Shea froze. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Watch your language.”
“Fuck my language!” she screamed. “Tell me what you mean. You can’t hurt Shep. He means nothing to you. He’s not part of your circles and thank God for that,” she spat.
Her mother raised her chin. “Oh, yes, he’s certainly not part of that. He’ll never be part of that. But what he is, is a lowlife with no college education who does something prisoners do in a jail cell.”
“Shep’s art is brilliant. You know nothing about him. Stop putting him down.”
“He’s nothing. With just a few phone calls, I can close that harbor of harlots, Midnight Ink. I’ll make it so he can’t even draw with chalk on the street without the police on his back for some crime or another. I’ll ruin him, Shea. Don’t think I won’t. And if you still refuse to stay away from him, I’ll ruin that other shop in Denver, Montgomery Ink. I’ll ruin them all.”
The determined glint in her mother’s eyes made Shea want to throw up.
As it was, bile filled her mouth, and she fought to control her shaking.
Jesus.
Who was this woman?
“You…you can’t do that,” Even to Shea’s ears, she knew her voice sounded weak.
Of course her mother could do that. The woman lived for things like this. She had connections through money and the family everywhere.
Shep could actually lose everything because her mother was a selfish, vindictive shrew.
Jesus.
“You know I can, Shea. You know I’d crush him under my shoe without even batting an eyelash. I’d enjoy it too.”
Shea swallowed hard. “Why? Why do you want to do this?”
“We need Richard’s family,” her mother snapped. “We might have money and power in this state, but Richard’s has it throughout the entire country. Together we can go even further. You know Richard has political ambitions. With you by his side, our family will be in the hallowed halls for generations. We will be remembered. Eternal.”
The woman had to be crazy.
Certifiably insane.
“If you don’t leave him, I’ll take it all from him, Shea. You have until tonight.”
With that, her mother turned on her expensive heels and left Shea standing alone in her office.
Broken.
Shea staggered back, her feet barely working as she bumped into her desk. A stack of papers fell to the floor, but she ignored them.
What was she going to do?
This couldn’t be happening. Her mother couldn’t just come into her life and try to regain the control she’d had for so long.
Shea closed her eyes, the tears she hadn’t noticed before falling harder.
She’d lose Shep.
To ensure his life remained as he knew it, to ensure his happiness, she’d lose him.
Her arms went numb, her chest tingling.
God.
She couldn’t lose him. She’d just found him.
She’d finally stood up to her mother with her chin held high, and it was for naught. Her mother always had the upper hand, the ace up her sleeve, and now she had what would guarantee the end of the life Shea wanted to build with a man she loved.
No matter how much she thought she could fight it, her mother would fight harder to punish Shea for the faults and wrongdoings she’d never actually committed.
That was the type of woman her mother was.
Shea didn’t know how to fight against it.
Oh, she might have learned to fight for herself and would fight to the ends of the earth for Shep, but to risking hurting Shep beyond measure fighting against her mother when she knew she couldn’t win?
No.
She couldn’t do that.
She’d have to in order to make sure he could live without her.
She’d marry Richard and break completely in the process.
She’d do anything for Shep.
Even leave him.
She cleaned up the stack of papers she’d dropped and put them on top of the other stack of papers that she’d leave to the other accountants.
Hell. She was really giving up.
This was the person her mother had made her, the person she’d fought so hard not to be.
She hated it.
“Shea? I brought coffee.”
The sound of Shep’s voice startled her, and she dropped the papers in her hand on the floor. She cursed again—inwardly reminding herself she’d have to stop that when she married Richard—and bent to pick them up.
“Oh, I’m sorry, baby, for scaring you. Here, let me help with that.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shep put down two coffee cups and a bag of something and walk toward her.
She had to turn away.
It hurt too much to face him.
She would just have to slink away like the coward she was.
“I’ve got it. I’m actually kind of busy right now. You’ve caught me at a bad time.” Her voice was ice, just like it had been before she’d walked into Midnight Ink the first time and clapped eyes on the man she’d fallen in love with.
“Hey, what’s up? What’s wrong?” He put his hand on her elbow, turning her toward him. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze. “Talk to me.”
“You need to go, Shep.” The words were torn from her, bile rising in her throat yet again.
He lifted her head with a finger on her chin. “Why, Shea? Why do I need to go?”
“You…you have to leave. This has been fun. It really has, but I need to go back to my life. I’ve changed my mind about the tattoo. I don’t want it anymore. I don’t want you anymore.”
She held back the tears, the agony unbearable.
Pain flashed across Shep’s face before his expression went carefully blank. “What?”
“I…I can’t be with you anymore. We’re different people. You’re so…you. So vibrant. So…Midnight Ink. I am ice. I’ve always been ice, and I will always be ice. You need to go, Shep.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Shea?”
“You need to go, Shep. We can’t see each other anymore. It’s over.”
He looked down at her, wearing that same expression he’d worn when she’d first asked for her tattoo at Midnight Ink.
“No.”
