What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 2)

by Vi Keeland

  Her tattoo was still faintly red around the edges, though she didn’t seem to have bruised much. Squirting a small dollop of antibacterial soap into her palm, she ran her hand under warm water before pressing it to her ribs. Gently, she massaged her side, her soap-slickened fingers gliding easily over her skin. The curves and flourishes of the vines were raised, as were the flowers that blossomed on them. The design stood out vivid and textured against her smooth olive skin. It hadn’t begun to truly heal or even lose its scab yet, but it was already obvious that Eric had done a beautiful job.

  Did he think so too? Karen might not have even sent him a photo yet, but if she had, what had he thought when he’d seen it? She cupped a handful of warm water and let it stream over her side, washing away the soap. Taking a clean towel from the small bathroom closet, she patted her skin dry. She loved the tattoo. If only she didn’t suspect that she just might be able to feel the same way about the man who’d done it for her.

  “Karen? Is everything okay?” Mina held her phone as she twisted the top off her bottled water. Karen didn’t usually call her at work. Fortunately, she’d just clocked out for her lunch break.

  “Everything’s amazing. Guess what?”

  Her water bottle cap spun off the table and bounced onto the floor. She stooped to pick it up, and when she straightened in her seat, a peroxide-blond woman was eyeing her from across the room. Ashley. She glared down her button nose at Mina as if talking on her phone while being off the clock and in the small break room was a crime. Unfortunately, lunch wasn’t the only time of day Mina was forced to spend in Ashley’s presence. Ashley was the bank’s newest teller, which meant that Mina usually passed the entire day in the small area behind the counter with her. “What?”

  “Eric loved the pictures,” Karen said breathlessly.

  Mina’s heart fluttered, her senses spiking at the sudden mention of Eric. “Pictures? I thought you only sent him one.”

  Karen made a sound of dismissal. “There were at least a dozen shots that turned out great. I sent him the eight I thought were best.”

  “Okay…” She resisted the urge to say something idiotic, like ‘what did he say’?

  “Have you checked your e-mail lately?”

  Mina shook her head before realizing that the gesture was useless. Ashley smirked at her from across the room, as if she’d noticed. She probably had. The nosy girl spent most of her time scrutinizing her co-workers – particularly Mina – watching for something to laugh at or make a snide comment about. “No. I didn’t think you’d have the pictures ready so soon.” Karen insisted on editing her photos to perfection before sending them to anyone. Mina hadn’t thought it necessary for a simple snapshot of her tattoo, but she’d known that wouldn’t stop Karen.

  “I finished editing them yesterday.” Her tone softened, a little of the enthusiasm going out of her voice. “I haven’t had a client in over two weeks, so I had plenty of time.”

  “Sorry.” Mina knew how badly Karen wanted to take her photography full-time and quit her waitressing job, but photography was a flooded field and drumming up enough business to scrape a living wasn’t easy. Nevertheless, Karen was determined to become one of the best.

  “It’s all right. I just got a new client today.” Mina could practically hear Karen grinning at the other end of the connection.

  “Oh yeah? Who?”

  “A guy who owns a little tattoo studio called Hot Ink.”

  Mina nearly dropped the cap again. “Are you serious?” Hot Ink was the shop where she’d just had her new tattoo done – the place where Eric worked, her quickening heart reminded her.

  “One-hundred percent. They want me to take some pictures of their artists’ work – you know, to use for advertisements and stuff like that. And that’s not all. Guess what else they asked me?”

  “What?”

  “If you’d pose for some of the photos.”

  “What?” Mina’s voice climbed an octave or two, and Ashley shot her a censorious look from across the room, frowning primly as she stirred an almost microscopic spoonful of dressing onto her salad.

  “Eric showed the photos I sent him to the studio’s owner and he thought they were amazing. He wants you to represent Eric’s work.”

