Vehn (Exotic Ink Book 1)

by LS Anders

  Yeah, riiiiiiiiiight!

  He knew Tegan had chosen that spot because he had line of sight on the main entrance and he would know the minute Rayna walked through it. Vehn pretended he hadn’t clued in to what the guy was really up to, being a little more than curious to see the girl that had so completely captured his friend’s attention.

  While they waited for the rest of the Exotic Ink crew, Vehn busied himself sipping his scotch through a straw he had jammed under the lower half of his mask and watched the zombie waitresses with trays loaded with hors d’ oeuvres and colorful drinks mill around in the ever-growing crowd.

  Tegan choked on his drink when a sultan and his three concubines entered the club. Vehn took full advantage of the opportunity to slap him hard on the back a couple times, which earned him what looked like a scowl behind those blacked-out sunglasses and fake beard.

  “Friends of yours?” Vehn drawled.

  Tegan recovered, turning his gaze back in the direction of the newcomers that were making their way over to their host. “The brunette is my boss, Evana. The king of sultans is Cale, our piercing artist and the person responsible for acquiring tickets to this shindig. The little one with the royal blue hair is Avie, our receptionist, and the blonde is Rayna.”

  Vehn wondered if Tegan was aware of how lovesick he sounded when he said her name.

  “Dude! So, that’s the blonde from work who’s got you in such a twist?”

  “Pfft. I’m not in a twist. And don’t call me dude!”

  Vehn executed a low whistle of approval, and they fist-bumped without either of them taking their eyes off Rayna as the quartet were greeted by Kimberlin and his wife.

  “How does the little one get her hair that color?” Vehn asked.

  “Don’t have the first clue. It was canary yellow last week.”

  “Huh, I’ll be damned. She’s so cute, like a little fairy.”

  Tegan nodded, holding up his hand, signaling the group over to the bar.

  He didn’t know how, but he knew Tegan was using those dark lensed sunglasses to take full advantage, eyeballing Rayna undetected like a starved, lovesick puppy. Hell, he couldn’t blame the guy. She was a beautiful, long-legged blonde with a great figure.

  As a matter of fact, all the girls were pretty. No wonder Tegan always left extra early for work. Worried about getting stuck in traffic his ass, the man was working around some serious eye candy. He couldn’t wait to meet the one he had been forewarned about. If she was anything like these three, he might just have to overlook the excessive fangirling.

  Tegan made all the introductions, and Vehn, aka Lee, was loving this new secret identity shit. There was no fawning, no questions regarding his modeling career, only, “Hi, how are ya’s,” and, “Nice to meet ya’s,” followed by regular everyday conversations, like back before all the fame.

  Heavenly!

  He tried not to stare too much at Rayna in her sheer pink barely-there harem costume. Even though his face was completely covered, he had a feeling Tegan would somehow know and gouge out his eyes.

  Avie was cute as she could be, and just by the body language alone, Vehn could tell she and Cale were completely taken with one another.

  Let’s not leave out the boss lady. Holy hell, Evana was smoking hot!

  “Oh my God, Lee, I love your costume. It looks like the real thing,” Avie commented.

  “Thanks. You girls look great, too. The sultan costume is brilliant, by the way, and you managed to find three of the most beautiful girls in New York.”

  He was rewarded with blushes and “Thank you’s” from all three ladies.

  “I can’t take the credit. It was all my girl Avie’s idea,” Cale admitted, drawing Avie into a loose embrace.

  “Smart girl.” Vehn tipped his glass to her.

  Vehn’s attention was drawn away as Rayna leaned into Tegan saying something that caused the guy to grin, then tugged playfully on the fake beard. He could tell by Rayna’s gestures that she was totally digging him.

  You go, Tegan!

  * * *

  As the night wore on, the party was really starting to pick up the pace. He was having the best time he had had for as long as he could remember hanging out with Tegan’s co-workers. He hoped he could still be friends with them after he revealed his secret identity.