Chapter Seven
“No,” Shep repeated, keeping the anger—the anguish—at bay. “No. You don’t get to do this.”
“No? Why do you keep saying that? You can’t just say no and get what you want.” Her chin wobbled, and Shep clenched his jaw. Something was going on here, something more than fear of commitment or whatever he thought it might have been at first.
No, this was something much worse.
Shea was scared about something, and he’d be damned if he let her end it now because of it.
“I said no in the shop because you had no fucking clue what you wanted inked on your body, Shea. It’s permanent. It’s not a fucking dress or some shit like that.”
Her head snapped back as though he’d slapped her, and he took a breath through his nose. Shit. He hadn’t meant to lash out, but he was just so fucking angry that she was trying to leave him.
He’d never wanted a committed relationship before, yet now he wanted one.
With Shea.
She didn’t get to leave.
Not when he knew she wanted the same thing.
Or least had wanted.
“I know a tattoo isn’t a dress or pair of shoes, Shep. I’m not an idiot. Don’t treat me like one.”
“Then don’t treat me like an idiot and lie to me. You’re leaving because you’re done with me? Fuck that. You’re lying. Now tell me what the fuck is going on.”
She swallowed hard, his gaze following the long lines of her throat. “I’m done, Shep. I don’t want this.” Her voice broke, but she didn’t let the tears in her eyes fall. “Just go. Please.”
He cupped her face, and she tried to move back. He tighten
ed his grip, not enough to hurt, but to show her he wasn’t letting her go.
Not without an explanation.
Maybe not ever.
“You don’t get to leave me, Shea. Not when I know you’re leaving because you’re scared. If you didn’t want me anymore? I’d know. You wouldn’t be on the verge of breaking down. Something scared you. What was it, baby?”
She closed her eyes. “Let me go, Shep. I…I can’t do this. I can’t let you get hurt.”
Hurt?
“Tell me, Shea.”
“I can’t.”
“Is it your family?” Her eyes opened, and she nodded. Okay. He was getting warm. “You aren’t who your family is, Shea. You aren’t the person your mother wants you to be.” She flinched. “Baby, you’re so much fucking more. You’re a breath of fresh air and so fucking amazing that I want to find every single layer of your soul and wrap myself in it. I love you so fucking much, Shea. Can’t you see that?”
Her breath quickened. “Don’t say that, Shep. You can’t mean that.”
“Stop it. You don’t get to tell me how I feel. I love you. I’ve never loved anyone other than my family, so don’t tell me I’m wrong. I fucking love you.”
“You’re trying to tell me how I feel!”
“Because you’re lying to yourself! You aren’t the person your family thinks you are, or should be, Shea. You aren’t who you think you are.”
She sighed.
He was getting closer.
“I want you, Shea. I want everything. I want the woman I went with on those nights. I want the woman in the prim dress and fuck-me heels. I want everything.”
“Shep.”
“No, let me finish. I want you to get that tattoo. I want to mark your body with your soul then mark you with me. I want you to look down at yourself and know I love you.”
The tears started falling.
“Then, baby, I want your brand on my body. I want you to look at me and know I love you.”
“Shep.”
“I want everything, Shea.”
She pulled away and tried to go around him. He wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her close so her back rested against his front. He pressed his nose to her nose and inhaled.
“Baby, tell me what’s wrong.”
“I can’t.” Her voice shook, and he broke for her.
“Baby, don’t be scared. I’ll be there to catch you, though you’re strong enough to catch yourself, too. You just have to believe it.”
Silence, then a whispered, “I-I’m not strong enough. I’m a c-coward.” The tears fell in earnest now, and he turned her, crushing her to his body.
He ran a hand down her back while murmuring his love and promises.
“Baby, tell me what happened.”
“My mother,” she whispered, her voice dead.
His grip tightened. “Your mother?” What the fuck had the bitch done now?
“She…” Shea stopped, took a deep breath, and tilted her chin until she met his gaze. “She told me that if I kept seeing you, she’d destroy you.”
“Destroy me? What the fuck? Does she think this is some B movie or something?”
Shea shook her head. “You don’t understand. My family has connections. No, not mob connections or anything.” She paused. “Actually, I don’t know if that’s true. But the thing is, they have money. Lots of money. Mother uses that money to get what she wants.”
“And what she wants this time is to break us up.”
Shea bit her lip. “That and more.”
“Why do I not like the sound of more?”
“She wants me to leave my job and meet Richard tonight.”
“Richard. Your ex-fiancé, Richard?”
“That’s the one. She says she’s paid him to marry me. She sold me to gain more influence for the family.”
He hugged her tighter. “Oh, baby. I love you, but I want to fucking kill your mom.”
“You’ll have to stand in line,” she mumbled.
“Tell me about what she has on you for you to even consider this, Shea. I know you, baby. You left the family once, and yet you’re going to go back to them?”
“Like I said. She’s going to destroy you.”
“How? Honey, she doesn’t even know me. How can she destroy me?”
