Permanent (Indelibly Marked) (Volume 1)

by Kim Carmichael

  The doctor nodded and smiled.

  Heat overtook her, covering her in sweat though the air conditioning vent blew cold air. She searched for exit options and focused on Shane, standing just outside the door, filling out the paperwork. How did her neighbor know what to put down on the forms? Please, let it be legal.

  “First, we’ll numb the area.” The doctor held up a syringe.

  The bright light glistened off the huge pain-inducing instrument. Her fight or flight instinct took over. One glance at the medical assistant told her fighting wasn’t an option and he blocked her flight path. With no other option, she yelled the first thing that came to mind. “Shane!”

  Faster than it took for a hammer to gouge out her forehead, Shane shot back into the room.

  “What’s the matter?” He dropped the clipboard and the papers scattered across the floor.

  “I think we should leave.” She reached for him then stopped, her hands in mid-air. Her actions were the complete opposite of taking care of herself, she even used the ‘we’ word.

  He pressed her hands to his chest and glared at the doctor. “I brought her here ‘cause I knew you would take good care of her.”

  Something about Shane said he wouldn’t let the mean doctor hurt her. She managed to inhale. In this unfamiliar setting she could let him take over. After she left Urgent Care she’d be independent.

  The doctor narrowed his eyes. “I only wanted to numb her.” He lifted the syringe.

  At the sight of the weapon, she squeezed Shane’s hands, yanking him toward her. “No!”

  The unexpected action nearly tripped him, but before he fell, he braced his arms on either side of her. “Needles?”

  She wrinkled her nose.

  With a laugh, Shane righted himself. “We have to get you all patched up.” His voice took on a singsong tone.

  “I feel much better.” Unsure there was any further way to embarrass herself, she turned away.

  “No you don’t.” Shane wedged against the examining table and put his arms around her, taking her chin in his hand and turning her wound in the direction of the doctor, while keeping her focus on him. “We can do this, okay?”

  Calm encompassed her and she sighed.

  “It’ll be quick, don’t look.” He held her hand. “Okay?”

  She gazed up. He’d literally swooped in and saved her, but why? Since she arrived in Los Angeles five days ago, no one had given her a second glance. Until he broke her door, all she knew about the person next door was that he played his stereo too loud, though she welcomed the noise to confirm others existed on the planet.

  “Everything copasetic down there?” He gave her a perfect megastar smile.

  For the first time, he was close and still far enough for her to see his face. After his extremely straight white teeth, she took in his dark blue eyes that shined in amusement. His face fit Hollywood, a leading man, the one rogue secret agent who needed to prove his innocence, the effervescent unexpected love interest in a romantic comedy with his crisp, well-defined features. Caught up in imagining the other roles Shane could play, she forgot about the puncturing of her forehead.

  “Let’s get going.” He tilted his chin up to the doctor and held his arm out in front of her. “You can look at the pretty pictures.”

  The doctor began his work.

  Grateful for something to look at, she studied his amazing tattoos. He presented her with an intricate vine interwoven with colorful Japanese artwork and a life-like Koi fish.

  “They found a tattoo on a man dating back to 3300 B.C.” The words left her mouth, and she wished a net to get them back.

  “Seriously?” He shielded her eyes. “That’s pretty cool.”

  Even in her delicate state she knew when someone was placating her. Her useless fact wasn’t cool and neither was she. That kind of comment pigeonholed her into her role in life.

  “So, where did you move from?”

  She squeezed Shane’s arm at the doctor’s pressure and forced out, “Ohio.”

  “Midwest.” He turned his forearm over and displayed a tattoo of a painter’s palate and brushes.

  Before she could ask him about it, she winced at a pinch.

  “So what brought you to California?” He moved his face closer.

