by Amy Davies
“I’m sorry. The bet doesn't bother me. But hell, Ivy, you were smiling at those dickheads. What the hell am I supposed to think? They probably think I’m not man enough to keep a girl like you interested if you’re flirting with them in front of me,” I snark. She barks out a laugh that pisses me off more. I raise an eyebrow at her, but she says nothing and walks away.
“Hey, hang the fuck on. We’re talking.”
“Yeah, well I’m bloody freezing my boobs off, Luke. I’m going home. If you want to come home and talk things out with me, then fine. But if not, then go home and I’ll see you tomorrow, once you’ve had time to sift through your actions tonight and realise how stupid you are being.”
I huff and answer her. “Fine, let’s go home.” I stomp past her and flag down a taxi coming down the street. We arrive at her house after a short drive and I pay the driver as Ivy climbs out of the car and walks up to her house, before opening the door.
I close the front door behind us and lock up. Carter is staying over at Jay’s place, but I know Ivy will get up early to make sure she sees him before he goes to school. I take my coat off and hang it by the door, before taking Ivy’s and hanging it next to mine.
“I’m going to change into my pj’s. Put the kettle on, please.” I nod. This is the most she has spoken to me since I agreed to come home with her. The taxi ride was somewhat awkward. I kick off my boots and go to the kitchen to make my girl a cup of tea and a coffee for me. I fill the kettle with water, turn it on, and sort the cups out.
It isn’t long before she comes down the stairs in her pajamas. Her hair is up in a messy bun and she’s washed her makeup off. She’s in some patterned bottoms and a grey jumper that has the slogan, ‘This is my too tired to function jumper’. I smile and shake my head at her.
“What?” she asks.
“Nothing. I love that jumper, that's all.” She smiles and walks towards me. She stops between my open legs and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her head on my chest. I hold her tight to me, hating the little rift between us.
“I’m sorry, babe,” I mutter.
“Why?” comes her muffled question.
“I was an arse in the pub. I ruined a pretty damn good night.” Her head moves, so I can tell she’s agreeing with me. I lean forward and kiss the top of her head, loving the smell of peaches on her. My dick jerks in my jeans from her scent.
“Can you talk to me about why?”
“Why I was an arse?” She nods again.
“I was jealous, and I know I don’t have a right. You didn’t really do anything, and I acted badly. I won’t do it again.” I offer her a sweet smile, hoping she will believe me. She quirks an eyebrow at me.
“If you say so, babe,” comes her non-believing reply.
Chapter 15
Ivy
Today is a special day. It’s tattoo day. Luke is getting his ‘bet’ tattoo, which I still need to reveal to him. Plus, there is an older gentleman coming in to have his tattoo done that I designed for him. He’s having a tribute design for his son, who recently died in Afghanistan. My heart broke for him when he came in and talked about the design. He’s having a feather that has his son’s name running down the spine. Plus a few items that mean something to his son.
I’m flicking through the appointment book when a green paper aeroplane lands on the book in front of me. I smile, looking down at the little piece of paper. It’s crazy that this little item makes my heart beat that little bit faster every time I get one. Without looking up to see if he’s watching me, because I know he is, I unfold the paper slowly. He loves to see my reactions. My heart melts when I see the words written in his too-neat-for-a-man handwriting.
You are my favourite feeling.
I place my hand over my heart and look towards his door, and there he is, like I knew he would be. There is Beast, leaning against the wall, his huge arms folded across his wide chest, his ankles crossed. He’s wearing a tight white t-shirt that is straining against his biceps, with a navy waistcoat over the top. His jeans hug his thighs like they were cut just for him. No wonder this man had women fall at his feet. I frown, thinking about all the women he has been with before we met. I know I can't hold that against him, but the thought of him having sex with other women makes me queasy.
I drop my eyes back to the paper plane, and the feeling dissipates. I know how he feels about me, it’s just my slightly jaded heart that lets stupid feelings slip through. I carefully fold the paper back into its original shape and add it to the cute little white basket below my desk, where I keep all my other ‘love notes’ from Luke. I look back up to see my man, but he isn’t there anymore. My heart jumps into my throat when I see him standing in front of me.
