Rock Steady Read Free

between them. “Maybe you should let me in on the…problem?” she said.
    His grin grew into a huge smile that showed off gleaming white teeth. “Thought you’d never ask me to open my pants.”
    He’d straightened up, giving her another glimpse of just how tall he was before he popped the button on his fly.
    It was totally unprofessional for her to get a buzz out of his brazen attitude.
    But frickin’ awesome nonetheless.
    She was actually holding her breath as he worked the buttons.
    One…
    Two…
    Oh, hell, the guy was chiseled.
    But the delicate pink blossoms hit her like a bucket of ice water. “Oh, that is just wrong.”
    She came around the counter, her attention fixed on his lower belly. Jewel sank to her knee to get eye level with the cherry blossoms. It was a sacrilege, like putting pink ribbons in the ears of a panther.
    “Hmm…” The dark god made a soft sound under his breath and reached for her head. For a moment, she was caught in that second, waiting for his fingers to land on her.
    “Don’t be an idiot, Ramsey.” Taz smacked the hand away. “These pictures are good. We don’t need her getting pissed off because you get touchy.”
    “Looked to me like she wouldn’t mind me…touching.” There was a brazenness to him that should have pissed her off.
    Really, it should.
    Jewel straightened up, forcing herself to take a reality check. Ramsey was dark temptation, completely lickable, and he knew it. Yeah, she had that part of his persona pegged perfectly. The little cherry blossoms proved that she was far from the first girl to feel his magnetism. She’d better get a grip before she found herself driven to extremes, like the jilted ex-flame who had clearly lashed out at him through the tattoo.
    “Pissed off your girlfriend?” she asked pointedly.
    “She wasn’t really a girlfriend.”
    Jewel clicked her tongue and looked back at the cherry blossoms. “By the look of that, she disagreed with you on the topic. She must have taken you to Spike Collar.”
    Taz was typing into his cell phone as she spoke. “Makes sense. You surfaced right around where that tattoo parlor is on the map.”
    “Just don’t go back there,” Jewel warned as she went behind the counter and pulled a blank sheet of paper in front of her.
    “Why not?” the blond asked. “I’ve got half a mind to have my lawyer pay them a visit.”
    Jewel didn’t look up from what she was drawing. “Won’t do you any good. They never touch a client without a release of liability signed and sealed, with video footage to back it up. Whoever was gunning for you did her homework. The gals at Spike Collar don’t like guys, and they really don’t like any males who try to charm them.” Jewel cast a look at Ramsey. “You are exactly the sort they hate. Bet they popped a bottle of champagne the second you cleared the doorway with that little gem.”
    Taz made a low sound under his breath.
    But Ramsey was watching her. She felt his attention tightening, focusing on the motion of her pen as she inked a design on the paper. He’d sent a shiver down her spine before, but now he was warming her insides, melting her core slowly with the absolute devotion he was giving her. She looked up, locking gazes with him.
    Her insides churned.
    And her toes curled.
    She’d never felt so connected to another soul. It was his doing, and she realized that his arrogance was something he’d earned.
    That fact slapped her across the face and sent her into a full meltdown. He was the sort who could captivate.
    Which was a damned dangerous place to go.
    It wasn’t like she had any personal experience with it. Still, she felt like she was on pins and needles. The sheer level of sensitivity the guy was able to elicit from her was off the scale. It was fascinating to say the least.
    As well as a really bad place to go when he looked like he could afford to hire her.
    She looked back at her work, forcing herself to focus on the art and get a grip on herself