Embraced in Ink

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “No, I have my solo tour, and I don’t know what’s happening after that.” Plus, she was getting married. Gasp. Maybe she wanted to spend more time with the person that she would ultimately spend the rest of her life with, and not be across the world working all the time.

  “But after that, you’re going to need me, darling.”

  “No, I really don’t.”

  “Whatever. Our agents will talk.” He rolled his eyes. She hated that. He brushed her off whenever he didn’t like what she was saying. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll make it work. Because you and I, darling? It doesn’t matter that we no longer have one another in our hearts, we will always have one another in our souls.”

  “I really can’t believe you just said that.”

  “What? Our music breathes life into the world. Without us, it would be a much darker place. Gray without the sun of who we are.”

  Wow. He was laying it on a little thick today. But that was Colin, after all.

  “Now, darling, why don’t you greet me the way you used to.” She should have known it was coming. She really should have.

  One minute she was trying to think of how to get this waxing poet out of her mind and her house, and the next, his lips were on hers, her eyes wide. His tongue slid against hers, invading her mouth, his hands reaching around her. One palm landed on her ass, the other tugged at her hair. She pushed him and tried to bite down, but he kissed even harder.

  Colin usually got what he wanted.

  And though she didn’t let fear creep up her spine, she did let her knee raise just slightly.

  And then a voice came from the entryway, and she knew that this was either going to get really bad or be over very quickly.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Marcus asked, and Colin froze.

  Bristol did, as well.

  She really hoped to hell she hadn’t just messed everything up. Again.

  Chapter 6

  Marcus swallowed hard and tried to put words to the image running through his head, the sight that was literally right in front of him.

  That bastard Colin had his arms around Bristol, his hand threaded through her hair, the other right on her ass.

  He’d had his lips on hers as if he had a right to do it. As if he possessed her.

  And all Marcus wanted to do was hit somebody for letting that happen.

  And because of that feeling, and the rage simmering inside of him, threatening to blow, he held himself back.

  Just because he didn’t like Colin, didn’t mean he had to automatically throw a punch. He had never actually gotten into a fight in his life, and though he wasn’t a pacifist, he was damn close sometimes.

  Right then, though? All out the fucking window.

  Colin and Bristol had a history, he should understand that. It shouldn’t enrage him like this.

  And he was still figuring out what emotions he felt when it came to his best friend, now fiancée. He shouldn’t let all of this jealousy and rage fill him.

  Only if he were honest with himself, he had always felt a little jealous when it came to Colin. Because Colin understood Bristol in ways that Marcus never would. Colin had been with her in ways that Marcus never had been.

  In ways that Marcus had never allowed himself to think about.

  It didn’t matter anymore. Bristol was his fiancée, and he’d be damned if he let Colin take advantage or act like he had a right to be here.

  To help Marcus along that path, he knew Bristol hated him, too. That thought warmed him more than any form of jealousy ever could.

  “Marcus,” Bristol gasped as she pulled away from Colin.

  Marcus didn’t fail to notice that she had to tug a bit harder than she should have to get out of Colin’s hold.

  “Bristol. I figured now might be a good time to talk. That okay?” A pause. “Colin.”

  See? His voice was pleasant. He wasn’t ready to cut someone. Colin lifted his chin. “Marcus, I didn’t realize you’d be by.”

  Why the hell did Colin need to know anything about what Marcus and Bristol were doing? Asshole. From the way Bristol’s eyes narrowed, her thoughts were running along the same lines as his. Good. This fucker needed to leave. Now.

  And if he could never kiss Bristol again, that would be fucking fantastic.

  “Bristol and I had a few things to talk about. I didn’t even know you were in the country.”

  Bristol’s gaze shot back and forth between them, and Marcus did his best not to act like the possessive asshole Colin always came across as.

  Because even though Marcus might have a claim, he also wasn’t a territorial Neanderthal. At least, that’s what he told himself. However, given how Colin’s hand was still on Bristol’s hip? Well, maybe some of those feelings were starting to come to the surface.

  Bristol snorted. “Apparently, he’s here because he wants to practice or talk about a tour or something.” She rolled her eyes as she came forward, Colin’s arm outstretched as if he felt bereft without her touch.

  Marcus had an inkling how that particular emotion felt.

  “Well, you know a tour would be wonderful for us, darling.”

  Marcus’s brows rose. As far as he understood it, Bristol was done touring with Colin as much as she could. The breakup had ended poorly, and Marcus knew she hated the bastard. However, the asshole had just had his lips on hers.

  Maybe he did need to hit something.

  “I have my own tour coming up. And my own album. I’m a little too busy for anything like that.” She let out a breath, then turned. “Hey,” she said, leaning into Marcus. He reached out and held her close for a deep hug. They always hugged like this, even before the engagement. Now that they’d taken their next step toward that promise they’d made so long ago, things felt different.

  Not that he knew how to deal with that.

  “Well, just know that our agents are ready for this. And you know what’s best for your career.”

  Marcus hated the bastard.