  “I got a job here.” She bit her lip and shut her eyes. “I start tomorrow.” Now she would go with a bunch of stitches in her head, ruining the image she wanted to portray. Maybe the injury would break the ice and her new co-workers would invite her out after work. Since arriving in Los Angeles, all she did was plan for her first day of work. Everything had to be absolutely perfect. Her future hinged it.

  “What does Miss Lindsay do for a living?”

  “Accountant.”

  “Accountant?” He tightened his hold on her. “You’re an accountant, really?”

  “Yes.” She ground her teeth together, ready for the jokes about her chosen profession.

  “Do accountants have a specialty?”

  He sounded interested, code for wanting advice. “I love taxes.”

  “Why do you like taxes?” He swallowed.

  “It’s a challenge. Everyone has to pay them but no one wants to. It’s a game.”

  “Oh my God, that’s awesome!”

  “You think it’s awesome?” In her entire career, no one ever called her line of work awesome. Still, she waited for the questions about his deductions.

  “Are you good?”

  She swore he held his breath. “I believe I am.”

  “Then it’s awesome.”

  “All done, and very well stitched if I say so myself.” The doctor handed her a mirror.

  The bandage covered half her forehead, so there would be no hiding the evidence with her bangs.

  With the treatment complete, she sat up, but Shane caught her shoulders.

  “I think being an accountant, especially one that specializes in taxes, is completely and utterly awesome.”

  “Thank you.” Her throat dried out.

  “Here are her prescriptions and aftercare instructions.” The doctor handed Shane the papers and picked up the forms that dropped earlier. “We’ll need some real answers to this.” He turned the document around.

  Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Shane got her name and address right. Because he was unable to answer the other questions, he drew on the page. It was a cartoon version of her lying on the examining table with the doctor as a monster preparing to attack her with oversized hammer.

  “Did you draw this?”

  “Give me that.” Shane reached for it.

  She thrust her hand out, stopping him. “May I have it?” No one back home would ever believe it without proof.

  He lifted his eyebrows then took the paper and bowed as he gave it to her. “You need the finishing touch.” He grabbed the doctor’s pen and signed his initials in the corner with a flourish.

  Shane exuded added personality and flair that gave him an edge. Something she’d always wanted, never had, and was trying to capture by coming out to California in the first place.

  “You are quite the artist.” The doctor lifted his sleeve and showed off a tattoo of a caduceus with the snakes wrapping around his forearm.

  She leaned into study the tattoo and turned to Shane as everything came into place.

  “I own a tattoo shop.” He took her arm and helped her from the table.

  “Yes.” In one million years she never predicted a man who permanently marked people for a living would save her, and she knew the number was accurate.

  “He owns THE tattoo shop.” The doctor slapped Shane on the back. “Our Shane is a superstar.”

  “Don’t believe a word he says.” Shane grimaced. “Carson!”

  His brother stuck his head into the room and waved.

  Waving back seemed the right thing to do, even though it felt silly to Lindsay.

  “Get these filled for Miss Lindsay so we can take her home. Ask for Henry at the pharmacy. Remind him I�
��m the reason he now has a wife and two kids.” He handed Carson the prescriptions. “Did you call the super and make sure her door was fixed?”

  “All done my Czar.” Carson saluted and left.

  “Shane?” Wavering, she took hold of his arm.

  “Yes, there’s still plenty of time to make it to Vegas for our wedding.” He winked. “Don’t worry.”

  Quite certain she was about the last woman he’d ever want to marry, she finished her sentence. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “You are more than welcome.” He put his arm around her. “We’re neighbors.”

  “If you ever need anything, just let me know. I’m more than happy to return the favor.” The last thing she needed was to start her California life in debt.

  “I will surely keep that in mind.” He pulled her closer for a squeeze. “We should do this again sometime.”

  She forced a laugh. Except for a friendly wave from the next-door over, no doubt they would go their separate ways. Someone like him was not in her plan.

