Free Permanent Ink (Something to Celebrate #1) by Laura Simcox

was a complete blank, the horror beginning to creep in, but not yet taking form. “I think…that I can’t think right now.”
    “Me either,” Ben said. He pushed away from the wall and smoothed her hair. “Which is probably for the best.”
    Blair nodded. “On that, we can agree.” With shaking fingers, she plucked the clip from where it dangled near the ends of her hair. She shoved it in her purse, straightened her belt, and glanced up to discover that Ben was halfway down the alley, and for a split second, she wanted to run after him. But she didn’t, because reasonable, logical Blair, the one who wouldn’t ever consider throwing herself at a hot guy in an alley, took over.
    She needed some space to think—a lot of it—and it needed to not be anywhere near him. The trailer could wait.
    “Let’s move our meeting to this afternoon?” she called out.
    He didn’t turn around but raised a hand with a short wave. “Perfect,” he said.
    Blair swallowed and gazed after his retreating figure. “No, it’s not,” she whispered to herself. “Far, far from it.”

Chapter Six
    Blair stood outside Skinnovations that afternoon, her hand paused on the large, brass door handle. She was in over her head. Way over.
    Before she’d even really had a chance to swim to the surface and make sense of her new life, she’d sabotaged herself. Jesus H, she hadn’t kissed a man in over two years, and she had to break that streak by kissing her brand-new assistant? What would she do next, run naked down Main Street with the Easter queen crown on her head?
    A giggle burbled up in her throat at the thought. And when she envisioned the look that would be on Lola’s face, she snorted. “Good heavens ,” she murmured, mimicking her aunt. A second later, she giggled again.
    “Welcome to my studio!”
    The deep, overly loud voice coming from the other side of the glass door startled Blair and she shrieked, jumping back on the sidewalk. “Oh, God ,” she said, clutching at the front of her dress. She stared at Ben, who poked his head outside the door. “You scared the—”
    “Shit out of you,” he finished. “Sorry.” He opened the door wider and ushered her inside.
    “It’s okay,” she said automatically. It wasn’t, though. She was so keyed up that her fingertips throbbed. Not good.
    But still, she stepped into the studio, nodding as if she even knew what she was looking at. “Black walls—nice. I like the floor. Is that concrete?”
    “It came with the place.”
    He shrugged, and she watched him as he walked, loose-limbed, into the open space and dropped down into what looked kind of like a hairdresser’s chair. It stood in front of a desk area that was crowded with a lot of intimidating-looking equipment.
    “Hey,” he said, that irresistible smile playing around his lips.
    Blair didn’t move from the doorway. She tore her gaze away from him and looked at the pictures on the walls. There were dozens of them—tattoo designs, she guessed. Some were beautiful, intricate knots, kind of Celtic-looking. Some were downright frightening. Like a sketch of a skull with bleeding eyes. Jesus.
    “Blair? You can come in if you like.”
    He drummed his fingers on his thighs. “Don’t you want to start planning? Get your ducks in a row?”
    Blair frowned. “How do you know about my ducks?”
    “Huh?” Ben’s smile grew wider.
    She waved a hand. “Never mind. Why don’t we take that tour?” She opened her purse and pulled out her list, setting it down on the long counter next to the cash register. “But first maybe you could start by telling me about some of the other businesses downtown.”
    “Mmm-hmm,” Ben said as if agreeing with her. “I could do that. But not right now. I have a client coming in.”
    “You do? Then why did you agree to meet me this afternoon?”
    “Because I’m a multitasker.” He stretched lazily, got up and walked toward her, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. It was a predatory