Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
He went over the hours and expectations, which aligned with what I’d understood coming in. As he spoke, I nodded, committing every word to memory. This was what I’d worked toward. The nerves were still there, but they’d settled into something steadier now.
I felt him before I saw him, heat pooling low in my belly without warning. The air felt like it shifted, and I stilled, my breath catching as my body reacted ahead of my brain.
I turned and stared at the man who stood a few feet away, his presence filling the space without effort. He was tall and broad-shouldered, built solid without being bulky. A black T-shirt clung to his torso beneath a leather vest, the sleeves stretched tight over muscular arms with black ink visible on his wrists and neck. Heavy blackwork that had been expertly layered.
My gaze dropped before I could stop it, catching on his scarred knuckles. Desire flared stronger in my core as I wondered how his hands would feel on my skin. But the picture in my head had nothing to do with him giving me a tattoo. It was unexpectedly erotic for a girl who’d only had a peck of a kiss before.
It was a good thing I had an artistic eye because I was still able to take in the rest of him. His dark hair was cut short, and his eyes were a rich, dark brown. When they met mine, it seemed as though the world narrowed to that single point of connection.
He assessed me with a stillness that made my pulse race. The silence stretched between us too long to be polite. My skin prickled under his attention, awareness humming through me.
I wondered what was hidden beneath the long sleeves and leather. How many tattoos did he have that I couldn’t see? What stories lived there, inked into his tanned skin?
Ink cleared his throat beside me, breaking the moment. I sucked in a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. There was no explanation I could think of for the regret I felt when I tore my gaze away from the man. My fingers itched to sketch the hard lines of his face, and I was grateful my memory was good enough to let me do it later. Alone.
The man finally spoke. “Onyx.”
I nodded, my pulse still racing. “Elena.”
Before I could gather myself enough to say anything else, he shifted his weight and glanced toward Ink. “The new apprentice?”
Ink nodded. “Yeah, the one we talked about last week.”
Onyx turned toward me again, a gleam in his dark eyes that I didn’t understand. “I’ll take her.”
Ink’s brows lifted a fraction, and his mouth twitched like he was holding back a smile. He studied Onyx for a beat longer than necessary, something unspoken passing between them. Then he drawled, “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“I—sorry?” My gaze darted back and forth between them. This wasn’t what we’d discussed. “I thought I was supposed to be working under you, Ink.”
“You will,” Ink replied, waving off my concern. “Just not exclusively. Onyx handles blackwork and structure-heavy designs. It’ll be good for your foundation as we teach you new techniques. And he manages the place, so you’ll have better access to anything you need, with the bonus of learning the business side in case you ever find yourself looking to open your own studio.”
It sounded reasonable. Logical, even. Except that Onyx’s dark gaze was unreadable, and Ink watched my reaction with open curiosity. The corner of his mouth was still tipped up, as though he knew something I didn’t. They seemed to be having an entirely different conversation, one that didn’t include me or require words.
“Okay,” I finally agreed.
My stomach fluttered when I agreed, and I couldn’t explain it. Only that some part of me was already leaning toward Onyx in a way I’d never experienced before.
I told myself it made sense. Onyx was an expert, and Ink trusted him. Apprenticing with the manager would give me deeper access to how Hellbound Studio really worked.
Onyx simply shifted closer, and his gaze caught mine again. The moment stretched, heavy with something unnamed.
Ink broke the silence, turning away. “I’ll let you two get acquainted.”
2
ONYX
Ididn’t look back at Ink as I pivoted and began walking toward my section of the studio. But I could feel the asshole’s amusement poking at me. Ink wasn’t stupid. I knew he’d seen the shift in me the second my eyes landed on Elena. He recognized obsession when it sparked. The two of us had witnessed it happen to our brothers, not to mention Ink had been there himself, which was why he’d made the call without me even having to say the real reason out loud.
Thank fuck I’d come out of my office when I heard Ink in the hallway. It had only taken one look at Elena for my body to come roaring to life with a ferocity I’d never experienced before.