by Nicole James
“I aim to be one of them.”
“You are.”
“Good.”
He looked happy again and she liked seeing that.
“You’ll get through this, Velvet. The modeling jobs will start rolling in, and we can get you another photographer—one with ethics. I’m sure Jameson knows someone.”
“I suppose.” Glancing over, she saw only honest caring and concern, not any motive to get something from her like so many men in her past. And for just a moment she wondered if she should tell him her other secrets—about not being able to read, about her brother owning the shop, and most importantly about who her family was and the con on Brothers Ink of which she’d taken part. Would he understand?
Harsh reality descended. No, of course he wouldn’t; he couldn’t. No normal person could understand what that kind of life was like, and there was no way he’d ever be able to forgive her.
Still, something inside her, perhaps some self-sabotaging mechanism, wanted to throw all her cards on the table and see if he really did care. To stop herself from the temptation to blurt out the truth, she turned the tables on him. “How about you?”
“How about me what?”
“I shared something personal. Now you share something about you.”
“I hate snakes.”
“That’s not very personal.”
“It is when I come across one.”
“Come on, be serious. Who is Liam O’Rourke?”
He cocked his head, considering. “Hmm. Well, I’m very protective, soft-hearted, hard-headed, and a smartass.”
“Really? What else?”
“I can be blunt, hedonistic, impatient, and a little OCD.”
“Wow. You’re a mess,” she teased.
He chuckled. “Yep. Sound like a real catch, don’t I?”
She laughed with him. “The body makes up for it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Now tell me something serious. Something you haven’t shared with anyone.”
He stared off at the horizon a moment, and then admitted, “Rory says I’m afraid to take a risk with people.”
“And you believe him, why?”
“It’s probably true.”
She frowned. “Why are you afraid?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
His eyes came to hers, searching. “My parents died when I was in my early teens. I’ve been sort of closed off since then.”
“I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“Car accident. Jameson was supposed to head off to college that fall. He gave that up, got a job, and raised us all.”
“It must have been very hard for all of you.”
He nodded. “Max struggled with a lot of anger, started getting into street fights, eventually found a place called Pops’ Gym and took up boxing. That straightened him out. Me? I just sort of closed down and stopped caring about much of anything. Jameson got me working at the shop right out of high school, taught me everything I know. I just sort of put myself into that.”
“You’re like me. Afraid of getting hurt, of losing one more thing…”
He studied her and finally nodded. “Yeah, I suppose so.”
She looked away. She wanted more than anything in that moment to be able to assure him she would never hurt him, but that would be a lie. If and when he found out the truth about her, it would hurt him deeply.
“You’re the first person I’ve ever thought was worth the risk, Velvet.”
Her eyes stung with unshed tears. God, she didn’t want to hurt him. He was everything she ever wanted in a man, and perhaps if things had been different, if she’d never walked into Brothers Ink all those years ago—
“I admire the way you’re not afraid to go for it.”
Maybe that was true everywhere else in her life, but it wasn’t the case where he was concerned. Here in this moment she was terrified to go for what she really wanted. Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, she tried to laugh it off. “Thanks, that means a lot. So, tell me, Liam, do you like what you do?”
“What, tattooing?”
She nodded.
“I do.”
“What else do you like?”
“Rock climbing, working with strays at the shelter, and old school vinyl albums.”
“Vinyl, that’s cool. Do you collect them?”
“I have a few.”
She grinned. “Why do I feel like that’s an understatement?”
“Okay, more than a few.”
“Tell me about the animal shelter.”
He shrugged. “I found a stray once, took it in to see if it had a microchip. Pam runs the place; she kind of roped me into helping out. Now I go down there whenever I get time. She’s a great lady… really cares about the animals. You’ll have to come out to my brother’s place and see the sweet pup I just took there for his son, Ben. Max says those two hit it off right away. Buddy even slept on Ben’s bed last night.”
“I’d love to meet them.” She tucked her hand in his arm. “So, Pam at the shelter, Mrs. Heinzlemann down at the bakery, seems like this whole town loves you.” That was something she longed for—to belong and be accepted by the community rather than be shunned and hated like her family had been. She was self-aware enough to know that was probably what the dream of the coffee shop was all about—gaining that love and acceptance.
“It wasn’t always that way. There was a time when people in town didn’t think too much of us. Four boys growing up without parents, running loose on the town with just an eighteen-year-old as the head of the household, and one that took up tattooing as the way to support us all. No, it wasn’t that way at all.”
“What changed?”
“Jameson became famous when he was asked to do a reality show. Suddenly he was the town’s favorite son. Funny how fame works. Guess it made people give us a chance. They got to see our personalities on TV and that we weren’t something to be feared, that we weren’t some lowlife criminals or something.”
Which was exactly what they would think of her.
A chipmunk scurried across their path, and they reached the top of a rise. Velvet’s eyes were on the loose gravel and stone, not wanting to lose her footing when Liam grabbed her forearm. She glanced up, and he had his finger over his mouth indicating she should stay quiet. He lifted his chin toward the distance.
