So for Dylan, for Hannah, and yes, for himself, Marco would never give up until Hannah Nichols agreed to spend the rest of her nights safe in his arms.
14
Cole’s POV - The Tattoo
ECHOES OF SCOTLAND STREET
After tossing and turning through the night, his mind on Shannon Macleod and the history she’d imparted to him last night, Cole should have been exhausted when he walked into INKarnate that morning.
Instead he was wired.
He couldn’t wait to see Shannon.
Since the moment she’d walked into the tattoo studio she’d taken him on a fucking rollercoaster ride of emotions. At first he thought she was stunning with her hair like fire and violet eyes. Then when he recognized her it brought back that instant connection he’d felt toward her when they were only fifteen. She had a boyfriend back then and disappeared before he could get her number.
Cole had decided he wasn’t going to let her slip away so easily now even if she said she didn’t remember him (now he knew she was lying when she said that). But if he’d known about her past he wouldn’t have come on so strong. But he didn’t know so he fucked up. Then she fucked up and she fucked up so badly he was done with her. The hell of it was, though, that he was so attracted to her he still wanted her, which made him resent her.
Then she apologized and he realized she wasn’t all bad after all. Still, he didn’t trust her. Shannon seemed convoluted. Like two different people. It reminded him of how his mum could be. One minute sweet. The next a drunken bitch who knew how to shred his confidence to tatters.
He was a boy then. There wasn’t much he could do about that.
Now, however, he was a man and he didn’t need to put up with that shit.
The only reason he’d made friendly overtures to Shannon now was because the studio was like a family and everyone else liked her. Cole needed to make the effort to keep the peace.
She’d been fantastic company at the art gallery and even more so at dinner with Hannah and Marco. When Hannah interrogated him about her in the kitchen Cole had been roiling with frustration because everything within him told him that Shannon Macleod should be his perfect match.
But he could still hear her calling him ‘nothing’ with her beautiful face twisted in distaste.
Last night’s revelations, however, had changed his entire perception of her all over again.
“I need you to know that you’re not nothing and when I said that, that was my issue. Not yours. You shouldn’t have to carry that.”
He felt a pang in his chest, remembering the way she’d looked into his eyes with that sad, luminous violet gaze that could bring a man to his goddamn knees.
“I tried to fight. I tried, but he was so much bigger than me.”
Cole winced, his fists clenching at his sides as he stood in the doorway to his private studio.
“He stopped hitting me. And he started touching me, tearing at my clothes, repeating over and over that I was his. And I—I knew. I knew he was going to rape me.”
“Fuck.” Those words felt like a punch to his gut.
“No… I got away… I should have gone to the police.” He could hear her sobs, felt them still, “I didn’t think. I didn’t mean to be so selfish.”
Now he knew.
Shannon blamed herself for her brother’s imprisonment. She believed she made bad decisions about men. So she tried to protect herself and Cole could understand that. Now he knew all the glimpses of the woman who offered chocolate to clients, soothed those with broken hearts, won over Rae of all people, and worried about a stranger’s dog was the real Shannon. The one that shredded him, pushed him away and was bitter was the one in cold metal armor trying to hold everyone at bay so she didn’t get hurt again. Maybe if her family hadn’t turned their backs on her she would have come out of the bitterness. But she’d been left to deal with it all by herself.
Cole had decided as he laid in bed the night before that the pain in his chest put there when she told him what had happened to her, and stayed there at the thought of her being lonely and feeling unloved, meant he had feelings for her that couldn’t be ignored. So Cole was going to show her there were good guys out there. A guy who would cherish her and protect her. A guy who would stop her from growing bitter and alone. A guy who would make her laugh again.
Him.
The fact that she trusted him enough to tell him her story gave Cole the confidence he needed to start Operation Seduce Shannon. Between that and the off-the-fucking-charts chemistry between them Cole felt it wasn’t a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’. And he didn’t care how long it took as long as the end result was Shannon in his bed.