“Bloody hell, Beast,” I all but yell out of fright. This man may be huge but, he can move like a ninja.
“What’s with the frown?” he asks, his own frown in place on his handsome face.
“What?”
“You just frowned after looking at the note,” he points out, stepping around the desk and coming to stand next to me.
“Oh, nothing.”
“Bullshit, Peaches. Tell me,” he demands, but not in an angry way. He never shows any anger towards me. I bite the inside of my cheek and turn away from him, but he catches my waist and pulls me tight to him.
“Tell me, please,” he pleads softly. I huff and tell him. There’s no point keeping it from him; he always gets what he wants.
Stupid amazing tongue and dick.
“Fine,” I huff. “I was thinking how sexy you looked leaning against the wall and I could see why all the women fell at your feet. I know that was before we met so I’m not angry or anything, because I have no right, but the thought of you with all those other women made my stomach turn funny,” I admit.
“Baby, you are it for me. Everyone before you didn’t matter. As bad as that sounds, it’s true. Only you from now on.” He leans in and kisses me senseless. So senseless that I don’t hear the door open and Mr. Thomas walk in. He clears his throat and I go to step away from Luke, but he stops me. We both turn our heads to face the client, who is smirking at us.
“Nice to see such young love these days. You don’t see it enough. Life is too fucking short to be worrying about what other people think. You have to do what is best for you and yours.” My heart aches for this man, who clearly misses his deceased son.
“Mr. Thomas, how are you?” I ask, pulling myself from Luke’s embrace.
“I’m good, Ivy, and drop the Mr. Thomas part, honey. I feel old enough as it is. Bill is fine. I would ask how you are, but I can clearly see that you are just fine.” He smiles at me, and I nod.
“I have everything set up for you, Bill. Why don’t you follow me,” Luke tells him. The two men walk back to Luke’s room and I go about getting everything set for the week’s appointments, which doesn’t take too long.
Once everything is done, I go to Beast’s room and sit with the two men.
Luke is talking to Bill about his son when I come into the room. He looks up very briefly and offers me a smile. I smile back and take a seat on the spare chair in the room.
“He loved football. It was his favourite sport. Supported Liverpool. No clue where the hell I went wrong with that one.” Bill chuckles.
“Well, Liverpool need someone to support them, I guess.” I wink at him. I have no clue about football, but I play along. I’m into tennis. I love when Wimbledon comes around.
We sit in a comfortable silence, besides the buzzing of the tattoo gun. I watch as Luke finishes the black outline, before he changes the needle and starts to fill in the shading and small amount of colour that will be added. It takes about two hours for the whole thing to be finished.
During that time, I pop out to get Bill a cup of tea and Luke a bottle of water, and we all talk about our families. Bill tells Luke and me about his son, David. He was on his second tour when his convoy was hit with an IED. He died in transport back to base. I cry for this man and his fa
mily. His son went over there to help and defend his country and ended up losing his life. It sucks in a big way that the family will never get to see David get married and have kids.
My heart aches for this family, and every family that has lost someone to war. I can’t imagine the fear they must go through every time their loved ones get deployed. We say a teary goodbye to Bill once he has checked out his new tattoo and Luke’s shown him the aftercare he will need to do.
“Come here, baby,” Luke says gently. I walk over to him and he pulls me tight to his body, his heat soaking into my skin, calming me to the core. He’s like a soothing balm that settles me in the best way.
“My heart hurts for him, Luke. I was complaining about my life with Tim, but I’m alive and poor Bill and his family have lost their loved one. I’m a terrible person,” I tell his chest. His arms tighten around me, and his chest heaves as he speaks.
“You are not a terrible person, baby. You went through a trauma as well. Okay, yes, you are alive, but Tim could have easily killed you.” I shudder at his words, knowing how true they are.
“You did the best you could for you and Carter and you got out of there. My chest aches for what Bill and his family went through, but, baby, you are here, you are living and making the best of it. Remember what Bill said.” I nod.
“Life is too fucking short to be worrying about what other people think. You have to do what is best for you and yours.”