  Chapter Three

  Shane leaned back on the wall between his and Lindsay’s door, waiting for her to return from her first day of work. After some prodding last night, he discovered she worked in the heart of Beverly Hills, right on Wilshire Boulevard. In rush hour it would take her about forty minutes to drive the six miles home and he inhaled. She should be there any minute.

  “I’m starving!” Emily’s voice screeched from his apartment.

  “All in good time.” Shane thrummed fingers on his doorjamb.

  “Can I practice my makeup on her?” His sister stuck her head out of the door.

  “Eventually.” He motioned her back inside. “She needs a girlfriend and so do you.”

  “Why do you say that?” Emily stepped all the way out with her hands on her hips.

  “She has been here all week and the first I heard or saw of her was when she fell yesterday.” He couldn’t fathom how boring it must have been for her with no friends. “You have too many men in your life and could use some female influence.” Lindsay was a total girl, with manners and blushes and little smiles. He licked his lips.

  Emily stuck her tongue out. “Won’t she be overwhelmed by all of us?”

  “She was yesterday.” He shrugged and pushed her inside as the woman he wanted limped to the stairs. She clutched the wood banister as she dragged herself up. Perfect.

  When she raised her head, he waved and gave her a broad, inviting smile. Her pristine black business suit wilted around her like a piece of lettuce left in the heat too long, and the heels she apparently loved had become some sort of medieval torture device. Even though she waved back, she didn’t muster a smile.

  This would be a snap. “Hard day at the office, dear?”

  She managed to top the stairs and nodded.

  He leaned down and lifted three bottles from a strategically placed cooler. “I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

  Her eyes darted between the bottle of soda, wine, and imported beer. He almost laughed aloud when she reached for the soda but kept her focus on the beer. To his surprise, she didn’t give the wine a second glance.

  “Thanks.”

  Shane tilted his head. “May is the perfect time in LA.” He opened the bottle for her and took a beer for himself.

  Lindsay took a long sip. “The mountains are incredible.”

  He pursed his lips at the San Gabriel Mountains and Hollywood Hills that had always been there. Honestly, he never really thought about them. “Ohio is pretty flat I take it.”

  “Yep.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose.

  “How’s the noggin?”

  She touched the bandage. “No one believed what really happened.”

  “You should have just told them you were in a bar fight, and that would have shut everyone up.”

  “I wanted to thank you again for everything.”

  “At your service.” He put his bottle down. They still needed to converse for a few more minutes before he put the rest of his plan into place. He almost stumbled on his next words. “The rest of the gang and I were going out to grab some sushi. We thought after a day of crunching numbers, you might want to join us.”

  When she wrinkled her nose, an unfamiliar tightness radiated throughout his body. “My sister’s here.” If she didn’t want to be with all guys, it might help. “Or, if you don’t like sushi, we can go get some Italian?”

  She graced him with a true smile laced with a bit of something else, maybe sadness. “I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate the invitation, but I can’t.”

  “We can always just order a pizza or Chinese.” Did he sound desperate? “I have friends in either cuisine.”

  “Thanks anyway, maybe another time.”

  Not sure how his idea to feed her backfired, he continued. Maybe she wasn’t hungry. “Did your big corporate office take you to a huge lunch in honor of your first day?”

  “No they didn’t.” The smile vanished and she moved toward her door.

  Did he peg her wrong and she did have a social life? Thrown off, he spurted out the first thing that came to him. “So what’s going on?”

  She kept her back to him and pressed her hand to the door as if needing support. “They are supposed to take you to lunch or something on your first day, right?”

  Yes, he was right at the sadness he detected. “Yeah, when a new guy starts at the shop we always buy him a burrito or sub.”

  She nodded. “Thought so.”

  “I’d be happy to fill in. Mexican maybe?”

  Her shoulders drooped and she slid the key in the lock. “I can’t. As you saw yesterday, I have yet to unpack. I should probably tackle it.”

  “I noticed.” He jutted in front of her to stop her from escaping. “Why didn’t you unpack yet?” Why would she spend the last week sitting in a room of boxes?

