One Night of Trouble (11 page)

“Aw, thanks, Lou.”

He ruffled her hair and pulled her in for a bear hug, but there was nothing sexual about the embrace. Lou was well into his forties and treated her like a daughter. And she loved him to pieces. Clients as easygoing as him were hard to come by.

“Pop in next week so we can touch up your arm,” she told him as they stepped into the main room.

“Will do.” With a big grin and a nod in AJ’s direction, Lou left the shop.

The second the door closed behind him, Brett flicked the padlock and shut off the neon
open
sign. She smiled as she turned back to AJ, but the joy and humor faded when she noticed the expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

Without a word, he stalked over and yanked her toward him for a rough kiss. The tension seemed to seep from his shoulders the moment their lips touched, but when his tongue stole into her mouth with greedy precision, she could taste his need and desperation. Feel the urgency of his body as he pressed it against hers and rotated his hips.

When they broke apart, she was breathless. “Seriously, what’s gotten into you?”

“I had a crappy evening,” he admitted.

“Aw, that sucks. What happened?”

“Nothing worth talking about.” AJ cocked his head. “In fact, I don’t feel like talking about anything at all right now. I want you naked.”

Brett tried to hide her frustration as he deflected the question by using sex. She was starting to suspect that AJ Walsh harbored a lot of secrets.

And of course, since she couldn’t ever spend time with a man without becoming consumed by him, his mysterious nature only made her more desperate to figure him out.

But no. She couldn’t fall into that trap again. Her arrangement with AJ worked because it was temporary. As long as she kept viewing him as nothing but a fun sexual partner, she wasn’t in danger of losing focus of what mattered.

So rather than force him to tell her what was wrong, she opted to concentrate on what was
right
.

“If you want me naked, then take me home,” she said boldly.

“What if I want to take you right here?”

Brett’s uneasy gaze drifted to the front window. It was slightly tinted, but not enough to shield them from view of the street if they did the nasty in the main room. Besides, having sex in her family’s tattoo parlor was wrong on so many other levels.

When AJ caught sight of where her gaze had traveled, he pursed his lips and said, “Not here then.” He took her hand and coaxed her to the back corridor, guiding her behind the thick red curtain that blocked off her workspace.

AJ’s mouth curved when he spotted the padded chair in the center of the room.

“Oh yeah, this will work.” His voice was low, rippling with desire.

Brett ignored the tight clenching of her thighs. “I’m not going to have sex with you in my place of business,” she said primly.

“No? So you’re backing out of your end of our agreement?” His expression flickered with challenge.

“How was sex in my shop ever part of the agreement?” she protested.

“I play the part of doting, respectable boyfriend, and in return, you show me a wild time, remember?” He pointed to the tattoo chair. “And
that
, is a wild time.”

The image of AJ fucking her right there on the chair flashed to the foreground of her mind, and her entire body shuddered in response.

He chuckled. “Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

God, it did. But…

She hesitated again.

“You locked up for the night, right?”

She nodded.

“And do your brothers or dad usually drop in after hours?”

She slowly shook her head. They never did. Once the shop was closed, they were done for the night.

“Then I don’t see a problem.”

AJ’s hands lowered to his waistband, and her traitorous gaze was drawn to his every movement like a magnet. He slid the belt from its buckle. Undid the button of his trousers. Inched the zipper down.

“C’mon, angel, give me a taste of the wild girl you used to be. I promise you can lock her up again after tonight…” He parted the top of his pants. “At least until the next time I want her to come out.”

He was evil. Pure temptation. Sin incarnate.

Brett hadn’t been able to say no to him that first night at the club, and evidently that’s how it would always be.

“I want to see your cock,” she ordered.

A grin lifted his lips. “Good. Because he’s dying to see you.”

The moment he released his erection, Brett’s mouth went dry with anticipation. God, maybe he was right. Maybe it was healthy to let her inner bad girl out every now and then. What was the harm in throwing caution to the wind and being
bad
again? The shop was closed. Nobody was around.

So why the hell not?

“What do you say we up the stakes?” she said devilishly.

“I thought the only stakes were the ones that involve my cock inside you.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” When he wiggled his eyebrows, she quickly corrected herself. “Fine, that part is fun, too. But wild? I don’t know. And dangerous? Definitely not.”

“Huh. So now you’re interested in injecting some danger into our sex life?” He sounded amused…and ridiculously intrigued. “How?”

“I propose a wager.” She stepped forward and gave his erection an impish squeeze.

He groaned. “What kind of wager?”

“Well…first, you’re going to sit your sexy ass down in my chair…”

“Sounds good so far.” He thrust into her waiting palm. “Then what?”

“I’m going to climb on top of you.”

“Even better…and then?”

“I’m going to screw your brains out.”

