18. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Tyler

I thought the top of my head would surely blow off after what Mosby did to me in the shower. I'd been missing a lot, sexually. My encounters with KC hadn't been sexual for me. They'd been a means to an end, and I wished to hell I could wash those images and memories from my brain. Maybe replacing them with things I did with Mosby was a great beginning.

"I can take care of this." I reached down to stroke his hard cock as he rinsed his hair. I'd have to get him some better shampoo. His hair was too beautiful for the crap they sold at the market.

Mosby stepped out of the spray and kissed the tip of my nose. "I'll be fine for now. What time do you open the salon tomorrow?"

"Ten. There should be more than enough time for me to get back here in the morning. I'm excited to spend the night with you at your place." That was putting it mildly. I loved every minute I spent with Mosby. I learned so many things from him. Every day brought new surprises.

"Good. I'll ride with you today and then come back with you in the morning and pick up my truck. Is it okay to leave it behind the salon?"

"Yes, of course. I'll text Mom to let her know. Oh, is it okay if I tell her—never mind." I wanted to tell her his real name was Mosby, but he'd asked me not to tell anyone. I didn't want to damage our newfound trust.

"What, Bunny? What do you want to tell your mother?"

"I was just going to ask if I could tell her that your real name is Mosby Leslie. I wanted to tell her that you're a portrait painter and you do wonderful work."

He grinned at me as he turned off the shower. "I told her yesterday when we were grilling. I didn't want you to have to keep anything from her. I meant to tell you last night, but something else caught my attention." He glanced at my crotch and winked, which filled me with flutters in my belly.

We got out and toweled off before leaving the bathroom and going to the bedroom to dress. "Have you thought about me trimming your hair?" I pulled my sweatshirt over my head.

"Yes. Can you bring your scissors and razor to my place?"

"Sure. Do you want a cup of coffee? I'll turn on the coffeemaker before I run down and grab my things."

Mosby stepped into his jeans. "Yeah, thanks, Bunny."

I started the coffee and then grabbed my keys and rushed down the stairs to the back door of the salon. I opened it and went inside, straight to my station. I opened the drawer and grabbed my leather barber pouch that contained all my tools. As I was folding a cape to take along, there was a knock on the salon's front door.

I turned my head to see a young woman a bit older than me, likely, and a tall young man with full sleeves of tattoos on his arms and a large bird on his neck He was bald and had some sort of ethnic design on the crown of his head.

I walked over to the door and unlocked it, hoping I wouldn't be robbed. "Hi. We're not open, but if you'd like to make an appointment, I can do that for you." I kept my eyes peeled for any wrong moves, but I didn't want to be rude.

They glanced at each other and then back to me, smiling. The young woman extended her hand. "Trixie Carlyle, and this is my partner, Chick Gannon." She reached into her crossbody purse and handed me a business card and driver's license, which I found odd.

I handed back the license after confirming her name matched that on the business card. Under her name, it read Body Modification Artist . That was an interesting way to say body piercer. Glancing at Chick, I didn't have to ask what he did.

"Okay. Uh, what can I do for you?" I asked, seeing the multiple piercings on both of their faces. They were creative, but I was wondering about the pain. I'd considered getting my nipples pierced once, but the guy in prison who did it was a sadist, and I worried about getting gangrene and having them fall off.

"We were wondering if you had any space available for us to rent. We've been in the area for a few days and noticed there aren't any tattoo or modification salons, and you have this whole building. We're prepared to pay rent and give you a cut of the profits." Trixie offered a sweet smile, and Chick silently nodded .

Just then, the back door opened. "Bunny, what's taking— Oh, hi."

I turned toward Mosby. "This is Trixie and Chick. They're looking for space to open a tattoo and body modification salon. They're willing to rent the space and give a cut of the profits."

Mosby stuck out his hand. "Leslie. Pleasure to meet you. So, you kids are interested in renting space here?"

"Oh, we'd love to rent space here, but it looks as though you're full up."

I saw them scan the five stations in the salon. The area for a sixth station was where the two shampoo bowls were located, so there wasn't anywhere to expand.

"Oh, there's actually a full floor upstairs that could be remodeled to accommodate two chairs." I turned to Mosby, my eyes growing ten times their normal size.

"That's where I live, Leslie ." My teeth were clenching at that point. What the hell was he thinking? I didn't want to look for a new apartment.