“She’s going to have Midnight Ink shut down and make it so you can’t work. Then she’s going to hurt your family up in Denver, Austin and everyone. Shep, she’s done things like this in the past. She had my third grade teacher fired and her license revoked because the woman stood up to her when Mother wanted me to do different work than the kids whose parents had less money than us.”
“Jesus. What a fucking bitch. How the hell did she do that?”
“I don’t know. Money solves a lot of problems for her. Shep, I don’t want you to lose everything. I can’t let that happen.”
He kissed her. Hard.
When he pulled back, she looked up at him, her eyes dark.
“No. She doesn’t get to do this. Fuck that. She might know people, but the people at Midnight Ink are even craftier than her. Fuck her. My family has influence too, baby. Not the same as her, but enough that she can’t hurt us. I’ll find a way to keep us safe, baby. You don’t get to run from me in order to protect me. Got it?”
“Shep. I won’t have her hurt you.”
“Well, you don’t get to decide that.”
“You tell me to be independent and fight for myself. That’s what I’m doing.”
“No. You’re fighting for me and doing a fucked-up job of it.”
“Well, fuck you!”
Shep threw his head back and laughed.
“This isn’t a time to laugh, Shep.”
“Jesus, baby, you just told me to fuck myself. You, the one who doesn’t like using curse words except when I’m buried deep inside you.”
A slow blush crept over her skin. “Stop bringing that up.”
“Baby, you look beautiful when you come. You look beautiful every day. You do not get to leave me because your mom is a bitch. I’ll call a few guys at Midnight and get this taken care of. She doesn’t have the power she thinks she does. We’re not high up in the echelons of power. We’re down and dirty. She can’t play our game.”
“You promise?” she asked, her voice so full of hope he broke for her.
“I promise. Don’t leave me, Shea.”
“I didn’t want to. I want to stay with you. I want it all too.” The last part was whispered.
“Jesus I love you so much.” He kissed her hard then pulled back. “Do you have anything to say to me?” he teased.
Shea smiled, the tears in her eyes now of happiness rather than the pain he’d seen before. “I love you so much. So freaking much.”
“Damn straight, woman. Now, you have the office to yourself for a bit?”
Shea frowned. “Yes. I’m alone today. Why?”
“Because I’m going to fuck you on your desk while you’re wearing those pretty pink heels. Got a problem with that?”
Her eyes darkened, and she squirmed in his hold. “Shep…”
“Got a problem with that?” he repeated.
“No,” she whispered.
“Good. Take off your panties, Shea.”
She gulped. “What about my skirt or shirt?”
“I want to keep you dressed. Doesn’t that sound good? Me fucking you with us both dressed so when you go back to work later today, you’ll be wearing my scent?”
She nodded and moved to slide down her panties.
What a sight.
Jesus.
He undid his jeans and took his cock out. Then he took the condom out of his back pocket—something he always had on him since meeting Shea—tore the package open, and slid it over his length.
“Bend over your desk, Shea.”
She licked her lips and did what she was told. Her skirt was too long for him to see anything so he stood back and stroked his already hard cock.
“Hike up yo
ur skirt. Show me that pretty pussy.”
Her arms reached around, and she slid her skirt up to her hips, keeping her cheek to the desk. Hell, his woman knew what he wanted.
The act left her ass and pussy bare for him.
“Spread your legs a bit, baby. I want to see all of you.”
She did so, her legs shaky in her high heels, but she looked damn gorgeous.
Her ass was round, firm, yet with enough give that he always had a nice grip when he pumped into her. Her pussy was wet just from his voice, and he couldn’t wait to sink his cock into it. Usually, he’d eat her out and go slow, but right now, he wanted her around his dick.
He stalked toward her and rested one palm on her ass. He moved and slapped it hard.
“Shep.”
“Never leave me again. Don’t even think about it. Not when it’s for something as stupid as what happened.”
She nodded, and he soothed the spot he’d slapped. They didn’t play with spanking, other than a few here or there, but from the way she’d gasped when he did it, it would be something for them to look forward to in the future.
He let the tip of his cock rest against her folds, and she sighed. She tried to push back, taking more of him, but he held her firmly.
“Not yet, Shea. Let me control it.”
“Anything, Shep.”
God, he loved this woman.
He positioned himself then slammed into her with one thrust.
She arched back, a scream in her throat. Her pussy constricted around him as she came.
“Jesus, Shea. You came with just one touch. You’re fucking hot, you know that?”
“You do it to me, Shep. Now, please, fuck me. Make me yours.”
Well, if that’s what she wanted.
He pulled back slowly then entered her just as fast as he had before. He gripped her hips and fucked her hard, pumping into her as fast as he could. Sweat beaded his forehead as he fought to keep from coming.
He didn’t want this to end.
No, he wanted the image of Shea bent over her desk, his dick sliding in and out of her pussy, ingrained on his mind forever.
His balls tightened, and he cursed before pulling out of her.
“What?” she asked before he flipped her on her back and entered her in one stroke. “Oh,” she gasped.
[Montgomery Ink 00.5 - 01.0] Box Set Page 7