by Maree, Kay
Inked Temptation
Book One
Inked Series
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2018 by Kay Maree
Thank you for purchasing this book. It remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned or distributed for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author and publisher. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed. If you enjoy this book, then please encourage your friends to purchase their own copy.
Cover and Interior Images © Depositphotos
Editing – Susan Horsnell & Word Writer Pro
Published By:
Susan Horsnell T/A Cocky Romance Publishing
A.B.N. 57 357 599 847
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
THE PAST
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
THE PAST
Can someone so Perfect heal someone so Broken???? | Inked Perfection | Coming in late 2018
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Further Reading: Angel Mine
Dedication
Aleisha Maree and Kirstymarie, you ladies push me daily and I couldn’t have finished this book without your constant love, support and encouragement.
I fight for strength, to breath and to earn my wings every day and no matter what time it is, I know you girls have my back.
So, I dedicate Ally & Xavier’s story to you two beautiful souls and I hope you push for strength, for breath and for the wings you need in life to make your souls complete.
Love you girls hard.
Friends for life. xx
Acknowledgements
First a huge thank you to my family - without your love and support I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Secondly, I want to thank my beautiful editor Susan Horsnell. You are amazing, special, kind and so much more. You always go above and beyond to help me and there are never enough thank yous in the world to repay what you do for me.
To my Beta girls, you ladies are amazing and encouraging and no matter what I throw at you, you eat it up and still ask for more. I love you crazy girls, keep being you and never let anyone dull your sparkle.
Leanna, Cynthia, Amanda, Tania, Annmarie, Kristine, Erica, Zoe, Ianeta & Julie.
To all my Readers -thank you so much for taking a chance on my book babies. I hope they touch your lives just as much as they touch mine. You guys are amazing keep being you, fight over book boyfriends, keep stalking the Authors you love, but also remember to raise your face to the sun and feel the heat flush against your skin, Dance in the rain just to remind yourself you’re alive. It’s the simple moments in life which keep us pushing forward. Fight for strength, love and the happily ever after you deserve.
Love you all, you guys make my heart full.
Kay Maree xx
THE PAST
“Morning Button,” my father calls out as I make my way into the
kitchen. I find him flipping pancakes like a pro.
“Morning Dad.” I cross to where he is standing at the stove, wrap my arms around his waist and he bends down to kiss the top of my head.
“How did you sleep?”
Releasing my hold, I head to the fridge and grab the orange juice before moving to the small dining table.
I turn to smile at him. “Great, did Mom get away okay this morning?” Mum was heading to Queensland for a couple of days with a few of her friends.
“Yep.”
I look over my shoulder to see him nodding and peering through the kitchen window with a faraway look on his face. I know they’ve been having troubles lately, I hear them arguing at night when they think I’m sleeping. My parents never argue in front of me and I know it’s mostly because my father won’t allow it. He doesn’t want me seeing their animosity toward each other. But, I’m eighteen now, not a little girl anymore. I’m aware they’ve been having problems for a long time and as much as I love my parents, my mother is far from maternal. I’ve heard her a few times, late at night, telling my father the only reason she had me was because of him. It hurts a little less each time she says it. I guess I’ve become used to the way she is, I can’t change her so, I try not to let it worry me. My father loves me dearly and only ever wants me to be happy, I just wish he would realize, I want him to be happy too. Whether it’s with my mother, or on his own, everybody deserves to be happy. Especially my dad.
“Ally!” Dad’s shout breaks into my thoughts.
Shaking my head, I make my way towards the cupboard to grab some glasses.
“Sorry, dad.”
“You looked like you were off with the pixies.” He laughs and shakes his head at me as he plates up the mouthwatering pancakes.
“Is everything ok, Button?” Concern is clear in his voice and I hate that I have worried him.
I smile at his pet name for me. He used to call me Button Nose, but when I turned fourteen. I told him I was getting too old for it. So, he shortened it to Button and won’t budge. I won’t ever admit it, but I kind of like it.
“Yeah everything is perfect, I was just...” I don’t get to finish my sentence when the doorbell sounds
“I’ll grab the door, here pop these on the table” I hand him the glasses and hurry towards the front door. I glance at the clock on the wall as I pass, it’s 8:30 am. I wonder who would be calling this early on a Saturday morning. Pulling the door open, I’m surprised to find my ex-boyfriend, Luke, standing before me.
We broke up about two months ago. He was too intense and borderline crazy for me to handle. Not the good kind of crazy, more like he enjoyed pushing the limits by inflicting pain type of crazy. We were only together for about four months before his true colors surfaced.
I feel a chill descend over me and realize I’m shaking. My chest tightens. What is he doing here? He should be in jail. Oh God, why is he here?
