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perhaps?"
    He could hear the waiver in her voice. She didn't ask out people often and this wasn't meant as a casual thing by the sound of it.
    Tread lightly , he thought.
    "Sounds good. I'm at the shop every day this week, though."
    "Well, I could meet you after your last client Friday if you'd like. I'll bring some food and wine. Deal?"
    He really couldn't say no to that. "Deal. I'll text you when I'm nearly done Friday, then."
    He spent the rest of the day analyzing the brief conversation.

Chapter Five: The Bar in the Back
    While the week flew by for Emily, it slowed to a painful crawl for Holden. He tried to play it cool and wait for her to appear Friday but found himself holding the phone nearly dialing her number.  
    What is it about this girl that makes me so crazy? He wondered. She'd been on his mind ever since she came in for the tattoo. She seemed so weak and fragile to him yet she radiated a strength he'd never known. Whatever it was, he had to know more about her.
    He texted her roughly a half hour from when his last client would be done telling her he was nearly finished. She didn't reply back which made that 30 minutes turn into 45 with how often he would check his phone to see if there was a message. With a happy client walking out the door, he stood by the window and looked out into the night. He saw her then, propped beside a small red compact car. She looked tired; worn. He had the door open to go to her, when she ambled up to the archway.
    "Hey sorry I'm a little late." She apologized.
    "No, no, it ran later than I thought and he just left. You're right on time." He smiled at her. Every fiber of his being wanted to keep her safe and happy. His bear wanted to wrap up in her warmth. The two dwelled inside Holden with but a single goal; to make Emily theirs.
    He helped her inside and hung her coat. Clicking the door latch and securing the 'Closed' sign, they retreated to the back room.
    Originally designed to house supplies, the back room had become a make-shift lounge where there was a mini-fridge, tables, sofas, and random books scattered about. It was where he went for some downtime between clients.
    Today it was a date spot. He'd thrown a plaid blanket down and even had some flowers nearby.
    Emily took his hand as he sat on one edge of the blanket and started to unpack the food she brought.
    "I hope you like Chinese," she said to him, "I got a little bit of everything because I didn't know what you liked."
    It was a feast and a far cry from his leftover pizza he normally had after work.  
    "You know you could totally renovate this area and have a bar in the back of your shop." Walls of reclaimed heart of pine stared back at her as she said this, while she was thinking of ways to make wine glass lighting fixtures.
    Holden didn't want to talk shop. He always talked shop with his friends. No, today he wanted solely to know more about the lush beauty that was sitting cross-legged on the floor along side him.
    "So, Emily, tell me more about you." He asked after snagging the last of the dumplings.
    "Well not much to tell, really. I spend a vulgar amount of time online with my friends. I work as a freelance copywriter so I don't have a typical 9 to 5. I love animals and trains. I'm really sort of boring if you must know," she laughed.
    "Oh you're far from boring. You've got a lionheart tattoo to prove it, too."  
    He smiled at her and when she smiled back at him, looking deep into his eyes, he leaned over to kiss her. Soft lips pressed against his with a hint of strawberries. His light kissed turned hungry, as he sucked her bottom lip in. His hands went up to her neck and slide under her hair, holding her to him.
    "I don't know what you do to me Emily, but I know I want it to keep happening." He murmured in her ear as a husky growl-like sound came from deep inside him.
    She stopped thinking of wine glass fixtures and heart of pine bars and focused on the sweet tingle that was rapidly going through her body. Her