Going Inksane (Nice Ink Book 1)

by Trish Edmisten

  I could have asked a clerk or even another customer for help, but I didn’t want to look like a moron; at least not to a total stranger. My brother was a different story.

  Digging my phone from my pocket, I pulled Oliver’s name from my contacts list and hit the call button. Even though he didn’t own a dog, actually none of us did, which was kind of weird if you thought about it, he was still my best choice for help. With the kind of books he wrote, he had to have researched this kind of thing at some point.

  “I was wondering how long it would take you to call,” Oliver said.

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I figured you’d want the 4-1-1 on what was said about your man when you guys left.”

  Shit, I hadn’t even thought about that. “Should I be scared?”

  “Are you kidding? Mom and Dad think the guy walks on water.”

  A smile stretched across my face. “In that case, tell me all about it.”

  “Dad said he was a ‘nice young man with a solid head on his shoulders.’” Oliver’s spot on imitation of our dad cracked me up. “And Mom said he was just what you needed to loosen you up.”

  I grimaced. “I doubt that’s how she said it.”

  “Not exactly,” Oliver conceded. “Something along the lines of it being good for you to have someone who could pry the stick out and keep you from being a hermit may or may not have been said.”

  I gasped. “If she wasn’t our mother, I’d call her a catty bitch.”

  “If the claws fit. Anyway, Kiel said Heath could pry anything out of his ass anytime he wanted.”

  “He did not! That bitch better not try to steal my man.”

  While I would never call my mother a bitch, even as a joke, I had no problem attaching that label to my brother; especially if he thought he could take my man.

  “Please,” Oliver scoffed. “Even if Kiel wanted to do something like that, which you and I both know he doesn’t, it would be pointless. Heath is so hung up on you that he looks at you like love is the question and the answer is you.”

  “That’s very poetic.”

  “It is. I may have to use it in one of my books.”

  “Speaking of your books, did you ever need to do any research on dog beds for any of them?”

  “Why do you need to know? Are you and Heath thinking of exploring some puppy play?” Oliver joked. “Which one of you is the puppy and who’s the master?”

  “Neither of us. Fuck you very much. It’s for his dog.”

  “Why do you want to buy a bed for Heath’s dog?”

  “I want to have one at my place so he can bring her over when he wants to stay the night,” I explained. “His brother had to keep her the other night.”

  “Wait, Heath’s spent the night at your place?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “And why am I just now hearing about this?”

  “Because I don’t want my love life to end up the plot in one of your novels.”

  “Like I would do that when you read everything I write.”

  “You might if you wrote under a different pen name that none of us knew about.”

  “I would never do that.”

  I seriously doubted that. My brother had a pretty vivid imagination. That imagination was the reason he had to write under a pen name.

  Oliver would claim it was because he didn’t want his readers to know too much about his personal life, but that was a big fat lie. He didn’t want our parents to know he wrote dirty books about gay couples who were anything but vanilla.

  Our parents knew he was a gay romance writer, but to my knowledge, they had never read any of his books. Mom swore up and down she was going to find out his pen name one day and buy all of them, but so far she hadn’t been able to make good on that threat.

  “How am I supposed to know which of these beds to buy?”

  “What kind of dog does he have?”

  “I’m not sure. She looks kind of like a wiener dog, but I think there’s some other stuff mixed in there.”

  “So, she’s small?”

  “Yeah, I guess, bigger than a Chihuahua but smaller than like a bulldog.”

  “Then you can probably get away with a fairly small one.”

  “Okay, but which one? There are so many.”

  “Don’t over think it. Just get a basic round one with fleece lining so she’ll be comfy.”

  I frowned. “Won’t it be too hot for her in the summer though?”

  “No, it doesn’t work like that.”

  “Okay, if you say so.”

  “Why are you so stressed about this anyway?”

  “I told you. I want Heath to feel comfortable bringing Daisy over.”

  “The dog’s name is Daisy? That’s cute.”

  “It fits her perfectly. She has the sweetest little face.”

  “You know what I think?” Oliver asked but didn’t wait for me to respond before he spoke again. “I think you’re getting so worked up about this because you’re in love with Heath and you want to make the man happy.”

  I wanted to tell Oliver he was full of it. That he was projecting his over active imagination into my life, but I couldn’t. The thing was he wasn’t wrong. I was falling for Heath, and I had been for a while. Probably from the moment I’d met him but definitely when he’d taken me to the Farmer’s Market.

  In my defense, how could I not love him? Stunning didn’t even begin to describe that sinful body and smoldering look he had. And he was so charming and attentive, but all of that paled in comparison to the most important thing.

  When I’d told him that I would never be able to have penetrative sex with him, that my body wasn’t made that way, he hadn’t tried to change me. He hadn’t suggested we could work up to it or told me it was all in my head. Heath had accepted me and hadn’t just said there were other ways we could make love. He had shown me.

  “Have you told him?” Oliver’s voice broke into my musings to remind me he was still there.

  “You don’t think it’s too soon?”

