Heart Ink: A Fling To Ring Romance: A Bad Boy Tattoo Artist Romantic Comedy

by L. L. Ash

  “Your turn to get acquainted with my ass now,” he murmured into the pillow.

  I laid next to him, wrapping my arm around his back, spooning him.

  “Mmmm… This is my new favorite thing,” he hummed before falling silent, his breath evening out in sleep.

  I was so tired, but I was also wired. This incredible man, the sexiest man I knew, had just given me the best night of my life...and somehow I was supposed to just let him go come morning?

  That’s how it went. I knew that. But I didn’t want it to.

  I brushed my fingers over the dark lines of the huge tattoo over his entire back. It looked like an angel with feathered wings, dropped to one knee, his bald head bowed in either pain or remorse. The nudity of the male angel was blacked out in shadow, but the tattoo and the figure depicted raw ache and power.

  He shifted under my touch and I wondered if he was ticklish before I tucked my arms around him again and fell fast asleep.

  Chapter Six

  Fae

  A body beside mine shifted, arms wrapped tightly around me, making my eyes flutter open.

  Buzzing was coming from somewhere…

  Movement again and I realized that I was laying with someone. A man.

  Oh my God… Roman.

  He let go of me and sat up, leaning over the bed to reach for his phone.

  “Shit...” he mumbled as he pushed a hand through his hair, putting the phone to his ear. “I know, Freddie. Give me twenty minutes. Please watch the front for me ‘til I get there...”

  A second later he threw his phone back down on the ground and moved out from between the sheets.

  “I gotta go,” he said without even looking at me, pulling his underwear back on, then his jeans.

  “Not even breakfast?” I asked, joking, but he shook his head.

  “I shoulda been there an hour ago to open up. Saturday mornings are fucking busy.”

  He pulled on his white shirt and boots that had been discarded at some point through the night, and stopped for just a second to lean back over the bed.

  “You know where to find me,” was all he said before kissing me like it was our last.

  Was it?

  “Bye-a,” he called as he jogged out of the room.

  Really? That’s it?

  I wrapped my blanket around me and looked at the time. It was almost ten in the morning.

  Following him out to the front of the house, I saw him digging out the center of the brownies with a spoon he found... somewhere.

  “The middle is still good,” he shrugged and winked with a full mouth, then picked up his jacket from the chair he’d left it on last night, along with his helmet that sat nearby.

  I kept my mouth shut before I started blubbering and begging him to stay, but I followed him to the door and watched silently as he bounded down the stairs, reaching ground level in record time.

  He pressed on his helmet over that sexy head of his and slipped on his jacket, not even bothering to zip it in the forty degree weather before stomping on that starter and shifting with his foot, backing out of the not-really-parking-spot he’d claimed the night before.

  I watched him leave, a blanket still wrapped around my naked body from when he’d worshiped and used it the night before.

  Whoa.

  I needed a break. And breakfast.

  But crap...no car.

  Closing the door and locking it up behind me, I picked my way back to my bedroom after finding my phone in my purse.

  Josie’s number was first on the list of three missed calls, so I pressed my finger down on her name and put the phone up to my ear.

  It rang a grand total of once before she answered excitedly.

  “Hey cutie! Can I see that tattoo now? I wanted to come by last night and see it!”

  “Yeah, sorry… I was kinda busy last night.”

  “Mhmm,” she drawled.

  “Actually, I need a favor if you’re free...” I paused, waiting for her to respond.

  “Of course girl. What’s up?”

  “Well,” I coughed, embarrassed. “I uh...My cars kind of at Hooper’s...”

  The line was silent.

  “I could use a ride to go get it.”

  Silence again, then she started yelling.

  “You dirty whore! You did Roman!”

  She was giggling and squealing and I just grinned a stupid grin.

  “Ok. I’m on my way, and as repayment I expect you to tell me every dirty little detail, and I want to know what kind of hardware that man is packing.”

