The Ink Romance Series

by Bridget Taylor

  Snatching the card back from her, I hiss out, “Yes, I’m going to crush him.” My voice takes on a different sound. It sounds deeper, like someone on a mission to kill. I don’t want to kill, just maim.

  Grabbing the beautifully cursed flowers, I hurriedly walk next door, hoping Kane is there. Oh, he better freaking be there or I’m going to lose it. Opening the door to Ocean’s Ink Tattoo and Body shop, the door rings. How cliché of him to have a doorbell ringer.

  Shut up, you have one.

  “You!” My voice grabs Kane’s attention, stopping his progress of putting up a chandelier. Really? What tattoo place has a chandelier? That’s so silly. But hot…I could just imagine him laying me down underneath it, kissing down my body, opening my legs, sucking on my bundle of nerves, and making me see stars. Or maybe, it would be due to the way the light reflecting off the chandelier would mimic the twinkle of the night sky. Remembering how he dominated our first and last kiss makes my eyes zoom in on the plump pink lips. They aren’t swollen from my kiss this time, and it makes my heart hurt a little.

  “Me?” He points to his chest and looks around.

  His friend Dylan rolls his eyes. “Deja vu all over again.”

  “Yes, you! You think these are funny!” I shake the vase at him. I grab a rose and throw it, “This isn’t funny! Losing something I needed so bad isn’t funny!” I throw another rose at him. One lands perfectly on his sculpted forearm, drawing a little blood from the thorn.

  “Ouch! Hey, knock it off, Crazy!” He tries to get away from me.

  “Hurts? Aw, big bad Kane can’t handle a little rose?” I say mockingly. I grab three more roses in my hand and throw.

  “You are such a conceited…” I throw a rose. “Self-centered…” I throw another. “Egotistical…” I throw another. “Inconsiderate man!” I grab the rest and throw them at him. Now he is covered in rose leaves, petals, and has a few scratches on his arms.

  “I never thought I could dislike someone so much, but you I can’t stand!” I drop the glass vase on the floor and it shatters into a thousand pieces. Glass flies, water floods the floor, and Dylan’s laugh fills the room. He snorts. Uh…maybe him and Rorie would make a good pair.

  “Honey, hate is the last thing you feel for me and you know it.” Kane struts his way towards me. “You love this. That emotion driving you to the brink of insanity, the one that makes you out of control with need. That feeling of strong desire. That’s what is here, Crazy. As much as you deny it, you want me. Just like I want you.” His hand cups my face. His palm warms my cheeks, making my eyes flutter close. My body and mind relax for the first time since I felt his lips on mine.

  “What do you say?” The whispered words are a soft breeze against my lips, making my tongue tingle with anticipation.

  I push him away. “You might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, but I’ll always remember that it was you who stole my dreams. You can’t make what I want come true because it has nothing to do with you!” The lie feels like venom, but I don’t care. I won’t let my divine need for him blur my vision for what I want in life.

  “The sexiest, huh?” He pops that crooked dimpled smile at me.

  I moan with frustration. “That is what I mean! Out of all that, you only heard that I called you sexy!” I turn around and slam the door. Tears well in my eyes as I go back next door to the shelter.

  I hate that I want him so much.

  Entering the shelter, Flamingo whines as he puts his nose into my palm. “Hey, Flamingo,” I sniffle.

  “Oh my God. What did that jerk do?” Rorie rushes over.

  “Nothing. I just hate him. I mean, I know he’s also just trying to make his dreams come true by opening his own shop, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Honestly, I hate how much I want him. How weird is that? I can’t stand the guy, but the sexual tension is blinding! It makes me mad.” I wipe my nose on my sweater sleeve.

  Rorie is about to open her mouth when we hear snarls and high-pitched barks. We run outside with Flamingo hot on our tail. One of the younger dogs, a Labrador, has another older dog, a pit bull, pinned to the ground.

  “Gronkowski! Bad boy!” The lab immediately falls back and Rorie puts the leash on him to put him back in his crate. Inching up to Mr. Reaux, the sweet old pit bull whines. There is a bite on his upper hind leg and it’s bleeding. At his age, he can’t afford a wound. He doesn’t heal like the others. He also is one of the dogs that we have had the longest. Nobody wants an older animal due to medical costs. We have dubbed him the shop’s mascot. We like him here. I might just adopt him too. Flamingo whines, licking his friend’s wound.