There, partway up on the side of the canyon was a horse. It was black and white, painted like one she imagined a Native American would have ridden in the old west. It stood out against the brown landscape.
“Oh my God,” Velvet whispered.
“And look over there,” Liam murmured. Her eyes followed his gaze, and she spotted a buckskin-colored mare and foal.
“This is amazing! Quick, give me my camera.”
Liam slipped the pack off his wide shoulders and quietly unzipped it. He passed her bag to her, and she pulled out her Nikon. She popped off the lens cap and put it to her eye, adjusting the focus.
She clicked away, flipping the camera back and forth and shifting to get different angles.
To their right, there was a nicker from a very close distance. They both turned to see a big chestnut stallion with a black mane and tail. It stood proudly staring at them from just twenty yards away.
“Wow,” was all Velvet could say.
“He’s a beauty. Must stand fifteen hands high. Just stay still,” Liam murmured.
The stallion tossed his head.
“He’s posing for you, babe.”
Velvet brought the camera up and zoomed in for a great shot. These were going to be amazing; she couldn’t wait to print them.
After a few minutes, the horse trotted off.
Liam grabbed her arm. “Come on.”
They followed the stallion for a while, and Velvet got a lot more photos. He didn’t seem to care that they were there. Eventually he moved off down the canyon to the others.
Liam gestured to some flat rocks. “Let�
�s sit.”
The rocks were warm from the sun that had now climbed high in the sky. Liam dug in his pack and took out the paper bag containing the sandwiches. He passed one to her along with a bottle of water.
Velvet unwrapped hers and took a big bite, then moaned around the mouthful. When she swallowed it down, she declared, “Best sandwich ever!”
Liam smiled and put a water bottle to his mouth, tilted it up, and guzzled it. She watched the muscles in his neck work. He really was quite handsome.
He caught her watching and set the half-empty bottle down on the rock between them. “You having a good time?”
She looked out at the view. “I’m have a wonderful time. It’s gorgeous up here. Thank you for bringing me. Seeing wild horses like that… It was amazing. I’d have to say this is the most unique experience I’ve ever had.”
“Good. I’m glad you like it up here. Not everyone is the outdoor type.”
Her brows rose. “You mean not every girl is the outdoor type.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“Um hmm.” She cocked her head at him. “Was this a test?”
“No.”
“It so totally was.” She smacked his shoulder.
“I admit nothing.” He chuckled, finished the last bite of his sandwich, and looked over at her. “But, since you passed, maybe we could go camping one night up at Dominguez Canyon.”
“Ah ha! It was a test!”
He grinned, not confirming.
“Where’s Dominguez Canyon?”
“It’s not far, but it’s in the other direction. It’s even prettier than this place.”
She scanned the landscape. “Not possible.”
“It is so possible.”
She turned to him, tilting her chin up. “You’ll have to prove that to me, mister.”
“You’re on, lady.”
They ate in silence, occasionally glancing over at each other. When Velvet was through, she tucked the trash in the pack. The wind picked up, and she untied the jacket from her waist, slipping it over her head.
Liam squinted up at the ridge of gray clouds blowing across the sky. “We should head back. Wouldn’t want to get caught out here if the bottom falls out of those clouds. These dry gullies carry all the water down the canyon.”
She nodded and stood, brushing off her pants. “You’re right. I’m glad we got as much time as we did. I think I got some fantastic shots. I can’t wait to print and frame them.”
“I’d love to see them.”
“I’ll give you copies.”
By the time they made it back to the bike, the wind had really picked up. Liam got them quickly to the interstate, and they skirted around the storm. Large dark swaths of rain trailed to the ground from the clouds on the horizon.
When they arrived in Grand Junction, Liam parked at Brothers Ink.
“You want to see our shop?” he asked. “I’d like you to meet my brothers.”
“Sure,” she replied, knowing she’d have to pretend she’d never been in the place before. She looked different than she did back then, with her dark hair and colored contacts, but she still worried Jameson would somehow recognize her as the teenage girl whose mother had shaken him down for a thousand dollar payoff.
They walked hand in hand into the shop.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A muscular man stood at the counter, talking with a customer when they walked in. Velvet assumed he must be one of Liam’s brothers.
“I put a copy of the care instructions we went over in the bag with the cleanser. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call us.”
The woman took the bag. “I will. And thanks again. I love the tattoo.”
He grinned at her, flashing beautiful white teeth. “You’re welcome, Tina. I’m glad you’re happy with it.”
After the woman exited the front door, Liam’s hand landed on Velvet’s back, guiding her forward. “Velvet, this is my older brother, Maxwell. Max, this is Velvet Jones.”
Max extended his hand, but his question was for Liam. “This the woman you met in LA?”
“Yes, she is.” Liam smiled down at her.
“Well, you certainly made an impression on my brother, Ms. Jones.”
“Please, call me Velvet.”