  Mina took a sip of her water, stalling for a little time to mull it all over. Her, in advertisements? Would that make her a model? She nearly laughed at the thought. At 5’5” and now with a considerable portion of her body covered in ink, she’d never imagined herself as one. “So, he wants to use the photos you took in some ads?”

  “No, he wants me to take new photos of you.”

  “What was wrong with the old ones?” Mina remembered sitting topless on the stool in Karen’s studio and shivered.

  “Nothing. I just told the owner that if he was really serious about using photos for advertisements, he’d let me take some specifically for that. We can have your make-up professionally done, style your hair and all that.”

  “He wants my face to be in the photos?”

  “Of course. Mina, it’s not just about your tattoo. It’s about you – you know, the person, the whole visual package and the woman behind the ink.”

  “Did you think that sales pitch up off the top of your head?”

  “It’s not a sales pitch. It’s my vision for Hot Ink’s advertisements.”

  “Okay, well, what did you say when he asked you if I’d pose for the photos?”

  “I told him I thought you’d be really interested.”

  Mina sighed. Of course she had. Not that she didn’t like the idea of Eric ‘loving’ the photos, though she doubted he’d used that exact word, but it was a little weird to think that someone wanted to use her image to advertise their business.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Karen said, “but listen. I know you could use the extra money. No offense – I’m in the same boat, after all.”

  Extra money? “You mean I’d be paid?”

  “Of course. I mean, it’s not much, just a couple hundred dollars, but it’s something.”

  “I’ll do it.” It wasn’t the flash of photo lights Mina pictured as she agreed, but the pretty purple gown she’d seen so recently on a real model. If she didn’t order Jess’s dress soon, it wouldn’t arrive in time for the dance. And so far, she’d only managed to scrounge up about half of what she’d need to buy it.

  “Great. How soon can you make it to the studio?”

  “Don’t you want to wait until my tattoo heals? It’s still a little red around the edges.”

  “That’s all right. I can photoshop that out.”

  “Well, the next day I have off work is Sunday.”

  “All right. Sunday at…how’s noon sound?”

  “Fine, I guess.”

  “Great. See you then.” Karen hung up, leaving Mina alone with Ashley’s frigid stares.

  Mina ignored her, opening her lunch box and unwrapping the sandwich she’d packed. After a few bites she put down her food and pulled her phone out of her purse. Within moments she’d accessed her e-mail and was skimming through her inbox. Karen’s message was near the top of the list, sandwiched between some spam and a newsletter. She opened it and the turkey-and-cheddar resting in her stomach seemed to turn to stone as she inspected the attached photos.

  Karen really had sent Eric eight photos, and only two of them were the tattoo close-ups she’d thought they’d all be. The rest showcased Mina from her head to her hip, highlighting the colorful ink scrawling down her side. Her face was visible from various angles and the photos were…sexy. Her breasts were hidden demurely by the angle and her upper arm, but there was still no denying the sensuality of the pictures. Karen had directed her posing well, and the soft lighting she’d used was more than flattering. And then there was the fact that she’d edited the images to perfection, making sure that Mina’s skin glowed flawlessly and her hair shone. She died a little inside knowing that Eric had seen the photos and shown them to his boss. And then she came back to life,
her heart pumping way too fast for someone who was sitting in a chair digesting a sandwich.

  A flash of washed-out gold caught Mina’s eye and she turned to see Ashley leaning over her salad and craning her neck. Mina hid the screen and slipped her phone into her purse. Hopefully Ashley hadn’t seen anything. Mina’s tattoo would be just one more thing for Ashley to dislike about her. As Ashley sank slowly back into her seat, trying to look casual, Mina’s gaze was drawn to a bright spot on Ashley’s top – she’d leaned too low and a smudge of French dressing had stained her white sweater. The red-orange blotch was positioned directly over one nipple. Mina suppressed a smirk, saying nothing. Ashley would blame her whether or not she said anything, and speaking to her when it wasn’t strictly necessary was generally something she tried to avoid.

