Repeat - Kylie Scott Page 0,66

that Iris always refers to Ed as lovely. Pretty sure my boss has a crush on my boyfriend. Can’t say I blame her.

“He’ll still be at the parlor,” I say.

Frances raises her head, the gelato all gone. “I can drop you off there on my way home if you like?”

“Sure. Why not?” I head behind the counter to grab my bag. “I’ve never really seen him in his work environment, doing his thing. Well, apart from that one time when I first showed up and he wanted to throw me out.”

“A few weeks ago, you mean?”

“It’s been longer than that.” Just.

When I arrive at the parlor, Tessa is finishing up with a client, smiling and shaking hands. Not sure I’ve ever seen her actually happy before, since whenever I see her she is always in the presence of a major source of personal angst. Namely, me. Of course, her warm smile makes her even more beautiful than normal. Today, the green velvet chaise lounge is empty. Makes sense given they’re getting close to finishing time. An old grandfather clock stands in the corner keeping time. Very vintage cool. Various drawings and pictures of tattoos hang framed on the otherwise pristine gray walls.

Tessa’s smile dims slightly at the sight of me before she kind of reinforces it. It obviously doesn’t come easy, but at least she’s trying. “Clem. Hey, he’s out back.”

“Thanks.”

Leif is bent over one of the massage-table-type things they use, working on a woman’s calf muscle. She’s looking a bit green and has her eyes firmly averted, attention riveted on the posters on the far wall. Blood wells to the surface of her newly inked skin, and Leif wipes it away with an expert hand as he works. It’s easy to forget how much blood and pain must lie beneath the beauty and art in a place like this. Leif winks at me as I walk past. The sound of the tattoo gun is loud, but the music is louder. At the back of the shop, there’s a hallway with a bathroom on one side and an office/work space on the other. Here’s where I find Ed, seated at a table in front of a laptop. Shannon stands beside him, leaning in close, pointing at the screen. Any closer and her boobs will be touching him. In all honesty, I don’t see how standing quite so close is necessary.

Annoyance shoots through me. Sad but true. And the feeling is every bit as dirty and unwanted as expected. But perhaps I’m being unreasonable, seeing things that aren’t there. After all, there’s my history to consider. Maybe this is how it started last time, innocuous interactions that I built up in my head and blew out of all proportion.

I school my face into a pleasant smile. “Ed?”

Immediately, Shannon takes a step back. Maybe she’d deliberately gotten too close. Though it might also be care of my previous reputation as a jealous bitch. The woman is, after all, possibly dating Leif. I’m pretty sure I’m overreacting and it’s not pretty.

“Baby, hey. I didn’t know you were coming in.” He lights up at the sight of me. Fuck the green-eyed monster. This man is mine. I’m like ninety-nine percent sure of it. Nine-eight-point-five at worst. Still pretty good odds. The usual fluttery feeling in my belly and warmth in my loins kicks in at the sight of him. “Did Frances drop you over?”

“Yeah.”

“How’d it go at the doctor’s?”

“All good,” I say, moving to stand beside him. His arm slides around my waist, drawing me closer. “Hi, Shannon.”

“Hey.” Her smile is instantaneous. “We can talk about this later, Ed.”

“Right,” he says, his gaze never leaving my face. “Is that all I get about the doctor’s, that it was all good?”

“My recovery is going as well as can be expected. If there was anything important to tell you, I would.” I lean down, kissing him briefly on the mouth. “Promise.”

“Okay. Give me some more of that,” he says, nodding at my mouth.

“It would be my pleasure.”

My mouth covers his, kissing him lightly, teasingly even. But he doesn’t tolerate it for long. Before I know it, I’m in his lap with his hands in my hair. His mouth devours me in the best way possible. The man kisses me stupid. Honest, my brain is long gone. I’m all hormones, my fingers fisted in his T-shirt.

“Oh good God, at work?” A voice fills the room.

Ed clears his throat. “Tessa.”

“I’m heading off. Behave, children.”

“Have a good night.”

“Bye,” I