  Vehn was going to have to remember to thank Tegan for the spot he had picked at the bar. They were in a high traffic area, and he had talked to so many girls he couldn’t begin to keep track of them all.

  Finally getting a break from the ladies, he looked around trying to figure out what to do with the pieces of cocktail napkins he had collected from various girls over the last hour. He guessed the mystery of the mask was a chick magnet that made him more alluring, because he was getting hit on non-stop and the girls weren’t shy about sharing their cell numbers.

  His costume came with no pockets, and he’d opted to leave his cell at home, so no entering the numbers. Turning toward the bar, he quickly shoved them down the front of his superhero suit, making sure to smooth out the bulge they left behind. The costume was skin tight, not leaving much to the imagination.

  He chuckled to himself, recalling Tegan’s reaction to his costume malfunction. He hadn’t made a rookie mistake like that since he had started modeling and had discovered the merits of wearing an undergarment that hid a man’s bits and pieces, but it was well worth the embarrassment to get a laugh like that out of his old friend.

  To think, just last week, he was at a low point in his life with an ex-girlfriend from hell, still a little wishy-washy about changing his career, and feeling sorry for himself because he hadn’t found his dream girl yet. But he had managed to shake off the dregs of that fight faster than he thought, stick to his guns about photography, and was determined to meet someone new. To look at him now, it was as if none of that had ever happened.

  Thankfully, he hadn’t heard a peep out of Regina since. Initially, he was afraid she would run her mouth to the press about their nasty break-up because she hadn’t been ready to break it off with him, still having more media coverage she could have taken advantage of, but nothing so far. He hoped he didn’t have to ever see that bitch again.

  “My spidey-sense just kicked in,” Vehn said, doing a double take of the redhead who'd just walked through the door. She was dressed as Cat Woman, Halle Barry style, except with a hell of a lot more curves.

  Curvalicious, was the word that popped into his head.

  “Is it saying danger, cover your balls, and run for the hills?” Tegan smirked.

  “No, it’s saying uncover your balls and hand them over to the hot redhead that just walked in,” Vehn remarked, not able to tear his eyes away from her.

  “Well you might want to rethink that, Spidey. That’s the girl from the shop I warned you about.”

  “Her?! Are you fuckin’ serious? She's gorgeous! Why is it I'm supposed to steer clear of her?”

  “Because she's the queen of Vehn fanatics!” Tegan warned, whispering harshly so the others wouldn’t hear.

  “Yeah, but I'm not Vehn tonight. I'm Lee, the photographer in a Spiderman costume.”

  “It's your funeral. But don't say I didn't warn you when you come up missing because she tied you to her bed and I have to come looking for you,” Tegan warned, taking a sip of his drink and returning Callie’s wave.

  “Don't tease me like that, T! And please don’t come looking for me if she ties me to her bed. I’m good with that scenario. Now, are you gonna introduce me or do I need to do it myself?”

  “I refuse to play any part in this, bro. You’re on your own,” Tegan said turning his back to Vehn.

  It would seem comic book characters were the most popular costume of choice tonight. Vehn managed to wait patiently as Callie made her way through the thickening crowd, stopping to chat with The Incredible Hulk and then with Batman.

  The latter was showing way too much interest, in his opinion, causing him to growl possessively under his bre
ath. “You'd better fuck off if you know what’s good for you, cape-wearing motherfucker.”

  Callie finally arrived at the bar as Evana and Rayna made their way back from the ladies’ room. There was too much noise for Vehn to hear the exchange, but their movements suggested they were complimenting each other on their costumes. He was definitely enjoying the view of Callie turning this way and that, posing as Cat Woman, and was afraid to blink in case he missed some little nuance about her.

  As soon as Vehn could gain her attention, he introduced himself, almost forgetting his assumed identity. “Hi, I’m Ve… Lee, Tegan’s roommate. You must be Callie. Tegan talks about you all the time.” The necessary lie left a bitter taste in his mouth, but it kind of wasn’t really a lie. His name was Lee. It was just his middle name.

