Love and Tattoos Read Online Free Page A

buzzing. You didn’t change until you got out of college.”
    “ Tastes change,” she insisted. “Besides, I’m not the only coffee drinker here. Your argument is invalid and weak. You lose this round.”
    “ Beth drinks nothing but cherry soda.” Brax held up his hand and ticked names off on his fingers. “Greg and I drink those energy drinks you think are disgusting and taste like cough syrup. Joe only drinks water. Amber drinks espresso without fail. So honey, you’re the reason there is any kind of coffee in this place. You prefer dark roast with half and half. No sugar.”
    It really wasn ’t worth continuing. He had her dead to rights on this one. “Fine. I’ll give you coffee. I did conform. I didn’t want to, but I did want to fit in. Honestly though, light and medium are just gross. It’s like drinking watery coffee. When I found someone had stocked the cabinet with what I like, I was so happy.”
    “ You can buy it for yourself, you know? No one cares. No one in your life, before or after that ad agency, who really gives a crap about you, would care what kind of coffee you had.”
    “ I know. I just… I was thrilled to have the opportunity at my job. I wanted them to like me. I didn’t want to make mistakes or do anything that would get me looked at oddly. And I know it’s seems strange to alter my choice in coffee to fit into an office, but…” She wasn’t sure how to explain it. “I couldn’t bring coffee in. Our client wasn’t a local company and if the agency was anything, it was loyal to the companies that signed with us. The coffee client provided our office with as much coffee as we wanted. The majority of people who drank coffee, drank medium, so that’s what was stocked.”
    “ And you couldn’t ask for dark?”
    “ I was new. I didn’t want to rock the boat or do something wrong by asking. Crazy, huh?”
    “ No. I get it. You don’t have to worry about that anymore. I buy you dark roast coffee because I know you like it.”
    “ Thank you.”
    Brax inclined his head. “ So, I won that one, right?”
    “ Yes. You know what and how I like my coffee. I’m not even sure Joe knows how I take it.”
    “ I also know you use different cups. On rainy days, you use the black cup. On bright, sunny days, you use the yellow one. On your birthday, you use the pink one.”
    “ That doesn’t mean it’s a habit.”
    “ I bet it is. Now, since I won, I need your shirt, please.”
    “ Shouldn’t it be shoes?”
    “ You’re wearing flip flops. Those don’t count, and neither does stalling. Your shirt, please.”
    Brax held his hand out and Annie stood rooted to the spot, staring at his palm. That hand had touched her, held her with tenderness, with strength, and was patiently waiting for her to turn over the shirt off her back.
    She ’d agreed to this. She could do it. More importantly, she wanted to do it.
    With unsteady fingers, Annie gripped the hem of her shirt, took a fortifying breath, and lifted it off over her head before she had time to talk herself out of it completely. Brax grunted, low in his throat, took the garment from her, and set it behind him on the desk, out of her reach.
    The air in the room chilled her skin , but Brax’s laser stare warmed her. He hadn’t blinked yet. He hadn’t moved again either. He simply sat on the edge of the desk, his gaze glued to her upper body.
    Annie smiled because something about being able to render him speechless, motionless gave her confidence to continue their little game. “My turn,” she said.
    Brax ’s lips lifted slightly at the corners and he met her gaze. “Bring it, little girl.” The challenge gave his voice a tough, unyielding edge and the sneer she leveled at him was playful in its intent.
    “ You have almost a hundred tattoos,” she remarked.
    Brax clucked his tongue in admonishment and he crossed his arms over his chest. The skull tats winked at her. “This isn’t about me,” he reminded her.
    “ I’m