Banks: Eye Candy Ink: Second Generation, #6

By Shaw Hart

Banks Mitchell has a dirty little secret. 

He's in love with his new next door neighbor. 

Palmer Calter is everything that he wants in a woman. She's gorgeous, insanely smart, and hilarious. 

There's just one problem. 

She's too young for him. 

I mean, she just graduated from high school for goodness sake. 

He knows that he should just let go and move on, but how can he when she keeps showing up and looking at him like he's the best thing that she's ever seen? 

When he sees some rich prick sniffing around her, he knows that he has to make a choice. Should he claim his curvy girl or let her go and try to move on? 

Will pursuing Palmer ruin everything? Or will he finally get the happily ever after that he's been dreaming about ever since he first laid eyes on her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shaw Hart
• Release date: Jun 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223547150

Book preview

One

Banks

See you tomorrow! Ames and Maxine call as we lock up Eye Candy Ink.

I wave, watching them head down the street toward their car. I’m parked across the street in the lot and I can’t help but check my phone as I head for my car. No messages and I try to ignore the disappointment at seeing the empty screen.

I climb into my car, heading the few blocks over to my apartment. I’ve lived there for three years and was actually looking to move somewhere a little nicer. Then she moved in next door.

Palmer Calter.

She was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. Still is.

It was her eyes that got me. I’ve never seen eyes so clear and gray before. They have this lilac circle around the pupil that makes them pop even more. Mix that with her midnight black hair and curvy body and she’s a walking wet dream.

She just turned nineteen and is getting ready to start her first semester of college. I helped her move in and I’ve been looking out for her ever since.

She’s so sweet, too sweet for me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting her. I’ve been holding myself back though. For one, I’m seven years older than her. Her parents are wealthy, pillars of the city and I’m just a tattoo artist.

I park in my spot and grab my backpack, heading inside and up to the third floor. My heart rate starts to pick up as I reach our floor. I send up a silent prayer that I’ll see her, and someone must be listening because Palmer’s door opens right as I reach my own.

Hey, I greet her, slowing so we can chat for a minute.

Hey, are you just getting home? she asks with a bright smile as she hurries to lock her door.

Yeah, are you going somewhere? I ask with a frown as I run my hand through my dark hair and she turns to me with a wide smile.

Yeah! I got a job a few days ago. Today is my first day working by myself instead of shadowing someone.

Where? I blurt out, worried about what kind of job starts at nine at night.

Seven. Have you heard of it?

Yep, I grit out between teeth. Cat is like my sister.

And I can’t believe that she hired my girl. When she told me she did a few days ago, I asked Cat to fire her. Looks like that didn’t happen.

She’s so cool! And the tips at Seven seem really good. I’m excited.

I want to argue with her, but she’s already heading past me.

See you later!

Wait! I call. You shouldn’t be working at a club like Seven.

Why not?

There’s going to be a lot of drunk guys there. I don’t want anything to happen to you.

Well, I really need this job. Besides, Cat and the bouncers will look out for me.

Yeah, so will I, I mumble, tucking my apartment key back into my pocket and heading down the stairs. Come on, I’ll drive you.

We’re silent as we head downstairs and out to my car. The club is only two blocks away, but with traffic, it takes close to fifteen minutes. I park and Palmer is out of the car and heading for the front door. I have to jog to catch up and I nod at the door bouncer as we pass by him.

She heads behind the bar and I resign myself to sitting at the bar for the next few hours. It’s a Friday night, so the place is packed and I glare around the room at all of the drunk college kids who are being rowdy at the other end of the bar.

Hey, what are you doing here? Ender asks as he joins me at the bar.

Uh, just keeping an eye on someone, I say, nodding over to where Palmer just came out of the back.

Is that your girl? he asks, and I nod.

Were you here to see Cat? I ask him and he grins, nodding as he looks up to the second floor where her office is.

Yeah, I just brought her some dinner.

I have a feeling that might be code for something, so I don’t ask any follow-up questions.

I’m headed home but I’ll see you tomorrow, Ender says and I nod, searching the crowd for my girl.

See you.

Ender nudges me, nodding over to a table in the corner, and I spot Palmer in the center of a group of guys.

Try not to kill anyone, he says as he claps me on the shoulder and heads for the door.

No promises, I growl as I watch my girl work.

My eye starts to twitch as I watch her get hit on by another group of guys, and I know that I’m in trouble here.

Two

Palmer

I’m still getting used to the pounding music and I head into the back, grabbing a Tylenol out of my purse and swallowing it. Between the bass and the chatter from a million different conversations, my head is killing me.

Hey, are you okay? Banks asks, pushing into the back area behind me.

I don’t think that you’re allowed to be back here, I say as I screw the cap back on my water bottle.

I know the owners. I think that I’ll be fine, he says dryly.

I’m fine. Just a little headache.

Banks frowns, looking me over like he’s making sure that there’s nothing else that’s bothering me.

Maybe you shouldn’t be working here— he starts and I glare at him, cutting him off.

"I need to work here. I need the