  “Rorie, grab me the phone. I’m calling Chase!” I yell. I need to make sure the only wound he has is the leg. If he has any other injuries, Chase will be able to deal with it.

  “No need. Chase just walked through the door!” Chase comes running outside.

  They both kneel next to Mr. Reaux. “Is he going to be okay?” My eyes start to tear up.

  Chase feels all over for broken bones, checks his spine, mouth, gums, teeth, and finally the wound. “Looks like he got lucky. Only wound is his leg. I’ll numb it, stitch it up, and I’ll give you instructions to keep it clean. He will need to wear that funny cone too, so he doesn’t try and take those stitches out.”

  I sniffle again. “Thanks, Chase. What are you doing here?” I ask curiously.

  “Well, honestly you never called, and I stopped by before going to the grocery store to see if you’d go out with me. It seems that was a smart decision, because this sweet boy needed some help.” Chase pats Mr. Reaux’s uninjured leg.

  Thinking of going out with Chase leaves a bad taste in my mouth. For some reason, every time I look at him, I see Kane. I want the crystal blue eyes staring back at me, the dark inky hair to shine in the sun when I run my fingers through it, and I want those plump pink lips on me again. But we are like oil and water, we would never work. The only way to move on from someone that’s no good for you….

  “What time do you want to pick me up?” My cheeks turn red as I ask Chase. He flashes that million-dollar smile.

  And that’s to move on with someone else.

  Chapter 6

  After Chase gave Mr. Reaux a great bill of health, he left to go grocery shopping. Surprisingly, I’m excited for our date. I did ask if he planned on cooking dinner since he was going grocery shopping, but he said no because I didn’t seem like the kind of girl who would want to go to a man’s house on the first date. He would be right. Maybe he is exactly what I need. He and I both love animals, we share a lot of the same interests, and I’ll bet he would understand my dream of expanding the shop.

  Looking at the clock, I see I have an hour to get home, drop Flamingo off, and get ready. Locking the door, I spare a few moments to look out to the sea. The setting sun creates purples, oranges, reds, and yellows. Blending together, some of the sky is dancing in soft pinks and lavender. The colors reflect off the dark blue Pacific sea and the waves crash against the cliff’s rocks, blowing the salt water in the air. The moment feels like a dream. The breeze carries a slight hint of salty water to my face and I breathe it in. It’s relaxing and, for just a second, I feel like everything is right in the world.

  Until I hear his voice. “Beautiful isn’t it?”

  “It was until you showed up,” I say evenly. I don’t even look at him. I can’t afford to waste my energy being mad at him all the time. Now all I can do is move on with my life and find another way to expand the shelter.

  He sighs. “I just wanted to say I was sorry. I don’t know you, and I’m sorry that me being here and getting the store put a dent in your plans. I also needed this shop. I’m here to start over, and while I didn’t expect to have a neighbor so hellbent on getting revenge, I like it here. I just wanted to let you know that I apologize for the flowers. It was insensitive of me. What I won’t apologize for is being here. Everyone has dreams, Crazy.” He leans against the railing, getting more comfortable.


  “I know. I don’t have the energy to fight with you anymore. It might take me longer to get over it. I don’t know how long you’ve been planning Ocean’s Ink, and honestly, I don’t care. I’ve had the same dreams since I was a little girl. Then you show up, flash your money, and everything I’ve ever wanted is gone. So while I’m done with tantrums, I don’t like you. I won’t act like I like you, but I want us to stay out of each other’s way.” I sigh.

  I start walking away, but he grabs my wrist. “You can convince yourself you don’t like me, but we both know what is really going on here.” He tugs me to his chest effortlessly, “The need you feel every time you’re around me. The way your skin dampens with heat because your body yearns for me. How crazy you feel because you fight it.” Our bodies are flush now. His arms wrap around me, trapping me in his embrace. His hand travels up my arm and then my neck to cup my face. Goosebumps dance across my skin, and my breath becomes ragged.

