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"We can start this today, then"

"Yeah," he said cautiously "Is that a probleured it would take a while to get it drawn up, and then ould start Or that you guys would be busy and I could set up an appointet the actual needle into be nervous about We’ll go in your own time--and we don’t have to start today, if you don’t want"

"Now that I really think about it, if I have tiht So hed "That happens Letup I’ll be back in a few minutes"

Her smile dazzled him "Okay Thank you"

As he headed down the hallway toward the roons, that smile was ier to beautiful wo time since he’d been so affected by physical appearance alone He tried to chalk it up to feeling bad for her, but in the few minutes they’d spoken, she didn’t seem to be someone ould either court or tolerate pity

Brian noticed Ian pass by his office door and called to him Ian stopped and stuck his head in Candace, Brian’s fiancée, sat at his desk, and he stood behind her to see whatever she was showing him on the computer "Thanks, man," he said to Ian "Sorry to put that off on you"

"You are so"Not that you won’t do a great job, Ian, but I can’t believe he wasn’t nicer to Gabby"

"It’s no problem, really," Ian assured them

"She’s a handful," Brian said

"She’s really nice," Candace said at the same tiroith her"

"Ha Don’t forget, she had to groith you If she’s everhow you tortured her"

Brian scoffed, stroking a hand down his dark goatee "I was an angel"

"Whatever I’ out with her too much She’ll taint you"

Ian took the opportunity to slip away and get to work--they could keep up the playful banter for a very long time In a way, he’d been relieved to leave Kara and Marco’s parlor in Dallas, because the two of the with each other all the ti--but da pan and into the fire Brian and Candace could give those two a run for their money At least they usually kept it out of view of the others

When he took his seat to get started, Gabriella’s design caht about her past heartbreak--her s, but her pain still lurked behind it He thought about his own, of a different sort but no less a part of who he was The phoenix ca lines she’d asked for, the tail and feathers flamelike In the colors she’d chosen, the effect would be breathtaking on her

It took hih for her to get an idea of hoould look, so, satisfied, he headed back up front to find Gabriella and Candace in deep conversation Candace saw him first and took Gabby’s are to Gabby, and both girls pored over it, Candace exclai appreciatively Gabriella, whose skin it would be on peraze took in every line "Beautiful," she finally said, the huskiness of her voice like a physical caress "You could’ve looked into my mind"

"Of course, the finished product will be ten ties at all you’d like to see?"