  “Physically or metaphorically?” I asked cheekily.

  “Both.”

  Roman

  “You dirty man-whore!” Freddie gave me shit the moment I stepped into the shop.

  Machines buzzed all around me, and eyes followed me as I walked in an hour and a half late.

  “You get to keep your shit to yourself about being late from now on,” Tanner called, flipping me off behind his client’s back.

  “It’s my fucking shop. I can be late once a decade,” was all I said back to him, letting him see the little yellow bird etched onto the middle finger of my left hand.

  He grinned a shiteating smile before going back to work.

  “Dude got laid!” Freddie laughed quietly beside me.

  I rolled my eyes and tried to force away the tiny smile that was appearing against my will.

  I got more than laid. I got fucking laid.

  “So? Was it the sexy little redhead? Did you finally give in and touch her boobs?”

  “You’re an asshole,” I told him, full-on grinning now.

  Damn, I just couldn’t stay mad at Freddie and his infectious smile after the morning if had, waking up next to Fae.

  “You did! Damn, she’s a piece of art. Make me a nude in her likeness? I’ll pay you.”

  “I’m not painting you a nude, perv,” I scowled at him.

  This time for real.

  Nobody got to see her naked except me…

  Rome, Rome, you're getting way ahead of yourself this time.

  She’s not yours.

  “Fine. But is she as fine as I think she is? Was she a total animal? I bet she was an animal.”

  “None of your fucking business. I appreciate you taking over for me, but now you can get to work. Now git.”

  “I’ve got nothing to do. Waiting for a walk-in. I’ve got time for all the sordid details.”

  “Goddamnit, Freddie! I need a few minutes, ok?” I ground out and he grinned.

  “Ok, ok. Obviously this girl’s got under your skin. But I’m proud of you. You really went out of your comfort zone. I hope it was worth it.”

  So fucking worth it…

  “Freddie…” I growled and he wandered away to go see how his fellow artists were doing.

  I had a couple minutes to pull myself back together, seeing as everyone but Freddie was busy with clients, so I took some time to think about what the hell had happened.

  I’d run out of Fae’s house like my ass was on fire. The poor thing probably thought I was some asshole that wasn’t interested in her the next morning, but I knew how it went. I knew that by my leaving, I was saving us the ‘maybe I’ll see you again’ speech that nobody really meant.

  It was an awesome fling, an amazing one night stand, but I knew that I’d likely never see her again, even if she got more ink or piercings.

  I’d pretty much sailed that ship when I sucked on her tits and fucked her from behind.

  It was a shame though...there were so many other things to explore with her, places to kiss, areas to taste… I wanted to put my mouth between her legs so bad, but with her new piercing, last thing I wanted to do was get that motherfucker infected because I couldn’t keep my tongue to myself.

  I sighed, my heart hurting, bruised by the knowledge that it was over.

  Fae was more than a pretty face. She grabbed me by the figurative balls and met every quip, every sarcastic remark, head on, and often topping me. But even
more than that, I sensed a similar soul. She was wild and ached to be free, but was caged into the wealthy family problems, mainly overprotective and demanding parents.

  Scrubbing my hands over my face, I forced myself to push her out of my head and looked on the schedule.

  I had a client this afternoon, a man, thank God…

  Maybe when drifting into that space between while I was tattooing this client, I’d be able to find peace with the quick, haggard ending between me and Fae.

  The aching in my chest reminded me why I didn’t do hookups. This is why I stayed away from flings.

  But damn, it’d been worth it.

  Fae

  I stepped into my parent’s house for Sunday dinner, wishing I could still feel the ache Roman had left under my breasts and between my legs weeks ago.

  Josie practically burst a blood vessel when I told her the highlights from my night with Roman, and she’d called Cambria who made me give my account a second time.

  Both girls agreed that the piercings were hot, even though they didn’t see them. I’d had to Google them and we stared at weird dick pics until I found the right piercings to show them. By then, they were drooling.