AJ’s cock thickened in her hand, a drop of moisture leaking onto her thumb. “I…” He shivered when she stroked him again. “…really don’t see where the wager comes in.”

“Oh, didn’t I mention?” She smiled broadly. “The first one to come loses.”

A laugh rumbled out of his chest. “That sounds more like winning to me.”

“You’d think so, huh?” She released him and reached for her zipper. “But I haven’t told you the stakes yet.”

“Fine. I’ll bite. What happens if I ‘lose’?” He used air quotes around the last word, his lips twitching as if he were fighting another laugh.

“I get to tattoo you.” Brett wiggled out of her pants and underwear and kicked them away.

AJ’s sultry gaze promptly zeroed in on her lower body. His features grew taut with passion for a moment, before his head snapped up as if he’d just realized what she’d said. “Wait, what?”

“I get to tattoo you,” she repeated. “You can choose the design and body part, but it’s my needle that does it.”

“And if you come first?” he countered.

She shrugged. “Then I get another tattoo.”

“You already have a million of them. How is that fair?”

He had a point. She mulled it over, then offered a decisive nod. “Fine, if I lose, I get more ink, but
you
get to choose what and where.”

Now she had his attention. For half a second, at least, before suspicion once more clouded his face. “No way. I don’t take any wagers unless it’s an even playing field.”

“How is it not?” she demanded.

“Because you’re a woman! I could shoot my load just from being
near
you, but chicks don’t come at the drop of a hat. You need foreplay and kissing and all that fun stuff. If you sit on my dick without any lead up, you could probably delay your orgasm for hours.” He crossed his arms. “No deal.”

Argh. AJ and his stupidly valid points.

Brett pondered the dilemma until she found another solution. “You get a handicap then. Ten minutes of oral sex.”

“Ha. I won’t last ten
seconds
if you put your mouth on my—”

“For me,” she clarified. “Ten minutes of oral sex for
me
.”

That shut him up, bringing the thoughtful glint back to his eyes.

“Think about it,” she said in her most tempting tone. “You’ll have ten whole minutes to tease me and torture me and get me close. And we both know how good you are at doing that.”

A sigh escaped as she realized she’d effectively stacked the odds against her. AJ knew it too as he splayed his palm on her belly and slowly dragged it over her mound. His eyes twinkled when he felt the evidence of her arousal.

Brett ignored the ripples of pleasure that danced through her. “So? Deal or no deal?” she challenged.

He chuckled. “Deal.
Definitely
deal.”

She moaned when he slipped one finger inside her.

“I can’t wait to pick your new tat, baby.” He ground the heel of his hand over her clit. “How do you feel about portraits? More specifically—a portrait of me giving two thumbs up?” He tickled the top of her mound. “Right here.”

His cockiness only fueled Brett’s competitive spirit. Arching one brow, she cupped his blond head with both hands and pushed him down to his knees. “Bring it,
baby
. Bring it.”

Chapter Ten

“He’s good for you.”

Brett looked up from her sketchpad to find her brother’s face peering down at her. She hadn’t even heard him approach, and yet there he was, tattooed forearms resting on the counter as he eyed her in amusement.

“Who’s good for me?” she said absently, her pencil still moving over the pad.

“AJ. Duh.”

She hoped her brother didn’t notice the way her shoulders had stiffened in discomfort. “Is he?”

“Absolutely. We all love him, by the way. Dude fits right in.”

Brett couldn’t even contradict him. AJ
did
fit right in. It had been more than a week since she’d introduced him to her family, and he’d already hung out with them several times since the barbecue. The night before, she and AJ had gone out for drinks with her brothers, which had turned a tad chaotic when Jordan and his on-again/off-again girlfriend Jessica had gotten into a screaming match.

Brett hated the woman, and to this day, she still had no clue what her brother saw in such a high-maintenance, manipulative bi-otch. But she’d been impressed by AJ’s composure during the fight. He hadn’t cut and run like she’d expected, and once the squabbling couple had left the pub, she and AJ ended up having a great time with Rob and Mike, whose shrilly impressions of Jessica were spot-on.

“Seriously, every time I see you, you’ve got a big goofy smile on your face. I’d totally bust your balls about it if it weren’t so frickin’ cute.” Rob was positively beaming at her. “My little sister is in love. I’m so proud.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not in love. AJ and I are just casual.”

Rob didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.” He shrugged. “Either way, it’s nice to see you happy for a change. I’m glad you kicked that fucker Troy to the curb.”

“Don’t remind me.” Her chest tightened at the mention of her ex. “God. I can’t believe he turned out to be such a jerk.”

“Forget about him. You’re with a guy that makes you happy now, and that’s all the matters.”

