Page 78 of Ink and Insults
You and me both, lady.I slid a hopeful glance toward Ren, but he was spraying the leather seat the client had vacated and was actively ignoring me by wiping it down. Fuck, he was cute in his glasses. Could I get him to wear them to bed?
Oli cleared his throat and looked up from his work. “KC, baby, do you want to come check this out? Tell me what you think?”
Baby.That was new, but I wasn’t going to complain. My stomach swirled with warmth as I crossed the room to check out his ink. I didn’t know anything about tattooing, but I’d seen his drawings and they were impressive.
Unfortunately, his artwork didn’t translate as well as I’d expected onto the fake skin. It wasn’thorrible, but it wasn’t great.
My face must’ve given away my thoughts because his eyes watered in frustration and he slammed down the tattoo gun on the tray beside him.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” He slapped his palms over his face and groaned. “I’m never going to be a tattoo artist, am I?”
Ren grunted somewhere behind me, and when I turned, he was somehow at my shoulder, laying a comforting hand on Oli’s back. “You’re still in school. You have plenty of time to learn and grow. This is your first week of working under me. Give yourself time and I promise you’ll be better than me.”
“Ugh, I doubt it.” Oli wiped at the corner of his eye with the heel of his hand. “I’ll end up wasting all your ink. I’m so talentless.”
“Don’t talk about one of my boyfriends that way.” Ren crossed his arms over his broad chest and spread his legs, cementing his authority. He wasn’t being cruel, but he wasn’t going to accept arguments, either. His posture dared me or Oli to try.
“One of your boyfriends?” I whispered, his words echoing in my mind.Boyfriend.A knot of excitement formed in my chest and it took everything in my power not to throw myself at him. “We’re your boyfriends? Both of us?”
“Yes.” His dominance softened to something sweeter. He dropped his arms and sighed. “I care about both of you brats. You’ll probably end up giving me gray hair by the time you’re done with me.”
“You’re only twenty-six,” Oli said, but Ren ignored him.
“I won’t have either of you making yourselves sick. Whether it’s with protein smoothies—” He shot me a pointed look, then switched to Oli. “—or by saying nasty shit about yourself. You’re both mine, and I will protect you by any means necessary.”
I melted. I hated how fast it happened, but I was nothing more than a fucking popsicle in a heatwave.
“Careful, Boss, you’re going soft,” Flint said from near his workstation.
“Or he’s getting hard,” Wylie hit back, and they both laughed like they had the front row seat at a comedy club. Flint fist-bumped Wylie.
Ren rolled his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Both of you get the fuck out. You’re done for the day.”
Wylie and Flint laughed their way to the exit.
Ren grumbled something under his breath before his attention returned to me and Oli. He brushed a hand over Oli’s head and pressed a kiss against my cheek.
“What we have here is working. We could be good together,” he said, the usual dominance missing. There was a subtle vulnerability in his posture that also lingered in his words and the tone of his voice. I couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to see a version of him that wasn’t an asshole to Oli.
“I agree.” I leaned into his warmth and pressed my lips against the pulse in his neck. Then, I held out a hand to Oli, who intertwined his fingers with mine. “Let’s be together.”
Oli nodded eagerly. “Yeah. I mean, I’d enjoy that, too.”
“It’s decided. We’re in a throuple.” I snaked my arm around Ren’s shoulders and squeezed his bicep. “Oli, Ren, and KC.”
Oli licked his lips, eyes shining up at us, and despite this being new, there was something calming about it. About being with them both. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses, and we connected. We were the organs that kept our relationship running.
Oli was the heart because he’d always had a big one. He acted with kindness and was the sweetest.
I was the lungs, an integral part of our system. The organ that transported oxygen to every part of our link and removed the poison from our bond.
Ren was the brain. He told us when to breathe, when to beat, and when tolive. He kept us alive. He was the driving force of our existence. Without him, we didn’t work.
It was a funny thing to think about, especially now, but the visual made sense.Wemade sense. We were stronger with one another.
The door to the shop flung open, and we stepped away from each other, glancing in the direction of the new visitor at the same time. I frowned when my gaze landed on Barber. I hesitated, then stepped forward.
“Hey! What are you doing here?”
