by Ranae Rose
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.
Boys.
They never grew up, even when one of them was rapidly approaching the big four-oh.
“You are a menace, but I’m glad Jennifer has you. Now get back to work. Shep? Don’t forget that you need to bring in Shea for her next tattoo.”
Shep smiled the smile that told everyone within a three block radius that he was in total love with the blue eyed woman who needed more ink. “I will, don’t worry. She can’t have anything on her arms or lower legs because of work—at least for now—but she’s thinking of something for her other hip.”
Shea met Shep within Midnight Ink when she had wanted a tattoo, and because fate was awesome like that, the two had fallen for each other in the process.
In fact, it seemed like love was in the air at Midnight Ink. It had only been a month or so since the last of the love birds had found their match. All in all, eight couples—well, a triad in Eli’s case—had fallen in love since the beginning of the year.
Sassy liked to think she had a hand in each of those.
Well, if she was counting, then yes, she’d helped each couple stagger through the murky waters of falling in love. After all, it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. The best kind of love and happiness came after the parts where the couple had to work for it and find their way. Each of the couples who found love at Midnight Ink had been through their own unique forms of torture and now looked forward to bright futures and happy endings.
It didn’t mean that Sassy would get hers though.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose.
No, she wouldn’t think about that.
Wouldn’t think about them.
She hadn’t thought about her past and those she’d left behind for so long that it was now just a distant memory. Sure, the taste of bitterness and regret still settled on her tongue once in a while, but it didn’t rule her life, didn’t rule her choices.
At least that’s what she told herself.
With a shake of her head, she went to her station and made coffee. Sassy didn’t make the usual coffee. Oh, no. She had a gift with it and those at Midnight Ink knew it. In a city filled with the most decadent coffees, Sassy could brew with the best of them.
See? That was something light and airy to think about. What else could she think of that had nothing to do with pain and regret?
Maybe she needed more ink.
She looked down at the spirals and flowers that covered her arms and smiled. Yes. More ink was definitely the way to go. She had a few pieces on her back and sides as well, and knew she had plenty of places for more.
Who would ink her though?
It had been her goal to get each of the Midnight Ink crew to lay ink on her and so far, she’d gotten everyone at least once. Rosie had done a couple sessions with her. As the woman was her best friend, it only made sense.
Maybe she’d get Shep to work on her hip. The man knew exactly what to do with curves when it came to ink. She grinned as she thought of Shea. Okay, so maybe the man knew what to do with curves in other ways too, but that wasn’t something she needed to think about.
Ever.
The shop’s phone rang and Sassy moved to answer it. “You’ve reached Sassy at Midnight Ink. You desire it, we ink it.”
The caller snorted and Sassy smiled. “Desire? Dear lord, Sass, you are milking it.”
“Odalia!” Sassy squealed at her friend and Midnight Ink’s client. “I’m so glad you called. Are you coming in for another session with that sexy, bad boy of yours?” Odalia and Jacques had been one of the couples she’d helped pair up recently and she couldn’t be more happy for the cop and the bounty hunter.
“Since I’m planning on having Rosie finish up a couple pieces and I’ll have to get partially naked to do it, yeah, Jacques will be there.” Sassy could practically see the grin on the other woman’s face through the phone. “You know how he likes to get me down to my skin.”
“I’m sure you like to do the same, sugar. Now let me look through my appointment book to see when Rosie is available. You have any specific time you’re thinking?”
They set up the time and Sassy penciled it in for Rosie who would make the final call. “Are you coming to the party we’re holding in a couple weeks?” Sassy asked, speaking of Midnight Ink’s Valentine’s Day party.
The shop liked to hold parties of their own on certain holidays. Since the whole crew seemed to be in love, this party was only appropriate. It wouldn’t actually be on Valentine’s Day as most of the crew would want to be with their significant others, but it was near enough to it they could eat and drink, and for those who were sober, get inked.
“We’ll be there. You know we love the shop and you, honey.”
Sassy opened her mouth to speak but suddenly came up short.
“Sassy.” She heard the deep, achingly familiar voice coming from in front of her.
She blinked in complete disbelief at what she saw.
“Rafe.”
“Nothing for me then?” Another voice, just as familiar, came from just beside Rafe, and Sassy swallowed hard.
“Ian.” She shook her head. “What…what are you two doing here?”
She could have sworn everyone in the shop had stopped moving, stopped breathing. It was if they knew something was terribly wrong, and yet had no idea what to do about it.
She didn’t know what to do about it.
“We’re here for a tattoo,” Rafe answered.
; “And you,” Ian put in.
With that, the phone dropped out her hand and her mind went completely blank.
Her past was back and standing right in front of her in all their sexy glory and determined faces. No matter what she did, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to wish Ian and Rafe away.
It hadn’t worked before.
It wouldn’t work this time either.
Oh shit.
Find out more in Ink Reunited. Out Now.
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Love irresistible tattooed heroes? Try Battered Not Broken, a best-selling MMA romance by Ranae Rose, author of the Inked in the Steel City Series.
War and violent crime cut deep – can love for another person run deeper than the scars left behind?
Ryan Moore forged his own path when he defied his wealthy family’s expectations by joining the United States Marine Corps as an enlisted man. After a period of service that’s cut short by an IED explosion, the lingering physical and mental effects of war result in an isolated struggle to exist in the civilian world. He throws himself into competitive MMA fighting – the one thing he’s still able to excel at, even if every match is a risk he can’t afford to take.
His first encounter with amateur female fighter Ally Rivera ignites a spark of desire he hasn’t felt since before a bomb left its marks on his life and his body, but his flirtation with her turns out to be anything but harmless. She’s struggling to hold together a family ravaged by violence – a feat that isn’t easy when her father has been imprisoned, leaving her vulnerable to relatives who run a local gang. Can two unrelenting fighters overcome challenges they couldn’t defeat alone, or do the wounds of war and crime run too deep for even love to heal?
Full-Length Novel
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