Brett faltered as the words sank in. She supposed she
was
happy. What she and AJ had might be casual, but she was perfectly content with that.

Though she had been making an effort to keep a slight distance from him. Not reveal too much, not push him too hard. She and relationships were like a bottle of alcohol and a loaded gun—not a great combo. When she was in love, she forgot about the rest of the world, so eager to please her partner that they ended up walking all over her.

Fortunately, she and AJ had fallen into a routine she could live with. He came over to her place, they had sex, hung out. Sure, they’d been making a point to see her family so Brett could push her responsibility agenda, but there were no heart-to-hearts, no promises, no longing glances.

And she didn’t mind at all.

Liar. You mind.

Nope, she wasn’t listening to the yearning voice in her head. She and AJ had a good thing going. She didn’t want a relationship. He didn’t want a relationship.

Win win.

And an extra win for the explosive sex.

“So did he pick a design yet?”

Of course, Rob just
had
to remind her of the one thing she
wasn’t
winning at.

Brett scowled at her brother. “No, he hasn’t. And don’t you dare remind me of it.”

Rob chortled. “I still can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to bet on a chess match. You
suck
at chess.”

Yeah, and apparently she sucked at not orgasming, too. But her family didn’t know about
that
. Last night, when AJ had nonchalantly revealed that she’d lost a bet and thus given him the power to choose her next tattoo, Brett had scrambled to think of a plausible, nonsexual bet they could have made. Chess was the first thing that came to mind, and now she was kicking herself for coming up with such a harebrained lie.

Damn AJ and his magic cock. She couldn’t even look at her tattoo chair anymore without remembering how quickly she’d come in his lap last week.

“I spoke to Dad, by the way.”

Rob’s offhand comment purged all the dirty thoughts from her head. “About what?” She didn’t bother masking her excitement.

“You know, about how good you’re doing, what a great help you’ve been around the shop, how smart and wonderful and brilliant you are, yada, yada, yada.”

“Did he say anything about the new Conlon Ink location?” She held her breath as she awaited his reply.

“Nothing official,” Rob admitted. “But if it helps, I was over at the house when Dad got a phone call from that artist he was talking to. The guy who works at Razor’s?”

Brett bristled with displeasure. She’d known her dad was interviewing potential candidates to run the north end parlor, but hearing Rob confirm it ticked her off. The ideal candidate was staring them all in the face, damn it.

Her
.

“He canceled the interview,” Rob said lightly.

Her breath came out in an abrupt whoosh. “Really?”

“Yup. Mind you, he hasn’t said one way or the other if he’s going to give you a shot, but this is a good sign, right?”

No, it was a
fabulous
sign.

Brett dove off the chair and threw her arms around her brother. “Oh my God. I don’t believe it. He’s totally going to let me manage the shop!”

“Possibly.” Rob’s voice went gentle. “But don’t put the cart before the horse just yet.” He hesitated. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I’m glad you did. Now I’m going to work even harder, until he has no choice but to admit that I’m the best person for the—”

A loud
ding
interrupted her. She swung her head in the direction of the door—then froze.

Brett’s jaw fell open as her ex-boyfriend entered the tattoo parlor.

What. The. Hell.

“Hey,” Troy said cautiously.

All she could do was gape at him. Holy shit. He really had the nerve to waltz in here after everything he’d put her through? The mere sight of him made Brett want to clock him.

And to add insult to injury, the bastard actually looked
good
. Like, really, really good. A black T-shirt hugged his chest and showed off the intricate tattoos on each of his biceps, and he’d cut his hair and shaved his goatee since she’d last seen him. Goddamn him. He didn’t deserve to be this handsome.

Brett still remembered the way he’d drawn her in last year with those killer dimples and reckless personality. But he’d been
too
reckless. Troy had no off button when it came to partying. For him, one beer was never enough—he had to have ten. Not only that, but he was a frickin’ sponge. He took and took and took and never once gave anything in return. Whether it was a dinner she’d prepared for him, a free tattoo she’d spotted him, or a ride home when he was too plastered to drive, the jerk had never expressed an ounce of gratitude or appreciation. Not even once.

“What are you doing here?” Brett demanded when she finally found her voice.

Troy came to the counter as if he were approaching a feral lion. “Can we talk in private?” His blue-eyed gaze darted to Rob, whose expression was frigid enough to freeze the Pacific.

Shit. Brett suddenly remembered that Rob had been with her the morning after her trip to the drunk tank. He’d played the part of bodyguard when Troy came over to pick up some things he’d left at her apartment, and the confrontation between the two men hadn’t been pretty, to say the least.

“No, we can’t,” she said coldly. “What do you want, Troy?”

“You’re really going to make me do this in front of
him
?” he demanded in a plaintive voice.

