Never Enough: A New Adult Romance (4 page)

And before I could even ask, Damien extended his hand toward mine. Slipping my fingers into his warm palm, I met his stare.

“You’ll be fine,” he said, but I could barely hear him over my thudding heart.

And then the needle hit my skin. 

“Fuuuuck…”

Chapter Three

Damien

Temperance’s hand squeezed mine so tightly I was pretty sure my fingers were going to snap off. She was pretty strong for a girl, something I had learned after she
straddled my lap and nearly pulled my hair out in my truck last night. And those dirty words she’d said. You should see what this mouth can do. I had a hard time falling asleep with her voice replaying that mantra over and over again.

Shit. I was getting hard
just thinking about it, which was pretty messed up considering she seemed to be in a lot of pain at the moment.

I glanced at her face and watched as she bit her
bottom lip. It was the same bottom lip I had been fantasizing about since she’d moved into the room next to mine. It was the same bottom lip I had licked last night.

Dammit to hell.
I came here to forget about her and what her sexy little body had done to me last night, to finish the tattoo I had started almost a year ago for a girl I had loved and lost. Instead, I was holding Temperance’s hand as she got her first tattoo and chauffeuring her home afterwards. Was fate against me or what? How the hell did that end up happening?

Gio
suddenly lifted the tattoo gun from her back and she exhaled in relief, slowly loosening her grip on my throbbing hand.

“That was terrible,” she said
breathlessly, her eyes opening and meeting mine. A small bead of sweat made its way down her neck and dipped between her breasts. I could only imagine this was what she’d look like after being thoroughly fucked.

“How do people like you stand to get so many?”
she asked and I forced my wayward gaze up.

I almost told her the truth, but caught myself. Instead I gave her the cliché answer. “It’s addictive. Once you get one it’s hard to stop.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m never getting another one after this.”

“
Like I said, it’s a big one for your first time,” I said, glancing at the large swirling musical piece snaking up her side. Clusters of notes floated off the staff and moved across her ribs and shoulders. It was beautifully done and once it was finished I could see it being a masterpiece.

“So what’s the significance of this tattoo?” I asked, as
Gio slid the needle once more against her skin.

She bit that sexy lower lip as she closed her eyes once more. After a deep breath she replied, “
I love music. It’s a huge part of my life so getting this tattoo just made sense.”

I knew she played the cello. I’d heard her in her practicing in her room a few times and she was good. And I mean really good. I imagined she’d been playing the cello for quite a long time.

“You must love it…the cello, I mean,” I clarified and she shook her head slightly.

“Not really. I mean, I did, but not so much anymore.”

My brows met. I shouldn’t delve so deeply into her life. It was dangerous to get to know her because then I’d probably end up liking her, but it didn’t stop me from opening my mouth and asking, “Why?”

“My parents have been pushing it for way too long. I’ve been playing since I was young and somewhere in high school I stopped loving it.”

“Then why are you in school for it? That academy can’t be cheap.”

“Because it’s what I’ve been trained to do. I don’t know what else I’m good at,” she replied and I suddenly understood. My father had expected me to take over his business. He’d sent me to school for that very purpose, but I had given it up for something infinitely more important. He hadn’t understood and now we were no longer talking.

I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand, liking how our fingers were intertwined.

“I’m sure you’ll figure out what you’re good at,” I said reassuringly. I still hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do and I was almost three years older than her.

“Hope so,” she murmured before addressing Gio. “When’s this going to be over?”

“Almost done with the outline,” he replied and Temperance sighed in frustration.

“I’m going to be sore tomorrow,” she told me as I fiddled with a ring she wore on her index finger.

“Yeah, but you’ll like when it’s done.”

“I sure hope so.” She sounded so dejected that my lips unwillingly turned up at the corners. I wasn’t able to completely stifle my amusement, earning a frown from Temperance.

“Go ahead,” she said hoarsely. “Laugh at my expense.”

I pinched my lips together and shook my head. “You’re doing really good. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.”

As I said that, Gio lifted his hand from her back and wiped the excess blood and ink from her skin. “Done.”

I peeked over and saw the outline of her tattoo extending across her side. I shouldn’t have liked how inked up she was, but on her it was perfect.

“Can I see?” Temperance asked, standing up. I could hear the relief and excitement in her voice.

Gio nodded and scooted back, admiring his work. I hated that his eyes were on her, taking in not only the tattoo, but her tight little body. I flashed him a warning look and he leaned back with a nod. We had come to an understanding. She was mine. Not his.

The thought had me shoving my hands in my pockets. Where had that come from? She wasn’t mine. She couldn’t ever be mine. Shit.

“It’s beautiful,” she told Gio with a smile and my heart skipped a beat. She rarely bestowed those on me and I suddenly felt jealous.

“I’m glad you like it,” he replied. “Get back in here soon so we can finish up the shading.”

Temperance nodded and I stood up, handing over her shirt. She thanked me, pulling it on.

“Let’s get you checked out of here,” Gio said, striding to the door and opening it for us. As we walked into the hallway, Gio instructed us to make an appointment with Hailey at the front counter.

As we waited for Hailey, Temperance glanced over at me rubbing my hand. “Sorry if I hurt you,” she said, a lilt of anxiety in her voice. Those big green eyes were full of anxiety and I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my side.

Instead
, I slid my hands in my pockets and shook my head. “I’m fine. Just getting the circulation back.”

I wanted to tell her that I’d hold her hand anytime she wanted me to, but resisted the urge. I was saved by Hailey, who had finished helping the customer in front of us and regarded Temperance with a grumpy stare.

After her appointment was placed in the computer, I led Temperance outside, using it as an excuse to place my hand at the small of her back.

