by LS Anders
Jason stood to his full height, dwarfing her. Even in high heels, she had to take a step back so she wasn’t staring at the underside of his chin.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disrespect you or any of the other girls, Evana. You know how I am around women, I’ve always been a huge flirt. I don’t mean any harm by it.”
Softening her defensive posturing, she gave him a crooked smile before shaking her head at him. “I swear, you haven’t changed in the slightest since high school.”
“I was always under the impression my flirtatious moves were why you had a huge crush on me,” Jason joked. “And, that’s eye roll number three. You’re gonna give my ego an inferiority complex if you don’t stop doing that.”
“Jason, as huge as your ego is, I doubt that’s even possible.”
Pursing his lips, he crossed his arms over his chest sweeping his eyes over her.
She couldn’t help but notice how the muscles in his arms stretched the material of his sleeves, but the hurt look taking over his handsome face quickly erased any desire she was feeling.
“Sorry. That was mean of me,” she apologized.
“Yeah, that was pretty brutal.” Jason stuck out his bottom lip, pouting.
“You’re incorrigible. Here I was thinking I’d actually hurt your feelings, that I nearly forgot what a big jokester you were.”
“So, you gonna show me all of it?”
“All of what?”
“Your tattoo.”
“Why are you so interested, aside from the fact that you’re most likely just trying to get me to lift up my skirt.”
“Now Evana, that’s not true. Tegan was my apprentice and your late husband was a god in this industry, I’m curious to see how he stacks up to Kyle.”
Maybe she had misjudged his intentions, because he still looked a little wounded over her comment. The Jason Gales she remembered would have never let anyone’s words get to him, and she had never pegged him as someone that wore their heart on their sleeve.
“Alright, fine,” she said, setting her coffee aside and hopping up on the client chair. Lying on her side, she hiked up her skirt revealing her hip.
“Wow,” Jason said, wiping a hand across his mouth.
Had he just drooled?
“Which of the orchids did Tegan ink?”
“The three skulls above my knee, the vine itself, and the one orchid below are all Kyle’s work, everything else was Tegan.”
“This one is Kyle’s?” Jason asked, touching the purple orchid directly below the grouping of the three skulls.
Nodding, she barely held back the shiver from his innocent touch. Time hadn’t seemed to have diminished her attraction to him in the slightest.
“Yes.” Her voice sounded too husky to her own ears.
Naturally, Jason noticed, glancing up into her eyes, a wicked gleam just beneath the surface. Jesus, the man was such a distraction. Like a worm on a hook, he was luring her closer until the moment when he could snare her.
Desire bloomed heavy as his warm palm glided over the design. His fingertips skimming just under the edge of her bunched-up skirt had her swallowing hard as she desperately wanted to rub her thighs together to stave off the spear of lust that had bloomed in her center.
She had wanted to see him again. Had thought about him over the years wondering what had ever become of him, if he’d settled down and married or had kids. She’d begged her aunt to allow her to call him after they’d left, but she was told it was too dangerous.
What was too dangerous were the naughty thoughts she was having right at this moment.
Closing her eyes, she let herself enjoy the warmth of his palm stroking over her thigh. It had been so long since she’d been touched by a man. Merely having his hands on her, anywhere on her body, was heavenly.
A moan escaped her lips as she fought the urge to roll over onto her belly and spread her legs wide for him, wanting to feel his hands between her thighs.
Heat uncoiled in her belly as she imagined him slipping one long finger just under the edge of her panties, pushing deep inside, working her neglected flesh until she came—
The clearing of a throat slammed her back to reality.
Ashamed she’d let herself get this worked up, she jerked her skirt back into place, sitting up.
Jesus, she hadn’t known Jason for years, and even back then, she only knew him by reputation and the occasional grin as they’d passed each other in the hall between classes. Other than that one date, she’d rarely spoken to him in school.
So why was she so damn comfortable with him now?
Had to be a simple case of straight up lust. Slapping a muzzle on her racing pulse, she smiled at the girl that had thankfully halted anything she would have regretted later.
This school girl infatuation needed to end right now.
“Hey, E. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Dylan said, sizing Jason up. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Dylan Abrams. You must be Jason, Tegan’s friend from Boston.”
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage,” Jason replied.
The sinful smirk that played across his lips as he chatted up Dylan irritated every nerve ending in her body. She shouldn’t care that Jason was flirting with Dylan. He didn’t belong to her. He was free to fuck whoever he wanted.
“So, the beer tasting will be this Saturday. I really need tasters for my new microbrews. Please say you’ll both come.”
“So, you wanna be my date, Evana?” Jason smiled, biting down on his bottom lip.
Completely overlooking his insolent question, she turned to the other girl. “Sure, Dylan, I’d love to come to your tasting party. Gabriel can’t stop talking about the new selections you’ve been brewing.”
“Gabriel is my favorite taster. I’ve never known anyone like him. He just blurts out exactly what he thinks. His unfiltered honesty has really helped me perfect my new brews.” Dylan tilted her head grinning. “He’s quite the treasure.”
