years. We set up his work space, broke it down, and cleaned it. Hell, anything he said because Big Dick was a legend in my eyes. I learned a lot from him. Big Dick was the only father figure I had that meant anything to me. When he died, eight years ago, Mitch enlisted in the Navy the very next day and I opened my own shop.”

“I bet it was hard for you to do it alone,” I reply, brushing my hand across his jaw. “You lost Dick then Mitch left.”

“Mitch just lost himself, the Navy and Becky helped that.” Luke explains. “I never thought he would come home, but his mom and us here are all he has left now. He isn’t the same guy. The Mitch I knew would never spend every night buried in booze at strip clubs, throwing all his money down the drain,” I wince at his mention of the club, hoping he doesn’t notice. “I was getting calls from the police and my worst fear is that one day it would be to identify his body. Now, I have everyone running interference for him because I can’t.”

“You can’t be everywhere Luke, that’s impossible.” The more I find out about Luke, the more I realize what a great guy he is. Everyone comes before him, but that has to be hard sometimes. “You put everyone else first and that’s sweet, but it can’t always be what’s best. It’s not just about what’s best for the business, but for you too. Deep down, Mitch knows that.”

“No,” He corrects me. “Those places bring back some bad shit for me Ki, but that’s not on Mitch. I don’t have anything to do with that shit and he knows it, so going there serves a dual purpose. He gets to drink and watch the women, knowing they won’t attempt to touch him and knows I won’t follow him like a shadow.” He sighs, pain for his friend filling his eyes. “All I want is to help him, but he doesn’t see my side in this. Pricks is ours, Mitch’s and mine. Yes, I built our business from the ground up once he left, but I never saw it as just mine. Still don’t. When he came back I just assumed we would run it together.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize,” I apologize, sliding down into the seat beside him. My mind wants to dig into the subject of why the clubs bother him so much, but I don’t. I tense, fearing the answer I get may be more than I can handle.

“Shit,” He groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to dump all this heavy shit on you.”

“Hey,” swinging my leg over his lap, I straddle him to look into his eyes. “Don’t be sorry, we came out here for you. Thank you for telling me.”

Luke nods then presses a kiss to my lips. Holding them there for a moment as if he is savoring the feel of our mouths pressed together before pulling back. “All right, Dollface, let’s go grab some food and then we can catch a nap.”

Climbing out of the car, I get back into the front seat. “You know, if we stop by the store I can cook.”

“Only thing is,” Luke says waggling his eyebrows, “we’ll have to eat sandwiches or toast. Frying food naked is a bad idea.”

“Who says I’m cooking naked?” I ask, as he starts the car.

“I do,” he replies smugly, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Saves time for what I have planned for later.”

“Oh,” I whisper, my entire body tingling in anticipation.

Ugh, why did I offer to cook? I see Pop Tarts and chocolate milk in our future.

“Oh,” Luke chuckles, mocking me playfully. Putting the car into gear, he whips around, heading toward the main road. His hand runs along my thigh, making me tremble. “Yeah, this trip to the store is going to be fun.” His laugh is wicked and laced with promise making my toes curl in my shoes.

The entire drive Luke has his hand on me. His fingers absentmindedly brush along my skin while humming along to the radio, but his eyes never leave the road. Relentlessly, he teases me until I can barely stand it. When we pull into the parking lot, I am damn near about to come out of my skin.

“So,” Luke asks, climbing out of the car. “What’s for breakfast?” Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, his fingers skim alongside my breast as we walk.

“I was just thinking how good cold Pop Tarts and chocolate milk sound.”

Luke laughs, his entire body shaking with his amusement. “Oh Dollface, Pop Tarts it is then.”

Stepping into the store, Luke’s arm doesn’t leave me. No shopping cart, no basket, Luke is just content holding onto me and I have to admit it feels good. Stopping in front of oatmeal and Pop Tarts he looks down at me. “So it’s possibly a relationship breaking question,” he starts turning me to face him. Looking down into my eyes, his face goes serious. “Strawberry or Blueberry?”

“There’s more than those two,” I defend. Reaching out, I grab a box and hold it up. “See, peanut butter.”