When we got to my truck,
I opened the door for her and she got inside. I could tell she was starting to feel sore by the way she carefully avoided rubbing the sensitive skin.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, Temperance turned toward me. “So…thanks for taking me home. You didn’t have to.”

“No problem,” I said and meant it.

“And thanks for staying with me today. I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”

I peeked over at her. “I think you would have been just fine.”

She flushed as our gazes locked and she quickly looked away. “So what did you get today?”

I shrugged, faking nonchalance like my tattoo was no big deal. Even though it defined me at the moment. “Just an unfinished project.”

“What’s it of?”

My fingers flexed uneasily on the steering wheel. “Just a quote.”

She seemed to sense I didn’t want to talk about it so she quietly stared out the window. I could tell she felt just as awkward as I did about being with me after last night. Especially since she was the one who had ended it.

I had gone to her door to apologize for nearly mauling her in my truck. On the ride home in the tow truck, I was infused with guilt and self doubt and by the time we’d arrived home, I was planning on telling her we couldn’t do it again. But then I went to her room and saw her in those tight yoga pants and I changed my mind.

But she hadn’t wanted me as much as I had wanted her. She basically turned me down before I could even proposition her. I hadn’t been expecting that. Being turned down had never happened to me before. I usually had girls lining up to be with me and I was the one sending them on their way. It was a shitty feeling to say the least. It was made even shittier by the fact that I wasn’t supposed to want anyone. I was still in mourning. It was too damn soon. My body didn’t seem to agree.

When we finally pulled into the driveway, a familiar car was parked next to Temperance’s and I groaned inwardly. I had totally forgotten about my plans to hang out with my best friend, Jonathan and by the look on his face, he’d been worried about me. Ever since his sister died, he’d been worried I was going to go off the deep end and put my head in an oven.

He was a little dramatic. I was no Sylvia Plath. Yes,
I missed his sister like crazy and for a while there I had been in a dark place, but there was a small light at the end of the tunnel. To be honest, his constant worry was starting to get on my nerves.

As I killed the engine, Jonathan pushed off his old blue Mustang and strode toward my truck.
I glanced over at Temperance and watched as her mouth formed a small “O”. With his black hair and deep blue eyes, Jonathan was like a modern day Casanova. He attracted more women than I did and I hated that I could have competition.

Temperance
didn’t stare for long. Instead she hopped out of the car with a wince and I followed suit a moment later. I kept my eyes on Jonathan as he approached. I didn’t know how he’d react to seeing me with another girl and I wondered if he’d be upset.

“Hey, man, you didn’t answer my calls,” Jonathan said, as he
stopped in front of us. His sapphire eyes slid over Temperance and I cringed inwardly. Her lips were plump and dark red from all the biting she had done to them earlier, making it seem like she had been thoroughly kissed. It didn’t help that his eyes flew to my neck shortly after and spotted the hickey just above the collar of my shirt.

“Totally forgot,” I said, as if that were an acceptable explanation. “I was with Temperance.”

“Temperance,” Jonathan said knowingly. He probably felt like he knew her. I had talked enough about her.

“Hi,” she said sweetly. “Damien was nice enough to go with me while I got my first tattoo.”

Jonathan’s eyes widened slightly. “Yeah? Let’s see it.”

I clenched my fists, but pretended like I didn’t care she was about to expose way too much skin to my best friend.

She slowly lifted her shirt and peeled off the gauze. Jonathan leaned forward, an appreciative gleam in his eyes and it took everything in my power not to push him backward. Jonathan was a nice guy, but was a little dark when it came to sex. Temperance was way too innocent for a guy like him. Not that I’d ever let him have her. Hell fucking no.

“Nice. Your first tattoo?” he asked, his dark blue eyes meeting hers.

“Yeah, crazy, huh? I should have done something smaller, but for me it was go big or go home.”

“I get it. Did it hurt like hell?”

She nodded, taping her gauze back on and lowering her shirt. For the first time since we got out of the truck I could breathe again. “I’m glad I got it though and Damien was nice enough to hold my hand through the whole thing. I think I broke a few of his fingers.”

“Well, it looks good. Right, Damien?” Jonathan turned his gaze to me and I swallowed harshly.

“Yeah. It looks good.” It looked fucking hot and when it healed I wanted nothing more than to kiss my way across it, but I didn’t say that out loud. Instead I ran my hand through my hair and watched as she smiled sweetly at Jonathan. It was that same smile she bestowed on every person she met except for me. The only problem was when she did that to anyone from the male population, they usually thought of it as an invitation to bend her over a table. I knew she didn’t do it on purpose, but with those big green eyes and those lips…it was just too much.

Jonathan returned the gestur
e and my insides nearly boiled. Why the fuck didn’t she smile at me like that?

“I guess it was a good reason for Damien to
bail on me. Hell, next time you go, invite me and I’ll hold your hand. I don’t mind a few broken fingers.”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll do that,” she said with a flirtatious grin and I think I growled because Jonathan turned toward me with a knowing look and I had to turn away before I punched him.
I don’t know where this possessiveness was coming from. First with Gio and now with Jonathan. I needed a reality check because she wasn’t mine.

Finally, Temperance plucked
nervously at the end of her shirt and glanced at the door. “Well, I better go. It was nice meeting you…”

“Jonathan,” he said and I felt like a total prick for not introducing them.

“Jonathan.” She shook his hand before grabbing her purse and heading toward the house.

As we both watched her walk away, Jonathan said, “You told me about Temperance, but you never said she was
fucking hot.”

I shot him a glare that told him to step down
, but he wasn’t deterred. He merely gave me another knowing look. “No wonder you’ve been so moody these last few weeks. Living next door to her would be hard.” He glanced at my neck. “That from her?”