1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Fourteen

by Kristen Ashley

  This happened to be that week. But because she scheduled herself as precisely as she could, she also had weekends off for the next five weeks. What she was going to do with that time other than lounge around in her new cotton dresses she’d bought on sale, she wasn’t sure.

  Today, however, she had a little bit of a plan. She was having lunch with her friend Arianna at their favorite café, Taboo. The fact that Taboo shared a wall and a door with Montgomery Ink, the family tattoo shop run by Jake’s wife, Maya, and her brother Austin, didn’t even worry her. She wasn’t in love with Jake, and somehow, she’d even become friends with Maya. Maya was her complete opposite, and that only made Holly happier with herself. Because Maya loved herself and who she was, and Holly wasn’t going to let that put a shadow on her own self-confidence because that wasn’t who either of them were.

  Of course, being a little more…well, just more would be nice.

  She let out a sigh and cleaned up her breakfast dishes, annoyed with herself once again. She hated when self-doubt reared its ugly head, and it annoyed her to no end when she let it affect her. So she wasn’t a sexy temptress or even a kick-butt woman in leather. She was herself, and that was just fine with her.

  She liked her clothes. Liked the fact that she was nice. Considering how she’d grown up, it surprised her she hadn’t become a jaded husk of a woman. Instead, she tried to be helpful, smiled because she liked smiling and not because someone told her to, and was just…Holly.

  That had been good enough for her for years. Yet, now, she kind of wanted something more.

  Holly blew out a breath and grabbed her keys. She slid on her ballet flats and put her purse over her arm as she left her house and got into her car. There was nothing wrong with her.

  Just because she was having dreams about an unknown man that she didn’t have in her life, didn’t mean she couldn’t get a man like him. She’d gotten Jake—at least for a little while—hadn’t she? And she wasn’t about to change herself for a man.

  But adding a little spice might be nice.

  Being bored with herself even if she liked who she was wasn’t the best way to live.

  She let out a little growl and made her way to downtown Denver, annoyed all over again. Her mind had been going on this familiar loop recently, and she hated it. She’d spent so many years figuring out how to rise from the ashes and become the woman she was now, that she despised the fact that she might not be exactly happy with how everything had turned out.

  And that was enough of that.

  She flipped her sound system on and, instead of listening to the latest book from her favorite romance author, she changed it to a local radio station. With a shake of her head and her grip tight on her steering wheel, she sang at the top of her lungs, completely off-key, making a general mess of herself. But she didn’t care. Even when she was at a stoplight, and there were cars around her, she kept at it. Of course, that was before she looked over at the guy on the motorcycle next to her.

  She froze, her mouth going dry at the grin on the man’s face. He wore a helmet but no visor so she could see every plane and hard edge of his jaw and the beauty of his eyes that seemed to bore into her. The humor in them made her want to crawl into her back seat and hide.

  “Why did you stop?” he called out, and she blinked.

  Why could she hear him even over the music?

  Oh. My. God.

  She looked up at the open sunroof she hadn’t even remembered opening. She’d been on autopilot, and now she really wanted to crawl away—anywhere so she wouldn’t be there.

  Wait. She didn’t know this guy and wouldn’t be seeing him again.

  So she did something very un-Holly-like and turned up the music before singing loudly along with it again, leaving the freaking sunroof open like a loon.

  He threw his head back and laughed, and though she couldn’t hear it, she knew it had to be one of those deep-chested sounds she loved. For some reason, she knew this guy wasn’t laughing at her, but with her. She shook her head, laughing along with him while still trying to sing.

  When he waved at her before pulling away, she shook herself out of whatever had just come over her and lifted her foot off the brake.

  Well, it seemed she’d done at least one surprising thing today. That had to count for something.