“Do what? There’s no reason for you to be here.” She crossed her arms, mostly so she wouldn’t act on the urge to smack him in the face. “In fact, I’d like you to leave.”

“I miss you,” Troy mumbled.

Rob snorted.

“I do,” he insisted. “I miss you so much. These past six months without you have been pure torture, baby.”

“Don’t you dare call me that! And forgive me if I don’t believe a word you say.”

His expression took on a pleading light. “I mean it. You’re all I can think about.”

“Wow. Really? Did you also think about me when you
cheated
on me?”

“I…” His Adam’s apple twitched as he swallowed. “I already apologized for that. I was drunk, okay? I didn’t know—”

“What you were doing?” she finished. “Yeah, I’m sure you were totally incapacitated when you unzipped your pants and stuck it in some other girl.” She planted both palms on the countertop, needing to ground herself, fighting the increasing urge to hit him.

She’d found out about the cheating after they’d broken up, and the knowledge was as humiliating now as it had been then.

And having her big brother hear how she’d been played for a fool only intensified the embarrassment scorching her cheeks.

“You need to go,” she muttered. “We’re not together anymore. I don’t want you in my life.”

“Brett, please—”

Rob cut in with a death glare. “You heard my sister, asswipe. Get lost.”

Silence crashed over the room. Her ex-boyfriend looked from her to Rob, then down at his feet. Several seconds ticked by before he spoke again.

“I’m not drinking anymore, Brett. I cleaned up my act, went to rehab, got my shit together. I just want another chance to prove to you that I’m the man you fell in love with.”

“Not interested,” she retorted.

Unhappiness clouded his face. “If you change your mind—”

“I won’t.”

“You can reach me at the shop. I don’t have my cell anymore.”

Yeah, because he never paid his damn bills.

“I’m working on getting a new one, though,” he said hastily, as if reading her mind. “Please. Just give me another chance.”

Brett didn’t answer. Simply cocked her head at the door and transmitted a silent
get the hell out
.

“I’ll be waiting for your call,” Troy said sadly, edging away from the counter.

“Then you’ll be waiting a long time,” Rob told his retreating frame.

A moment later, Troy was gone.

Far too mortified and ashamed to meet her brother’s eyes, Brett inhaled a ragged breath and picked up her sketchbook with trembling fingers. “I need to finish this drawing,” she mumbled.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder, making her jump. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Another deep inhalation, and she was finally able to lift her head. “Thanks for sticking up for me, but you didn’t have to. I can handle Troy.”

“I know, but you shouldn’t have to. That prick needs to learn that he’s no longer part of your life. In fact, someone ought to send him a message, just so he’s clear on that.”

Alarm skittered up her spine when she glimpsed the severe look on her brother’s face. “No. Don’t you dare rustle up Mike and Jordan and go after him. Troy knows where I stand. He won’t come back.”

Rob’s jaw tightened. “Do you truly believe that?”

“Yes. But it doesn’t matter what I believe. I don’t need or appreciate your interference. I’m a big girl, Rob. I can take care of myself.” She exhaled in a rush. “Please. Promise me you’ll back off.”

A beat of hesitation, and then he sighed. “Fine. I won’t send a message.”

Relief swept over her. “Thank you.”

“But”—Rob was quick to voice a caveat—“if he comes around again, I can’t make the same promise.”

“He won’t,” she said firmly.

But deep down, she wasn’t so sure.

Troy’s unexpected visit had left Brett so shaken up she decided to cancel on AJ that night, but when she got home after work, she was surprised to find his Jeep already parked at the meter.

Crap. He was early.

She parked a few spaces ahead of him, then made sure her parking permit was visible on the dash. Her apartment didn’t have a driveway or garage, which meant she had no choice but to leave her car on the street. She’d used to worry that it might get stolen, but she’d learned pretty fast that nobody wanted to steal her beat-up hatchback. Fixing it up would no doubt cost more money than anyone could make selling it.

Her boots connected with the sidewalk at the same time AJ strode toward her. Since the club was closed, he wasn’t wearing his all-black bartender clothes but his preppy getup—jeans, a white T-shirt, and sneakers on his feet.

In her black leather pants, bloodred tank top and high-heeled boots, Brett knew she and AJ looked like the last two people who’d ever get together, yet when his lips touched hers in a kiss hello, their mouths fit together perfectly.

“I was going to call you to cancel,” she admitted when they’d pulled back.

He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing major or anything. I just had a crappy day, and I’m not really in the mood for sexy times.” She paused. “You can go if you want.”

He looked surprised. “Why would I go? Do you want me to?”

Brett wrinkled her forehead. “Well, no, but…you know, this was supposed to be about sex.” She fidgeted with her hands. “If there’s no sex tonight, there’s no reason for you to be here.”