And that really would be super convenient. “I’ll admit, it’s a great spot. Ideal for anyone. Which has me thinking that it couldn’t possibly have been sitting here empty.”
“It’s been empty since I learned that you’re my anchor.”
“You were planning to relocate my business here even then, weren’t you?” She shouldn’t be at all surprised.
“I was hoping I’d be able to convince you to do so, yes.” He curled his hand around her chin. “Your safety is vital to me. More important than anything else.”
“What was this place originally?”
“One of my security offices. It was easily relocated without inconveniencing anyone.”
Which meant no one had been put out of business; that was good. “I’m surprised you didn’t immediately raise the issue when I accepted the anchor bond.”
Knox rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not an easy anchor or an easy mate. I know that. I’ve pushed you on a lot of issues, including moving in with me. I don’t want to overwhelm you, but it’s hard to hold back. Moving at someone else’s speed isn’t in my nature.”
Yeah, she’d long ago worked that out. “Thank you for giving me time.” Grabbing the lapels of his jacket, Harper kissed him. “In terms of competition, how many tattoo studios are there in the Underground?”
“Two. One calls itself a parlor, not a studio. It takes itself very seriously. It’s expensive, but people will pay the prices because the other place is run by a group of surfers that come and go all the time; sometimes it’s closed for days on end.” He paused to watch as her eyes swirled and became an entrancing ice-blue. “Both lost a lot of business to you after we bonded and demons became more aware of your studio.”
“Neither place will like it if we move here.”
“Probably not. But it won’t be anything personal. That’s the nature of business.” He nipped her lip. “Of course, if they try to fuck with you in any way, they’ll pay for it.”
She smiled. “Sometimes, I get all tingly when you do that protective growl.”
His demon chuckled. “Is that so?” Knox licked over the imprint of his teeth on her lower lip and then looked around. “Well?”
“I need to let the girls see it before I make a decision.”
“I know that. But what do you think?”
A smile broke free. “I really, really like it.”
Relieved, Knox kissed her, tracing the brand on her throat with his thumb. Now he just had to get her friends on board, which he didn’t think would be too hard.
“You like that brand, don’t you?”
“I do.” He cupped her possessively over her jeans, sweeping his thumb where the brand on her navel was. “This will always be my favorite, though.” It was also his demon’s favorite. Knox kissed her once more and then released her. “Call your friends. Tell them to come.” He was too impatient to have all this sorted.
Harper whipped out her phone and did just that. The girls must have been more eager to take a look at the place than she’d thought, because they arrived in record time. She waited in the reception area with Knox as the three of them took a turn about the building.
As predicted, Khloë loved the reception area – mostly because it would easily fit the desk she’d originally wanted. Oddly enough, Devon called dibs on the room that Harper had thought would be perfect her. Great minds thought alike. Raini, however… she didn’t say a single word as she looked around. Nothing in her expression gave Harper a clue as to what the succubus was thinking.
“I think this place is awesome,” said Khloë.
“Me, too,” said Devon. “It’s bigger, it has better security, the location is perfect, and it means the pooch won’t have to sit outside like a stalker.”
Tanner grinned. “Aw, kitten, we both know you adore me.”
Devon’s upper lip curled. “Don’t you have a bone to go chew on?”
“You know that tone makes me want to bite you.”
Harper raised a hand to shush them. “Raini, I can’t take your silence anymore. What do you think?”
She slowly pivoted on her heel to face them and blew out a breath. And then her face broke into a bright smile that should have knocked them all on their asses. “When can we move in?”
“Whenever you want – it’s yours,” said Knox.
“We have to redecorate first,” Khloë pointed out, fishing out her phone. “List. We need a list of what needs doing.” Raini and Devon dashed over to her.
As the three girls chatted, Harper turned to Knox. “You’re feeling really smug right now, aren’t you?”
“Relieved,” he said.
“Smug,” she insisted.
Knox shrugged as he admitted unrepentantly, “I like to get my way.” He dropped the keys for the building into her hand. “Now I have to go. Meet me at my office when you’re done here.” He kissed her. “Be good.” With that, he and Levi left.
“You made the right decision, Harper,” said Tanner.
She smiled, slipping her hands into her pockets. “Yeah, I think so too.”
“Will you close the other place straight away?” he asked.
“Not until we’ve officially opened this one. A lot of people have booked in advance or need to come back for more sessions to finish their tattoos. I can delay demon clients, since they can simply come here later on, but not human clients.” She didn’t like to let people down.