  “Yes, I know exactly what’s good for my career. Anyway, I have to get back to practice. So, what’s up, Marcus?”

  Marcus didn’t like the feeling that he was being pushed out, too, but Bristol’s hand was still around his waist, her fingers in his belt loops. Maybe he wasn’t being pushed out as much as he thought.

  Hell, he hated games. And Colin was all about games. Marcus and Bristol? Not so much. They were honest with each other. Well, as honest as they could be, considering that Marcus hadn’t let himself think about the feelings that he could have for Bristol. Now, they popped into his mind constantly.

  He had a right to touch her. Like she had a right to touch him.

  Because they were fucking engaged. He still couldn’t quite comprehend it, but it was happening. There was no going back now. And, honestly, he didn’t want to.

  “We have a few things to talk about, so I thought I’d stop by,” Marcus said, his voice casual.

  “Oh? Do tell.”

  Marcus seriously hated that British accent.

  “Colin, stop being an asshole,” Bristol said, and Marcus held back a smile. Because he liked the fact that she stood up for herself. He didn’t need to step in for her. And she’d probably kick his ass if he tried. He’d be there if she needed him, though. Like always.

  “Asshole? I only want to know. Curious, after all.”

  Bristol looked up at Marcus and smiled sweetly.

  He wasn’t sure he liked that expression.

  “Colin, my fiancé and I have a few plans to go over. After all, being newly engaged means we have to get a bunch of schedules and details down. But you understand, don’t you? You seem to love details.”

  Marcus’s shoulders went back, even as he suppressed a flinch at the word fiancé. Not that he was afraid of the word, it was more that he was surprised.

  Colin’s gaze went straight to Bristol’s hand, and Marcus didn’t bother suppressing the wince this time. But he already had that taken care of. At least, he would if his plans went
right. Not that he had a real plan when it came to him and Bristol, but he was working on it. Or he hoped so.

  “Fiancé? I thought he was just a little friend.”

  Marcus took a step forward before he even realized what he was doing, his hands clenched at his sides.

  Bristol had her hand on his chest in the next instant, putting her body between them. He didn’t like that. Oh, he might like the touch, but not the fact that she stood in the line of fire.

  “Okay, that’s enough. I know you like to be a little sly asshole because you think it gets you all the cookies, but shut up. Marcus is my fiancé and my friend. You acting like a dick isn’t going to change that.”

  Yes, there were many reasons he loved his best friend, and this was only one of them.

  “Fine, fine. No need to act all uppity. Congratulations are in order, I guess. I suppose the champagne will be on me the next time we meet.”

  “Don’t count on that being anytime soon,” Marcus said, the words gritted through his teeth.

  “Touché, I suppose, Mr. Fiancé. Anyway, congratulations. I will be off. I’m sure our agents will be in talks soon. I can’t wait to hear more about our tour.”

  “It’s not happening, Colin.”

  “Aw, you just never know. Now, ta-ta.”

  He reached out as if to hug Bristol, but she pushed herself closer to Marcus.

  Marcus glared at the other man, raising a single eyebrow, and Colin shrugged before walking out of the house.

  Marcus quickly shut the door behind him and put both palms on the wood, trying to catch his breath. He closed his eyes, breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth.

  He hated the guy, always had. Ever since that birthday party when he had first met the jackass. The one that had changed everything for Marcus. When he’d been so afraid to lose his best friend that he’d made a deal with her that he’d never thought would come to fruition. Because why would she want to marry him? He was a librarian in a big city but didn’t tend to leave the area. Bristol got to see the world. And she had seen most of it with Colin.

  And there was that jealousy rearing its ugly head again. He never could seem to get out of his own way.

  “Marcus?” Bristol’s voice was soft as she put her hand on his back. “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t invite him here. I promise. All I wanted to do was practice, and then Colin showed up and ruined my day, and then he got all growly and jealous even though we haven’t been together in years. I want nothing to do with him. I’m sorry he was an asshole to you.”

  He didn’t turn, he couldn’t. “Not only to me. He’s an asshole to you. Always. I don’t know why you have to be near him.”

  Bristol’s hands moved to his back. He felt the warmth through the coolness of his shirt, his skin.

  He didn’t know how he had cooled, even though it felt as if he were on fire. Was it her touch? The anger? He didn’t know. Perhaps he should be worried.

  Maybe he was.

  “I hate him,” Marcus said honestly.

  Bristol tapped his back, and he forced himself to turn.

  “I hate him, too. But I still have to work with him occasionally.”

  “I think you’re brilliant enough, talented enough, and successful enough that you shouldn’t have to.”

  “Sometimes, I don’t have a choice. But, for now, he’s gone. And it’s just you and me.” Her skin pinked, and he wanted to reach out and touch her. So, he did.

  He trailed his fingers down her skin, and her tongue reached out and licked her lips. And because he couldn’t help himself, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. She gasped, and he deepened the kiss, angling her head for more.

