Books, Tattoos & Other Inky Things

6. She Bakes Drunk; She Writes Sober.

In the bright light of midmorning, Nella showered and readied herself as quietly as possible, because Lucas and Danielle were still crashed on her couch.

She wished she'd simply agreed to meet him at the coffee shop. What was the point of him coming here, except some old-fashioned notion of picking her up for a date? And why didn't she have his number, so she could text him to alter the plan? She felt mildly powerless and slightly annoyed. She stood in her tiny kitchen waiting for him to alert her he was downstairs when a knock at her door made her jump.

The smell of ink and Baz flooded her as she opened the door, and her irritation faded as she took him in from bottom to top—black boots, ripped jeans, v-neck tee, Nocturne tucked away too much for her liking, half a smile, and a sandy, glossy undercut. Compared to his smirk, her own smile felt too large. She reined it in and squinted at him. "How did you get in the lobby without a key card?"

His blue eyes twinkled. "You haven't figured out already that I'm a resourceful guy?"

She snorted. "I've figured out that you could charm snakes."

"Compared to snakes, hungover college kids aren't much of a challenge." His gaze was traveling over her, just as she had checked him out. She was in shorts again—white this time, with a dark tank and cropped olive jacket—but his gaze lingered on her legs and she wondered if he, like her, was imagining them wrapped around his torso as they moved together.

His eyes met hers and he clicked his tongue bar like he knew exactly what she was thinking. "You look great. I'm getting the vibe that all-nighters must agree with you."

Nella laughed at his double entendre. "We should go before we wake up Dani and Lucas. They crashed here."

"Too late," Dani mumbled from the couch, and that's when Nella noticed her friends were no longer end to end but spooned together. Dani pulled the blanket over their heads and grumbled in a low voice to Lucas, but whatever he said back sounded more like a soothing murmur.

Baz avoided staring at them and glanced into the kitchen instead. "No cookies?" he teased.

Lucas jerked the covers away from his face. "She bakes drunk; she writes sober. You must learn our ways if you want to join our tribe. And also, you know... there's a special ceremony..."

"Let me guess... tribal tats?" Baz drawled.

"Watch yourself," Lucas grinned at him. "I'm the funny guy around here."

"You're so not," Dani muttered.

"Bet I can make you giggle." Lucas covered them again with the blanket. Nella pushed Baz into the hall and shut the door behind her.

"They're a couple?" Baz asked as they walked down the hall.

"Hmm...we've always been more of a trio."

One eyebrow raised in challenge. "Excuse me?"

"Not like that!" she swatted at him. "I meant, we're like the Three Musketeers. Them messing around is new."

"Thanks for the clarification," he said, without a hint of a smile as he punched the elevator button. "I'm not into sharing."

There was a hint of possession in his tone, and something in her made her push back. "I don't think of myself as an object to be shared. Nor am I a darlin', by the way."

"Not an object, nor a darlin. Tell me, are you a Princess?"

"Not even a little bit," she glared at him, but his grin was big, enjoying her reaction.

"How about a Sweetheart? Baby? Honey? Sugar? Don't like any of those?" he teased her as they rode the elevator down. He opened the lobby door for her, still picking at her. "I guess you prefer something more original. How about NellaCruella? Can I call you that?"