  When she pulled into the back lot behind the tattoo shop, she quickly grabbed her things before heading around the building toward Taboo. The parking lot was for Montgomery Ink friends and family only, with a few spots for clients as well, and they had strict towing signs everywhere. Somehow, she’d become one of the select few who was allowed to park there whenever they wanted. She only did it when she was going to Taboo or the shop, not when she just needed to come downtown for other reasons. Maya and Austin might have told her it was okay, but she still didn’t feel quite comfortable.

  Her friend Arianna was already at a small table near the window when Holly arrived at the café. Holly waved toward the counter where her other friend, the owner of Taboo, was making an espresso. Hailey waved back, her platinum-blonde bob shifting around her face as she did a little dance to the music playing overhead. Hailey was seriously one of the sexiest women Holly had ever met, and if she were honest with herself, she might be a little jealous of that. The woman was talented, smart, and owned her own business, in addition to being gorgeous. No wonder the big, inked tattoo artist Sloane had married her.

  Holly turned back to Arianna and grinned before taking a seat. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Arianna shook her head, her golden waves cascading around her shoulders. “I was early.” She looked down at her phone and frowned before typing back so quickly, Holly could barely see her fingers clearly. “Sorry. Work issue.”

  With Arianna, there always seemed to be a work issue. But her friend was a wedding planner and constantly working. At least Holly sometimes had weekends off, unlike Arianna.

  “It’s okay. I know you’re busy. I’m just glad you could meet for lunch.”

  Arianna looked up and smiled before setting her phone down on the table. “Me, too. Though I might have to look at my phone a hundred times before we’re done.”

  Holly snorted and glanced over the menu. She’d been there at least a hundred times but still liked to look it over. “And that would be different from any other day, how?”

  The other woman rolled her eyes. “Shut it. Anyway, you have a little bounce in your step. Anything interesting happen? Find a sexy guy to sweep you off your feet?”

  “If only.”

  “What do you mean ‘if only?’” Hailey said as she walked toward them. She set down a peach iced tea in front of Holly and a glass of strawberry-infused water in front of Arianna. The other woman always knew their drink orders before they did. It was kind of creepy in an endearing way.

  Holly smiled. “You scare me sometimes. It’s like you’re psychic. And the ‘if only’ was because I don’t have a guy right now. But that’s okay, you know.”

  Hailey smiled softly. “I know. But we all just want to see you happy.”

  All.

  Meaning the Montgomerys and everyone that had been taken into their web of friends. She loved the Montgomerys and their inner circle, but sometimes they were a bit much for her. The well-meaning looks a tad overwhelming.

  Holly bit her lip and tried to keep her eyes on her menu, but it didn’t work. Arianna put her hand over Holly’s and squeezed.

  “You’re not going to turn into your parents, you know,” Arianna whispered. “You don’t have to let them define you.”

  Holly looked up and narrowed her eyes. “I can say the same for you.”

  Arianna pulled away with a nod. “So why the new pep, then?” she asked, not backing down.

  “Fine. So this morning, I realized I needed a little more…yeah, pep is a good word, in my life. I want to be a little more adventurous but not crazy. I like who I am, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t want to change that. I don’t want to change how I dress or
act, but it might be nice to add some crazy into my life, a bit more adventure. I don’t need to become a daredevil or anything, but it would be nice to see if I can do something.” She paused as the other two women stared at her, small smiles on their faces. “And on my way here, I was singing loudly and off-key, and hadn’t realized my sunroof was open. A hot guy on his bike next to me noticed and laughed. But it wasn’t a mean laugh, more like one that encouraged me to continue.” A pause. “So I did.”

  “You weren’t that off-key, just saying.”

  Holly whirled around, nearly knocking over her tea in the process. The guy from the bike reached around her quickly to keep the glass upright. The movement put the heat of him dangerously close to her skin.

  “Wha… How did you know I was going to be here?” She swallowed hard. She hated coincidences, and this one felt a little too weird.