  “What’s this?” Mina eyed the length of scarlet silk curiously as it slid through her hands like water.

  “It’s for modesty,” Karen explained, turning and striding across the small studio to her beloved camera, leaving Mina perched on the stool.

  A knock came at the door and Mina jumped, nearly slipping off the edge of her seat. Hastily, she clutched the material to her bare chest, covering herself. “Is someone else going to be here?” She tried to keep the edge of alarm out of her voice as Karen approached the door and laid a hand on the knob.

  “I didn’t mention it to you?” She managed to sound amazingly casual.

  “No,” Mina said through clenched teeth. Posing for the pictures was one thing. Having a stranger gawk at her while she sat half-naked and chilled on the stool was another.

  Karen opened the door and the stranger walked in, only…he wasn’t a stranger.

  He was Eric.

  Chapter Three

  Eric’s sky-blue eyes flickered immediately toward Mina and traveled over her exposed back and side for the briefest of moments before he averted them politely. “I’m not late, am I?”

  “No, you’re on time,” Karen assured him. “We’re just about to get started.”

  Mina’s throat tightened, choking the words of shock that were whirling through her mind. What was Eric doing at the shoot, and how the hell had Karen forgotten to tell her that he was coming? She cleared her throat and tried to sound casual. She might as well try to put a brave face on and get the shoot over with as soon as possible. Jess was waiting at home and Mina had promised to help her with a research paper she was doing for her English class. “I didn’t realize that anyone from Hot Ink would be coming to…uh, oversee the shoot.”

  Eric looked up, his gaze settling on her face this time, his eyes locking with hers. For some reason, it made her feel as if they were the only two people in the world. Everything else faded away for a moment: Karen, her studio and the elaborate light set-up…everything. “Am I making you uncomfortable? I could—”

  Karen interrupted, shattering Mina’s illusion of being alone with Eric. “He’s here to make sure I capture images that will really showcase his work.”

  Mina nodded, hoping she didn’t look as if that idea had never occurred to her.

  “But that’s not all,” Karen continued, sounding like a game show host announcing prizes. “He’s also here to model.”

  Fantasy visions flashed through Mina’s mind unbidden, showing her an up-close view of his eye-catching biceps. If he was here to model, then his shirt must be hiding some incredible tattoos – just as Mina had suspected. Secret excitement mixed with her unease, causing her stomach to tie itself in anxious knots. “Really?”

  Karen nodded. “One of the other artists at Hot Ink did some work for him and the owner wants those photos for advertisements.”

  The stool wobbled a little as Mina shifted her weight, still holding the silk close. She was going to see Eric’s tattoos after all. She glanced down at the length of material. It was only fair, if he was going to see her like this. Not that he was seeing anything he hadn’t touched when he’d actually done the tattoo, but this felt different.

  “I can wait out in the hall if I’m making you uncomfortable.”

  A hint of heat crept into Mina’s cheeks. Eric watched her with sincere, blue eyes, waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, Karen stood behind him, silently mouthing the words ‘I need him’. “It’s all right. I don’t mind if you stay.”

  He nodded. “Thanks. Jed – that’s the owner – couldn’t be here, so he wanted me to come and give input, but I’m sure Karen doesn’t need my help.”

  Karen beamed. “Don’t be afraid to chime in if you have any suggestions. I want you to be happy with these photos.”

  He shrugged. “I was happy with the originals.”

  A warm glow of satisfaction enveloped Mina. Today her makeup was professionally done and Karen had put her hair up in an elegant knot and inserted some glittering diamond studs into her earlobes. But Eric liked the originals – the photos where she’d looked the same as she had in his tattoo chair and during their brief almost-date. Maybe it shouldn’t have pleased her to know that – after all, it wasn’t like they’d be going out again – but it did.

  “Eric, can you stand beside Mina and hold this?” Karen handed him a grey card and stood ready with her camera.

