Patience — Helena Stone

Patience is a virtue. But what if you wait too long?

While Xander Ekman's dream of becoming a successful artist has come true, his love life has gone from bad to worse. Sick of the endless string of one-night stands, he accepts the challenge when his best friend, Erik, bets him that he can't be celibate for a month. Now all he needs is a reminder to keep his distance in the heat of the moment.

Troy Moriarty doesn't have time for love. He's too busy trying to keep his recently opened tattoo parlor afloat. Besides, ever since the man who was supposed to be his business partner abandoned him to run the shop on his own, he has a hard time trusting others.

When Xander turns to Troy for a tattoo that will remind him to be patient, the attraction is instant. But faced with Xander's month of celibacy, Troy's trust issues, and a nemesis lurking in the background, their relationship may be doomed before it has a chance to begin.