  She bit her lip.

  He bent down by her ear. “Let me in on the secret.”

  After an extended pause, she cupped her hand over his ear. “I’m trying to plan out where everything’s going to go.”

  He tingled from the chills her soft breath on his earlobe created, and pulled back. The California sun had not touched her yet, and he enjoyed the contrast of her bright red cheeks against her pale skin. “Well, you’re in luck because I planned for exactly this contingency.”

  Lindsay narrowed her eyes. “You planned for this?”

  “I did!” He rubbed his hands together. “All right she’s ready!”

  At his yell, his door flung open and Carson came out first. “I’m an expert at hanging pictures and making sure no one gets injured.” He pointed at her bandage and walked by her.

  Lindsay’s eyes widened when his best friend, Ivan, came out next carrying a knife. With his platinum blond hair that fell halfway down his back and more tattoos than any of them, he was a sight to behold.

  “I’m Ivan and I’ll break down the boxes.” He bowed and joined Carson.

  “Shane?” Her focus alternated between him and his crew.

  “Yes, I brought my special secret weapon as well.”

  With that introduction, his sister leapt over the threshold, ran right to Lindsay, gave her a hug. “Emily Elliott.”

  Shane gave her a thumbs up.

  “I’ll work on the closets.” She hugged Lindsay again and interlaced their arms together as everyone walked toward her door.

  “Hold on!” Lindsay held her hand out stopping them.

  They halted.

  “What’s wrong?” Shane maneuvered around her outstretched hand.

  “We can’t just do this, I have a plan, and I can do it alone.”

  “We saw how well you did yesterday.”

  “Really, this is my job. I have to do this myself.” She frowned. “I’ve been mapping everything out. I just had a few trouble spots is all.”

  “Here’s the deal.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “Everyone needs consultation when they move, otherwise how do you kn
ow which drawer to put the silverware in?”

  He knew he got to her when she mumbled something. “What was that?”

  She turned toward Emily. “That was exactly what stopped me from unpacking.”

  Emily laughed.

  “Then I say we go figure that out.” He plucked her keys from her hand.

  “Seriously, you guys are really incredible, all of you. This is just something I have to do alone.” She untangled her arm from Emily, took her keys back and returned to her door. “Thank you, I mean it. You saved me yesterday and I’ll never forget it. My offer still stands.”

  What was happening? He held up one finger and turned to his tribe. They shook their heads in unison. His opportunity would be lost if she walked in the door. “Lindsay!”

  She spun around.

  He tripped on his own foot and said eight words he was pretty sure never came out of his mouth before. “Can I talk to you for a second?” He waved behind him to signal the others to disperse.

  Lindsay wrapped her arms around her middle and pressed her back to the door.

  “Hold on.” He raised his finger, located Ivan and stomped toward him.

  “She thinks you want to ask her out.” Ivan flicked Shane’s forehead.

  Sweat broke out over his entire body. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Girls adored him and he wouldn’t mind taking her out if that was what she wanted. She could be the good little business girl and he would be the big bad tattoo artist.

  “Not when it comes to you. Not even your charm will make her succumb.” Ivan tilted his head for emphasis.

  Shane slunk back to Lindsay. He was about to let her off the hook, and simply ask her for help, when she interrupted his groveling.

  “What financial advice do you need?”

  Her black shiny high heel tapped the ground in time to his heartbeats. “How do you know that?”

  “Call it accountant’s intuition.”

  He raked his nails down the side of his Mohawk before he reached into his pocket and handed her a folded envelope. “It’s from the IRS.” Simply voicing the letters made his stomach twist.

  She took the envelope, unfolded it and extracted the letter. He studied her face for any reaction, but she gave nothing away. Thank God he hadn’t eaten because he was going to puke over the side of the railing. Though everyone knew about the letters, this was the first time he’d addressed it. He tried to find someone to help, then Lindsay dropped right into his lap.