Lee leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Nah.Hejust knows what he wants, andhedoesn’t give up easily.”
On her back, the blonde giggled, clearly amused.
Rocky pulled back his gun. “Careful, Dallas.”
“Sorry, Rock,” she said, recovering. “This is better thanThe Bold and the Beautiful.”
The bell on the door clanged, and a kid in a tight T-shirt, low-hung jeans, and backward baseball cap stepped in.
“What can I do for you?” Wren asked in a rush, startling the kid.
But Lee got to his feet before the guy could answer. “Wait, now, I was here first.”
“Oh, sorry, du—“
“You want a tattoo?” Wren scowled at Lee in disbelief.
Lee had never wanted one before. And, if pressed, he hadn’t even considered getting one when he stepped into the studio, but watching Wren work certainly piqued his interest. But most of all, he needed to grab some time with her.
“Yes,” he said firmly.
Wren crossed her arms over her chest. “You.You, Dr. Leland Hawthorne. You want a tattoo.” Her adorned left brow arched high above its twin, and if Lee had harbored any doubts before, they vanished in the challenge of that look.
“That’s what I said.”
She cocked her jaw and rolled her eyes. “Well, Rock’s almost finished. He can help you.”
Lee shook his head. “I want you.”
The statement, heavy with meaning, silenced the room. Lee watched Wren swallow, but she recovered quickly enough.
“Too bad. I’m not tatting you.”
Rocky cleared his throat. “Since when do we refuse service to someone sober and of age?” Rocky’s eyes cut to Lee’s. “You can pay, right?”
“Of course.”
Rocky angled his eyes toward Wren, still looking amused. “You’re not turning down a paying customer.”
Her jaw fell open. “Rock.Seriously?”
He paused, frowned, and looked between them again. “Am I missing something? Did he hit you or some shit like that?”
“No,” she said.
“Hell, no,” Lee spoke at the same time.
Their paired protests only made Rocky happier, but an uncomfortable heat cinched around Lee’s neck at the thought of someone hitting Wren.
“Then get to work.”
She narrowed her eyes at her boss. “It’s good to know where your loyalties lie.”
“Hush, girl.” But then Rocky turned and pointed his gloved finger at Lee. “You ever hurt her, the last thing you’ll hear will be the rumble of Hogs.”
Lee met Rocky’s even look with his own. “Understood.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Wren muttered.