Bill’s words bounce around my head and settle the ache in my chest. He’s right. We have to live for the now and never take anything for granted. I pull back from Luke’s body and lift my face to his, letting him know I want him to kiss me. He doesn’t keep me waiting. I love kissing Luke. His plump lips capture mine in the most passionate kiss we have ever shared.
I get lost in the kiss, in the feel of being in his arms.
Luke Baker makes me feel safe.
He makes me realise what I’ve been missing all these years, what Carter has been missing in a father figure. Now he has Luke, Dex, and Jay. The rest of the men in his life are now an added bonus.
“Mate, can you stop sucking my sister’s face off.” We break apart at the sound of Dex’s voice. I bury my face in Beast’s chest, stopping my brother from seeing how red I’ve turned. I shouldn’t be this embarrassed about kissing my boyfriend in front of my brother, considering the conversations we’ve all had during times we’ve all been over at Dex and Addy’s place.
“Never,” Luke says proudly, and dips his head to kiss me again. I let him. Did I mention I bloody love kissing Luke Baker?
“Fucking hell. Leave some of that for when you get home, or hell, somewhere private,” Dex speaks up again.
“What? Like you and Addy, you mean?” Luke smarts back, but smiles at my brother.
“Hey, that’s different. We have a kid together; we need to sneak in moments when we can.” He winks at me. I shudder, remembering the time I walked in on them in Dex’s room. Beast laughs, knowing what images are running through my head.
“Dude, we have a kid. He may not be mine and we may not live together, but that boy is mine in every other way.” My heart jerks and my head snaps back to look up at Luke.
“W-what?” I stutter. I keep my gaze locked on Luke, waiting for him to answer me. My heart is hammering in my chest and I’m trying to keep my breathing calm, but I am failing terribly. Luke gets a little blurry when tears fill my eyes, but I see his dazzling smile light up his face.
“Peaches, I told you that once I had you, my heart belonged to you. Both you and Carter. And I belong to you. Forever and always, babe.”
“Peaches and Beast,” I manage to push out between sobs. See, I failed terribly in controlling my emotions.
“The little things, baby.” I chuckle at that. Luke always knows how to make me smile.
“Okay, now all that soppy shit is out of the way, am I doing this tattoo or not?” Dex asks, breaking our moment. Beast groans, resting his head on my shoulder, making me laugh. He mumbles something into my shoulder and I lean back, breaking the contact.
“What did you say?” I ask.
“Don’t make me do it? You’re going to make me have a stupid unicorn or some shit, aren’t you?” I laugh and step out of his embrace. I take a hold of his large hand and pull him towards Dex’s room. Dex follows us. I lead Beast to the chair and tell him to sit with a nod, keeping a sweet smile on my face. Luke pouts and huffs, but seats himself in the leather chair. The pout on his face is adorable and makes me laugh at him. He fake scowls at me.
“Laugh it up, babe. Karma is a bitch.” He winks at me.
“So, what are we doing, then?” my brother asks. I step closer to him and unlock my phone to show him. He smiles at me and then smirks at Luke.
“Fuck.” He slams his head back against the seat, and Dex and me burst out laughing. I sit and watch as Dex sets up the equipment he needs. I’ve seen him do this so many times now, and it still fascinates me. I could never tattoo someone. I love drawing, don't get me wrong, but permanently marking someone… Nope. Dex nods to me and I cup Beast’s jaw, making him lift his head so he can see me.
“You need to take your shirt off for me.” I smile sweetly. He frowns and looks towards Dex, who nods.
“Fine. Let’s get this over with.” He grips the back of his shirt and pulls it over his head, making the arm porn fantasy come to life. I lick my lips and keep my eyes on his body, remembering how amazing he felt in bed with me. My clit throbs between my thighs, and I have to clench to ease the desire. My eyes connect with Beast’s, and he smirks at me, knowing the effect he is having on me. He quirks a pierced eyebrow at me and the throb builds.
Oh, the little bugger, well, big bugger.
“Alright you two, no more eye-fucking. I have work to do. Luke, that’s my baby sister, man. Come on.”
