I give her a knowing smile. I’m not going to convince her to go back to my hotel, but she’s not leaving here until I know what those lips taste like. Before she can think, I grab her, pulling her close to me. “I’m going to kiss you before you go Darlin’.”
She doesn’t get a chance to argue before I plant my mouth over hers. She tastes just like I thought she would, cinnamon and wine, and when she gasps, I take the opportunity to sweep my tongue against hers. But I don’t let it linger. I let her go to her car with a smile.
I walk into the tattoo shop, catching several stares. Maddox is sitting on a sofa in the corner with his feet propped on a table. He sees me walk in with raised brows. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asks with a knowing smirk.
I flash him a grin with a tip of my head. I walk around the counter and workstations, taking a seat beside him. “She knows you’re here?”
“Nah, man. Didn’t know I was going to be here until last night.”
“Like a work thing?”
I laugh because that would be easier to explain. “Like a I can’t get her out of my fucking head thing.”
“Damn, man,” he chuckles with a huge grin. “Dane is going to want to kick your ass.”
“He can give it his best shot,” I tell him with a smirk. “I give him the first lick free.”
“Zane,” I hear across the shop. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to see you, Darlin’,” I tell her with a grin.
“You haven’t come up with anything besides ‘darlin’ yet?” Maddox taunts me.
I realize how long he and I have known each other. I think I forgot for a while because most of those years was spent hating each other. Me for what happened with Zoey. Him because we ran him out of town.
But this shit with Zoey has caused me to do a lot of soul searching about the guy. Put some things into perspective. After years of anger because my sister nearly died because of him, I’ve decided to let it go. He was a stupid kid that made a stupid mistake. He tried to apologize to Zoey after it happened, but we ran him out of the city.
It was for the best, at the time. Even if he doesn’t realize it. Jax was so angry he would have killed him. Getting him out of the city was for his own good and for Jax’s.
“A little southern charm goes a long way,” I tell him. “Maybe you need to remember that. You’ve been here too long.”
“Coming home next week,” he tells me.
“I remember,” I raise my eyebrows then turn my eyes toward Tori. “It’s why I’m here.”
Tori looks at me in total confusion. I don’t know if she doesn’t remember what I said when she gave us the tattoos or if she didn’t think I was serious.
“I came to make sure you’re on the plane when Maddox comes. If your big brother wants you to have an escort, then Maddox it will be.”
“I don’t need Dane’s approval or a fucking escort,” she huffs with a sexy flip of her hair. It’s one of the things I like best about her. One minute she’s a total hard ass and the next she’s nothing but sass.
Maddox shoots me a look like I just told him he had to sit between a corpse and a three-hundred-pound man in coach. “You came all this way to make sure she came with me to River City?”
“Got the ticket right here,” I tell him as I pull it out of my coat.
“How did you even know when my flight was?” he asks. Then he rakes his hand through his hair with a shake of his head. “Nope. Never mind. I have a feeling I already know the answer to that.”
Tori just stares at me gape mouthed. She looks a mixture of confused, flattered, and frustrated. “You said you wanted to come,” I remind her.
She snaps her mouth shut and narrows her eyes. “I did say that. But I don’t need my brother’s permission or you to buy my ticket.”
“I bet it would mean a lot to Zoey,” I say. “We have to attend a New Year’s party and she will do much better with more familiar faces around her.” I know it’s a low blow slipping Zoey in there. It all happens to be true, but I’ve got to make sure she comes. “You’re coming too Maddox.”
“What the hell makes you think I want to go to a fucking corporate New Year’s party. I’ve had enough of that shit to last a lifetime.”
“Because it’s for Zoey,” I say again. Yeah. Pretty shitty, I know but I do what I have to do to get what I want.
“Man, you’re a fucking tool,” Maddox hisses.