Dylan’s usual fair skin tinted pink revealing there was more than beer tasting going on between her and Gabriel, which wasn’t really a surprise given Dylan’s reputation.
“Yes he is,” she said, hopping down off the client chair.
The wetness that had pooled between her thighs from Jason’s massaging was going to need a panty change, and she’d wasted enough time this morning screwing around.
“If you’ll excuse me, Dylan, I really need to get to work. I’ll see you Saturday night.” Evana brushed past Jason, her skin hyper aware of his presence so close to her in the small room. After giving the other girl a quick hug, she finally reached the office.
She was more at ease with some distance away from him, but her skin still tingled from his touch, the ache still present between her legs. Her desire was a living thing gnawing at her for attention that wasn’t going to be denied.
Pissed at herself for her moment of weakness, she knew what she was going to have to do. This itch wasn’t going to go away on its own.
Taking the spiral stairs up to her apartment, she was going to make this a quickie. No need to draw attention to her absence if she were gone too long.
Letting herself in, she locked the door behind herself, pulling her blouse over her head as she headed to her bedroom. Shimmying out of her skirt, she kicked off her high heels. Laying her clothes out flat on the chaise so as not to wrinkle them, she let her panties slide down her legs. The cotton center was soaked and so was she.
She was in bad need of this release. It had been a long time since she’d pleasured herself. The burn she felt now was intense, worse than she’d felt in a while.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she spread her legs wide. As air touched her slick folds, she arched her back, rolling her hips in search of something to ease her pain.
Normally, she overlooked her breasts, going straight for the center of herself. Not today. Pulling down the lacy cups of her bra to expose her nipples, she rolled the hardened peaks under her palms before gently squeezing.
&nbs
p; Moaning from the pleasure she was giving herself, her feminine flesh wept. Sweeping her hand between her thighs, she touched her swollen lips surprised at how slippery she was. Sliding a finger inside, she nearly came undone from the contact, but her slender appendage was not going to be enough to satisfy her needs.
Pulling open the top drawer on her nightstand, she reached inside bringing out her favorite toy. Well, one of her favorites. There was no need for lubricant, she teased her slick opening with the hard cylindrical plastic. Penetrating herself with just the tip, she worked herself up into an almost frantic need to cum.
She wasn’t done teasing herself, the reward for holding back would be well worth the desperate ache she was feeling now. Her hand slipped back inside the drawer to grasp a small conical shaped object. Placing the object into her mouth, she wet the toy and laid back on the bed, her knees spread wide and her feet planted flat on the edge of the mattress.
This was going to feel amazing. Her hand shook from the anticipation of what she was about to do.
Gliding the larger toy through her wetness, she slowly pushed the plastic inside as far as it would go, thrusting a few times before she paused to insert the conical shaped toy into her anus, making sure it was seated fully.
Moaning from the fullness, she began to plunge the hard plastic into her needy center. She was so close, reaching for that explosive ending that seemed to be just out of her reach.
Groaning from the desperate need to cum, she sat forward, snatching a vibrating toy out of the drawer. Good thing she had a variety in her stash, the hard plastic one normally did the trick.
Flipping the tiny clit teaser to the highest setting, she resumed her position, working the dildo in and out of herself before she touched her clit with the vibrator.
Instantly shattering around the toy, she paused her thrusting to enjoy the feel of her vaginal muscles grabbing greedily at the plastic buried deep inside.
Panting through the orgasm, she continued with lazy thrusts until she’d worked herself up to another orgasm. The intensity of the vibrator had her lifting her hips into the air, stabbing the dildo fast and hard into herself until she was pitched over the edge of ecstasy crying out Jason’s name as she clinched up tight around the toy.
Evana had successfully thwarted off his advances for the rest of the week. Keeping their relationship professional was going to take a great deal of will power on Jason’s part. His struggle was real while Evana seemed to be doing just fine keeping it as friends.
Strange though, she was even more standoffish than she had been when he’d first arrived, especially after that incident where she seemed to be enjoying his touch. Had he read her all wrong? She would barely look him in the eye as she busied herself, making excuses to not be left alone with him.
He was beginning to think he didn’t stand a chance in hell of making her his. Then he would catch her eye fucking him at the oddest moments, giving him hope to continue to push her.
Waiting with the crew out front of Exotic Ink for the limo Vehn had insisted was needed to carry them over to Dylan’s party at Wicked Brews, Jason worried over Rayna. She hadn’t felt well all week and seemed lost in her own head after her doctor’s appointment. He hoped nothing terrible was wrong with her.
Tegan had noticed as well, his perpetual black mood had turned even darker, which was almost impossible to believe, but if the guy’s face sank any lower, he would be sand blasting the sidewalk with his goatee. He knew Rayna was front and center in Tegan’s head. He wished those two would resolve whatever differences they were having soon before Tegan cracked wide open.
Keeping his eyes diverted away from Cale and Avie playing kissy face on a public sidewalk, he glanced around at the rest of his new friends.
Callie was impatiently bouncing on her toes, staring intently down the street waiting for any sign of the limo that would be carrying her fiancé. Sweet how she could hardly wait to see him.
