Bloom: Thorn Tattoo Studio, #3

By Leslie North

From the boardroom to the bedroom, Antonio DeRose is a man who always gets what he wants. And Antonio wants Evie. 

Antonio took a risk when he purchased Bloom Tattoo. The studio is a “fixer-upper” that could pay off in spades...or cost him Thorn, the family’s studio. He knows the key lies in making Evie Stuart, the tattooed sex kitten, head artist. He can see that beyond her beauty, that the fiery girl has some serious brains too. 

Evie, on the other hand, is more than happy to continue being a tattoo artist. She likes being free to follow the wild creativity of her imagination without risking the livelihoods of other artists. Because even though Evie can’t stop thinking about his scorching touch, she has no desire to share a boardroom with him.

While pride brings them together it’s their shared desire that has them entangled. At first, Evie thinks that their head banging sex will keep her career change at bay—but when their shared passion begins to bleed over into the business, can either pull away from their love without losing everything? Or will they finally realize that you really can have it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leslie North
• Release date: Aug 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386291749

Book preview

Prologue

Antonio

Y ou know. Giovanni traced a design on the bar counter using the condensation left there by his beer. I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that there’s a studio closing down, not all that far from Thorn Tattoo .

Antonio looked toward his youngest brother. Giovanni was halfway through his beer, more concerned with the art he was making than the drink the condensation came from. It was just

like

him

.

And? Antonio asked.

Well, with Luciano sticking around, we’ve got a lot of talent crammed under one roof. Riley’s been on my ass lately about maximizing profits, and she’s under the impression that we could be making a lot more if we divided our talent evenly between two studios. Something about maximizing floorspace and hiring on artists to catch the drip business. I don’t know. All of it means jack shit to me, but she seems to think it’s important.

The din of the bar and the muffled sound of the classic rock through the speakers set the perfect backdrop for their conversation. Dim lights and the smell of beer left Antonio feeling at home. He’d been coming to the Lysander since he turned twenty-one. Back then, it had been called Hopps and more recently, it was the Twisted Oak. Porter, the owner, changed the bar name every few years, which was something Antonio couldn’t understand.

I can see her point. Antonio fiddled with his cuff link, thinking it over. Riley was a brilliant woman. Her business sense was as meticulous as her art. With three superstar artists in their midst, Giovanni, Riley, and Luciano, perhaps branching out made sense. They turned down a painful amount of business simply because there was no availability. If they owned

another

shop

….

You know she’s right about everything. Giovanni arched a brow. "I doubted her once, and look where that

got

me

."

Antonio smirked. What, married?

Exactly. Who would’ve thought that someone like me would ever settle down? I doubted her and she turned my whole life around. Unless you want to wake up changed, I’d suggest you listen.

Antonio snorted. He’d taken Riley’s counsel on more than one occasion. It wasn’t the idea of running another shop that was so troublesome — it was investing the time to

do

it

.

Antonio didn’t do anything half-assed. If he was going to take over a business, he was going to make sure that business was sound from the roots up. The building would have to meet certain criteria, the artists would need to be trained to operate in a certain way, the support staff would need to adhere to set standards, even the inventory and the displays would need to be set up correctly.

He didn’t trust anyone to do that but himself.

When he’d taken over Thorn Tattoo after their father died almost ten years ago, he’d done much the same while still attempting to keep some of the traditions his father had set up. Antonio liked to see it as a blending of the old and the new. That same blending was why he’d decided to share ownership in Thorn with his brother, Giovanni, and his wife, Riley. He’d offered to do the same with Luciano, as a means to get him to stay in Vegas but he’d declined.

Back then, Antonio had been excited that a family legacy was being modernized and the money simply from the family name was quick to come in. Everyone wanted a tattoo from a DeRose brother. Now that he was older and saddled with the additional responsibilities of his own burgeoning enterprises, Antonio didn’t think he had the time. The investment was tempting, but he wasn’t sure if it would be

worth

it

.

What studio is it that’s closing down? Antonio asked.

I don’t know. I hadn’t heard of it before. Some place called Ricochet?

Ah. Antonio tightened his lips. Well, we’d need to rebrand. If it’s going to be a child of Thorn Tattoo, I want it to be known. The names will have to speak to each other.

He had no idea what the interior of Ricochet looked like. If the place was closing down, it likely needed some help. Antonio never assumed

the

best

.

