Seduced in Ink

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  He shouldn’t.

  This would only hurt them both in the end.

  “You should go,” he said again. “Have fun. And tell me all about it. And then we can go again later.”

  She smiled and nodded, searching his face before turning back to Guy. “I would love to go see it.”

  Guy grinned, looking smug as fuck. But then again, so did Maeve.

  Aaron had a horrible feeling that he had just played into whatever the woman wanted.

  But did it matter?

  She was seemingly taking an interest in Madison’s life, and even if that wasn’t the case, Madison was standing up for herself. All was going according to plan.

  Aaron had taken the heat off her.

  And when she walked away, he’d have to figure out exactly what to do about the feelings wrapping themselves around his heart. Feelings that wouldn’t go away, even if he told himself repeatedly that they meant nothing.

  That this was all pretend.

  Because, deep down, he knew there was nothing fake about what he felt for Madison.

  He was so fucked.

  Chapter 14

  Madison was confused. Why had Aaron seemed so odd at breakfast? Perhaps it was the same reason she felt weird.

  She was falling for him. He was only supposed to be her friend. The one she could rely on as they traversed these odd circumstances they were in, but she was falling for him. And she shouldn’t.

  He would walk away when the time came, and she would have to let him. He was doing this because he was a good guy, because he believed in helping others, and she couldn’t stand in his way and force him to love her. She wouldn’t let herself acknowledge what she felt for him more than she already had. Once she did that, she would shatter into a thousand pieces, all because she couldn’t focus.

  “What’s with that sad look on your face?” Guy asked from her side, looking suave and debonair.

  She looked up at that strong jaw, those piercing gray eyes, and the slight stubble he had on his face that made him look even sexier.

  She didn’t know why he had allowed himself to be caught in her mother’s web. She would always be wary of him, but he seemed nice. Perhaps she would have been attracted to him under other circumstances, and may have agreed to being set up with him. But not now. Especially not when her heart belonged to Aaron.

  “I’m just thinking. Long morning.”

  Not quite a lie, not quite the truth.

  “I’m sure Aaron is glad he has time to focus on his clients. After all, he does need to work and not spend all his time with you.”

  She frowned at Guy’s tone and looked up at him.

  “I never once thought that he needed to spend all his time with me.” She just wanted him to because she liked being near him and enjoyed the sound of his voice and the way he made her feel.

  Even if she couldn’t quite put her finger on exactly what that was. An unnamed emotion crawled through her that said she wanted him to stay by her side forever.

  Was that love? Obsession? Or denial of the fact that he would never be hers?

  “Madison? Is everything okay?”

  She shook herself out of her reverie and looked up at Guy. “Sorry, let’s go see this coffee place. What’s it called again?”

  “Boulder Cup.”

  “Boulder Cup?” she asked, frowning. “Really?”

  “The coffee and the pastries are much better than the name.”

  “It’s so hard coming up with coffee shop names these days. All the good ones are taken.”

  “I don’t know, yours sounds like a delight.”

  He purred the words, and she nearly blushed, but it wasn’t Aaron saying them, so she simply shrugged.

  “My friends always said my cupcakes were sinful, so it turned into that.”

  “You know, I’ve never actually tasted your...cupcakes.”

  He paused before the last word, and she barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

  Obvious, much?

  She was engaged. It might not be genuine, but Guy didn’t know that. She didn’t like that he was being so forward and acting as if she weren’t taken. Like he could just flirt with her however he wanted.

  She made sure there was space between them even though he constantly moved closer to her.

  She would get through this quickly, see how the Boulder Cup was set up, and figure out if she really wanted to franchise her business. She didn’t think she would end up in a place like this, most likely in another college town like Fort Collins. But if she did decide to expand into a little more boutique-like place up in the mountains, maybe this would be a good start.

  Either way, she loved going into different coffee shops. Only, she wished she was here with Aaron rather than with Guy.

  She knew Aaron needed to work, and the fact that he had even come to the retreat at all was wonderful. He hadn’t been forced into coming to the lodge with her, but she sure felt that way.

  He had a job to do, and it wasn’t like he could bring his furnace and his blowpipe with him everywhere. Yes, she knew he sketched out many of his pieces beforehand, but that wasn’t what he was doing now. No, he was talking with a client on the phone from a hotel, all because she needed him, and he had come for her.

  Yes, she was in love with Aaron Montgomery. And she had no idea what to do about it.

  “Here we are,” Guy said after a moment. She looked around at the tiny little mountain town they were in, everything looking picturesque.

  It was very touristy, but it worked. The outsides of the buildings all looked very similar, but she figured they would each be a little different once you got inside. When you were in mountain towns like this, even a McDonald’s had to have a particular architecture and aesthetic that fit the ambiance of the area rather than a typical fast food place.

  They went inside the Boulder Cup, and she looked around at the wood carvings on the walls, the gorgeous stained wood rafters, and wondered if she could add something like that to her place. Maybe not until she had the second location in mind and more than a few written down notes and hours of research.