Gabriel seemed to be mulling something over using his lip piercing as a thinking aid. After seeing them together the other day, he had a feeling he was crushing hard on Dylan with no return on his efforts from her.
Didn’t that seemed to be the theme for the men of Exotic Ink, with the exception of Cale of course. Lucky bastard.
The last lock clunked into place and Evana stepped up beside him on the sidewalk. He didn’t look over at her. No need to make himself feel anymore invisible around her as she dutifully ignored him.
He did have a plan, though. First was getting her away from the studio setting, out of her role as his boss, then ply her with alcohol to see if she would lighten up. It was a pitiful plan, but was the best he had been able to come up with so far.
She was proving impervious to his usual seductions, but Evana wasn’t anything like other women, so he was at a loss as to how to go about winning her over. But, there was definitely something cooking inside her pretty skull, and he was desperate to know what she was thinking.
The limo arrived. Watching Vehn and Callie greet each other made you think that they hadn’t seen each other in decades. To have Evana launch herself into his arms would be a moment worthy of any fantasy.
Piling into the limo, Jason cozied up next to Evana. She immediately scooted over to give him the room he didn’t want. He shifted around in the seat pretending to get comfortable until his thigh was touching her crossed legs.
Her exasperated huff let him know she did not appreciate the contact. Tough shit. He hadn’t imagined her desire for him and sure as fuck hadn’t been imagining her lusty eyes roaming all over him when she forgot herself.
“Sheesh, you too make the cutest couple.”
Evana stiffened beside him at Callie’s remark.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Callie,” he said, wrapping an arm around Evana, giving her shoulders a little squeeze before resting it across the back of the seat.
Evana cleared her throat, but kept her thoughts to herself.
He tuned out the conversations that had erupted around him, lost in his own bubble with Evana so close to his side. He was aware of everything about her. Every tiny shift of her body. Every time her breath caught when he purposely moved his leg against hers. Every molecule of her scent that drifted over to him.
The trip didn’t last nearly long enough and soon they were pulling in front of Wicked Brews. Dylan must have been watching for them, because she burst out the door before the limo had come to a complete stop.
“I’m so excited you all are here.” Dylan hugged everybody including the broody Tegan. Keeping hold of Gabriel’s hand, she led them into her new bar that was still very much under renovation. “As you can see, it’s still a giant mess, but coming along just as I imagined.”
It was impossible to remain in a glum mood around the vivacious girl, even Tegan was looking around with some interest.
“So, I planned on everybody sitting over at the bar. It’ll be easier for me to serve you that way. Plus, it’s the only place available to sit right now,” Dylan laughed.
Following behind Dylan, everyone chose a seat as a black haired man came out of the back room behind the bar. Dylan introduced him to the group as her accountant, Logan Styles. Gabriel all but growled at the man.
As the chattering died down and Logan found a place among the tattoo artists, Dylan took control of the evening. Presenting her new selections of microbrews for everyone to taste and give their opinions.
She was bringing with her the crafted beers from her original bar in Chicago, but wanted something new just for New York to add to her menu.
Furiously scribbling notes of everyone’s opinions, Dylan took her brews seriously and would be perfecting the new line before they were ever offered to the public.
After the tasting was over, conversations took shape and Jason found himself chatting with Logan. The guy seemed familiar to him somehow. The black hair and pale blue eyed combo reminding him of Tegan. That is, if Tegan had a pleasant disposition, short hair, and wore glasses.
>
As Logan said his goodbyes, he was pleasantly surprised to find Evana on the stool next to him as he turned back to the bar.
“Does he seem familiar to you?” Evana asked, watching Logan hug Dylan at the door.
“A little. I just can’t place him though.”
Evana’s eyes were beginning to turn glossy as she polished off her glass.
Seizing the opportunity, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you mad at me for something?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“You seem to be advoiding me. I was just wondering what I did wrong.”
“You did nothing.” Evana pushed her empty glass toward Gabriel who had taken up manning the taps. “Look. It’s not you, it’s me.”
He chuckled. “That’s what people say when they start to break up with someone, and their trying not to hurt their feelings.”
Exhaling a deep breath Evana thanked Gabriel for the refill, turning to face him fully. “Can I be brutally honest with you?”
“Absolutely. Please do.”
“I’m attracted to you and I shouldn’t be.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because. You’re the king of casual sex. I’ve seen you accept dozens of cell numbers from girls in the short time you’ve been here, even in the studio.”
“Would you want a guy that other girls didn’t want?”
“That’s not the point I’m trying to make. Besides, I never wanted to be another notch on your bedpost.”
“You were never a notch. You’ve always been the post that I’ve always compared other women to,” he admitted.
“Jason, please be serious.” He didn’t like the eye roll or the grim look that etched her features. “Ever since Kyle died, I haven’t been interested in anyone else. You’re dangerous to me, because I do want you and sharing a past makes you that much more of a temptation.”
“Let me get this straight,” he quipped, rubbing his chin as he carefully considered his words. “You’re attracted to me, but you don’t want to have anything to do with me because of it?”
“It sounds ridiculous when you word it like that.”
“Did I get the gist of it?”