  “Nice to meet you, Lee. Why would Tegan talk about me?” she said, sounding unconvinced. “Should I assume the worst?”

  “No, of course not. I enjoy the stories he tells about you and Cale’s work place theatrics.”

  “Oh, God!” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “He knows we’re just playing with each other, right? Cale’s like my little brother. We don’t really hate each other.”

  “He knows. The two of you remind me of Tegan and I growing up. Our mom would have to separate us sometimes.”

  “You’re brothers? I thought you said you were his roommate?”

  “Yeah, I did. We’re not biologically related. Tegan lived with me and my family for a while.” Fuck! He didn’t know how much Tegan had told these people about his personal life. He hoped he hadn’t shared something Tegan wanted to keep private.

  Vehn rushed to change the subject. “Let’s get you a drink. What would you like?”

  “Um, I don’t know. What are you having?”

  “Scotch, neat.”

  “Sounds good,” Callie said, grinning up at him.

  Vehn wasn’t sure if he should be scared or impressed. He ordered them both a scotch and passed hers over.

  She took a tentative sip and made a little grimace, which he decided was cute as shit. Maybe she was just trying to impress him, which he decided was the sweetest gesture ever.

  Fuck, he was already crushing on her, hard!

  His heart had picked a new faster pace. His nerves had decided to go on hyper drive, making his palms sweaty and his stomach flutter. And he’d bet his dad’s vintage Rolex that he wouldn’t be able to wipe off the smile he had plastered on his puss with a fucking chain saw!

  Damn, he had met her two seconds ago and he was already in over his head. He might as well save her the trouble and rip out his own heart and just hand the damn thing over to her along with his balls.

  Vehn silently wished he could ditch the mask, but was grateful for it all at the same time. Maybe he’d stood a chance at a real relationship if she got to know him before she discovered who he really was.

  However, he needed to keep in mind that she was a fan of his, so her perception of him would most likely change once she discovered that he was the object of her fangirling. Maybe, if he was lucky, his personality would leave a lasting impression so that she wouldn’t look at him differently once she found out.

  Tegan’s advice from the week before was ringing inside his head—to be cautious with his heart and careful not to gift people with his trust until they earned it—which meant that he really needed to throttle back his feelings that seemed to have a mind of their own, because right now he was free-falling head first into a black abyss not knowing where the hell he was going to land. He just couldn’t help himself. He had no control over his reactions to her.

  He had finally given up trying to jam the straw under his mask to sip his drink and had decided to lift the thing just enough to uncover the lower half of his face. And, what do you know! Those gorgeous hazel eyes of hers immediately locked in on that area, intently studying the features he’d revealed.

  “Is Callie short for something else?”

  “Nope, just Callie.” She took a little larger sip this time, but still grimaced.

  Vehn took a flirtatious page from Rayna’s book and tugged on a lock of Callie's hair. “I don't think you could ever be just Callie.”

  “Well, thanks, Lee,” she blushed, dropping her gaze with a sweep of her long lashes before she went back to studying his mouth and jawline. “You gonna take that mask off anytime tonight? I can't tell where your eyes are.”

  “They are definitely on you. But the mask can't come off; party rules,” Vehn commented, still twirling the silky curl around his finger. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “Ok, sure. But only if I get to ask you one back in return.”

  “Is this your natural color?” He knew it was rude of him to ask, but he just couldn’t help himself.

  Callie dipped her chin, looking away. “Yes, it is. I know it's too bright. I'm thinking of coloring it –”

  Vehn stopped her by tilting her chin up with his forefinger, running his thumb along her jaw. “Don't you dare! It's gorgeous. I love it.”

  He felt her shiver at the contact and watched her lids grow heavy. Her eyes began to roam his mask in the general area where his eyes would be as if she wasn’t sure she believed him. He wished he could take the damn thing off so she could see the sincerity there. That he wasn’t just blabbing out some line to get in her pants. Besides, he wanted her to see that the desire in his own eyes matched hers.