“She may be your sister, but she’s my woman, and I will eye-fuck her whenever I damn well please, mate.” He winks at me and I groan. Dex is super protective of me, but he knows Luke cares for me, so he lets him get away with a lot. Plus, he trusts Luke with me and Carter.
“Yeah, you can shut your trap now, mate. I don't wanna hear anything relating to my sister in a sexual manner, fuck you very much.” I chuckle and so does Luke.
“Close your eyes, honey,” I say to Luke. He huffs again, and me and my brother share a knowing smile. I watch as Dex gets the pen out and freehand draws the small design onto Luke’s massive chest. I bite my lip to stop the groan that wants to escape when I see Beast tense up. He’s worried I’m having Dex put a stupid tattoo on him. I would never to that... or would I?
“Okay, that’s done. Let’s get to it.” Dex dips the tattoo machine in the black ink and gets to work. The design will take roughly ten to fifteen minutes. It isn't that big at all. But the meaning behind the tattoo is huge, and what Luke doesn't know is that I’m having a matching tattoo in the same place.
Chapter 16
Luke
“All done, man.” I feel Dex swipe the tissue paper across my chest, and I look down to see what poxy tattoo my girl picked out for me.
“NO!” Ivy yells, making me snap my gaze back to hers. Fucking hell, where did that volume come from? “Don’t look. Dex, cover it up. It looks amazing, Luke, believe me, babe.” She smiles at me. I do believe her. I also trust her with my life. But this shit has me worried.
“Luke, can you go and check on Ads for me, please?” Dex asks, while taping up the tissue paper over my new ink. I frown at him, so he explains. “She wasn’t feeling all too great earlier. Try and tell her to let me take her home. Plus, I want a chat with my sister.”
“Oooookay,” I say, and jump off the chair. I slide my t-shirt back on over my head and lean in to kiss Peaches on the lips. It was supposed to be a sweet kiss, but damn it if she doesn’t suck me in with her flavour. I breathe her in and savour her taste, until her dickhead of a big brother clears his throat.
“Today, fuckface,” he mutters, but a small smile appears
on his face.
“I’m going. You can’t blame me for wanting a taste.” My dad always kisses my mum when he leaves or enters a room. It was what we always saw growing up, so, to us, it’s normal to show affection to those we love.
“Umm, yeah, I can. She’s my sister, man.” Dex shudders and I laugh.
“Yeah, but she isn’t mine.” I wink at Ivy and leave the room, closing the door behind me before walking to Addy’s room. She’s sitting at her desk, leaning forward with her head resting on her arms. I walk over to her and rub her back. She doesn’t flinch or move a muscle. Wow, she must be ill.
“Addy, sweets, you okay? Dex said you weren’t feeling too good.” She shakes her head back and forth but doesn’t look up to me. I see a full bottle of water next to her, but it’s unopened. I reach for the bottle and tap her back.
“Ads, you need to take in fluids if you’re ill. You also need to go home.” Her head shakes again and I chuckle. I tap her again, and this time she slowly lifts her head. I frown at the look on her face. She is pale as shit. Her eyes are red, like she’s been crying, but this is Addison-fucking-Cole; she doesn’t cry over shit. She pulls her fluffy cardigan around herself tighter and goes to stand, but loses her footing.
“Whoa, there. Stay in the seat, honey. I’m going to get Dex. He needs to take you home. Why the hell did he let you come in this morning knowing you were this ill?” I’m pissed at Dex for allowing this. She needs her bed and a shitload of sleep.
“I came in after Dex. He left me at home to rest up, but I had things to do today. I have three girls coming in to have their bellybuttons pierced,” she croaks out. I hand her the bottle and nod to her to drink.
“Sit. I’ll be right back.” I walk to the front desk and pull up today's appointments. Lucky for me, the booking is in one name, so I send them an email, cancelling today’s appointment due to illness. I know I do piercings as well, but not today. I’m off for the rest of the day. I have dinner plans for the three of us. I check out the bookings for today and see that I was the last one, so I flip the closed sign on the door because I know Dex will want to take Addy home and take care of her. Jay is off today and with Cassie, doing some dog walking shit they signed up for.