“Velvet. I wasn’t at the expo, but I heard you had quite a following, lines down the aisle, Liam said.”
She let out a soft laugh. “We did sell a lot of calendars.”
“Welcome to town. Liam says you’re working over at House of Ink. So, are you an artist as well as a model?”
“I…uh, know the owner. I was sort of between jobs, and he needed some help running the shop. But, no, I’m not a tattoo artist. I’ve always admired those who are; I think it takes a lot of skill to do it well.”
“Yes, well, not sure how much skill there is over at House of—“
“Max.” Liam cut him off with a warning.
“Anyway, welcome to our humble shop, m’lady.” Maxwell took a deep bow, and Velvet curtsied in return.
“Kind sir.”
“And that’s my little brother, Rory.” Liam lifted his chin toward another man bent over the customer sitting in his chair. He had long dark hair and a short beard around his mouth. He glanced up and gave her a smile.
“Hey, lady.”
She returned his grin, and he went back to inking his customer.
Max leaned on the counter, his hands clasped. “So what have you two been up to?”
Liam hooked his arm around her and pulled her close. “Took a ride up to see the wild horses.”
“Book Cliff?” Max’s brows rose. “What did you think of it?”
She smiled brightly at him. “It was amazing. One came right up by us, then let us follow behind him for a while. I got some great shots.”
“I’d love to see them,” Max said.
She dug in her bag and took out her camera. The three of them leaned in.
“Those are fantastic,” Maxwell agreed.
“Here’s my favorite.” She found the close-up of the stallion’s profile. It was staring off, the wind blowing through its mane. She turned the screen to let them both see it.
Liam studied the shot and met her eyes. “It kind of reminds me of you…wild and beautiful.”
“That would make an awesome tattoo,” Max suggested.
She gazed down at the shot. “It would, wouldn’t it?”
“Let me do it. Put that on you,” Liam murmured.
Her eyes flashed up, and her mouth parted. She’d dreamed of Liam inking her skin again, ever since the day he’d first worked on her.
Max lifted his chin at Liam. “If you want it done, Liam’s the man for that kind of work. His realism is amazing. It would look phenomenal in black and gray shading.”
And just like that she knew she had to have him tattoo this on her. “Will you do it?”
His eyes moved from her to Max and back. “You sure about this? I don’t want you to let Max talk you into it.”
“I’m sure. Can you do it today? Now?”
His brows rose. “Now?”
“I mean, if you have time. If you want to do it.”
Max answered for him with a big grin. “Oh, sweetheart if he didn’t have time, which he does since he took the day off to spend with you, he would make the time. I’m sure he’d like nothing more than to lay ink on your skin. Hell, he’s probably fantasized about it.”
She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She cocked a brow at Liam, the thought thrilling her. “Is that true?”
He stared down into her face and confessed, “Maybe.”
Max let out a huff of a laugh. “Maybe? That’s a load of bullshit.”
“Okay,” Liam glared at Max, then back to her, “I’ll admit it. I have thought about what it would be like, yeah.”
Max chuckled and held his arm out. “Right this way, m’lady. His station is the first on the left.”
Velvet moved past Liam to his chair.
The first thing she noticed was her calendar stuck up on his mirror. “You bought one!”
“Yeah, me and every other guy there that night.”
She frowned. “But I don’t remember seeing you in the line.”
“That’s because I got it for him.” Rory looked up from his client. “Liam wanted to meet you, but he was tied up watching our booth.”
Velvet nodded, gazing up at Liam. “If you had come through the line, I definitely would have remembered you.” In more ways than one. He would have stood out in the line just for his rugged good looks, but she would have recognized him. Perhaps it was best he hadn’t. If he had, she may have been so shocked she’d have given it all away.
Liam sat on the rolling stool next to her. He took the camera from her. “I’ll do a sketch.”
While he worked, she secretly ran her fingertips over the tattoo on the inside of her left arm. It was the one he had already given her so many years ago. As she did, her excitement to have him ink her again grew.
***
Jameson leaned back in his chair and looked at the man who sat across his desk. “We finished, Ryan?”
The man clicked off the recording. “I think I’ve got enough for the article. Thanks for your time.”
“Always happy to get coverage in Inked Up magazine. You guys have been really good to me. Helped my career immensely in the early days.”
“You deserve it. There’s just one more thing we need to decide on.”
“What’s that?”
“The cover shot. We could do a close up of you inking, or you at your desk, or—”
Jameson rolled his eyes. “You know the place is called Brothers Ink for a reason. There are four of us. How about we get a shot of all of us?”
“I suppose that would work.” He stood. “I’ll get the photographer’s ideas. We want to come back for that end of the month. That work for you?”
“I’ll make it work, just let me know the date. Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
They descended the stairs and walked through the shop, pausing to watch as Liam laughed intimately with a woman as he showed her a sketch. She nodded excitedly, and he leaned in to give her a kiss. Her hands cupped his face, and she pressed her body to his. They broke the kiss and pressed foreheads together.