  “It was you?” Hailey asked with a smile. “I should have known the guy on the bike telling people to sing and be amazing was you. Holly, this is Brody. Brody, this is Holly. He’s a regular over at the shop and a friend of the Montgomerys. I’m surprised you two haven’t met before.”

  “I’m surprised, too,” he murmured.

  Holly just sat there, confused.

  “Anyway, I liked that you sang as if no one was watching,” Brody drawled. Damn it. The man drawled. Not only did he have a very nice face with perfect lips and a perfect jaw but he also had that hair that was longer on top than it was in the back or on the sides. So when he moved his arm up to push his hair from his eyes, it made his biceps bulge in just the right way.

  This man was dangerous.

  And, yes…Holly had just said she wanted a little danger.

  “Thanks. I think?”

  He studied her face for a moment before sticking his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. Sorry if I did.”

  Holly was aware that Hailey and Arianna were watching with rapt attention, but she ignored the other two women.

  “You didn’t make me feel bad. Just the opposite, in fact.”

  Brody smiled then, and her heart did that little fast beat thing she thought was just in movies. While Brody was handsome in general, the smile just pushed it to the next level.

  Holy hell. The man was sex on a stick.

  “That’s good to know,” he said smoothly, his voice going deeper. “And if you’d ever like to test out that adventure on the back of my bike, since I saw the way you were looking at it, just let me know.” He grinned this time. “I’ll be right over at the shop if you’re interested after you finish your meal. It’s nice to meet you, Holly.” He nodded toward the others. “Ladies.”

  And with that, he strolled away, back toward Montgomery Ink. Holly’s eyes were glued to his very firm butt encased in perfect-fitting jeans.

  What the heck just happened?

  One minute, she was thinking of an adventure. The next, this man drops out of nowhere and practically lands in her lap.

  “Oh, boy,” Hailey said with a sigh. “It seems Brody has his eyes on you.”

  Holly turned toward the other women. “No, he doesn’t. He was just being nice.”

  Arianna snorted. “There was nothing nice about that. He was all sex lathered up in smooth caramel. I say if you’re looking for adventure, this Brody might be the one to help you out.”

  “And in case you’re worried about him, don’t be,” Hailey put in. “He’s a good guy, and not one of those creeps who is good at pretending to be good.” She paused. “But if you’re serious about finding something new and fun, Brody might be the perfect guy for that.”

  Holly stared at her friends, confused and a little worried. When she’d talked about adventure and being different if only for a moment, she hadn’t been thinking of a man.

  But for some reason, she couldn’t get Brody out of her head.

  And that could be dangerous.

  Chapter Two

  Brody Deacon strolled into Montgomery Ink and couldn’t help but smile. The buzzing sounds of the machines and artists at work soothed him. He’d been in one of the chairs in this room countless times before for all of his ink, and he knew he’d be in them again soon. Each person tattooed differently, and while some clients wanted the same artist to do every tattoo on them, Brody was a little different.

  He liked the way the people in this room had created his artwork as a team. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses and made sure he got the best of the best. It helped that the crew at Montgomery Ink was some of the most talented artists in the country.

  The owners, Austin and Maya, were sought out around the world and had waiting lists years long. He was damn lucky he’d been able to get work done at all.

  Today, however, he wasn’t there for a tattoo. He’d taken his day off to help out the crew since they’d given him so much of themselves while laying the ink on his skin.

  “You’re here,” Maya called out. “It’s about damn time.”

  He rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She glared at him, but he saw her mouth twitch. “I think your new slogan should be ‘It’s about damn time’ since I hear you say it so often.”

  She flipped him off. The other artists in the room—Austin, Callie, Derek, Brandon, Blake, and Sloane—laughed.

  “He’s got you pegged,” Austin said with a grin.

  “Just watch yourself, Brody,” Callie warned, her smile wide. “She packs a punch.”

  “I’d stand up to her, but she’d probably hit me,” Blake put in. “And then Graham would get all angry if I showed up with a black eye.”

