Tattoos & Tears (Complete Collection)

by Amiee Louise

  I plaster a fake smile on my face, and Seb narrows his eyes at me.

  “I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re lying to me, honey.”

  I am about to speak when I see Sam stride into the bar. The bar goes silent for a few seconds with people recognising him, and then they resume their conversations. He looks positively pissed for the second time today. His green eyes lock with mine, and he walks over to me. He crouches down in front of me, cupping my face in his hands, his face marred with worry.

  “Are you OK, angel?”

  I nod and automatically know that this has something to do with Ruby. My suspicions are soon confirmed.

  “I came as soon as Ruby called; I was literally right around the corner at a photo shoot. I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  I look into his eyes and plead, “Please don’t do anything stupid, babe, I can’t bear to see you angry.”

  He smirks. “I’m not just angry, angel, I’m fucking murderous,” he seethes, his voice laced with disdain. He stands up, and I grab his hand.

  “Baby,” I beg.

  He kisses my forehead. “Trust me; I’ll be right back, angel. I promise.”

  He strides off across the bar, passing Ruby on the way, and they exchange a few words. Ruby comes back over and sits down.

  “Why the fuck did you have to call Sam for?” I spit angrily.

  “Babe, you need to chill your beans and be grateful that he didn’t come sooner. When you asked me to meet you earlier, I called Sam straight away. There was no way he would let you out without security. So when he found out I was meeting you, he relaxed a little bit. He is a pussy cat, really.”

  She smiles innocently. Typical Ruby, she has Sam wrapped around her little finger. I down my drink, and Seb watches us silently. I hear a commotion across the bar, so I go to stand up, and Seb gets up right after.

  “Stay here,” Seb says to me. “I’ve got this, honey.”

  He walks across the bar, and I put my hand to my head. I hear smashing glass, and I quickly get to my feet. I walk quickly across the floor closely followed by Ruby. Sam has Harley pinned to the floor, and he is bleeding. He is about to punch him again, and Seb holds him back.

  “Mate, stop, not in front of Peyton, please. It’s not worth it, he is not worth it.”

  Seb’s calming voice seems to work, and Sam goes lax in Seb’s grip. I stand over Harley.

  “Mi Chica, it was just a stupid joke. What is it you English say? Banter between the boys? I’m sorry, I meant no harm.”

  A look of disgust passes between us, and I kick him between his legs. Ruby whoops and claps her hands.

  “That’s for fucking bragging and bullshitting about having sex with me. For the record, you weren’t that good anyway, dick,” I spit angrily and Ruby bursts out laughing. Seb lets go of Sam, and he wraps his arms around me. Harley gingerly gets up and rushes out of the bar at breakneck speed.

  “Are you OK, angel?”

  I nod and look up at him. His lip is cut, and his nose is bloody.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  He touches his nose.

  “It’s nothing, babe, don’t worry about me. Look, I need to clean this mess up before the manager either calls the police or alerts the press.”

  He kisses me gently on the lips and pulls away from our embrace. I see him whispering to Seb, and a look passes between them. They shake hands, and Sam winks at me.

  “I’ll be as quick as I can, baby, then I’m taking you home with me.”

  I smile, and Sam strides off with his phone to his ear. Ruby links my arm, and we go to the bar. We get another round of drinks and do copious amounts of Cherry Sourz while we wait for the boys. We are perched on two bar stools, and I’m feeling very drunk now, struggling to focus on my surroundings. Ruby giggles.

  “Peyton is w-a-s-t-e-d!” she sings in my ear, and I laugh hard. Her gaze shifts across the bar, and she puts her finger to her lips.

  “Shhh, Mr. Wonderful is coming,” she slurs and closes one eye to focus. I follow her gaze and see Sam striding over to us. I grin widely, and in that moment, I am even more in love with him than I have ever been. He stops in front of me.

  “Sammy, baby,” I sing to him, and he laughs.

  “Has someone had a little too much to drink, angel?”

  I nod.

  “I’m going to take her home, Ruby. Cole’s outside. He is taking you back to the flat.”

  Ruby narrows her eyes over the rim of her glass at him, and I shake my head.

  “Possessive rockers always get what they want, Rubes, don’t argue with him or he’ll go Christian Grey on your arse and spank the living shit out of you!”