  “Not if you feel like you really know him and trust him.”

  “I do.”

  “Then no, it’s not too soon.”

  “Are you sure?” I bit my lower lip. “Heath hasn’t said anything yet.”

  “Maybe he’s waiting for you to make the first move, especially if he knows about your past.”

  “He does.”

  “Then I’d be willing to bet he doesn’t want to make you feel pressured.”

  “So you think I should tell him?”

  “Yeah, I do, Neddie. If you’re worried that he won’t feel the same, you don’t have to worry. I guarantee he does.”

  Oliver was right. I had been holding back telling Heath how I felt because of how afraid I’d been, afraid that what happened to me would keep me from being good enough for him. Afraid he would turn out to be like every other man who had hurt me.

  Heath had more than proven he could be trusted and shown me I was good enough. It was time I did the same for him.

  It was after midnight by the time Heath made it to my house with Daisy tucked in the crook of his arm. Despite having dinner with my family earlier and then working all night, he still looked like a volcano of sexy and I was ready for him to erupt all over me.

  I did an inner eye roll at that thought. What was wrong with me? That sounded like something Oliver would write in one of his books. Maybe I should share it with him.

  “Do you mind if I put her down and let her check the place out?” Heath asked.

  “Of course, go ahead.”

  “Is there anything I need to worry about keeping her away from?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Are you sure? She doesn’t shed much, but I wouldn’t want her getting hair all over your furniture.”

  “It’s fine. If that happens, I can vacuum it off, but hopefully she’ll like her bed.”

  “You got her a bed?”

  “Yeah,” I said as my cheeks w
armed. “I thought it might be easier for her to spend the night when you did if she had some stuff of her own here.”

  “That’s amazing, baby,” Heath said.

  When he leaned down to brush a kiss to my lips, Daisy wiggled between us as if trying to get free.

  Heath laughed. “Sorry, let me just put her down.”

  Stepping back, Heath placed the little dog gingerly on the ground. We both watched for a moment as she set off exploring the room, her nose to the ground.

  I had to admit I was a little nervous. Even though she was housebroken, I was afraid she might mark her new territory or something.

  I forgot all about being nervous when Heath slid his arms around my waist. There was no stopping the sigh that escaped me as I melted into the solid warmth of his muscular body.

  “Thank you for buying her a bed,” Heath said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  The bed wasn’t the only thing I’d bought, but he would figure it out soon enough. As if on queue, Daisy trotted toward us with a rawhide bone in her mouth and what I would have sworn was a triumphant look on her face.

  “Where did you find that?” Heath asked his dog.

  “It was in the bed,” I answered. “I may have gone a little overboard.”

  “You didn’t have to buy her anything.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. I wanted her to be happy here.”

  “I’d say mission accomplished then. Thanks, baby.”

  “You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me,” I assured him. “Are you hungry?”

  “Not for food,” Heath replied in a husky tone.

  Smiling, I turned in his arms so that I could look up into those gorgeous eyes. “I probably don’t need to ask what you’re hungry for then.”

  “This,” Heath said, lowering his head.

  The moment our lips met, his tongue slithered out to dance with mine. Moaning into his mouth, I tightened my hold on his waist. By the time we pulled back, I was breathing heavily and my sleep pants were tented with the evidence of my arousal.

  “Are you ready for bed?” I asked.

  “Yes, but not for sleep,” Heath said.

  “Who said anything about sleeping, big guy?” I murmured.

  In Oliver’s books, this was the part where the handsome hero would sweep his man into his arms and carry him to the bedroom to have his way with him. Or maybe back him down the hall with a trail of kisses, each of them shedding clothing as they went.

  The problem with real life was that things like that weren’t always realistic. I didn’t doubt Heath’s strength, but I wasn’t exactly a delicate flower and my room was on the other side of the house, which meant we would have to walk.

  “Lead the way, baby,” Heath said.

  From the way he was grinning at me, I was sure he was going to watch my ass the entire length of the hallway. I knew because I would have done the same thing if the situations were reversed. I had done so on several occasions as a matter of fact.

  In my bedroom, we wasted no time pulling off our clothes. The moment we were both naked, we climbed into bed. The covers were already pulled back from where I’d lain in bed reading as I waited for Heath to come home.

  As we moved into each other’s arms, our cocks brushed, pulling a gasp from me and a soft groan from him. The kisses we shared were long and slow, the tenderness at odds with the desperate need building between us.

  It had been a long time since I’d shared my bed with another man and even longer since one had made me feel both safe and needy. Times like these were when I wished my body would cooperate and I could give him what every other man before me had.

  “You are so sexy, baby,” Heath said as he caressed my cheek.

  “Me?” I echoed, the word filled with doubt. “Have you seen yourself, Heath? You’re the sexy one.”

  Heath’s smile was both sweet and sly. “How about if we agree that we’re both a couple of sexy mother fuckers?”

