The Darkest Link (Second Circle Tattoos) by Scarlett Cole Read Free Book Online Page A

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    Touching her fingertips to her lips, she thought about the kiss Kenny had laid on her. Nobody had ever kissed her like that. She could imagine Pixie rolling her eyes, though, if she told her that—because she’d likely said it about some other guy, some other time. But sweet holy baby Jesus . . . Kenny was something else. He’d surprised her after their kiss by politely turning down the invitation to join her in her room. His hooded eyes had told her he wanted to, but he’d specifically said he was trying hard to be the man she deserved by leaving. She still hadn’t worked out what exactly he’d meant.
    When she’d woken up alone, she couldn’t decide if she was relieved or hurt. After one of her many heartbreaks, Ben had told her it was a strength of hers to be so open to the idea of love. But there were times when she felt there was something wrong with her for having feelings that swept her away like a strong undercurrent while everyone else was still paddling in the emotional shallows.
    She posed with a biker couple who had made the trip down from Atlantic City just for the expo. They told her how they traveled light and on the cheap. Despite the fact that they were wonderful, they smelled terrible. Which brought her mind back to Kenny and how worried he’d been when he’d removed his jacket. There was no polite way to tell him just how good he’d smelled to her. Give her wholesome and manly over groomed and aftershave every time. So many things had reminded her of him today, it was crazy. It was like the universe was sending her a ginormous, don’t-fucking-mess-this-up sign, but she couldn’t decide whether it was telling her to stand firm or call him.
    She hadn’t been willing to beg him to stay, even though a kiss alone had brought her to the edge of some kind of sexual nirvana that she hadn’t been able to quell in the shower later that night.
    “Hey, Lia.” A young man with sandy blond hair stepped up to her table and shook her hand. “My name is Pete, and I’m a photographer,” he said, gesturing to the expensive-looking camera hanging around his neck. “I mostly do photography for book covers. There’s huge demand right now for tattooed heroines, and I wondered if that was something you’d considered. You’d make a great model.”
    Romance novels were her guilty pleasure, and some of the cover models were damned hot. She was fully behind the wall of abs trend. “Well, thank you for saying so, but I’m not sure that kind of modeling is for me.”
    “I beg to differ. I think you’d be perfect for it. You see it’s not just pretty faces, it’s about characters. Can I at least give you my details so you can consider it? I have a job next week that you would be perfect for.”
    Lia took the card more out of politeness and respect for his tenacity than any real intent to call him.
    While she most definitely didn’t live her life based on her father’s edicts of appropriateness, she was also thoughtful about the things she challenged him on. Every day was a battle to live her own life authentically away from him. So she’d made a decision years ago to only butt heads with him over things she was truly passionate about. Like her career as a tattoo artist, and her own ink, and the way she chose to dress. Becoming a book-cover model, while likely a whole heap of fun, wasn’t something she really wanted.
    Carl, the organizer, came over to greet her. “Lia, thank you so much for coming today. Your presentation was incredible and so detailed.”
    The history of tattooing had always fascinated her. “It’s amazing how many people have never even heard of Sailor Jerry, yet think of how pivotal his work was to the history of American Traditional tattoos. So many people have the swallow, or playing cards, and lighthouses, but they don’t even know that most of those designs started with him.”
    “Well, the audience loved it.”
    “That’s so nice to hear. Please consider me if you