  “Whatever this is. It’s more than what you make it out to be because I feel it too.” His mouth ghosts over mine. A whimper escapes my throat and embarrassed, I pull away.

  “I need to go. Flamingo!” I call loudly, and his paws run across the gravel.

  “Why? Where? Is it with that guy Chase?” He grabs my wrist again and I yank it away.

  “Where I go and who I go with is none of your concern!” I snidely remark.

  “The Hell it’s not!” He brings himself in front of me. “That guy’s shady, Crazy! You can’t go with him.” He pleads like he actually cares. I’m probably just another conquest.

  “I’m sure you’re just saying that because you want to add me to the long list of women you’ve conquered and left broken, shattered hearts in the wake. But not me, I won’t fall for it.” I open my door to the jeep and I go to close the door, but he stops it. I give him a defiant look.

  “You can say what you want if it makes you feel better about how you feel about me, but this isn’t over. It won’t be over. You will be mine, Crazy. You just wait.” He slams my jeep door.

  “Yeah, because that doesn’t sound controlling,” I mutter. My jeep rumbles to life. I slam on the gas, making gravel fly. I need to get away from him. My heart is racing, my palms are sweating, and my mind is all over the place.

  Pulling into my driveway ten minutes later, my eyes starts to tear. Why does he affect me like this? Why does he press all my buttons? Why does he drive me mad with fury, but at the same time drive me mad with lust? Taking a few shaky breaths to get myself together, I get out of the car with Flamingo hot on my heels.

  “Someone who makes me react like that can’t be good for me, right? Chase seems safe. He doesn’t make all my wires crossed. Something should come naturally right? The only natural thing I feel with Kane is madness.” My mouth won’t stop venting to Flamingo as if he could give me solid advice. I don’t even have time to call Molli or David. I have to get ready for my date with Chase.

  Looking at my watch, I only have thirty minutes until Chase gets here to pick me up. Hurrying to the bathroom, I wash my face with ice cold water, unwrap my hair, and let it bounce free. It’s still curly from the other day at karaoke, so I just put more oil in my hands and run the coconut-smelling liquid through it to freshen it up.

  Putting on mascara, blush, and my go to wine-colored lipstick, I’m ready. I change into a black dress that is low cut and ties behind my neck, showing just the slightest cleavage, and I pair it with my Jimmy Choo black heels. I saved forever for these shoes, but damn, it was worth it!

  My doorbell rings, and I would think my heart would race or something but nothing happens. I feel…ordinary. That’s a good thing, right? At least I’ll be able to think clearly. Flamingo huffs.

  “Don’t give me that. What do you know?” He huffs again.

  “Whatever.” I kiss his cute pink nose.

  Opening the door, Chase is there. He looks handsome. He has on a dark blue blazer, unbuttoned, with a baby blue button up shirt. He paired it with a dark green tie, making his eyes stand out even more. His dark blue jeans hug his long lean legs perfectly, and his beard is trimmed shorter. He looks well put together compared to Kane, who has long black hair, tattoos up and down his arms, and ripped jeans. Those jeans, while ripped to shreds look expensive. They hugged his butt just right.

  “Wow, you look beautiful. Shall we?” Chase holds out his manicured soft hands. Putting my hands in his, for a moment it feels like I am holding my own it’s so soft. It makes me think of Kane’s rugged hands. They were huge and rough with callouses. They engulfed mine and when he had his hand openly spread on my lower back, the size of his palm made me feel so small because it was just as big as my waist.

  “Sure.” I lock the door behind me. Chase skips in front of me to open my car door and my eyes travel to his backside. I want to feel my body go up in flames from looking at him. I didn’t think I’d miss the feeling since I’ve been in a constant state of burning fire the last few days, but I do. I miss the ache between my thighs.

  His butt is small, round, and perky. Nothing like Kane’s though. While Chase is lean everywhere, Kane is built and stocky. Every part of his body is proportional. Kane’s ripped jeans hug his bubble butt perfectly. The way he wears them make his lower half seem imprisoned by unwanted material. Well, I think it’s unwanted material. Is this how the entire date is going to be? I’m just going to compare him to Kane?

  What’s to compare? Kane is infuriating.