  Ruby laughs hysterically while I pull a face and salute. Sam throws his head back and laughs.

  “Come on, gorgeous, I’m taking you home.”

  He lifts me into his arms easily as if he is carrying a feather and carries me out of the bar and Ruby follows us. We get outside, and I suddenly feel dizzy.

  “Sammy, I feel sick.”

  He sets me down on my feet, and I lean against the wall. I throw up on the pavement with Sam holding my hair out of my face and rubbing my back soothingly.

  “Should I take the lady home, Sam?” I hear Cole’s deep voice.

  “Yeah, I’ve got her, mate, it’s fine. I’ll drive to my place, and Ruby’s address is programmed in the sat nav.”

  “OK, give me a call if you need anything, mate.”

  I stumble as I try to regain my balance, and like lightning, Sam steadies me. He grips me around my waist.

  “Jesus Christ, are you OK, baby?”

  I giggle. “I’m Yankee doodle dandy!”

  He laughs. I see two Sams in front of me and close one eye to try to focus. He carries me to his Porsche Cayenne 4x4 and sits me in the passenger seat. He buckles my seatbelt, goes around to the driver’s side, and gets into the car.

  “If you need to throw up, let me know, and I’ll pull over.”

  I lean my head back in the seat to try and stop my world from spinning. I watch as Sam pulls smoothly away from the kerb. Even in the moonlight, his profile is striking. I sigh, and he looks at me from the corner of his eye, chuckling softly.

  “You’re adorable when you’re drunk, angel.”

  I look at him and sigh. “You’re beautiful all the time. I love you, Sammy.”

  He moves his hand from the gear stick and strokes my leg.

  “I love you more than life itself, baby.”

  I lean my head back in the seat and the next thing I know, I am being lifted and carried from Sam’s car. He walks into his building and into the lift. I snuggle closer to his chest and grip the neck of his t-shirt. He plants a kiss on my forehead. I feel the lift stop, and he steps out with me in his strong arms. He lays me down on the bed, and before I know it, I am drifting off into a drink-induced sleep.

  4

  Peyton

  I wake the next morning with the worse hangover ever. My head is pounding, and I suddenly don’t remember getting home. I am in my underwear, and I sit up to look around the room. I’m relieved to find myself in Sam’s bed. He stands in the doorway of the en-suite bathroom with a towel slung low on his hips. He looks delicious with beads of water running down his abs.

  “Good morning, angel.”

  He smiles his panty-dropping smile, but I am too hungover to appreciate the sight of his half-naked body.

  “How are you feeling?” I clutch my head, and he chuckles softly. “There’s two aspirin and a pint of water by the bed, baby. Trust me, you’ll feel better.”

  “Did I do anything to embarrass myself?”

  “No, you just threw up, and I brought you back here. You fell asleep in my car. I undressed you and carried you to bed.”

  I close my eyes, and apologize, “I’m so sorry, I don’t usually get that drunk.”

  “It’s fine. Honestly, don’t worry about it. You’re adorable when you’re drunk, and I didn’t mind taking care of you.”
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br />   I take the aspirin from the table beside the bed and polish off the glass of water in one long pull.

  “You grab a shower, angel. I’ll go and make breakfast.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Do you even know how to cook?”

  He throws his head back and laughs. I decide there and then that his laughter is my favourite sound in the world.

  “I get by. I’m in-between housekeepers at the moment, so I’ve either been living on takeaway, or my mum’s been leaving already prepared food in my fridge.”

  I laugh. “Does your mum do everything for you?”

  He smirks. “Just my washing and my cooking right now. Amy helps when she can too. I need to start interviewing for a new housekeeper as soon as.”

  I roll my eyes and get up from the bed, feeling a little steadier on my feet. I go over to the bathroom, and he kisses me on the cheek, avoiding my morning breath.

  “I’ll go and make breakfast. Take as long as you need, angel.”

  I step into the bathroom, strip out of my underwear, and turn on the shower. I catch sight of myself in the mirror, and I look like shit. I didn’t take my makeup off last night; I have panda eyes, and my hair is dishevelled. I step into the shower, welcoming the feel of the hot water cascading over my body. I spend longer than my usual twenty minutes under the shower washing my hair and trying to get back to something that resembles human. When I emerge from the shower, I’m feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.