  She’d have to talk with her cousin and Aaron about it and get their thoughts.

  The idea that she wanted to talk about it with Aaron should surprise her, but not really. He was easy to talk to, except for when it came to discussing her feelings. But everything else? It was like he understood her completely.

  “So, what will you have?”

  Madison looked at the perfectly hand-drawn menu and smiled.

  “Let me see. A latte of some sort, but they have so many delicious flavors. Maybe a toasted marshmallow?”

  It was the middle of summer, but still, that sounded great.

  “They have it iced if it’s too hot for you.”

  Guy said that as if it were an innuendo, and she was confused. Still, she let him do what he needed. She didn’t understand what he wanted from her, but she wasn’t going to give it to him, regardless.

  He ordered for her. She wasn’t too happy about that, but she allowed it, and would have said something if he’d forced her to get it iced. When he paid, she let him because he would likely make a scene if she protested.

  She was going to be nice. Not because her mother wanted it, but because she was just decent. Guy seemed to be a good person, who was merely humoring her mother, but Madison still didn’t understand what he got out of this whole thing. He didn’t want her. Maybe as a prize, but not in the way she wanted to be needed.

  Not in the way she wanted Aaron. Or the way she wished he desired her.

  She quickly pushed that thought from her mind, knowing that she couldn’t let herself go down that road. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them if she allowed herself to keep thinking that this could be something more than what it was.

  She and Guy took a table outside on the deck, the mountains surrounding them, the air clean and fresh.

  “I love it out here. They have a great location.”

  “They do, a
nd they’re thinking about selling.”

  She froze, looking over at him. “Really?”

  “Really. It’s owned by an older couple that wants to retire soon, and their children don’t want any part of the family business. This place has had a lot of reincarnations over time, but the same owner no matter what.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I have my ways,” he said with a smile that worried her.

  She didn’t like that expression.

  And she didn’t know why.

  “I’m not anywhere near ready to buy a place like this. And I don’t even know if I want to come up here or start in Fort Collins like I was planning.”

  “Why would you want to go to a dirty college town when you could have a place like this?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Fort Collins is beautiful. Every place in Colorado is. And I’d probably do better business up there anyway.”

  “If you want to deal with the college clientele and that riffraff.”

  “I think we have very different ideas of what riffraff is,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Perhaps.”

  She sipped her coffee, the perfect temperature for her tongue, and her mood. It was sweet, the coffee strong and perfectly brewed. She was a little jealous that she didn’t have this in her shop and might have to make a version of it, one that wasn’t stealing but reminded her of how good this was.

  She took a few more sips, tasting the subtle notes, and thought of a cupcake to match.

  A s’mores cupcake? With a toasted marshmallow on top? Or maybe marshmallow inside? A fluff of some sort?

  “What are you thinking about that’s making you look so beautiful?” Guy asked, and she looked up, snorting.

  “Really? That’s what you’re going with?”

  “What?”

  “Never mind. But you don’t need to keep doing this, Guy. I’m engaged. Nothing you say will change that.”

  He snorted. “We both know that’s not real.”

  She blinked, looking up at him, all thoughts of marshmallow leaving her mind. “Excuse me?”

  “A secret fiancé just when your mother finally finds you a partner? No, your mother and I know it’s fake. I can understand you being scared about marrying a man you don’t know. But I am the perfect guy for you. No pun intended. Your mother assured me that the more I got to know you, the more I’d know it’s the truth.”

  Madison was grateful that she had gotten her coffee to go in a recyclable cup. She stood. “Well, thank you for that.”

  He frowned. “For what?”

  “Thank you for showing me this place, but mostly, for making sure I knew I was making the right decision.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m not for you. We both know that. I don’t know what your end game is, but I don’t want this place, and I don’t want you.”

  “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “I can clearly see what I’d be missing. And it’s not much. Go back to my mother and tell her that you failed. I want nothing to do with you. I’ll do the same. And you can’t change my mind.”

  “You’re not truly engaged. I don’t know why you keep pretending that you are.”

  “And I don’t know why you keep harping on this.”

  She turned on her heel and began the long walk back, not knowing what she was going to say to her mother. She was so pissed off. She hated that Guy was just another person who wanted to control her.

  She had Lincoln and his new family. They weren’t the ones who had raised her, but they were the only real family she had. She had known this for far too long, though chose to ignore it. Instead, what had she done? She had done whatever she could to get her family to love her.

  To like her.

  And she was hurting herself and others trying to make that happen when it never would.

  She turned the corner when someone grabbed her elbow, knocking the coffee out of her hand. It splashed on the cement around her, the cup rolling into the street. Hot coffee splashed over her legs, and she let out a startled scream, taking a few steps back. Or at least she tried to, but Guy had his hand around her elbow, tugging her close.

  “Let go of me.”

  “Fuck you. How dare you?”

