Permanent Ink (Something to Celebrate #1) by Laura Simcox Read Free Book Online Page A

combination of excitement and relief as her amazing eyes lit up with interest.
    With the streaks of mascara on her cheeks and her wealth of red hair, she looked like an exotic cat. God, she would be the perfect pinup model. Without thinking, he opened his mouth. “Do you have any tattoos?”
    “I…no. What makes you think that ?” She laughed. “Out of all the things in the world I’d do, a tattoo is pretty much last on my lis…”
    Ivy cleared her throat. “Ben owns a tattoo studio. It’s called Skinnovations.”
    “Oh, really?” Blair asked in a polite tone. “That’s…how interesting.” She nodded and blinked a couple of times.
    Chuckling, Ben crossed his arms. So she was uncomfortable with tattoos—or at least unfamiliar. He’d think positively and assume it was the latter. When she met his eyes, he gave her a smile.
    “You two may not have much in common, but something tells me you’ll work well together.” Ivy paused. “In fact, since Ben is helping you, Blair, I’d like to ask a favor in return.”
    “Sure.” Blair nodded vigorously, and Ben tried not to laugh. It was sweet that she thought she’d offended him.
    Ivy leaned against the edge of her desk. “Good. He needs some advice planning an event and since you’re an event planner…” She shrugged.
    “Of course. No problem.” Blair gave Ben a wide smile.
    He returned it, trying to keep surprise from showing. Ivy wanted Blair to help plan Ink Fest? That would take weeks . Weeks of spending time together. And yeah, he’d have help too, which he definitely needed, but it would be from Blair. Perfect.
    He turned the smile on Ivy. “Sounds okay with me.”
    “Great.” Ivy grabbed a newspaper from the edge of her desk and unfolded it. “You’ll be a good team.” With a devilish grin, she flipped the paper around so the front page face out. “See?”
    Ben stared at the photo of himself, a shoe in hand, holding Blair’s foot. Blair was smiling down at him from that garish princess float as if he’d hung the moon. He read the headline at the top of the page. “The Easter Queen Finds Her Prince.”
    “Jesus,” Blair whispered.
    “See?” Ivy repeated. “It’ll be fine.”
    She walked around her desk and rummaged in a deep drawer. Holding up a gigantic set of keys, she jangled them. “Here are the keys to your kingdom, Easter Queen.”
    Blair groaned and took the keys. “I’ll never live that down.”
    “Probably not,” Ivy said. “So, um, don’t be shocked when you go in the town-planner office. It’s a bit disorganized.” She tapped her chin. “Actually, you should find the keys to the event-decoration trailer there. You’d probably be more comfortable in there. If you work at city hall—believe me—you’ll get interrupted constantly. All the event decorations would be right at your fingertips. Plus you’d have a private bathroom.”
    “I’ll be happy with it, I’m sure,” Blair said. She shook Ivy’s hand. “Thanks again for hiring me.”
    Ben smiled to himself. The decorations trailer was in an alley, half a block from his studio. The perfect location for him to show Blair what tattoos were really all about—art. Normally he couldn’t care less if people were turned off by his profession, but Blair?
    He’d have a hell of a lot of fun proving her wrong.
    He glanced at her. “Come by my studio…ten tomorrow morning?”
    She looked like she might say no, but a second later she gave him a nervous smile.
    “I’m looking forward to it,” she answered.
    So was he.

Chapter Five
    “I’m frickin’ freezing! And I don’t care what Mr. Benson says, a convertible is not warm with the top up,” Kaley complained. She hugged her ever-present hoodie around her body and rested her head on the backpack sitting on her lap.
    Blair pulled up next to the curb and stopped in front of Celebration High School. “If you would have worn a coat and oh, I don’t know, not worn shorts, you probably wouldn’t be cold.