  I couldn’t stop the laugh that burst out of me. Until that moment, I’d always thought laughter during sex was a myth, one of those romantic comedy moments that didn’t translate to real life, but there we were laughing together.

  “I love you, Heath.”

  The words came without my permission. They came naturally, though, as if my heart and soul knew I needed to say them before my mind caught up.

  “I love you, Ned,” Heath whispered, following the words with another heated press of his lips to mine.

  As we kissed, he cinched his arms around my waist, drawing me closer to him. Heath’s hands skated along my body as his lips moved to my neck. The open mouthed kisses, warm and wet on my sensitive skin, made me move restlessly against him.

  “My sexy man,” Heath murmured as he palmed my ass.

  That was usually the part where I started to get nervous, worrying my partner was going to try sliding a finger inside. With Heath, I wasn’t thinking about that. Orgasm was the only thing on my mind as we rutted together.

  The slide of our cocks against one another was delicious, but I wanted more.

  With one hand on his hip and the other hooked around his shoulder, I pulled, urging him to move with me. Heath took the wordless direction beautifully, rolling us so that I was pinned beneath him.

  Having been in my bed before, he didn’t have to ask where the lube was. Keeping the lower half of his body pressed against mine, he leaned the upper half forward as he stretched toward the nightstand. The opening of the drawer was followed by the clicking sound of the cap being opened.

  Moments later, he wrapped a slick hand around both of our cocks. The keening sound he pulled from me should have been embarrassing in the otherwise silence of the room, but I was already too far gone. The release I’d been chasing since we’d crawled into bed was dangerously close.

  “Heath, please,” I pleaded as I writhed beneath him.

  “Please what, baby?”

  “Please make me come.”

  Heath sped up, his fist tighter around us and his thumb brushing across our sensitive heads on every upstroke. The sounds of skin slapping skin mingled with our grunts and groans.

  “Heath,” I whined his name.

  “You close, baby?” Heath asked, and I nodded frantically. “Give it to me, Ned. I wanna feel you come all over our dicks. Please, baby.”

  That was it. I was done. Heath’s name fell repeatedly from my lips as the lightning of my release traveled the length of my spine before streaking a path up my cock.

  “So fucking beautiful,” Heath said. “Fuck, baby, fuck.”

  The urgency in his voice had me snapping my eyes open to watch his face as he fell over the edge. Though I had seen it once before, it was still the most erotic thing I had ever seen. If I hadn’t already come, that would have been enough to tip me over.

  Heath’s cock throbbed against mine, which was still half-hard, as he spilled over his fist and onto my stomach. I don’t think I’d ever heard anything sexier than the way he groaned my name as he buried his face in my neck before panting through his release.

  Heath was careful to keep his full weight off me as we lay together, soaking up the warmth of what we’d just shared. Once our breathing slowed, he rolled to his back, and I didn’t hesitate to curl into his side.

  “I should probably get a towel, huh?” I said.

  “In a minute,” Heath said, running his clean hand up and down my back.

  If I wasn’t careful, I was going to doze off to that action. As much as I hated to do it, I slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom. I turned on the water of the sink to warm up before I pulled a clean washcloth from the linen closet.

  I cleaned the evidence of our release from my own body before rinsing the cloth a second time. Once the towel was ready, I shut off the faucet and returned to the bedroom. Rather than hand the cloth to him, I gently wiped his hand clean. When I did the same with his dick, I was careful with my movements, knowing he was as sensitive as I was. After we were both clean, I
tossed the soiled towel into the hamper and joined him in bed again.

  With my head resting on his chest, and his strong arms around me, it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.

  It felt as though I’d just closed my eyes when the shrill sound of a dog’s bark filled the house. For a moment, I wondered what the hell a dog was doing in my house before I registered that it was Daisy.

  That was about the time Heath lifted his head.

  “Does your dog always bark like this?” I groaned.

  If so, I was going to have to rethink my offer of having her stay overnight when he did.

  “No,” Heath said.

  The harsh tone of his voice, combined with his short answer, shook the last of the sleep from my body. When Heath slid out of bed, I glanced at the clock. It was only a few minutes after seven.

  While most people would think that was early, I was usually up at five every day. And that included my days off. I suspected it was our late night activities that led to me sleeping later than usual.

  Heath was pulling on his jeans, with no underwear, when Daisy let out another series of those ear piercing barks. Foregoing his shirt, Heath was out the door faster and quieter than I would have expected for such a big guy.

  The fact that he was investigating had me worried for half a second. Then I heard it.

  “What the fuck is that?” Kiel demanded.

  “It’s a dog, dumb ass,” Roger retorted.

  “I realize that,” Kiel informed him. “What’s it doing here?”

  “It’s Heath’s dog,” Oliver said.

  That little traitor! There was no doubt in my mind that he’d told the others about our conversation about needing a dog bed so Heath could bring his dog when he spent the night. And naturally, they’d felt compelled to check it out for themselves.

  “Mm, speaking of Heath, you’re looking mighty fine this morning, Heath,” Derek said, and I could hear the smile in his slutty voice.