“It’s been empty since I learned that you’re my anchor.”
“You were planning to relocate my business here even then, weren’t you?” She shouldn’t be at all surprised.
“I was hoping I’d be able to convince you to do so, yes.” He curled his hand around her chin. “Your safety is vital to me. More important than anything else.”
“What was this place originally?”
“One of my security offices. It was easily relocated without inconveniencing anyone.”
Which meant no one had been put out of business; that was good. “I’m surprised you didn’t immediately raise the issue when I accepted the anchor bond.”
Knox rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not an easy anchor or an easy mate. I know that. I’ve pushed you on a lot of issues, including moving in with me. I don’t want to overwhelm you, but it’s hard to hold back. Moving at someone else’s speed isn’t in my nature.”
Yeah, she’d long ago worked that out. “Thank you for giving me time.” Grabbing the lapels of his jacket, Harper kissed him. “In terms of competition, how many tattoo studios are there in the Underground?”
“Two. One calls itself a parlor, not a studio. It takes itself very seriously. It’s expensive, but people will pay the prices because the other place is run by a group of surfers that come and go all the time; sometimes it’s closed for days on end.” He paused to watch as her eyes swirled and became an entrancing ice-blue. “Both lost a lot of business to you after we bonded and demons became more aware of your studio.”
“Neither place will like it if we move here.”
“Probably not. But it won’t be anything personal. That’s the nature of business.” He nipped her lip. “Of course, if they try to fuck with you in any way, they’ll pay for it.”
She smiled. “Sometimes, I get all tingly when you do that protective growl.”
His demon chuckled. “Is that so?” Knox licked over the imprint of his teeth on her lower lip and then looked around. “Well?”
“I need to let the girls see it before I make a decision.”
“I know that. But what do you think?”
A smile broke free. “I really, really like it.”
Relieved, Knox kissed her, tracing the brand on her throat with his thumb. Now he just had to get her friends on board, which he didn’t think would be too hard.
“You like that brand, don’t you?”
“I do.” He cupped her possessively over her jeans, sweeping his thumb where the brand on her navel was. “This will always be my favorite, though.” It was also his demon’s favorite. Knox kissed her once more and then released her. “Call your friends. Tell them to come.” He was too impatient to have all this sorted.
Harper whipped out her phone and did just that. The girls must have been more eager to take a look at the place than she’d thought, because they arrived in record time. She waited in the reception area with Knox as the three of them took a turn about the building.
As predicted, Khloë loved the reception area – mostly because it would easily fit the desk she’d originally wanted. Oddly enough, Devon called dibs on the room that Harper had thought would be perfect her. Great minds thought alike. Raini, however… she didn’t say a single word as she looked around. Nothing in her expression gave Harper a clue as to what the succubus was thinking.
“I think this place is awesome,” said Khloë.
“Me, too,” said Devon. “It’s bigger, it has better security, the location is perfect, and it means the pooch won’t have to sit outside like a stalker.”
Tanner grinned. “Aw, kitten, we both know you adore me.”
Devon’s upper lip curled. “Don’t you have a bone to go chew on?”
“You know that tone makes me want to bite you.”
Harper raised a hand to shush them. “Raini, I can’t take your silence anymore. What do you think?”
She slowly pivoted on her heel to face them and blew out a breath. And then her face broke into a bright smile that should have knocked them all on their asses. “When can we move in?”
“Whenever you want – it’s yours,” said Knox.
“We have to redecorate first,” Khloë pointed out, fishing out her phone. “List. We need a list of what needs doing.” Raini and Devon dashed over to her.
As the three girls chatted, Harper turned to Knox. “You’re feeling really smug right now, aren’t you?”
“Relieved,” he said.
“Smug,” she insisted.
Knox shrugged as he admitted unrepentantly, “I like to get my way.” He dropped the keys for the building into her hand. “Now I have to go. Meet me at my office when you’re done here.” He kissed her. “Be good.” With that, he and Levi left.
“You made the right decision, Harper,” said Tanner.
She smiled, slipping her hands into her pockets. “Yeah, I think so too.”
“Will you close the other place straight away?” he asked.
“Not until we’ve officially opened this one. A lot of people have booked in advance or need to come back for more sessions to finish their tattoos. I can delay demon clients, since they can simply come here later on, but not human clients.” She didn’t like to let people down.