  “How dare I?” she asked, shaking.

  “How dare you talk to me like that? Your mother arranged this. And it’s what’s best for you. If you didn’t have your head in your ass and in the clouds, maybe you’d realize what this would do for you. You’re not going to change what I’ve been promised.”

  Fear crawled up her spine. She tugged against his grip, but he kept holding onto her. She knew she’d probably have bruises later.

  “Let me go,” she said, wishing someone was around, but they were around the corner just enough that there wasn’t anybody to hear her scream.

  “Fine. I’m going to get you in the end. I always get what I want. Always.” And then he let her go, and she stumbled back, tripping over the lid of her coffee. She nearly fell but righted herself, then turned, only to find the place where he had been now empty.

  Guy had left her, and she wasn’t sure where he’d gone.

  She needed to get back to the lodge.

  She needed to see Aaron.

  She’d had no idea what Guy hid beneath the surface, and now that she’d seen it, she wanted nothing to do with it.

  She just wanted to see Aaron.

  She wanted this to be over.

  She froze. No, not completely over.

  Because as soon as she got back home, everything would be finished.

  She was done playing a game. She was done lying so she didn’t have to face the consequences.

  Only now, she would have to face the real ones.

  Aaron would walk away as soon as this was over, and she would be left alone.

  She practically ran towards the lodge, hoping to hell that Guy didn’t find her along the way.

  He had just gotten angry. He wouldn’t really hurt her, would he?

  The fact that she didn’t know the answer to that worried her, but she would get to Aaron no matter what. She made her way as quickly as possible towards the lodge. Aaron would help her. Or at least he would help her help herself.

  And then she’d figure out what to do after she held him.

  Chapter 15

  Aaron was in a fucking bad mood, and he had no idea how to make it better. Madison was off with Guy, the two of them probably having coffee and getting to know one another.

  Guy didn’t seem all that bad, even though he was seemingly going along with Maeve’s plans. But he didn’t seem like too much an asshole from what Aaron could tell, at least from the little he knew about the other man. Maybe he would be a good person for Madison. For all Aaron knew, the two had more in common than Madison and he did. It wasn’t like Madison and Guy dating would ruin Aaron’s friendship with Madison like he feared would happen if he and Madison weren’t careful. She was practically family, and here he was, tainting what they had because he just couldn’t hold back.

  He was such a fucking asshole. He needed to keep from hurting her. Maybe Guy was the answer.

  He grumbled, finished his single beer for the day, and sank back into the couch cushions in their suite.

  He had been in a few beautiful suites and hotel rooms over time thanks to his career and the fact that his brother spoiled him, but he’d never been in a place this nice. They had a fricking living room in this thing, with a couch big enough to fit him. He was a large man, over six feet and wide with muscle. He needed the strength for his job, and he always tried his best to bulk up like his brothers did.

  So the fact that this couch was comfortable and could fit his entire body? That meant it was a big fucking sofa. Though it didn’t overwhelm the room. The suite had to be one of the largest and nicest he’d ever been in.

  And he had no idea what he was doing here.

  Things were getting so complicated with Madison. He should have know
n they would get that way. He’d announced their engagement before he even spoke to her. What had he been thinking? Daisies and happiness and things going right the first time out of the gate? Not so much.

  He and Madison needed to talk. He knew that. Because as soon as they walked away from this lodge, the charade would be over. It had to be. She wasn’t the same person she had been even a couple of days before. Or maybe the reality was that she was the same person she had been all along, but now wasn’t hiding behind layers.

  He didn’t know where he fit in with any of her future plans. And the fact that he didn’t, worried him.

  He hated that, but he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Not yet. Not unless the two of them actually spoke, something that needed to happen soon.

  The door opened, and he pulled himself from his thoughts into the present as he looked up at Madison, now standing in the doorway, her eyes wide. He didn’t know what that look was about, but relief flooded her face as soon as she saw him, and then she rushed over to hug him hard.

  “Hey there,” he said, confused. He kissed the top of her head.

  “Hey.”

  “How was coffee?” he asked, gruff an a little annoyed for some reason. He didn’t like the fact that she had spent the afternoon with Guy. He felt like he could practically smell him on her, even though he couldn’t, and it bothered him.

  Why was he having thoughts like such a jealous asshole?

  Were they together in truth? He didn’t know. Because why would they fucking talk about anything and make things easy?

  She ran her hands down his back and sighed.

  He didn’t like that sound. Had she had fun, then?

  “Coffee was okay.

  “Okay,” he said, knowing he sounded petulant.

  “Yes, I had a marshmallow thingy.”

  “Marshmallows are good.” See? Not a child. He could have an actual conversation and not growl. Was he growling? Oh yeah, he kind of was.

  “I’m thinking about adding marshmallow cupcakes of some sort to the menu at Sin. Maybe a s’mores.”

  His stomach rumbled at that, and she laughed.

  “Apparently, I’m craving marshmallows.”