“I want to see your face when I come.” He tangled the fingers of one hand with hers, the other on her ass to keep her steady. She wrapped her legs around his waist, heels and all.
He pumped into her as he kissed her, trailing his lips on every part of her he could reach. They were both still wearing clothes, and he knew as soon as he could, he’d strip them both so they could touch skin to skin.
His dick throbbed, ready to explode, and he took her mouth one more time.
“Love you, Shea.”
“Love you, Shep.”
He slammed once more into her, his come filling the condom as he groaned her name into her neck.
“Best. Ever,” Shea panted.
He grinned against her. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Epilogue
“It rubs the lotion on its skin…”
Shep froze, one hand on Shea’s side, the other on her bare bottom, keeping her in place. He repressed a shudder and closed his eyes.
“Shea, baby, stop saying that every time I put lotion on your tattoo.”
She twisted around so he could see her face. The action brought her breasts closer to him so he leaned down to lick one peak.
He couldn’t help himself.
Shea moaned and wiggled in his hold. He squeezed her ass then spanked her hard. “Keep still.”
“You just spanked me!”
“You keep making that creepy movie reference when I rub you down with lotion.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Sorry. It just comes to mind whenever you’re lubing up my tattoo.”
“And stop calling it lube. We’ve had to be careful for months so I wouldn’t hurt you when I fucked you, so don’t get me hard now.”
Shea pouted, and Shep laughed. Oh yeah, he loved this new playful Shea. Sure, she could still be the ice princess when she needed to be, but whenever it was just the two of them, she was pure silk.
Pure his.
Together, they’d broken ties with Shea’s family for good. That damn mother had no idea who she’d been trying to mess with. The Montgomerys and the people of Midnight Ink did not bow to anyone. It had taken only a few calls and they had enough dirt on Mr. and Mrs. Little to bury them forever. It was amazing what money for drugs and the need for kink—kink that wasn’t within the boundaries of the law—could do to a family that prided themselves on being proper.
Apparently being proper was only for the cameras.
He’d chosen to keep that close to the vest though. There was no way he’d hurt Shea in the process of taking out her parents. He’d had the people at Midnight blackmail them. Yes, Shea knew everything to the last detail, even though she’d hated it, but nothing would blow back on her.
The Littles relented, and Shea had broken free.
She was free to be herself, to be with him, and to get her ink.
He ran a hand over the piece that had taken two very long sessions to complete. Shea had been a trooper, only wincing a couple of times before she fell into a rhythm with the buzz of the needle.
Oh yeah, he totally fucking loved this woman.
His finger traced the cherry blossom tree that ran up her entire right side and smiled. A branch curved under her breast and he knew that had hurt like a bitch, but she hadn’t complained. Another branch ran up to her shoulder so it peeked out of dresses she wore. The tree’s limbs tangled around the trunk and down across her hip, flowed across her lower back and ended right above her ass.
Seriously, it was his best piece of work ever.
Each bloom was a delicate form of pink, white, and shading.
The cherry blossom symbolized the end of winter, a difficult time, or a journey that had taken its toll. They’d chosen the cherry blossom tree because of her change and the way she wanted to live life.
Free.
She blossomed without her family’s influence, so it was only fitting he’d done this for her.
What made that tattoo perfect for them were the carvings within the trunk of the tree. He hadn’t gone for the normal fill and shading but had sketched markings that were special to them, leaving room in certain areas to add more when they occurred.
There was a Celtic marking for joy right on her ribcage. He remembered her laugh, her smile, her pure joy on their first date while listening to the bands play.
Another marking was Celtic for fearless. She’d run through the cemetery with him, jumped head first into his world, and brightened it for him. She’d gotten one of the largest tats he’d ever done on her first try because that’s who she was.
The final marking was for freedom. That was the easiest thing to put on her body. She was finally free, though her freedom did come with him attached.
Not that she minded.
He rested his hand on her side and looked down at her. “I love you, Shea.”
“I love you too, Shep. Though now that I’m fully healed, I’d love you more if you’d finally get down to business like you’ve been planning.”
He threw his head back and laughed.
“Shush you. I was going to ask you something. Stop getting me hard.” He looked down at his cock. “Or harder.”
Shea snorted then sat up, her breasts jiggling when she did so.
He loved how she jiggled.
“What’s up?”
He cupped her face, his heart racing. He took a deep breath and took the plunge. “I want to be with you forever, Shea. Forever. Marry me. Have lots of babies with me. Just be with me.”
Shea’s eyes widened, and she threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. Shep scrambled and pulled her closer.
He pulled back. “Is that a yes? I know we’ve only been seeing each other a few months but…”
“Shut up. Of course it’s a yes!”
Shep smiled, joy filling him. “Fuck yeah. You’re mine, soon to be Mrs. Montgomery.”
Shea licked her lips. “Shea Montgomery? I love it.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
She ran a hand through his hair. “I love it when you get sappy, my sexy, tattooed, bearded man.”
He leaned down and ran his scruff over her cheek. “Only for you, Shea. Only for you.”
Shea had given him everything.
His future.