  Maya flipped them all off using both hands before laughing. Being smart, Derek, Brandon, and Sloane remained silent. When Maya went on a tear, it was best to proceed as you would if you met a bear in the woods. Look nonthreatening and act like you weren’t there before slowly backing away.

  Or were you supposed to look big and powerful against a bear?

  Maybe play dead?

  Hell, he didn’t remember anymore and made a mental note to check that out later.

  Maya snapped her fingers in front of his face, and he blinked, his mind coming back to the present and not the long, winding journey it had just gone down. “You there, Brody?”

  “I’m here, darling. Just tell me where you want me.”

  “One day, Jake and Border are going to kick your ass,” Austin said, his arms folded over his large chest. The man was big, bearded, and had once been more growly than not. Thankfully, marriage and kids had calmed him down some. Some.

  “Maya’s husbands could probably take me, honestly,” Brody joked. Maya had married not one, but two big, bearded men, and Brody figured it took both of them to handle her. Not that she needed handling since she was a strong, confident woman and all that. Great. Now he sounded like a sexist prick when he hadn’t meant to. Albeit in his own head.

  Hell, his mind kept going down weird paths. Maybe he’d had too much coffee.

  Or maybe he was a little rattled from meeting the sweet blonde next door not once, but twice that day.

  “They could,” Maya said cheerily. “But then again, so could I. Anyway, Alex sent over some of the photos he took of you and your ink at the gym. I figured we could go through them and see what else we need before we make it a book. Alex would be here, but he and Tabby had a weekend getaway planned.”

  Alex was Maya and Austin’s younger brother and a photographer. He was also Brody’s friend and workout partner at their gym. Since there were eight Montgomerys locally, and about a thousand others around the state, he figured it wasn’t all that uncommon to become friends with one of them.

  “Sounds good to me.” He followed Maya to the front of the shop waiting area after she’d picked up her laptop.

  “I thought we’d sit here rather than in the small office. I have a slight break between clients, and these leather couches are comfy.”

  He smiled and took a seat next to her. “Want me to load them up?”

  She glared
but handed over her laptop. “This is in no way an admission to any failure on my part when it comes to computers.”

  “Sure, honey, whatever you say,” Derek crooned. Apparently, the other man wasn’t going to pretend Maya was a bear in the wild, after all.

  Maya flipped the other man off without looking at him and glared at Brody. “Have anything to say?”

  “Not a word.” He quickly booted up the computer, and thankfully, she’d left the window open so he didn’t have to search her email or anything.

  The two of them went over the photos together, and he couldn’t help but admire Alex’s work. Yeah, it was weird as hell to look at photos of his own body over and over again, but the work that had been put into his ink, as well as the photos themselves, were flat out amazing.

  “You guys are good,” he murmured.

  “The best.”

  Not shy, that Maya. And he wouldn’t know what to do with her if she were.

  Though there was a shy woman he wanted to know more. And since, apparently, Holly knew the Montgomery crew, he might as well ask about her. “So, what do you know about Holly?”

  Maya froze. “Holly? My friend, and Jake’s ex?”

  Well, shit. That’s how he knew the name. Jake had once dated Holly before he’d fallen in love with Border and Maya. This could get tricky.

  “Never mind,” he said quickly, but Maya glared.

  “Brody.”

  “It’s nothing, Maya.” And it would be nothing because a guy didn’t fuck with exes. Ever.

  “She’s single,” Maya put in. “And sweet. And caring. And Jake doesn’t hold a torch for her if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  He was the one to glare now. “It’s fine, Maya.”

  “Sure,” she agreed. “And that’s why Holly is walking this way right now.”

  His eyes widened, and he turned quickly in his chair, none of his usual smoothness in evidence. “Hey,” he croaked and stood up so he was facing her.

  Holly smiled at him and gave Maya a small wave. “Is the bike thing still on the table?”