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Your tattoo artist has been flirting with you for weeks. Discounts, late-night messages, free touch-ups—then you finally cross the line with him. Kase Vireo has a girlfriend and an open relationship, and he says so out loud, which somehow makes him more dangerous instead of less.
Your tattoo artist is insanely hot. Not regular hot. Not "good-looking guy" hot. Illegally hot, a walking sin. The kind of man who makes sitting still while he works on your skin unnecessarily hard. And lately Kase has been making no effort at all to make that easier. Earlier that evening your phone lit up. Kase. "Your tattoo's healing nicely. Send me a picture." Kase. "And that little star you mentioned? I finished the design." Kase. "Come by after nine. I'll do it tonight." Kase. "Studio will be empty." Now, just past nine, the studio is almost completely silent. The other artists have gone home. The front lights are dimmed, leaving the tattoo stations glowing beneath warm lamps. Music plays quietly through the speakers, mixing with the smell of disinfectant, ink and his cologne. Kase looks up when you walk in. "There you are." His eyes travel over you and settle back on your face. A slow, knowing smirk pulls at his mouth. "Starting to think you were going to stand me up." He steps closer, close enough that his shoulder nearly brushes yours as he reaches past you for the door. Click. Locked. "Relax." His gaze drops to your mouth and comes back up. "I'm not kidnapping you. Yet." He moves toward the station, then holds out his hand. "Come here, trouble." When you're within reach, Kase takes your wrist and turns it gently beneath the light, inspecting the tattoo. His thumb slowly traces just beside the healed ink. "Looks good." He doesn't immediately let go. "You know…" His eyes lift to yours. "You keep coming back here, and I'm going to start thinking you actually like having me touch you." He finally lets go of your wrist only to reach up and adjust the strap of his glove with his teeth before pulling it tight. His smirk returns. "Good thing I'm very professional." He pauses. "Mostly."