“I can’t!”

“Breathe, honey.”

“Screw your breathing. I’m doing nothing but breathing.”

“It’s too much. Slow and deep, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You’re going to be fine.”

She tried to obey, but ended up covering her face with her hands as Brian moved into position over her. “No. Get away.”

“You wanted this. You asked for it. You’re gonna get it.”

“I can’t change my mind?”

With a fond expression that looked more than a little exasperated, he glanced down at her. “Is that what you want? To get up from here knowing you let fear win out?”

She shook her head, whimpering.

“It’s going to be so f**kin’ hot. You’ll love it and you’ll want me to do more.”

Hearing him talk like that as he loomed over her started a melting in her belly. She couldn’t resist reaching out and touching his arm, trailing her hand up his elbow and under the sleeve of his dark blue T-shirt. Memories of last night shivered through her mind. “I always want more.”

“God, ain’t that the truth.” His Latex-covered hands put the clamp on her belly button.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod…”

He gave an abrupt, harsh “Shh.”

“Hold my hand!”

“I can’t, I need both of mine. But I can get you the pu**yball, if you want it.”

“The what?!”

The laughter that burst out of him sent shivers through her despite everything.

“Get Starla,” she snapped. “She’ll hold my hand, and not give me any lip about it.” He rolled his eyes. She snorted and muttered, “Pussyball. Whatever.”

With a snicker, he turned his head toward the door and hollered for the other girl. Then he gave a sad shake of his head. “Fraidy cat.”

“You hush.”

He leaned over and gave her a brief, sweet kiss that had her going up in flames there on the table, even as it soothed her ragged nerves. “I’d hold your hand if I could.”

“I know,” she whispered back, just as a loud “ahem” sounded from the door.

“Am I needed?” Starla asked. She’d dyed her whole head hot pink. Candace loved it, but she’d never have the guts to do anything like that.

“Hold my hand, please. In fact, hold both of them.”

Laughing, she moved to Candace’s other side and took both her hands into her warm ones. “Don’t be scared. He’s good and he’s quick. The guy who did mine seemed to take for-freaking-ever.”

“Great.”

“I’m going to tell you to take a deep breath, and let it out,” he said. “When you do, I’ll push it through.” She didn’t want to look down at what he was doing, she just felt him moving the clamps on her belly button. And damn if she didn’t want to arch up into his hands, but she couldn’t very well do that now. Maybe she shouldn’t have requested Starla’s assistance, after all. Suddenly, all movement paused.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No.”

“Deep breath.”

Oh, God. She took the plunge and drew it in, knowing there was no way out now. She could hold it until she was blue in the face, but eventually, she’d have to let go.

“Let it go, baby.” The warmth and humor and love in his voice were what did it, reminding her that she trusted him absolutely. And letting go was the very thing he represented in her life. She didn’t even pause; she let the air rush from her lungs, gave it all to him. It was more of a sigh.

A sharp, precise agony flared at the site where his hands were, and was gone as quickly as it had come. “Oh,” she breathed, glad it had only lasted an instant. Brief as it was, it left her shaken, a bizarre languor washing through her. It wasn’t unlike the moments after he’d given her a particularly strong orgasm, when she collapsed in utter bliss and exhaustion.

“She barely flinched,” Starla said proudly, letting go of her hands and patting her shoulder.

Brian was still intent upon his work, threading her jewelry through the piercing. She had to grit her teeth a few times during the process, but he was quick and, before she knew it, it was all over. “There. See, you came out on the other side. Are you okay?”

She closed her eyes and smiled. “Wasn’t so bad.”

“You can lie there for a few minutes, if you want. I’ll get you something to drink.” He stripped off his gloves and trashed them. “Thanks, Star.”

“Sure thing. Congratulations, Candace. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

The two went out, and she lifted her head to look down at the shiny silver sun winking from her belly button. It was beautiful. That he’d put it there for her made it even more so. A second later, he came back in with drinks and helped her sit up on the table before popping the tab on one and handing it to her.

“I love it,” she told him. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “Now, about aftercare.”

“Uh-oh.”

“I’m just saying. If the lucky guy happens to come along in the next few weeks, you need to be creative. Because other people’s sweat is bad, bad, bad.”

She put her arms around him, drawing him in and spreading her knees apart so he could have room. “Ooh, I think I like the sound of the being creative part.” His lips dipped in to taste hers. Once. Twice. His hands went to her hips, then slid under her baby tee.

“Can’t be creative in here, though,” he warned. “I’m a stickler for sanitation, and well, you know.”

“Later?” she whispered, nibbling his ear.

His hands stroked down to her bare thighs, fingertips teasing around the hem of her shorts. “You don’t even have to ask.”

“Brian, your mom is on the phone.”

Damn. Why didn’t he have a client under his needle right now? Then he wouldn’t feel bad about rejecting the call.

“Throw it here,” he said, finishing up sending Candace a dirty text message in reply to the equally dirty one she’d just sent him.

“Are you sexting again?” Janelle demanded. “Cut it out. Go home and do the real thing. We’ve got this.” She gave the phone an underhanded toss in his direction.

“Thanks for bellowing that out with my mother on the line,” he muttered, lifting it to his ear. “Hey, Mom.”

If there was one thing that could be said about Gianna Ross, she was to the point. “Why have you been holding out on me?”

Oh, crap. He gave a nervous laugh. “Which part?”

“Who is the blonde I saw leaving your apartment the other morning?”

He made a tsk sound. “Spying on me. For shame.”

“Absolutely not. I was driving past on my way to town. I thought I might’ve been mistaken, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t. She came out of your door.”

“You weren’t. She’s my girlfriend.”

She gasped in excitement. “A girlfriend! Never heard you commit to calling one a girlfriend. Don’t make me ask again who she is.”

“I figured you knew. Evan knows, and I was always under the assumption that you two share a brain.”