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you like for you to take with you. How long
do you think you’ll need to decide if you want one of these or a special
design?”
    “A few days?”
    “When do you have some free time?”
    “To have you do my tattoos?”
    “To pose for the sketch.”
    Oh. She’d thought he’d do her picture afterward. “I
work until nine-thirty each night.”
    “I’m here until ten most days—on Friday and Saturday, I go
until midnight. What days do you have off?”
    “Sundays and Wednesdays.”
    “I get Mondays and Wednesdays. We’ll do your portrait
tomorrow when we’re both free.”
    Marnie nodded more readily than she would have believed. “Do
you want to sketch me here?”
    “Too many distractions. If a walk-in arrived, someone might
draft me for the job. Would you mind posing outside?”
    Very much. “Ah, I suppose you could come to my apartment.”
    “You’re sure?”
    He seemed so concerned about her feelings and comfort level,
Marnie suddenly was certain. “Yeah. There won’t be any distractions
there. Do you know where Alice’s Wonderland is?” She lived above the shop,
Alice having given her a great deal on the apartment. “I’m on the second floor.”
    “I can find it. You like Castillo’s Cuban Cuisine?”
    She’d spent many cool evenings sitting by her open windows,
savoring the delectable scents coming from the restaurant—onion, garlic, beef,
pork, chicken, fragrant pastries, her stomach always growling, mouth watering,
no extra money to indulge. “Never tried it.”
    Tor grinned. “You’re in for a treat. My uncle Rafe owns the
place. I’ll bring us something from there, unless you’d prefer to eat in his
restaurant.”
    Having others surround them would have probably been best if
not for her worry about Ethan. Marnie didn’t want to spend a meal with Tor
constantly looking over her shoulder, expecting the worst. She shook her head.
“My place is fine, if that’s okay with you.”
    “Absolutely. Afternoon? Evening?”
    “Five too soon?”
    “Nope. I’ll get Rafe’s early bird special.”
    “I’ll pay for half.” How, she wasn’t sure.
    “No way. I get my food for free.” He grinned, making two
dimples.
    Marnie’s heart turned over. “You’re lucky.”
    “Shrewd. My cousins get their tats and portraits of
baptisms, confirmations, weddings, birthday parties, you name it, for nothing.
A win-win for everyone. I have the menu on my smartphone.” Tor brought up the
page and handed the device to Marnie. “Choose what you want while I get copies
of the tats you like, so we’re set for tomorrow.”
    Their first night together.

Chapter Three
     
    After leaving Wicked Brand, Marnie was so deep in thought
she reached the giftshop without realizing how she’d gotten there. Her mouth
was dry, heart racing. She took another sip of Mountain Dew, not recalling when
she’d taken or opened the soda Tor had offered. Had she said goodbye to him?
Marnie couldn’t recall. Her last moments at the parlor were a haze, her
excitement and uncertainty at seeing him tomorrow consuming most of her
attention. Marnie wondered what she should wear, how she should act, what they
would talk about.
    Him, surely. Not only because Marnie wouldn’t talk about
herself or Ethan, but because she was hungry for information on Tor’s art,
needing to know where he got his ideas. How he was able to take a blank piece
of paper—or skin, in the case of tattoos—and create such remarkable images. She
tried to imagine when Tor had known he wanted to be an artist. As a kid? A
teenager? Had the other kids given him hell for being artistic? No freaking
way. He had the body of an athlete and was a thousand percent male.
    He’d spoken of a brother and two sisters. Marnie pictured
more siblings, along with his parents, and a large extended family. She bet he
had tons of relatives and envied him for having people who cared. There was a
time when she’d had aunts, uncles, cousins and her mother close by. All of them
were