I don’t know. Vine Tattoo? Maybe it’s too close to that website. Uh. Giovanni frowned. "Leaf? Petal? Stem? Stem’s not so bad if it’s a new shop. Or maybe something like Bud.

Too

dank

?"

Antonio shot him a glowering look. "Forget

that

one

."

Giovanni laughed. Yeah. Figured. Well? You got any bright ideas blooming in that head of yours?

The statement gave Antonio pause. He narrowed his eyes, looking Giovanni over. If he did go ahead and purchase the shop, if he did find the investment worth it, he thought he had the

perfect

name

.

I do, actually.

Then spill, Giovanni said. He raised his beer and drank.

"Bloom Tattoo, like a flower opening its petals to

the

sun

."

Giovanni shook his head slowly, a smile on his face. I don’t know how you come up with this shit. It’s perfect.

It was only a hypothetical. Antonio didn’t think the shop would be worth his time. He knew his brother and Riley could handle Thorn Tattoo without any input from him but his other business ventures still required a certain amount of hand-holding. Was he really up for taking on a whole new project? Maybe if he delegated more of the day-to-day handling to his managers. Truth be told, while he didn’t have his brothers’ skills with the tattoo gun, he’d been a fairly decent artist growing up but had quickly transitioned over to business where he’d felt more at home making money instead of art. Every so often, he missed the buzz—literal and metaphorical—of a

tattoo

shop

.

Hmm…maybe he needed to take a page from Riley and do this for himself. But did he really have the time? He would need to be there every day until he could find someone competent to run

the

shop

.

Don’t get your hopes up about it becoming a reality, Antonio warned.

Giovanni shrugged. "Whatever you say, bro. Just know that Riley can be pretty persuasive when she sets her sights on something. You might be changing your tune over the next

couple

days

."

Antonio stared at his own beer. Opening Bloom Tattoo would be like taking out a new lease on life. At the very least, things would be far more interesting.

1

Evie

Ricochet was dead. Evie ran her hands down her thighs nervously, perched on her stool as she waited for ten o’clock to roll around. The other artists were gathered around her, all of them faces she knew well. Kimi Kingkiller sat next to her, one leg crossed over the other, arms tucked behind her head. She had her dreads pinned atop her head, her dramatic makeup a little smudged from a hard day at work. Theo, the biggest man Evie had ever seen, had his stool set against the wall so he could lean back against it. He was tapping away at his cellphone, and the device looked tiny in his hands. Despite his giant size, she’d never met a man with a softer touch, or who cared so much about his clients. Red swiveled across the room, pushing himself with his beanpole legs and sometimes kicking himself in circles as he waited. Frank sat near Kimi and said nothing, as usual. Evie couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard him speak .

Gone was their old manager, Lilian. The support staff had left at the same time, not wanting to stick around and see what changes the new owner would bring. Evie still remembered the conversation. Lilian’s negativity had gotten to everyone.

I googled him. Turns out he’s this hardass businessman more interested in money than art. I know he’s going to cut corners. I don’t want to get wrapped up in

that

shit

.

He isn’t smiling in any of his pictures. Like, you think that a search would turn up at least one picture where he looks like a decent human being—and we’re not even talking like, punk rock badass not smiling. He’s dressed in suits in every single picture, hair professional, eyes cold as ice.

I’m

out

.

I bet he’s going to cut wages.

I can do better than

this

shit

.

None of the artists sitting there had left. Not yet, at least. Evie knew they were leaving their portfolios at other studios, waiting to see if anyone nibbled. All of them were talented, and chances were if there was an open spot in any of the shops they applied to, they’d be snatched up. Ricochet hadn’t died because it lacked talent; it died from a lack of leadership and wise financial decisions.

That’s why Lilian was gone, and why their head artist

had

quit

.

Evie had hopes that the new owner might not make the same mistakes. She’d done some googling herself, and she’d discovered that Antonio DeRose was responsible for breathing new life into Thorn Tattoo, one of the most killer shops on the strip. From what she’d read, Thorn Tattoo had been started by the father back in the sixties. After his death, Antonio had taken it over and helped build it back up to the success it was today. Okay, with a lot of help from his very talented brothers. But still. If he could manage prime real estate and make it take off like he had, she had hopes that he’d be able to turn Ricochet around.