  “Sure.” He stepped carefully onto the paper background, holding the grey card in front of himself like a shield. “This good?”

  Karen nodded. “Perfect.” A few test shots later, she was ready.

  Eric retreated to a corner of the studio and Mina glanced after him, watching his shoulder muscles shift subtly beneath his shirt. A wave of combined longing and curiosity heated her cheeks. Hopefully the natural blush that accompanied it would be invisible beneath her heavy makeup.

  “All right Mina, let’s start with some poses like the ones we used the other day.”

  That was easy enough. All she had to do was sit on the stool, arching her back, setting her shoulders and dropping her chin at the prescribed angles, holding her silk for modesty all the while. Somehow, knowing that Eric was in the room made her exposure seem more daring than the technically topless session she’d posed for the other day.

  By the time Karen finally called for a break, Mina had tilted her chin and positioned her shoulders in more ways than she’d thought possible. Eric had offered the odd suggestion here and there, but had mostly remained silent. At times, Mina had thought she’d felt his gaze on her – focused and intense. He was looking away now, but her nipples had pricked against the thin silk, banishing most of the modesty it had lent her. Her cheeks burnt as she eyed her sweater – it was draped across Karen’s computer chair, which seemed a million miles away. If she’d known anyone else was coming, she would have changed in the closet of a dressing room and left her clothes there. Damn Karen.

  “I’ll step out of the room for a few minutes,” Eric said.

  His thoughtful concession eased Mina’s nerves a little, and as the door closed behind him she hurried for the office chair, pulling on her cami and sweater. “So how do the photos look?”

  Karen was lost in study, her head bent over her camera. “I’m not sure, but I think they came out…amazing.” She looked up slowly, and her tone was almost reverent, as if she hadn’t been the one who’d aimed the camera and captured the images. Her green eyes sparkled like polished jade, alight with apparent excitement.

  Mina breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.” Hopefully that meant Karen wouldn’t try to wrangle her back in front of the lens again for any re-dos.

  Eric knocked before reentering.

  “Come on in,” Karen called, her gaze still locked on her camera screen. “Would you like to see these?” She motioned toward Eric with her camera.

  “I’m sure they’re great.” Instead of diverting his gaze to the screen, his eyes locked on Mina.

  A thousand butterflies she hadn’t realized were there erupted into flight somewhere in her middle.

  “Okay then. You’re up next.”

  Eric nodded stoically. What did he think of putting his body on display and posing? Mina wonder
ed as he strode onto the paper, stopping in front of the background.

  “Should I stand or sit?”

  “Standing should be fine.”

  He set the stool aside.

  Karen stepped up and readied her camera.

  Mina’s heart was stuck somewhere in her throat. The moment of truth had arrived. She couldn’t help but stare as Eric gripped the bottom of his long sleeved cotton shirt, preparing to pull it over his head.

  He whisked it away without hesitation, revealing a perfectly toned torso and plenty of ink. An intricate design spiraled down his upper right arm, the rich black ink swirling in a graceful pattern.

  “Mina, do me a favor and hand him the grey card.”

  Mina moved mechanically, picking up the grey card with suddenly hot hands and striding toward Eric. A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her when he met her eyes. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” She handed off her flimsy burden and backed away, out of Karen’s line of fire. She nearly tripped over the edge of the background when something – a hint of more dark ink – caught her eye, causing her to pause. Eric turned a little at Karen’s bequest, revealing more of what had captured Mina’s attention.

  The design on his biceps wasn’t his only tattoo. In fact, it looked small and simple in comparison to the masterpiece inked across his back. She sidled to the right a little, taking it all in. A huge dragon wound its way across his back, its open mouth gaping on one shoulder while its tail tapered off and then flared to an end just above his hips. It was beautifully done in black and grey, every scale painstakingly detailed.

  “You like it?”

  Mina snapped her gaze from Eric’s skin, surprised by his question. He was peering at her over his shoulder, his eyes as warm and arresting as ever.