"I know, Tyler, but let's hear them out. Maybe this could be great. If you also got a nail tech upstairs, with a little remodel, Shear Bliss could be a full-service spa."

"We've been to Miller's Point and that little town…uh." Trixie looked at Chick .

"It's not exactly a town. It's a new resort in a spot called Taylor's Corner. The only thing missing is a salon or spa, but you could probably pick up some clients if you advertised." Chick had a kind smile.

"Let's have a seat and talk for a moment." Mosby took my hand and led me to the sofa. Chick and Trixie followed us.

"Are you always closed on Sundays?" Trixie looked around, and a thought overtook me. Our supplies could be worth a lot of money—if one found the right buyer. Surely, they wouldn't rob us, would they? It would likely serve me right for my shady past.

"Yes, unless we have a special request. Mom and Camila serviced a wedding a few months ago, and we opened the shop on Sunday. Mom said it was gorgeous."

Mosby took my hand and kissed it. "That's something else to consider. Do either of you have credentials in California?"

Trixie reached into her crossbody purse and handed a small plastic bag to Mosby. He opened it and glanced at the papers before handing them to me. Was this what he meant by offering guidance? If so, I was completely on board.

I stared at the two pieces of paper, seeing they appeared official and had their names and license numbers on embossed documents. I decided to hold my questions for Mosby until later.

I continued to listen as Mosby asked them questions. It was easy to see Mosby was deft at getting people to give him the information necessary to figure out what they were trying to get. I held his hand and let him lead the way.

"These look legit. Why did you stop here?" Mosby's beautiful eyes shifted between them, and I knew he had my back immediately.

Trixie sat forward on the couch. "We've been through Foggy Basin a few times, and the place is incredible. We see clients come and go from your shop, and they seem happy. What we hoped was we'd be able to offer additional services. Is this your shop?"

The woman turned her eyes to me. "Oh, uh, no. It's my mother's salon. I work here, but she owns it."

Chick nodded. "Then it's a family business. Is your mother around so we can talk to her?"

"Actually, she's unavailable today, but I will certainly pass along your information, and we'll call you." I stared at the two of them to see if they were unhappy with my answer.

Mosby stood and offered his hand to shake. "Tyler will be in touch. Thanks for coming by. "

They said goodbye and left. Mosby turned the lock on the front door before he turned to me. "First, why would you let two strangers into the salon on a Sunday when you're here alone?"

I stood in the waiting area, unable to answer him. Why had I answered the fucking door?

Mosby stared at me without blinking. "Do you not realize you could have been robbed or killed? Fuck, Bunny, you were in here alone ?"

I was suddenly on alert. "I-I thought maybe they were lost or something."

My heart sped up because I knew I'd fucked up, but I couldn't imagine why they would've been standing outside the door unless they needed help.

Mosby looked around for a moment and then took my hand. "Do you have your tools?"

I nodded as I pointed to my station. "Yes, Daddy."

He kissed my forehead. "Let's go." We locked up the salon and got into the Polaris.

I was uneasy because I wasn't sure what Mosby was planning to say or do. I loved him, and I knew I'd made a wrong decision by opening that door. I hoped he'd talk to me so I could judge how upset he was. It took me back to prison and KC .

"I told you not to talk to that asshole." KC was upset and that meant I wasn't going to sleep that night.

"He asked me a question, sir. He's a guard." I knew it was coming, so I went to my knees and braced myself.

"Stupid fucker. Get up." I stood, and KC slapped my face. I landed on my ass, and he stepped over me without looking back.

Panic set in, and I couldn't catch my breath. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but I'd hoped it wouldn't happen around Mosby. It made me helpless, and I never wanted to appear helpless around Mosby. I didn't want him to think he'd made a mistake by being with me.

When we arrived at the cabin, Mosby saw me struggling to breathe. He took my hand and led me into the beautiful entry, putting my tools on the table near the door. I was unable to say anything, still struggling to catch my breath. How stupid could I fucking be? I am worthless.

Instead of waiting for Mosby to knock me on my ass, I hit my knees. I'd been there so many times it was second nature. "I'm sorry."

"What the hell? Bunny, no. You don't… Jesus. Baby, no." He picked me up and carried me to the sofa in the living room. "Talk to me. What was that about?"

"I don't want you to hate me. "

"Hate you? Are you kid— I could never hate you, Tyler."

"How can you be so sure?"

That was the question, wasn't it? What could I do to make sure he wouldn't hate me?