“Have you seen the design?” I asked.

“No. But I almost convinced her to bring it by so you could have a look. Then you ruined it when you got all up in her space and tried to dry hump her.”

“I didn’t try to dry hump her.”

“You would have if there hadn’t been witnesses present.”

It was hard to argue, given my current issue. “I wasn’t intentionally a dick.”

“I’ll see Tenley tomorrow and do damage control. If I can get her to agree to bring the design over, you have to promise you’ll keep your hands to yourself.”

“You do realize that won’t be possible if I’m putting ink on her, right?”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Lisa shook her head. “I don’t know why I even bother with you. It’s like herding a cat.”

I laughed. She wasn’t wrong. When it came to walking the line, I didn’t have much patience. People stuck to social codes because they worried about what other people might think. I didn’t give a shit. Mostly. There were a select few whose opinions impacted my decisions. Aunt Cassie’s was one, and Lisa’s was another. For that reason I would try to be on my best behavior where Tenley was concerned, but I couldn’t guarantee I’d be successful.

TENLEY

I pushed through the door to Serendipity, the bell above my head jingling. “Sorry I took so long. Hayden asked me to wait, and the jewelry Lisa ordered came in.” I touched the side of my nose, which had been a breeze in comparison to the other two. I made no mention of those.

“Oooh! Pretty!” Cassie said with genuine enthusiasm. “So you talked to Hayden?”

“A little.” I was still reeling. Hayden was dangerously beautiful. Every encounter with him affected me in a visceral way.

“And?” Cassie pressed.

“And what?”

“How’d it go?”

“He’s uh . . .” My cheeks puffed out and I expelled a long breath. I tried to think of an adjective to adequately describe him, but nothing that came to mind seemed suitable.

“He left that good of an impression?”

“It wasn’t . . . He’s not . . . It was interesting.” What else could I say about a tattoo artist who read the likes of Nietzsche in his spare time? Besides, I was afraid to verbalize the intensity of our interaction. If left unspoken, I could pretend I’d imagined his reaction to me and mine to him.

“ ‘Interesting’?” she said with disbelief.

“Mm-hm.”

“Really? That’s all you have to say?”

“Were you looking for a better descriptor?” I covered my unease with sarcasm.

“You read eleventh-century literature for fun, and the best you can do is ‘interesting’?” she teased.

I threw up my hands in exasperation. “You were right, okay? He’s completely overwhelming. And gorgeous, like off the charts, a raging inferno of hotness. Satisfied?”

Cassie burst into laughter. She even snorted. “Well that’s much more accurate than ‘interesting.’ ”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe I said that. You’re his aunt.” Mortification made my face hot. “You can’t tell him.”

“Why not? I think he’d be flattered.” She smiled serenely.

“I highly doubt that.” Hayden didn’t strike me as the kind of man who responded to flattery.

She lifted one shoulder and let it fall, picking up the deposit bag. “You know he comes in here looking for you all the time.”

“He does not.”

“Oh yes he does,” she said. “Maybe he thinks you’re a ‘raging inferno of hotness.’ ”

“You’re not going to let that one go, are you?” I refused to entertain the idea that Hayden might find me attractive. It seemed ludicrous.

She shook her head and gave me a mischievous grin. “Probably not, no.”

The banter reminded me of high school days and fawning over cute boys with my girlfriends. I remembered the butterflies in my stomach, the hope I might be noticed, the excitement when I was. I longed for that innocence again; the simplicity of a schoolgirl crush. My life was so different now. Hayden had definitely noticed me. I just wasn’t sure if it was a good thing.

“Please don’t tell him. I don’t think I could deal with the embarrassment.”

Cassie surprised me when she pulled me into a tight hug. When she released me, she smoothed her hands over my hair. It made me miss my mother.

“I won’t say anything,” she said with sincerity.

“Thanks,” I replied, trying not to get caught up in the sudden rush of sadness.

After we locked the store, there was nothing to do but return to the prison of my apartment. I paced the worn hardwood floors, too wired to find comfort in the banality of TV. While I had grown accustomed to being alone, tonight the solitude proved a challenge.

Hayden was, in part, responsible for my inability to find solace. No matter how many times I spoke to him, the intensity of my reaction didn’t wane. From a single glance it was clear that he was fearless, unchained and unfettered by the confines of what society deemed acceptable; Hayden embodied everything I wasn’t but wanted to be. I spent my entire life trying to color inside the lines, only to wind up restrained by them. Hayden obliterated social constructs. His presence alone made a statement. I found him mesmerizing, which was why I attempted to keep a safe distance.

Regardless, I took inventory of his piercings when he inspected mine. Viper bites accented the left side of his mouth, an industrial slanted through the cartilage in his right ear, and a curved black barbell sliced through his right eyebrow. His hair was a dark riot; short on the sides and longer on top. It looked like a modified Mohawk, although he never wore it that way. His short-sleeved shirt revealed a canvas of ink covering his arms, his story laid bare. Beyond the tattoos and piercings, or because of them—I couldn’t decide which—he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

The concept of instant chemistry had seemed absurd until Hayden’s recent appearance. I’d always thought it was a myth, a way to explain why people sometimes allowed their baser needs to dominate their actions. Now I got it. Every part of my body responded to the brief, innocent contact when he lifted my chin, intent on getting a better look at my nose ring.

The residual effects created a slight vibration under my skin, like the aftershock of an earthquake. It was best to ignore the attraction Cassie implied might be reciprocal. My world was already chaotic enough.

As I looked at the clock, I realized that I would turn twenty-one in an hour, but I couldn’t see any reason to celebrate. I wanted a way to drown the ache in my chest, but there was nothing in my cupboards to facilitate that kind of reprieve. Raiding my parents’ liquor cabinet had been a priority when I’d packed my belongings and moved from Arden Hills to Chicago last month, but the few bottles I’d brought with me were long gone now.

Unopened mail from the past few days lay on the counter. Sifting through it, I paused at the large envelope with the familiar writing scrawled across the front. Trey hadn’t made contact since I moved—why bother now?

With shaky hands I slid my finger under the flap and tore through the heavy paper. Inside was a card with a cheerful design wishing me a “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Trey’s messy signature took up the space beneath the stock prose. I turned the envelope upside down and papers fell out, along with a stapled package. The card was a ruse. A handwritten note was fixed to the first page.

Tenley,

I hope this day finds you well. As you are now entitled to the full breadth of your inheritance, I would entreat you to review the legal documentation herein. Should you agree to the generous offer outlined, the ownership of the property which has been passed onto you through Connor’s will would transfer to me. As you have decided to leave Arden Hills to pursue other ambitions, I believe it is reasonable to request my brother’s property be relinquished. Since I am the sole living heir of the Hoffman legacy, it only makes sense that I assume responsibility for the estate in its entirety. Think of this as a way to simplify the matter. Once you have signed the document, please return it to my lawyer at the address provided and restitution shall be made in the full amount.