His happiness.
His inspiration.
Now he had a lifetime to pay her back.
Coming Next in the Montgomery Ink Series:
Sassy gets her story in a special bonus prequel, INK REUNITED
The first full length novel, Montgomery Ink Book 1, features Austin: DELICATE INK
Ink Reunited
A Bonus Montgomery Ink Novella
By
Carrie Ann Ryan
Ink Reunited
From the streets of New Orleans and the heat of Midnight Ink, comes the happy ever after for a character whose story was begged to be told.
Sassy Bordeaux is the Midnight Ink receptionist, honorary godmother, best friend to many, and matchmaker expert. In the past two months, she's watched eight couples fall in love, make mistakes, and find their happy endings. Though she might have had hand in each of those, she's yet to find the peace she's desired. When the men from her past come into Midnight Ink, she's forced to face what she left behind and what could happen if she lets go of her pain and finds a future she deserves.
Rafe Chavez and Ian Steele remember their time with Sassy like it was yesterday, yet have worked hard to move on. Or at least try to. Now they're both back in New Orleans for the woman they loved and for the connection they shared with each other. It will take more than the usual groveling, pleading and begging for these three to overcome their history, but once they take that step, the streets of New Orleans will never be the same.
Chapter One
“So, should I get a butterfly on my butt or a cobra on my hip?”
Sassy Bordeaux grinned at the just-turned-eighteen years old high school senior, and tapped her finger with a deliciously apple-red colored nail on her
chin. The numerous bangles that adorned her wrists, covering yet still showing peeks of some of the tattoos she had on her forearms, jingled together with the movement. The sound mixed in with the echoes of motorized needles, laughter, music, and chatting within the shop.
The girl in front of her might have been eighteen, but she still had the baby face of a girl still growing. Normally, Sassy wouldn’t have stepped in and told anyone that they weren’t ready for a tattoo, but today she needed to step in.
Oh, who the hell was she kidding?
Sassy always stepped in and told it like it was. There was no use lying only to make a few bucks for the shop while the client ended up leaving with ink they really didn’t want—or ink that didn’t fit who they were—merely who they thought they should be.
She might have been the Midnight Ink receptionist and while most people on the outside thought her job was to make coffee and appointments, she and the crew knew better. She was the first line of defense for the artists’ work and the clients’ canvas.
It was a job she took seriously.
Even if she seemed like the crazy lady from the streets of New Orleans most days. That misperception by others led her to freedom.
Everyone underestimated Sassy.
Even Sassy underestimated herself sometimes.
Okay, totally the wrong direction for her thoughts.
Pushing away memories she’d rather not think about ever again, she placed her hand on top of the girl’s hand and shook her head.
“Honey, is this really what you want?” she asked, lowering her voice, already smooth as honey, to a near-whisper.
The girl blinked up at her. “Uh yeah? I mean. I’m here aren’t I?”
Sassy flipped her hair over her shoulder, the long brown waves tumbled down her back. Today, she had bright blue streaks in it thanks to the colored hair chalk she used. She liked changing it up daily and sometimes would change the color in the middle of the work day just to make people think twice.
The customers who didn’t know her—and some who did—thought she was a little too crazy for them so she fed the fantasy and did nothing to change their minds.
Plus, the colors freaking rocked.
“What’s your name, sugar?” she asked as she led the girl to one of the small couches they had in the guest area of Midnight Ink.
“Hannah. And you’re Sassy. I’ve heard about you.”
From the odd look on Hannah’s face, Sassy wasn’t sure she wanted to know exactly what the girl had heard. There were a lot of stories as to how she’d come to work at Midnight Ink. Between being a spy, a lost princess, and a former model who lost her way due to drugs, Sassy had heard just about everything.
It wasn’t her fault the stories kept circulating. Okay, maybe it was considering she hadn’t discredited any of them, nor had she told the truth as to where she’d come from.
No one needed to know that, and the fiction was more exciting than fact anyway.
Sassy sank into the cushions of the couch she’d picked out for the shop and held back a sigh. Damn, she loved this couch. It was so plush yet didn’t look it. It fit the look of Midnight Ink with its cream softness yet strong angles. The rest of the place had wood floors and dark black chairs, tables, and stools that gleamed under the warm lighting. The little reception area where Sassy could speak with clients, as well as have the artists relax was her zone and where her own magic happened.
At least that’s what she hoped would happen in this case.
“So, Hannah, you’ve heard a lot about me?” Sassy asked, her tone casual. She needed to get out of her head and into this girl’s. What the hell was wrong with her today?
Hannah rolled her eyes then bit her lip, as if she’d thought better of the action. “Well, you’re…The Sassy. Everyone knows about you and your connection to Midnight Ink.”
Sassy held back a snort at “The Sassy”. Apparently her name was a title as well as who she was. She was special like that.
“Well, I am The Sassy, but that’s not the important thing, is it, honey?” At Hannah’s blank stare Sassy had to hold herself back from using small words. Damn, this girl was young. “Why do you want that tattoo?”