“Right, enough,” he muttered to himself. Distraction in his line of work could mean bad things so for now it was time to get his head in the game. Still, a little while later as he sat reading over some new legislation documents Stu had left for him to look through, his body tensed with awareness at the sound of the bell tinkling from the front of the studio.
Shannon had arrived at work.
He didn’t have to wait long for her to appear with his morning coffee.
She, thankfully, looked well-rested, her gorgeous hair spilling down her shoulders and back in waves and silky ringlets. Fuck, but she had the kind of hair a man just wanted to run his hands through, or fist as he—
Cole grinned, throwing the wayward thought away as he stood to accept his coffee. Instead of taking it and letting go, he wrapped his hand around hers and asked, “How are you feeling?”
She gave him a reassuring smile. She had the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. He needed to make her smile more. “I’m fine,” she said. “Honest.’
Sensing she wasn’t lying, Cole finally took the coffee but as his big hand slipped away from her small one, he couldn’t help the dark thought intrude that she was so petite her ex, if he was anywhere near Cole’s height and build, could have fucking killed her when he beat the shit out of her. And it was a goddamn miracle she fought him off before he raped her.
Cole’s whole being revolted at the idea of putting his hands on her in anger and violence.
“Cole.” She smiled again and as if sensing his thoughts continued to reassure him further, “I know I had a meltdown last night, but honestly, I’m okay. I have a good life here—a good job, good friends. I’ve found more than I ever hoped to find when I moved here, so please don’t worry about me.”
Small she may be but she was fierce. To have gone through what she’d gone through and been left alone to deal with it herself in the aftermath was quite a feat. She didn’t seem to realize that or give herself credit for it. “That’s a tall order,” he said but shook his head in amazement. “You’re made of stern stuff, Shannon MacLeod.”
“It’s the hair. It’s magic hair,” she teased.
He laughed, pleased she really seemed okay. “It is definitely magical.”
“Am I getting my coffee any fucking time soon?” Rae suddenly called from next door, ruining the moment of camaraderie between them.
Cole would have frowned except Shannon giggled and the sound was startling and so goddamn adorable he wanted to sweep her up into his arms. He wondered if what he was feeling translated on his face because Shannon’s giggles quieted to a warm, almost shy smile. “I’d better…” she gave him a little wave before she walked out and Cole’s eyes immediately dropped to where her hair swayed above her pert, surprisingly round arse.
Fuck but she was perfectly made.
Cole groaned inwardly and sipped at his coffee. Maybe he wasn’t going to be as patient as he thought during Operation Seduce Shannon. Sexy and cute. Lethal mix.
“Thank God,” Cole heard Rae say loudly. “You don’t know how excruciating it is having to listen to you two lovebirds when I haven’t had my caffeine fix.”
Cole threw a disgruntled look at the wall between their two studios, wondering for not the first time if he could convince Stu to institute a ban on Rae talking in the morning.
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br /> “Don’t be mean,” He heard Shannon say.
“Why?” Rae retorted. “Are you going to kill me with your magical hair?”
Cole smirked despite himself.
“It is thick,” Shannon replied, sounding serious. “It would make good rope.”
Good for you, Shortcake, he thought, grinning.
“Dark. I like it, wee fairy.” Rae’s response was not surprising.
Shannon’s light footsteps made their way to Simon’s room and Cole heard him he say, “Tony kept me up late last night.”
Rae also heard because she immediately yelled, “No fucking sex talk!”
Cole didn’t hear what was said in Simon’s room next but whatever it was made Rae shout, “I heard that!”
“She has radar ears,” Shannon said loud enough for Cole to hear.
“So what?” Rae shouted back. “You have magical fucking hair!”
At that Cole burst out laughing, hearing Shannon giggle down the hall too. His laughter died to a grin but a warmth remained in his gut. A much needed warmth and reassurance after last night’s horrible revelations.
