Read Ink Lust for Free Online Page B

last night, I could hardly believe my luck. Most importantly—are you listening?”
    The smile that spread over his face when she rolled her eyes and nodded made her heart knock so hard against her ribs she was sure he could hear it.
    “I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks of us dating.”
    She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his.
    “So.” He touched her mouth with his. “How about a motorcycle ride later?”
    She took a deep breath and resisted the urge to pinch herself. And nodded.
    “You know, pancakes are my favorite food of all time,” she said.
    He smiled against her lips. “Then you’d better go eat before they get soggy in all that syrup you dumped on them.”
    “Mm,” she hummed, leaning into him. “In a minute.”
     

Chapter Four
     
    “You have a date with Jamie tonight?” Jo’s mouth fell open. “How did this happen?”
    “You don’t have to look so surprised.” Leni took one of the bags from the counter to Jo’s refrigerator and started helping her put groceries away.
    She’d caught a break earlier when Jo had been too distracted by getting her errands started so she could get back home to Frankie as quickly as possible. Spending a couple of hours with her niece had been calming, even if the baby had slept through the last half of that time.
    “I’m not surprised he asked you out,” Jo clarified. “He falls all over himself whenever you’re around.”
    “He does not.” Leni rolled her eyes.
    They both paused when the baby monitor picked up a sound from Frankie’s room.
    “Oh, right,” Jo said when it was clear her daughter wasn’t awake yet. “I’m sure it’s hard to notice something like that when you’re too busy picking yourself up off the floor every time you’re in the same room together.”
    Leni wrinkled her nose. “Is it that obvious?”
    Jo wrinkled hers back and nodded. “I’m surprised he’s over Amber so fast. They were together a long time.”
    “You knew they’d broken up?”
    “Gabe’s mom came over and shooed us out of the house so she could have a little alone time with Frankie a couple of weeks ago. We just went to the bar for a couple of beers. Amber was there with some new guy.” She shrugged. “She looked really happy. Told me she and Jamie had broken up months ago, maybe even before you finally dumped Aaron. Who knew?”
    “He said he hadn’t really told too many people.”
    “Yeah, I hadn’t heard a peep. And how many times had you and I been to the shop since it happened?” Jo’s eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms.
    So much for staying under the radar for a moment. Jo’s distraction with her sick child had bought Leni a little time, but not much.
    “Wait a minute,” she said. “How did you manage to get it out of Mr. Strong and Silent if he’s been so tight-lipped about it all this time?”
    “My appointment ran later than scheduled. I was asking if I’d kept him from anything.” She was going for casual but the heat was starting to creep up her neck.
    “So, he was working on your tattoo and just blurted out ‘Hey, guess what. Amber and I have been broken up for months. Want to go out?’”
    She stifled the smirk that threatened to give her away. “We might have been in my apartment at the time.”
    Jo’s eyebrows rose. “And how did you manage to get him there, you little vixen?”
    Leni ran through an abbreviated version of the night, from the swooning when she got up off the table to the point just before he’s slipped his hand under her shirt.
    “Halle-freakin-lujah,” Jo said, arms raised to the sky, when Leni finished her story. “It’s about time someone good came along, honey. Enjoy this.”
    Her belly felt as if it was full of lead all of a sudden. “While it lasts.”
    “Don’t do that,” Jo warned.
    “He wants kids.”
    “So?” Jo shrugged again. “Promise me you’re going to enjoy yourself for a change.”
    “Did you know that apparently everyone who works in the shop thinks