“Kionna, I’m going to point out that your choice isn’t even frosted,” he argues, his mouth twisting in disgust. “It’s not fair to classify that as a Pop Tart at all. It’s a sad imitation.” Yanking a box of strawberry from the shelf, he grins. “Strawberry is a classic. Besides,” he shrugs, pulling me against him. “I’d rather you just agree with me so we can get outta here.”

“Luke,” A female voice stirs me from my lust filled haze.

Luke’s entire body tenses. Releasing his hold on me, he hands me the box before taking in the striking blonde. Her strapless dress hugging the curve of her very pregnant belly. Luke’s eyes widen in disbelief before recognition spreads across his face. His eyes appearing almost pained, before masking it quickly. “Crystal,” he replies coolly.

“I thought that was you,” she smiles sweetly, her hand running lovingly over her belly. “It’s been a long time.” The look in her eyes telling me all I need to know. There is a past here, a history. By the looks of things it didn’t end well because this is awkward. Luke has shut down beside me, his entire body clearly closed off, but Crystal takes a step closer to us.

“Yeah, it has.” His words are polite, but detached. I stare between them, feeling out of place, like a voyeur that doesn’t belong, but I can’t look away. “Didn’t see you as the movin’ out to the ‘burbs type.”

Obviously they were together. It looks to have been very serious. Oh my God! Could that be Luke’s baby?

Jealousy and other emotions I have never felt, flood my veins as I try to read their faces to get something, anything, about their past by their body language.

“Things change in five years, Luke. People change when life gives them something they never thought they wanted,” she explains, her hand coming to rest on top of her baby bump. A rock of an engagement ring and band set shines from her finger, allowing me to relax a little. I wasn’t looking forward to an episode of ‘
Who’s the Dadd
y?’ in aisle twelve this morning.

“I bet,” Luke’s hands clench at his sides, his face stone.

The air in here has changed. Whatever playful mood Luke was in is now gone, causing me to take a few steps back from him. Crystal smiles, her eyes meeting mine. “You looked happy just now, Luke. I’m glad.”

“It was nice seein’ you Crystal, take care of yourself.”

“Luke, I…” She pleads, her voice small yet full of emotion at the same time.

Tears shimmer in Crystal’s eyes and I begin to feel sorry for her. Ignoring the woman completely, Luke takes my arm and starts up the aisle in the opposite direction. “Luke,” I say softly as we round the end cap and head toward the register. “Luke.” I repeat louder when he doesn’t answer me.

Yanking the boxes from my hands, he hands them to the cashier before grabbing two bottles of milk from a refrigerated case beside the register.

So much for staying in the right mindset.

Fuck.

Everything was going great with Ki. So, of course, the minute I wasn’t expecting it, boom, the unthinkable happened. Who the hell does Crystal think she is?

Married?

Pregnant?

Living the life she swore she never wanted, no matter how much I did.

Everything I have always wanted, what I thought I would have with her, all thrown in my face because she wanted to say hi? Because she saw me and I looked happy?

What a crock of bullshit.

First time I see Crystal in years; it has to be with Ki standing there watching it all play out.
What a great addition to our day. Meet the cheatin’ ex and grab your breakfast all on aisle twelve.
When Ki backed away from me, I knew it was time to leave. I wasn’t worried about pleasantries or being polite. I couldn’t give a fuck about how Crystal felt when her eyes filled with tears at my cold reaction. She was wrong thinking I would ever entertain the idea of some sweet little reunion, even for closure. I just wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there.

Grabbing Ki, I paid for the food as fast as I could and hauled ass before Crystal had the nerve to approach us again. I have no desire to reminisce or revisit that shit. That’s my old life. The past. It’s over and I don’t have any reason to look back on it fondly. When I ended things with Crystal, I gave all that up gladly. I moved on. That meant ridding myself of everything that held a memory of her. Of us.

I sold my Jeep and bought the ‘Cuda. Moved out of the condo we shared and crashed at the shop until I bought my house in the suburbs. Determined to separate myself from her in every way possible. I didn’t do all of that so we could bump into each other and swap recipes or some shit.

But here you are, huh, Luke? Minus the recipes, of course.

Five years later that shit still got to me and it pisses me off. No, I don’t want her back. It is very clear to me that Crystal was not the one for me, but betrayal is a knife that slices deep no matter who inflicts the wound. I thought I was in love; so, her sharing my bed at the same time she was fucking guys for money was a very low blow.