Shannon fit at INKarnate. She fit with Rae and Simon and even Tony. Now Cole just had to show her that she fit with him, too.
* * *
Over the weekend and much of the next week Cole stuck to Shannon as much as he could. He invaded her space in a way he hoped was non-intrusive. He wanted to give her a chance to get used to him, to get to know him, and build on the trust she already had for him without shoving his attraction for her down her throat.
He didn’t flirt too obviously with her, but he showered her with attention that couldn’t be misconstrued.
While he did that he worked on the drawing for the dragon tattoo Shannon had wanted but her ex hadn’t allowed her to get. Prick.
Together they finally decided on a predatory black-and-petrol-blue dragon in profile. It was perfect for Shortcake. It matched her fierceness.
Finally, Thursday morning, the day they’d agreed he’d do her tattoo for her, arrived. Cole woke up with anticipation. He got to put his mark on Shannon MacLeod. Whatever happened between them, she’d always think of him when she caught a glimpse of her tattoo in the mirror. Cole had felt pride over his tattoos, satisfaction and even humbled by the reaction of his clients. But he had never felt a possessiveness about a tattoo before.
Now his fingers itched with the feeling.
He wanted to touch her. Mark her. Bleed his art into her skin where it would stay forever.
It was fucking sexy, he thought.
And not long later as Shannon sat straddled on his chair with her top pulled up and bunched in her fists at her chest, Cole realized he’d underestimated just how sexy it was.
She was.
Her skin was smooth and like ivory, her jeans riding just low enough to reveal the dimples on her lower back. Dimples he wanted to kiss. Although slender, Shannon had slight curves that made Cole’s hands flex for want. And then there was her arse which was… fuck. Her slender waist sloped into gentle hips and then a fantastic, tiny but rounded apple bottom that he just wanted to bite.
He’d just shifted her hair over her shoulder and dirty, horny bastard that he was had an immediate vision of fucking Shannon on her knees with her hair fisted in one hand while his other grabbed a handful of that tight little rounded arse of hers.
Fighting getting hard, Cole concentrated on her tattoo, talking quietly to her and then letting a comfortable silence reign once he felt her relax. Usually he totally lost himself in his art when he had a tattoo gun in his hand but there was no way he could forget that it was Shannon’s skin underneath his needle.
“Are you okay?” he asked after a couple of minutes.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice soft. “You?”
He grinned. Turned on but otherwise great. “I’m good, Shortcake.”
“How does it look?”
Trying not to laugh at her cute impatience he replied, “Like I just started it three minutes ago.”
She giggled and his free hand that was resting gently on her hip wanted to curl into a grip, an involuntary reaction to pull her into him. He stopped himself just in time and laughed at her giggling and at his own fucking ridiculousness. “It’s going to be pretty cute when it’s done,” he assured her.
But she stopped giggling.
Shit.
He knew ‘cute’ wasn’t really what she was going for.
“Cute but fierce,” he hurried to say and this time allowed himself to squeeze her hip. “Perfect for you.”
She laughed and he relaxed. “Cute. That’s my lot in life.”
Despite her laughter there was something forlorn in her tone. “How do you mean?”
“That’s how people describe me. ‘Oh, Shannon, you look so cute in that picture,’ et cetera. I suppose it’s better than ‘you look like you’ve been pulled through the bushes backwards,’ so I’m not complaining.”
Was she kidding? She really thought she was just… cute? Wanting her to see herself how he saw her, Cole gave it to her straight. “There’s more to you than cute. People call you cute because you’re petite… but you’re sexy too… Mostly you’re beautiful in a way that stops a man in his tracks.”
And that was no lie.
She’d stopped him in his tracks when he was fifteen. Literally.
Now she’d made his whole fucking world stop.
She was silent so long he worried he’d pushed too much. But then she let out this breathless little sound followed by, “Thank you.” and he heard the amazement in her voice.
And the pleasure.
He squeezed her hip again, impatient now for the day he could touch her all he wanted because she belonged to him.