  He hated that Colin’s lips had been on hers. That another man had kissed her, and he didn’t know what the fuck to do about it. So, he ignored those thoughts, pushed them from his head, and kissed her again, harder, needier. She moaned into him, her hands sliding up the back of his shirt to rest against his skin. He felt like he was on fire now, her touch igniting the flames. And he kissed, and licked, and bit down on her lip.

  He pulled away, his breaths coming in pants, and she looked at him, her eyes wide.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi. I really wanted to do that.”

  “Oh?” She paused. “Because we need to get used to it?”

  He didn’t let that hurt him. She was as confused as he was. What were they doing? He didn’t know. Because the facade of a fake engagement that wasn’t truly fake was only the first layer. There was something between them, something they were doing their best to either ignore or highlight. The fact that they kept going from side to side meant that neither of them knew what they wanted, or what they were doing. But they were still finding their way anyway.

  “I think we need to keep doing this. Over time. Just to figure out exactly what we were missing.” That was as honest as he could be, and as she gazed at his face and nodded, he figured it was the right thing to say. Either that, or he was simply reaching at this point.

  “I’m sorry for Colin.”

  He shook his head, anger boiling through him. “You don’t get to apologize for him. It’s not your fault. I just hate the asshole.”

  “So you said.”

  “Anyway, now that my friends, family, and Colin know, I suppose this engagement’s official. We’re heading into this next phase of our lives together. Like we said we would.”

  He bit down on his tongue so he wouldn’t say anything. Mostly because he didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t want to hurt her. Because he was still trying to figure out exactly how he felt, and along those lines, he needed to figure out what she felt, as well. And even though he knew from his family that the best way for a relationship to thrive was to engage in open and honest communication, that wasn’t happening. Not when he didn’t know what to say.

  “I have something for you,” he said instead.

  Her brows rose.

  “What?”

  “Well, it’s kind of apropos that Colin looked down at your hand and noticed what was missing when you said we were engaged.”

  Bristol put her left hand in her right and looked down, her thumb tracing her ring finger.

  “It did happen kind of suddenly.”

  Marcus shook his head. “We had ten years to figure it out. And then we both ignored it for a long enough time that it seemed as if it was out of the blue. But was it?”

  He held out his hand, a velvet box in his palm.

  Bristol looked down, her eyes blinking rapidly. “Oh. I didn’t… I mean, I know. But okay.”

  He let out a sigh. “Let me do this better.” He went down on one knee, and Bristol let out a shocked gasp.

  “We don’t need to do that. We’re already engaged, Marcus. You never have to go down on your knees for me.”

  His brows rose, and she blushed again.

  “Okay, we’re going to table that whole image and discussion for a little bit later.”

  “Yeah, we are. And, I’m going to propose to you the right way. Not just an ‘oh, let’s do this.’”

  “Okay,” she breathed.

  “Bristol? Will you continue to be my best friend? And move with me into this next phase?”

  “I…don’t say anything else, okay?”

  He frowned. “What?”

  “Let’s figure out who we are together along this path, but don’t make promises or voice feelings that you don’t know or feel yet. Like I don’t know. Because it’s all going too fast, even though I’m the one who made the decision.”

  “Yeah, I can do that. Because you’re still my best friend, Bristol. No matter what.”

  And then he slipped the ring out of the box and onto her finger. She looked down at the antique setting and smiled.

  “I love it.”

  “I knew you would.”

  And then he stood up and kissed her again, brushing her hair behind her ear. “We’ll figure this out,” he said softly.

  “As long as you’re b
y my side, we will. Because it’s not that I don’t want to go into the future alone, it’s not that.”

  “I know.”

  “I love you, Marcus. I want to make sure that I never hurt you.”

  He didn’t say anything else, and he knew he couldn’t. Instead, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her again.

  They were going about this relationship of theirs completely backward. But the more that he let himself think about it, the more he knew this is what he wanted.

  Even if he didn’t dare let himself need it too much.

  Chapter 7

  “I am getting married,” Bristol said, looking directly into her reflection. “I’m not insane.”

  She snorted at that, realizing that perhaps she was a little crazy. After all, an engagement based on a promise was a bit unconventional. But not completely unheard of.

  It could work.

  After all, she loved Marcus. She liked him. She enjoyed being near him. He was already her best friend.

  And if she finally let herself be honest, she was attracted to him. Okay, so that part had already been stated within her mind a few times.

  She was hot for her fiancé.

  That was good.

  She wanted to know what it felt like to have his hands on her, what it would feel like to have him inside her.

  She closed her eyes, knowing her cheeks were bright red, and she tried to slow her suddenly quickening breaths.

  Before she could get too introspective, the doorbell rang, and Bristol rolled her shoulders back. Today was going to be a good day. Because she was getting to the next step of this whole engagement thing.

  The girls were coming over, and they were going to gossip about it.

  Thank God. Because she really needed to talk it out.

  She slipped her hands down her sundress and made sure her hair looked at least somewhat decent. Then she ran to the front door.

  She opened it without looking first and froze.