  “Honey, your mother is in the kitchen,” Dad told me, not bothering to look up from the New York Times newspaper he was reading.

  That’s dad. Reading the old paper even though it left a grimy ink residue on his hands and he had a perfectly good phone, tablet, desktop and laptop to read it on.

  I kissed him on the head as I moved around the dining room and into the kitchen.

  Mom hugged me, then pushed some glasses full of wine at me.

  “Bring those to the table. Ella will have dinner out soon,” she said, waving her hand at the cook we’ve had since I was a child.

  Ella grinned at me, waving and wiggling her fingers at me.

  I grinned, waving back, then brought the three glasses to the table.

  “Gregory, put that newspaper down. Dinner is ready.”

  Dad sighed and crinkled the paper until it was in a nice square again, setting it to the left of him on our big, mahogany table.

  Ella brought in dinner one dish at a time and I watched Dad watch her in annoyance as she went in and out of the dining room until a platter and five serving bowls were spread across the table.

  Mom just sat and acted airy, as if the help wasn’t in the room with her.

  “We heard about Justin,” Mom said after Ella set the cake she’d made on the end of the table.

  The cake nobody would touch but me.

  “Oh did you?” I asked absently, loading my plate full of the delicious food Ella always provided.

  “I think you’re making a big mistake with him.” She sighed, as if exasperated with me.

  “Yeah, I think I made a big mistake, too.” I nodded before savoring a big bite of my roast beef.

  Oh God...so salty and juicy and tender and...

  “I think you should let him take you back,” she said finally, scooting her plate back.

  “Wait, what?” I swallowed hard as not to talk with my mouth full.

  God forbid.

  “I talked to his mother about it. He broke up with you, but he’s sorry. He wants you back and I think you should give him another chance.”

  “He broke up with me?” I fairly gasped.

  The son of a bitch!

  “Men his age are so full of hormones...they just desire to sow those wild oats. He realizes his mistake, and he wants to try again.”

  “Oh, he definitely sowed his wild oats,” I ground my teeth at the words ‘wild oats’.

  “It’s your duty to forgive him, honey.” Mom nodded slowly. “He’s your fiancé, and in a marriage, you need to find forgiveness for your spouse. Your father and I are not perfect, and we’ve each had to forgive each other for things.”

  Like walking in on the other humping someone, who was not them, from behind?

  “Actually, I broke up with him,” I finally breathed, feeling air whoosh out of my lungs in relief.

  Mom and Dad looked at each other, then laughed quietly.

  “Sure you did, honey. But it doesn’t matter. Your wedding is set for August, and it’s time to put aside your frustrations and set things to rights.”

  I shook my head.

  “We are never, ever, ever getting back together.”

  Wait...wasn’t that a song?

  Dad finally looked up, his eyes meeting mine.

  “We expect you to get things back under control by the end of the month, Fae. That’s three weeks. Do what you want until then, but you are marrying Justin Von.”

  “I won’t Daddy. I can’t.”

  “You can and you will. That boy is good breeding. You know who his parents are. His father is partner to one of the biggest firms in the state. I think you would remember that more than anything. Once you eventually take that Goddamn bar, you will be working side by side with your husband, and with your father-in-law. Whatever he did, you’ll forgive it.”

  His eyes flicked down to his food and just like that, the conversation was over.

  Anger and rage boiled around inside me.

  Did they really want me to live my life being cheated on by my husband?

  Didn’t they want me to have a happy marriage?

  No other sounds filled the room but forks scraping on plates for the rest of the meal, then after that I feigned having to study for the bar and hurried out of their house.

  On my way home I called the girls, who promised they’d meet me at my condo.

  “We have the vodka and the orange juice,” Josie called as she stepped into my living room, laden down with groceries.

  “And ice cream, too,” Cambria nodded toward the bag of junk food in Josie’s hands.