“Luke.....” I manage to get out in a shaky voice before severe pain erupts across my belly.
I look down and my eyes widen at the sight of a huge knife protruding from my belly. A river of blood soaks my shirt. I stumble backwards, trip on the hallway rug and crash to the ground as everything around me becomes a blur. I hear my father shouting in the background while things are smashing in the distance. I taste the salt of my tears. My eyes flutter shut. Pain and blood flash behind my eyelids before darkness pulls me under.
CHAPTER ONE
Ally
I wake with a start....heart pounding.... sweat pouring down my face. My hand shakes as I reach out and grab the glass of water from my bedside table. Holding the glass to rest against my forehead, I hope the coolness will calm me down and slow my racing heart.
&nbs
p; Reaching out with my free hand, I grab my phone and swipe the alarm off. I’m not in the mood right now for my alarm tone - Brave by Sara Bareilles. I have had it as my alarm tone since it was released, hoping it would push me forward each day. But, today I don’t feel the need to push forward. I guess for the next week, this is a feeling which will haunt me. It’s been four years since the nightmare of that day happened and it still feels like yesterday.
I remember so clearly, waking up in the hospital and being told my father was dead. Then, being told I had been asleep for 6 days.
I had expected to see my mother sitting beside my bed, but I should have known better. The selfish cow only ever thought about herself so, why did I think losing her husband and nearly losing her daughter would change anything? Shaking the thoughts free, I push to my feet and head towards the bathroom, needing a shower to clean myself of the recurring nightmare.
Have you ever looked at your reflection in the mirror and wondered how you ended up the way you have and not in a good way? I do this every morning, wonder where I went wrong. Was it the moment my father was taken away from me or, was it what happened afterwards when my mother put it all on me? Every day I feel like I’m stumbling through the dark and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to shake free and pull myself into the light. Pushing the feeling to the back of my mind, I blow out a deep breath.
Thinking of my mother, I better go and see her today. I don’t live at home anymore. When I was released from the hospital, I couldn’t go back to where dad had died. So, I used the money I had saved and moved to a one-bedroom apartment near Merewether beach. It’s nothing flash, it’s actually not much more than the size of a shoebox, but it works for me and it’s cheap. It’s not like I have a lot of stuff.
Reaching up, I take the towel off my head and watch as auburn hair falls to my shoulders. I shiver as a few water droplets slide down my back. After quickly drying off, I throw on a pair of black yoga pants and a brown tank top before sitting on the side of my queen size bed and pulling my sneakers on. I already feel my stomach roil at the mere thought of having to see that woman. I hate going there. Not only does she still live in the same house, but every time I visit, she gives me another reason why everything which happened four years ago is my fault.
I can still hear her voice in my head from the last time I called in... “What good are you? I wish I’d never had you.”
I shake my head as I make my way towards the front door. I try to visit at least once a week on a Saturday because I know my dad would have wanted me to and I guess I believe I deserve the ugly words she throws at me.
Looking up at the yellow painted two-story house, it looks so picture perfect with it’s green lawn and white picket fence, you would never guess at the ugliness which happened that day. Pushing my shoulders back, I swing open the gate and make my way up the path towards the front door. I reach out and grip the door handle. My hand shakes as visions from that day assault my mind once again. The yelling, the pain and then nothing but darkness. As I open the door, I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. After a moment, I open my eyes and allow them to adjust to the dimly lit hallway. It’s like I have walked into a cave with only a few lamps scattered around the place emitting a soft glow. The curtains are drawn closed. Trying to ignore the state of the house, I head towards the living room where I hear the television. I suck in a deep breath as the stench of stale cigarette hits my nose, causing my stomach to roil. It smells like an ashtray in here. This is nothing like the home I grew up in.
“Hi, mother.” I speak as nicely as I can.
Turning to face me from her recliner, I notice her bloodshot eyes and know today’s visit is going to be a bad one. I straighten my back in readiness for the verbal blow I know will come. I move forward and start picking up the empty bottles of alcohol strewn on the floor as well as the overflowing ashtray beside her. I keep my eyes on what I’m doing so I don’t have to see the hate and disgust in her eyes. I don’t need to see them to know that’s the look she is giving me. I can feel them boring into me as I move around the room.
“Why you?” Her speech is slurred.
My stomach twists and my heart feels heavy in my chest knowing exactly what she means by those words. Why did I survive and not my father? I don’t answer because, I don’t know the answer. It’s also the same question I ask myself every day.
“I’m talking to you, you little bitch,” she spits out.
I still don’t say anything.
“You’re such a fucking spoilt brat!”
I suck in a breath when I hear her moving around behind me and cringe, knowing what’s about to come.
