Under His Skin by Sidney Bristol Page B

have this.” She held the paper close, probably looking at the curling script that had long since been obscured by swiping his thumb over her signature for luck.
    “I wish I could say I meant to keep it. I stuck it in my wallet and didn’t think about it. Probably a year later we were at some guy’s house playing poker and I didn’t have a dime to my name. I had to bet something, so I put this out in the pot and I won like four hundred dollars. I started calling it my good luck charm.” She offered it back to him and he took it and slid his thumb across the plastic surface. “I laminated it after the crash. That’s why this edge is burned.”
    “That’s kind of crazy. I can’t believe you kept that. At least something good came out of working for Robert.”
    That man’s name was a black cloud. He pushed her hair away from her face. “Is it hard working with guys like that asshole?”
    She rolled her eyes. “You mean Robert?”
    “Yeah, what’s up with him?”
    Her body tensed under his touch. “He’s not right in the head.” She blew out a breath and sat up. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he’s not all there.”
    “You worked for him for a long time, didn’t you?” He knew she didn’t want to talk about it, but he had to know to put his mind at ease.
    “Yup. Few years. I was the shop girl, store manager and I apprenticed there for two years. When he wouldn’t let me charge to tattoo there, I went to So Inked. I was even engaged to him for a little while, so my depravity knows no bounds, I guess.”
    “You told me that last night.” He traced a small scar on her chin. It surprised him she would have dated the ass wipe. Robert was at least ten years older than her, probably more, completely off his rocker and a chauvinist to boot. But who was he to judge her for the past? He hadn’t exactly stuck to the straight and narrow.
    “Hey.” He tugged her back down next to him. “It’s in the past. It doesn’t matter.” He pulled her against his chest and kissed her brow. And it didn’t. He wasn’t a saint, and expecting her to be one wasn’t fair.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    After Care: Taking care of your tattoo once you leave the shop. Includes the application of ointment, lotion or other care products. This plays a huge part in the quality and life of the tattoo.
     
    “Do you want to get out of here and grab lunch?”
    Pandora paused mid-stretch and stared at Brian, who sat watching. Her stomach dropped through the bed. She didn’t know what those words meant. Individually they weren’t an issue, but strung together and uttered by him, she didn’t know what to make of them.
    If they went to lunch and prolonged whatever it was they were doing, she didn’t know if she could keep herself from falling for him. It was easy to like him, to pretend he was her hero, but the more time she spent around him, the more she believed it. Brian was hero material, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist him. She didn’t want to get addicted to him only to have him grow bored of her and leave her. Like her father had. She’d rather keep him as a dream than face the reality that she wasn’t good enough to hold his attention.
    “Lunch?” she finally said. “I can’t.”
    In that instant, she wanted to shrivel up and die. Who told their fantasy guy they were too busy for them?
    His easy, relaxed expression hardened. Lines appeared on his brow and his lips thinned. “Oh.” Brian turned and swung his legs off the side of the bed. “I’m going to take a quick shower before checkout.”
    “Okay,” she whispered, hugging the sheet to her chest.
    Gnawing her lip, she watched him walk stiffly into the bathroom. This wasn’t how she’d imagined leaving. In her mind, they had a good time and kissed goodbye. Granted, she hadn’t exactly planned things out to start with, but she had a choice.
    Sitting up, she pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the bed. It was the only piece of clothing