  “What’d they do this time?” Cambria sat beside me on my couch, cuddling me.

  I let her pull me into her arms happily.

  “Mom and Dad are saying I have to get back together with Justin.”

  They both gasped, then Josie cussed.

  It made me smile a little.

  “No fucking way!” she waved her arms around. “That little turd ball doesn’t deserve you! I mean, you’re the hottest girl we all know, and he cheated on you! Not only is he an asshole, he’s stupid!”

  A stupid lawyer.

  He’d passed the bar already and was about to begin working with his dad.

  “It was his ‘you’re going to do it, dammit,’ voice,” I whined. “And when he gets that voice, he gets what he wants!”

  “He’s an architect, not God,” Cambria combed her fingers through my hair. “And you’re a full grown woman, Fae. You don’t have to do every single thing your father tells you to do. You’ve been their little puppet for years. You do not have to dance.”

  She looked me in the eye, holding me by the shoulders now.

  “Seriously girl, if you get back together with him, I will cut you.”

  I laughed and laughed, feeling tears rolling down my face.

  “You never loved him, then he goes and does this? What kind of life does that leave you?” Josie shook her head, embracing me from my other side.

  “You girls are the best,” I sniffled. “Now where’s the booze?”

  “It’s nearby and plentiful.” Josie grinned, smacking a kiss on my cheek. “Let’s drink!”

  Gulping down my first screwdriver, I downed three more before the ache in my heart stopped hurting.

  “Have you seen Roman again?” Josie asked, sipping on her own drink.

  “No. Besides, it was supposed to be a one time thing. I think the rules are we aren’t supposed to see each other again.”

  “Fuck the rules girl! You can use another good romp! Besides, maybe if you marry Justin, you can keep Roman on the side. You know, since Justin doesn’t know what fidelity is anyway, he shouldn’t mind.”

  We all laughed together and dug into the ice cream and cheese puffs.

  “Why don’t you come with me tomorrow?” Cambri
a suddenly asked.

  Tomorrow was her first day working at Inkubus.

  “Oh, I don’t want you to get in trouble with your boss on your first day...” I swatted my hand, trying to look nonchalant while my heart was beating like tribal drums in my chest.

  “Ok, so you’ll go,” she nodded, not taking no for an answer. “I’ll pick you up at nine-thirty.”

  “Cam...” I whined but she just topped off my drink with vodka.

  “To being single, and metal studded dicks!”

  “Here here!” Josie called, pouring her drink down her throat.

  “Oh God...” I whined again, drinking, too.

  “You look sexy,” Cambria told me, already pulling out of my condo complex before I was even buckled.

  We were barreling toward the tattoo parlor and I was barreling toward passing out from anxiety.

  “It was a one night stand, Cam. I’m breaking an unpardonable offence here!”

  “Psh! No, you’re not! He’s probably been thinking about you just as much as you’ve been thinking about him! He could probably do with a couple more ‘one night stands’ himself.”

  “It’s called a one night stand. As in, it happens once, singular. One time.”

  “That’s ridiculous. He’ll be happy to see you. You’ll see.”

  “I hope you’re right.” I sighed, sinking into the seat. “Also, how am I supposed to get home? I don’t think we thought this through.”

  “Tell you what. You take my car home so you can come back before closing.” She bounced her eyebrows just like Josie does.

  We spent way too much time around each other…

  “And what if he’s a jerk?”

  “Then I don’t want to work for him and I’ll quit. Consequently we’ll drive home together anyway.”

  “I thought you needed this job,” I looked at her.

  “I don’t need it-need it. I can get a job doing this about anywhere. I’m just looking for experience right now.”

  “But isn’t that the problem? Nobody wants to hire someone with no experience?”

  “No arguing, Fae. If he’s a jerk, we leave together. Sisters forever, be-otch.”

  For her sake, I hoped he acted like the freaking Pope.