“You think you’re so fucking special!”
She pushes me and I try to keep my balance, but it’s no use and before I know what’s happening, I hit the ground hard. Rolling onto my back, I wince as pain shoots up my side. I try to keep the pained look off my face because I know it will only give her more ammunition to use against me.
“Don’t touch me,” I bite out in a voice I can only hope comes out stronger than I’m feeling. Not backing down, I look her dead in the eyes. Something flashes across her face but it was so quick, I don’t get time to work out what it was.
“You’re not worth it,” she spits before turning and making her way towards the stairs leading up to the second floor.
I don’t bother helping her when she wobbles and has to use the wall for support. Instead, I wait to hear her reach the top, quickly clean up the mess I can see and get the hell out of here.
I know my reality, I know what my life has become. I don’t have any friends which is why all I do is work and go home. I can’t let anybody in because nobody deserves to deal with the failure I have become.
I struggle to catch my breath and hear my heart echoing in my ears. I need air. I need to be somewhere which centers me. I need out of this house, out of this nightmare which has become my constant companion.
I just want to breath and live without this weight always holding me down.
CHAPTER TWO
Xavier
The breath catches in my throat as I watch the way her head tilts back while she soaks in the warmth of the day. Her hair falls down her back in waves, the ends kissing the sand. I bite back a groan as the urge to grip those silky auburn strands in my hands overwhelms me. Fuck, it’s been like this for weeks.
I can still remember the first time I saw her. One glance and it was as if I’d been sucker punched in the stomach. I couldn’t catch my breath. I’d sat on an old wooden bench seat overlooking Merewether beach after grabbing some lunch from one of the cafes nearby. I had just lifted the coffee to my lips when I spotted her. She was walking along the sand, the water rushed over her feet and she bent down to pick up a shell. As she lifted it to her eyes, the sun shone around her. It was as if everything else disappeared and it was just her and me, the smell of salt in the air.
Her long auburn hair fluttered around her, lifted by the soft sea breeze. Her curvy hips swayed as she walked, but it was the look on her face which took me off guard and had everything in me standing to attention. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and keep her safe, but instead I stayed rooted to the spot and watched as she made her way along the sand. I couldn’t take my eyes from her. She seemed so lost and far away. From the first day I saw her, I wanted to go to her, claim her. It was like a force was pulling me to her, but the faraway look in her eyes, the pain, held me back. So, instead, every day I sit on the same bench, eat my lunch and wait for her to come.
Pushing through the glass doors of Xtreme Ink on Darby street, I soak in the familiar atmosphere which always surrounds me. I know, no matter what happens, this place is where I belong.
I bought Xtreme Ink a few years back. No matter what shit is thrown my way, I know this place settles me. I look around at the bare brick walls which have copper pipes running along them. Black framed photos, showcasing peoples tattoos in each of them, hang from the pipes. Copper pendant lights hang abov
e each one highlighting the images below. I soak it all in, from the charcoal tiles on the floor to the roof with its bare wooden beams left open and on display. A huge copper fan spins slowly, circulating and cooling the air. It resembles an old warehouse but is a smaller version. It doesn’t matter what happens outside this place because being in here centers me.
I pass by the huge, black leather lounge which sits along one wall and the sleek black desk in the waiting area before heading towards the hallway which leads to a small kitchen at the back of the shop. I need a coffee.
My best friend, Beau strolls out of the kitchen and gives me a chin lift. I hired him not long after I bought the place. He looks like a mean bastard with his dark hair and sharp blue eyes. He stands an inch shorter than my 6’4” and is covered in tattoos. We have known each other since we were kids and nothing gets past him, including my bad mood.
“What’s happening, mate?" he calls out as I storm past him, not interested in stopping to talk.
I grunt in reply not in the fucking mood for his candy ass today. I should have known better than to think he’d leave me the fuck alone when he starts following me into the kitchen.
“X what’s up, man?” He leans against the bench as I make my coffee, eyes boring into me.
Erica, another one of my tattoo artists walks in wearing a large pair of black sunglasses. She looks pale, pasty, like she has been hugging the toilet bowl all night.
“You sick?" I ask her while attempting to ignore Beau.
I can feel his eyes still on me, but don’t want to get into shit right now. Especially before my morning coffee. How could I even begin to explain what the fuck is going on with me when I don’t even know? Fuck! I’m no fucking saint. I’ve had my fair share of women but this woman does something to me and I’ve been trapped in some kind of fucking bubble ever since.
From the first time I laid eyes on her, nobody has come up to scratch and my cock has no interest in anybody else. I haven’t even said two words to this woman. One fucking look! One fucking look was all it took. I may as well cut my balls off and give them to her.