Draw Me In

Draw Me In by Regina Cole Regina Cole Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Draw Me In by Regina Cole Regina Cole Read Free Book Online
Authors: Regina Cole Regina Cole
friends?”
    I crooked a brow at Roger as I sank onto the chair across from him. “Do good friends open-mouth-kiss every half hour or so?”
    Roger sighed. “Guess not.” He lobbed his empty bottle at the recycling bin, giving a low whoop when the bottle clattered into the blue box.
    “Besides, Luce would kick your ass if you so much as looked at another woman.”
    Roger laughed his agreement as I continued. “We’ve got a crowd out there. You had any clients today?”
    Roger nodded as he scraped his chair back, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. “A couple. I’m about to start a piece in a minute. Tasha is making my template now.”
    “Man, get off your ass and make your own template. Tasha’s only here for another few days, and she’s too busy to be picking up your slack.” I delivered the reprimand without any malice. Roger was a good guy. A little too easygoing sometimes, but genuinely kind and talented.
    Roger shoved to his feet, not losing his easy smile. “All right, man. Sorry. I’m going.”
    I watched as the shorter guy jammed his hands in his pockets and left the break room, whistling jauntily as he swung the door shut behind him. Once he was gone, I blew out a breath, lacing my fingers together and propping them on my head. The room was quiet, only the low hum of the refrigerator and the buzz of faraway voices tickling my ears. I let my mind wander for a minute.
    Hailey.
    She’d done a really good job today, greeting clients, learning her responsibilities. Tasha had apologized profusely for doubting my judgment there. Score one for the new boss .
    I pursed my lips and blew out a loud breath. Today had been so busy, I hadn’t really gotten the chance to spend much time with Hailey. I’d like to talk to her, get to know her a little better, help her feel comfortable here. See what made her laugh, what made her smell so damn good, what turned her on.
    I slammed my eyes shut. What the fuck are you thinking, Vanderhaven?
    I chased the thoughts away with the rest of my water, then chucked the bottle into the big blue recycling bin on my way out the door. It didn’t matter what turned Hailey Jakes on. She wasn’t here to be my eye candy, she was here to do a job, and she’d done a damn good one so far. She was normal now, but Gretchen had been, too, before I had entered her life. I yanked the door open a little harder than necessary and schooled my features into a blank expression. As I headed back to the studio, I vowed to stay away from Hailey. I was pretty sure that something inside me had shoved Gretchen off the edge and into the deep end. I wouldn’t do the same to Hailey.
    I gave a quick knock to my studio door before gently pushing it open. My client was lying on the tattoo chair, her fingers laced through her girlfriend’s. They looked up from what seemed to have been a pretty intense personal conversation to smile at me.
    “Ready?” I kept my tone gentle, calming. The client gave a nod. Her partner moved up, standing by the head of the chair and scratching her fingers along my client’s scalp. I tried not to feel like a fifth wheel while pulling on my gloves. There was a lot of emotion floating around. It seemed odd to be in that room, with a pair so devoted to each other. I hadn’t exactly spent a lot of time with loving couples. It was kind of a foreign concept, one that left me vaguely nervous and uncomfortable. A whispered conversation started up as I moved my equipment into place, and I wasn’t sure how to approach things. So I did what I always did. I inked my machine, bent to my work, and let the worries fly away on the backs of a thousand angry bees and the beauty of art on skin.
    Hailey
    I couldn’t sleep. I stared at the dark ceiling of my dorm room, wishing I’d brought some of those glow-in-the-dark stars from my old bedroom at home. When things were bad, and my parents’ arguments played out in the middle of the night, I would stare at those stars and wish to be a

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