Not that they were Ricochet anymore. Now they were Bloom Tattoo. The name made her gag, but she understood the desire to start fresh. Bloom just sounded too feminine. Nightshade Tattoo would have been more her vibe, but she didn’t get to call the shots.

He’s going to be late, Red said as he wheeled across the floor. They were all stationed in the lobby. "There’s just five minutes to go. If he is late, I’m going to be pissed. We had to end appointments early today to make sure the shop was empty when he got here. I had to rush my

line

work

."

He’ll be here, Kimi said. She picked at her shirt, letting it billow out before it sank back against her boyish body. The man’s a professional hardass. He’s not going to be late to anything. He’s so on the ball, I bet he walks through the door the second the clock strikes ten, like he’s some kind of tattoo Cinderella.

Wasn’t Cinderella bound by midnight? Theo asked, looking up from his phone.

Dunno. Kimi shrugged. Not sure if I care. Point is, I’m willing to bet he’s not going to keep us waiting.

Evie got the feeling that Kimi was right.

The memory of Antonio’s icy eyes haunted her. The stern lines of his mouth were a promise that he didn’t mess around. He’d made an appointment with them for ten, and he was going to be there.

Despite Antonio’s harsh appearance, Evie couldn’t help but think that he was handsome. There was something about his rigidity that was hitting all the right buttons. It made her wonder what he’d look like with his walls down. More than anything, she wanted to see if his face would crack if he smiled. He seemed so stiff and frozen that she wouldn’t

doubt

it

.

I don’t know, guys, Evie said. "I think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt. Jumping to conclusions is going to get us absolutely nowhere. We already know our jobs are safe for the next year, so let’s give the guy a chance before we tear

him

down

."

If you say so. Red spun in circles, then stopped and pushed across the room, his stool squeaking as it went. "I just hope that he’s as good as the internet says he is. Not going to lie, I’m hesitant to believe the guy is going to make such a huge change. Ricochet was deep in

the

hole

."

That was all on Lilian, Evie said defensively. "The woman had zero business sense. Not that I’m any better. But, you know, at least I’m mature enough to

admit

that

."

Evie pulled her kurta up over her head, leaving her in her tank top. She loved the comfortable tunics, which went with everything she owned giving her a bohemian look but even they could get too warm in the hot Vegas climate. Now that the shop was closed, she had no issue showing a little more skin, but she hated it when clients stared at her chest.

Yeah. Well. It’s over now. Whatever happens, happens in the future. No point in thinking about where things went wrong. We’re here to tattoo, not to talk about business decisions. Kimi unfolded her arms and stretched. As she did, her spine cracked. "Mm, shit, that’s good.

Needed

that

."

Before Evie could reply, the sound of a key scraping the lock stole her attention. Every artist in the room looked toward the glass front door. Beyond it stood the man she’d seen in the image search results, none other than Antonio DeRose.

He let himself in, then locked the door behind him. The room was silent—not even the radio

was

on

.

Antonio joined them, his face an impartial mask. Evie sat a little straighter in her chair, letting her gaze bore through him. First impressions were everything, and she was shocked that her first impression was less panic and more utter interest.

Antonio was way more handsome in person than he was online. The suit he wore was high quality and tailored to his measurements, fitting perfectly in the shoulders and tapered to his body. He wasn’t exactly bulky, but she had a feeling that his body, as slender as it was, was solid. He wore muted, but respectable colors that brought out his blue eyes. His hair was a stunning shade of brown. She’d seen it blond and brown online, but preferred it when he went dark, which she suspected was more his natural hair color.

It had to be illegal for a man to look as good as

he

did

.

You must be Mr. DeRose, Theo said. He stood, all six foot ten inches of him lumbering over the room. "Welcome. We’re glad to have

you

here

."

Theo, I presume, Antonio said with a curt nod. His voice was dipped with honey, and it was smooth and deep like a fine bourbon. Evie bit down on her bottom lip and let her gaze plunge down his body. It was hard to tell if he was a virgin canvas or not, but judging by his hands and his neck, she was willing to bet he was

ink

free

.

As Antonio walked forward to join them, Theo held out his hand to shake replying, You got it. Evie figured that he was a shoe-in for new head artist, and sweet-talking Antonio was sealing the deal. That was fine by her. Theo was a good artist, and he had a good head on his shoulders. The rest of the staff would listen to him, and the gentle giant knew how to get scary if he needed to sort out something unpleasant. "This is the rest of the crew. We’ve

got

Red

—

"

Red