“Because I’m eighteen and it’s my right as an adult.” Hannah stuck out her lip in a pout that clearly said her words were a lie—at least the latter half.
An adult? Jesus, they made them younger and younger these days. Okay, so Sassy was only thirty-two, a baby in some respects but she’d seen enough to qualify her as more of an adult than this squeaky-clean teen.
“Okay, yes, ink is your right now that you’re eighteen, honey. You need to remember, though, that ink is for life. It’s not something to take for granted. Yes, a cobra on your hip would look kick-ass, in fact, I’ve seen a few that wrap around so beautifully, it’s a work of art onto itself. Hannah, baby, if you get that though, it needs to mean something beyond wanting to prove you’re older than what others think of you.”
From the guilty look on Hannah’s face, Sassy had hit the true reason for the girl’s bout of rebellion.
No use stopping now since there wasn’t a chance in hell any of the artists would lay ink on this virgin skin today. Hannah clearly wasn’t ready and Midnight Ink cared about things like that. It’s what made them who they were.
“Honey, go home and think about if this is truly what you want.”
“But I want a tattoo,” Hannah mumbled.
Sassy nodded. “Yes, I believe that you do, and I think that anything we put on you will look brilliant. Our artists rock, sugar, and they’ll make sure you look fantastic, but right now? No, honey, that’s not something you need. Wait until you’re ready to get one for you and not what you think you need for them.”
The girl let out a breath and ran a hand over her face. “I guess it was pretty stupid coming in here without an idea.”
Sassy reached around and gave Hannah a one-armed hug. “No, honey. Actually, coming into Midnight Ink is the smartest thing you could have done. Somewhere else might not have listened to what you needed rather than what you said you wanted.”
Hannah grinned up at her, looking much younger than her eighteen years if that was possible. “I guess that’s why they call you The Sassy. You know all.”
Sassy threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, I only wish I did, but it’s fun pretending I do. Now let’s get you a card just in case you decide to come back with a clear picture. When you do, we’ll find you an artist, but I think Shep or Rosie would work for you.”
Hannah ducked her head and blushed. “Shep’s the really hot guy with the tattoos on his arms and shoulder in the corner right?”
Sassy held back a laugh and looked in the corner to where Shep was clearly holding back a laugh of his own. Apparently, he had ears like a freaking cat.
“Yes, darling, that’s Shep. He’s taken, but it’s still nice to look and dream.”
Caliph, the big bruiser of an artist and Shep’s best friend, belted out a laugh and Hannah blushed even harder. Sassy glared at the man who smiled unrepentant, then let Hannah outside with a clear conscience.
She glided over to Caliph’s station, the sway in her hips making her look like she was prowling even when she wasn’t and waved her finger in her friend’s face.
“I can’t believe you laughed at her! She’s just a teenage girl with a crush.”
Caliph bowed his head and had the decency to look a little ashamed. A little. “Sorry, Sass. It was the idea of you fantasizing about dear old Shep that got me laughing, not the little girl who needed more time to think about her ink.”
Sassy let out a breath then smacked his shoulder. “I would have thought since you found Jennifer you wouldn’t be such a clueless brute when it came to girls.”
“Hey, give him a break, Sass,” Shep put in as he sidled up to them both. “He didn’t mean anything by it and Hannah was smiling when she walked out of here. Why are you acting like it was bigger than it was?”
Sassy blinked and took
a step back. Well, hell, she was blowing it out of proportion. All of Midnight Ink laughed and joked around. It was just what they did. They were a family and ribbed each other often. What the hell was wrong with her? And why had she asked that question more than once in such a short period of time?
Maybe she needed a break.
Or a man.
Nope. Not gonna think about that last one.
She patted Caliph’s cheek so he would bend down. When he did so, she placed a small kiss on each one then sighed. “I’m sorry, hon. I think I just need a nap.”
Or to get laid.
Stop it, Sassy.
Shep narrowed his eyes at her and she knew he didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, but she ignored it. Her friends, as much as she loved them, didn’t need to know everything about her.
“You should go home, Sass,” Shep put in. “We aren’t that busy and if you’re saying you need the rest, then take it.” He pulled her into a hug and she inhaled his spicy scent that did nothing for her other than remind her that he was family. “We love you, babe. You’ve taken care of us so now it’s time to take care of yourself.”
Sassy pulled back and pasted a smile on her face. Damn it. She knew that, yet the whole idea of taking care of herself was the reason she was in this rut.
Okay, so that was what was wrong with her.
“Shep, sugar, you don’t need to worry about Sassy.”
He grinned, his eyes dancing at her use of third person—exactly what she’d hoped for.
“Every time you talk about yourself in third person you freak me out. You know that right?”
Sassy nodded, her hair falling over her shoulders again. She never could make it do what she wanted most days. It seemed to like being even more free than she did. “That’s why I do it, Shep dear. Now get to work on that stencil of yours. And you, Caliph, you left someone sleeping on your bench. How they could fall asleep getting a tattoo, I’ll never know.”
The big man grinned, then leaned down to kiss her cheek. “My hands are just that talented.” He wiggled his brows and Shep made gagging sounds from beside her.
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