“Okay, thanks . . . I think.” I step into the tattoo shop, my eyes widening with curiosity as I take in my surroundings. The name fits the place perfectly because to my surprise it resembles an actual attic.

The place is small. The front must be their version of a lobby, housing a glass display with a register and a small desk to the side. I assume that’s for sketching. To the right of the door sit four plastic chairs and a table piled high with tattoo magazines. To the left is a bathroom door covered in graffiti. In the back sits, a tattoo station on each side and all four walls seem to be covered with tattoo designs.

I walk over to one of the walls, my eyes searching through the pictures. Some of them are real photos while others are just sketches and drawings. So far, I like what I see and can tell why Kade has heard they have such a good reputation.

“Welcome to Adi’s Attic,” a deep voice comes from behind me. “Can I help you find something?”

Without glancing back, I run my hand along the pictures on the wall in search of something beautiful and feminine. If I’m going through with this tattoo then it has to be perfect. I won’t accept anything less. Adric took tattooing seriously, to him it was an art and he probably would’ve kicked my butt if I didn’t as well.

“Um . . . I’m looking for something, I just don’t know what yet. Something . . .” I stop to turn around and my breath catches, “Beautiful,” I manage to whisper the last word and release a small moan. I didn’t mean to but it just came out that way.

When my eyes meet his, my heart starts pounding and I can’t pull away, hell I can’t even speak. He’s got to be the sexiest man I have ever laid eyes on. He has thick dark hair, beautiful amber eyes lined with thick black lashes and a pouty bottom lip that I want to suck into my mouth. As my eyes continue downward, he has an athletic build that says he obviously works out. He’s wearing a black V-neck shirt showing tattoo covered arms and jeans that sit low on his hips.

I lick my lips unconsciously and look back up to meet his eyes. I suddenly feel a sadness looking back at them. Those light amber eyes look so broken and pained. They’re dark and beautiful, staring at me with an intensity that makes my knees go weak and my body want to surrender to his every command.

If a sexy distraction is what I need, then it looks like Kade doesn’t need to worry. This guy has it covered just fine. Something he definitely won’t be too thrilled about since he always has to be the male attention in any room.

The guy’s forehead scrunches up as he studies me with a look that feels strangely familiar, but new all at the same time. It almost looks as if he has something he wants to say, but doesn’t. Instead, he nods his head and then turns to face the other direction. “Something beautiful shouldn’t be too hard for you to find.”

He walks away, his black boots making an intense, angry thud against the hardwood flooring.

My eyes slowly trail up the legs of his faded jeans, landing on his nice ass before finally moving up to his snug shirt, revealing his sculpted back. Maybe being left alone isn’t such a bad thing after all.

I watch as he leans over the glass display, pressing both of his hands against the glass. He stays like that for a moment, not making a sound, and possibly not even breathing, before finally he reaches behind it and pulls out a binder. He just stares at it, not making a sound, as if he’s not sure he wants to show it to me.

I clear my throat breaking the awkward silence. Maybe he’s got other things going on, because he definitely doesn’t give off that ‘I’d be happy to tattoo you’ vibe. “If you don’t have time to fit me in today then I can just come back. I’m in no hurry.” He squeezes the bridge of his nose and clenches his jaw, probably not even realizing how deeply I am watching him. “I’ll just come back-“

“It’s not a problem,” he cuts in. His voice comes out sounding as if me being here is causing him physical pain. That same pain as the look in his eyes and somehow I wonder if today just isn’t a good day for him. Personal issues maybe? A fight with his girlfriend or maybe the loss of someone close to him. Whatever it is has him hurting bad.

I should just leave and assume today just isn’t the day for a tattoo. “I’m not even sure what I want anyways. My friend kind of talked me into coming today. I’ll just come back.”

“Stay. I said it’s not a problem and I meant it.” He walks over so he’s standing right in front of me. His eyes land on mine for a second time and I find myself trying to figure out where I’ve seen that look before. Those eyes are so familiar yet I can’t place them.

Before I can finish my search, he pulls his eyes away and pushes the binder into my arms. “You’ll find the form to fill out in the back folder. Go ahead and look through the tattoos, get your I.D out and fill out the paperwork. I’ll be back in a few.”

Running a hand through his disheveled hair, he turns around and shoves the glass door open, leaving me alone in the shop.

“Now I wish Kade was here,” I mumble, feeling a bit down all of a sudden, just unable to get past this guy’s attitude.

I take a seat in one of the chairs and set my purse down next to me. “This so better be worth it.” I dig through the mess in my purse, finding my wallet at the very bottom, hidden under makeup, papers, candy and pretty much anything else you can find. It never fails to be this way, but yet, I refuse to clean this damn thing out.

After filling out the form and setting my I.D on top, I open the binder and start looking through the tattoos. I’m surprised to see that every single tattoo in the binder has something to do with beautiful peacock feathers of some sort. There are so many different sketches of them with beautiful colors and designs. It’s like this binder was made specifically for me and I can’t help to feel a bit emotional as I look though them.

I always said as a teenager that a peacock was going to be my first tattoo. Everyone laughed at me except for Adric. He said it was brilliant because a peacock was beautiful and bold just like me. It always made me smile. It was as if Adric was the only person that ever truly got me. Man, I really miss him.

“Did you find something beautiful yet?”

His voice startles me and I throw my hand over my heart. “Shit, you scared me. Could you give me a little warning next time?” I stand up and close the binder.

His eyes land on my cheek and he smiles, but it doesn’t meet his eyes; although it’s enough to show off a sexy set of dimples that I hadn’t noticed before. “I have a way of scaring people.” He reaches out, placing his hand on my cheek and brushes his thumb beside my mouth causing my eyes to close and my breath to quicken. “Somebody’s a messy eater. Let’s go.”