  “I thought we could try this new Spanish restaurant called Besitos. I hear it has the best view of the ocean, besides the shelter of course.” He chuckles.

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful!” I haven’t had Spanish food in so long!

  When we get there, we order red wine that slips deliciously down my throat. Chase talks about how he decided he wanted to become a veterinarian, but every time I go to open my mouth he talks over me.

  “What do you think of my car?” he asks as I’m mid-gulp of my wine.

  “Well, it’s –” But he cuts me off.

  “It’s a beauty, right? 1969 Shelby GT. I restored her myself.” He chuckles.

  “Yeah, you’ve said that already,” I groan into my wine glass. It’s empty and it wouldn’t be very classy to lick the glass clean, which I’ve thought of doing. I lift my glass signaling the waiter I need more. Much, much more. Just bring the bottle.

  “Yeah, I can’t help it. I’m really proud of it, I guess.” He shrugs, which instantly makes me feel bad. I know he is proud of his accomplishments, but he hasn’t asked about me once.

  “Excuse me, I need to use the lady’s room.” I put my napkin on the table and like a gentleman, Chase stands for my exit. Why can’t I like him? Maybe I’m being too harsh.

  Going to the bathroom, it’s a two stall, but no one is in here. Locking it, I exhale. I really need this date to be over. The bathroom door opens and big biker boots come into my view. Not really thinking much of it, since I’m sure it’s just a girl who likes wearing boots, I ignore it.

  Flushing, I step out to wash my hands, but when I look in the mirror, Kane is there.

  “What are you doi-!” He cuts me off with the palm of his hand and locks the main door.

  “Don’t worry, Dylan is keeping all the women out of here for a few minutes. Telling them a family had to rush in here with both of their kids and it will be a minute.” Kane gets closer, trapping me against the sink.

  “Funny, Dylan and I were here enjoying a nice hard-earned meal, when I see your beautiful face here, dressed up for him.” Kane snarls the last word. He takes his other hand, rubbing it up my thigh lifting my dress in the process.

  “It made my blood run cold knowing you’re sitting there with him and not me. Let’s not pretend anymore, Crazy. I see you bored out of your mind. You don’t light up like a firework with him like you do with me. I’ve been watching, waiting for that spark of sass to ignite, but you just keep pounding back the glasses of red wine.” His fingers glide over my soaked panties, up my stomach,
around my full achy breasts, and back down my body to lower the black material.

  I whimper like I’m in heat and wrap my legs around him.

  “Oh, no. Not here. I’m not going to enjoy you in a bathroom of a restaurant. You’re going to be a good little date, go back out to that creep, which he is, act like you are enjoying yourself, while you’re wet thinking of me.” He teases his lips on my neck, his hand lifts from my mouth making me gasp for air.

  “Kane,” I moan into the bathroom. The need of my voice echoes off the walls.

  “Tell me your name, Crazy.” His mouth works its way up my chin, and I realize I have never introduced myself.

  “Leslie Benton,” I say between breaths.

  “Leslie.” His voice gets deeper, raspier, and his hard length presses against my clit.

  “Please,” I beg.

  “Not here. Not now. I’m going to leave you needy. So the entire time you’re with him, you’re thinking of me. You’re thinking of the relief only I can give you.” He steps away and readjusts himself. His pupils are blown from desire and the pounding he gives on the door makes me think of another kind of pounding he can give me. Dylan says, “All clear,” and Kane unlocks the door.

  He looks at me with his disheveled hair. “You better think long and hard, Leslie. You might act like you don’t want us, but your body says otherwise.” He steps out, leaving me flustered and horny. I’m not even mad. Instead my body hums, and I want to make myself come. I know it would just take a few circles on my clit with my finger, but not here. Kane said not here, so I’m going to listen to him.

  I walk out, resituating my dress. Every step I take, my swollen bundle of nerves rubs against the material of my lace panties. I’m so sensitive and it takes all I have not to moan.

  “There you are. I was wondering where you went. Are you okay? You look a little flushed,” Chase says as he stands up for my arrival.

  “Actually, I’m not feeling all that well. I’m afraid I had too many glasses of wine. Could you take me home?” I grab the glass of water and sip it.