They fell into an easy silence and Cole concentrated on finishing the dragon. To be honest he went slowly, drawing the moment out, and a tattoo that might have taken him forty minutes took him an hour. He was disappointed when he said, “Done.”
“Really?” She sounded surprised.
Cole chuckled, wondering how long she thought these things took. “Really. I’ll put some film wrap over it to protect it.”
He took his time doing that too.
Once he’d finished he sat back and said to the back of her head. “I know you’ve probably heard the aftercare speech a million times, but I have to give it to you anyway.”
She glanced over shoulder, giving him a smile he knew she didn’t even realize was sexy. “Hit me with it.”
Oh he wanted to hit her with it alright.
Fuck.
“Take the film off in four to six hours. Clean the tattoo with a mild soap—Rae will definitely have some—and warm water. Massage, don’t scrub. If you’re showering tonight or in the morning, don’t let the spray hit the tattoo at full force and keep the water lukewarm.” Don’t think about her naked in the shower, don’t, don’t, don’t. Fuck, too late. “It also helps to run the shower at ice-cold on just your tattoo before you get out—this closes any pores the warm water might have opened, allowing the tattoo to heal better and keep the ink vivid. You don’t need to rebandage, but moisturize it lightly twice a day—again, Rae has the best product to use. Do this for the next few days. Wear loose tops, low jeans, so your clothing doesn’t rub against it.” Cole stood up, shocked by how much a speech he gave every day of his life took on a new meaning with her. Every word provoked his libido. But it didn’t stop him from putting his hands on her again to help her down off the chair.
She stumbled into him and he felt her heat, smelled her light, fragrant perfume and fought control as he murmured in her ear an apology about not lowering the chair height.
Then she shivered underneath his touch and Cole forgot about taking things slow. All he could think about was sex.
Sex with Shannon.
And he wanted it to be all she was thinking about. “It might be better to sleep on your side tonight, and for the next few days try not to rub your tattoo against anything and… eh�
�� missionary is probably out for the next few days as well.”
Shannon jerked in his hold and turned to look up at him with those wide, stunning eyes. “That won’t be a problem,” she whispered.
Cole felt that whisper in his dick. He opened his mouth to tell her he wanted to make it a problem he was happy to solve by fucking her on her knees but his door burst open before he could and Rae strode in.
Frustration kicked him in his gut (and other harder places) as Shannon stepped out of his touch to show Rae the tat.
“Cool,” she pronounced. “I’ll be able to see it better when the cling film comes off. So, what do you think? Did it hurt?”
“Not as bad as I thought it would.”
“Are you going to get another one?”
Shannon snorted. “I think I’m good for now.”
Cole was almost relieved he wouldn’t have to go through the torture of tattooing her again. Almost. It was a pleasurable torment, after all.
Rae clapped her hands together suddenly. “Tomorrow night! Drinks to celebrate Shannon’s tat.”
Any chance to spend time with Shannon was a good idea to him, he thought as he started to clean up. “Sounds good.”
“Okay.” Shannon replied. “But I’m buying for Cole since he won’t let me pay for the tattoo.”
His eyes flew to her but before he could reply Rae whirled on him in indignation. “Free? You only gave me fifty percent off!”
Laughter bubbled on his lips and he just shrugged, even though he knew it would piss her off more. What could he say? A woman that drove him to distraction and made his blood this hot, didn’t pay for her tattoo. Especially when he was trying to make her so attached to him she wouldn’t fight it when he decided to take their relationship to the next level.
As if she’d read all that in his shrug, Rae turned to Shannon and yelled, “Fucking magical hair all right!” before storming out.
Shannon stared after her flatmate in shocked bemusement before turning to him.
Cole winked at her.
And better than anything else that had happened that day Shannon burst out into tinkling, sweet laughter that hit him in his chest. It seeped right in there, settling like the best kind of weight.
ON DUBLIN STREET: THE BONUS MATERIAL Page 12