  When her eyes came to rest again on his lips, the tip of her tongue darted out wetting her full bottom lip like she was wondering what his lips would feel like against hers, and that penetrating stare was doing crazy things to his insides ramping up his need to have a taste of her, to have a feel of those curves.

  Okay, he really needed to find someplace private or stop the direction his mind was taking!

  “So, what is your question?” Vehn tried for a distraction along with a full breath. All the air in the lounge seemed to have been sucked out, and his costume was shrinking by the second, hindering his breathing.

  “What?” Callie’s question floated out on a breath.

  “You said a question for a question, remember?” He hated to break the moment, but he was starting to get a massive hard-on that wasn’t going to stay hidden inside this painted on spandex suit.

  “Oh… yeah.” She seemed to shake herself, clearing her throat. “Have we met before, because you seem so familiar? I don’t know why, you just do.”

  “No. I would definitely have remembered meeting you,” he said, laying a sexy grin on her.

  He hoped it wasn’t wishful thinking, but she seemed to be as attracted to him as he was to her. She kept checking out his body when she thought he wasn’t looking, which made him real damn happy. And whenever she would make a comment or laugh at something he said she would briefly touch his arm or hand.

  Maybe he was overthinking it and that was just her way. After all, she was a tattoo artist, so touching people was part of her job. Had he become one of those guys that thought if a girl smiled at him she wanted to fuck him? He certainly hoped not. That would be so sad. But her eyes were telling him a different story.

  He could see the majority of her face, since her mask only covered the top half of it and the eye holes were really large. It was as if she didn’t really have a mask on. He would still be able to recognize her without it, despite the long curly hair and traffic-stopping body.

  For him, it wasn’t all about the visual, either; she was a really fun person. They had been chatting away for the past few hours about everything as the party drummed on around them.

  She seemed genuinely interested in him, his photography, where he lived, what his hobbies were, and places he loved most in the city. He discovered they had quite a bit in common. She was smart and funny, and she said what she thought, nothing pertinacious about her. She had a big open smile and made him laugh with her off-kilter sense of humor.

  She was a long-awaited breath of fresh air after such a long time of breathing in the same old s
elf-centered stick figures. Yep. He was done for, and he couldn’t help but continue to wonder what she would think once she discovered his true identity.

  He had decided he was going to see her again, but he couldn’t exactly wear this costume around forever, and this was his one chance to make a lasting impression before he had to tell her who he really was.

  Tegan’s warning kept up a steady flash inside his brain like a neon sign. He hoped the guy was wrong about her and that her perception of him stayed the same when she found out it was actually him. She just seemed so down to earth, and the way she would drop her eyes and blush when he complimented her was so sincere.

  Tegan just had to be wrong about her.

  Right now, all Vehn knew was that he needed to get this girl in a dark corner fast, and if she didn't stop staring at his lips like she wanted to devour them, it was gonna be on and very public.

  It had been a long time, a year as a matter of fact, since he had been with a girl that he was attracted to and who wanted him back. He was barely keeping himself in check, and this tight-ass costume was doing nothing to hide his erection.

  “That table just opened up.” He didn't give her a chance to object, just grabbed her hand and led her over to the dark alcove he'd had one eye on since the flirting had taken a more serious turn.

  They both took a seat on the couch inside the small intimate space, and Vehn unhooked the tie on the curtain, pulling it closed, sheltering them from prying eyes.

  Callie could only stare at where she thought his eyes would be, wondering what color they were. She had never wished to see someone so badly in her life.

  His voice was driving her freaking crazy, too! And, when he had said the word love, she must have ovulated, because her belly curled in a way it hadn't in a very, very long time. She was getting hit hard with a straight-up case of lust, even though she hadn’t even seen his face.

  She could tell by the skin-tight suit that he did have a rocking body, and yes, she had checked out his butt when he had turned to order another round from the bar.