  My outfit for the day consists of black skinny jeans and an off-black distressed Rolling Stones t-shirt. I make my way to the kitchen; Sam is on the phone, he has the phone resting between his ear and his shoulder. He is cooking breakfast at the same time. A man who knows how to multi-task, I’m impressed!

  “Yeah, we leave first thing Monday morning, mate. I need to speak with her first. We’re going on tour, not leaving the fucking country. Last night, yeah, you buried it? Thanks, you are a total legend, mate, I appreciate it. I need to go, I’m making breakfast. You funny bastard. I’ll make sure I don’t poison her. Speak soon, bye.”

  He hangs up the phone, and I am curious as to what he needs to speak to me about. I perch myself on a stool at the kitchen island and lean on my hands.

  “Feeling better, angel?”

  I nod. “Much. Thanks, babe.”

  He smiles, and he serves us both breakfast consisting of ham, poached eggs, and mushrooms on brown toast—it looks delicious. He takes a seat on the opposite side of the island, and we both tuck into our breakfast.

  “That was Tate on the phone. He sorted last night out, and he purchased the bar for me. He made sure all evidence of the fight was buried to stop it leaking to the press and wiped all CCTV evidence. That bloke is a total bloody legend.”

  I look wide-eyed at him. “You bought the bar? That’s a bit excessive.”

  “It’s no use having money when you don’t spend it, babe. I told you before, it’s nothing to me, I own this building, I own a few other bars, I have an apartment in New York, a penthouse apartment in Vegas overlooking the strip, I have a mansion in Dublin, beach houses in Hawaii and Florida, and a few other properties. I intend on taking you to all of them, but it’s all irrelevant, really,” he says nonchalantly whilst taking a bite of his breakfast. “Look, I need to speak to you about a few things.”

  I nod for him to go on.

  “We’re going on a three month UK tour on Monday; I want you to come on tour with us. Before you start arguing, I need you with me, baby. I hate the thought of you being here without me. I want you to let me protect you. We’ve got a double-deck tour bus, and there’s a double bedroom.”

  My mouth forms an O shape. I can’t believe he is asking me to go on tour with him. Three months on a tour bus with a bunch of rockers? It sounds like my worst nightmare, but it also sounds like it could be fun. He regards me intently, waiting for my response.

  “A double bedroom?”

  “Yep, there are two double bedrooms on the top deck, a small kitchen, TV, and seating area, a bunch of sleeper pods on both decks, a bathroom and a small office—it’s basically a house on wheels.”

  I am suitably impressed by his description.

  “I need to clear it with Seb. He owes me some time. But I’m not sure I can do the whole three months, but certainly a few weeks to a month or so.”

  His face breaks out into an ear-splitting grin. “So is that a yes?”

  I smile. “Yes.”

  He comes over to me and lifts me from the stool, enveloping me in a big bear hug.

  “Being on a bus with a bunch of rockers isn’t as bad as it sounds, I promise.”

  He pulls away. “There’s something else too, baby.” I look up at him, unsure of what he’s about to say, “My parents have invited us for dinner tonight; I sort of said we would go.”

  “So I’m finally going to get to meet the rest of your family?”

  “Yep, plus my dad’s band is going too. They’re having some sort of reunion, so my mum decided to make it into a dinner party.”

  I am suddenly struck with nerves at meeting the rest of Sam’s family. Panic sets in, and he seems to sense it immediately.

  “They’re going to love you, angel, I promise. My dad was quite taken with you, you know Willow already, so it’s just my brothers and my mum.”

  I start to relax a little. What could possibly go wrong?

  We spend the day together, working out, shopping, and preparing for the night ahead. I get my hair done and call Seb and explain about going on tour with Sam. He agrees that I deserve a break, time to fully recover from the accident, and time to adjust in my role as shop manager. Although I am nervous and apprehensive of what to expect, I am feeling in such a good mood as we shower and get ready for dinner at Sam’s parents.

  I want to make a good impression, so I opt for a red and black maxi dress and as a surprise for Sam; I’m not wearing any underwear. I team my dress with black diamante flip-flops and tousle my hair in loose waves. I feel relaxed and comfortable.

  “You always look beautiful, angel. You make it look so effortless. You could even make wearing a bin liner sexy.”

  Laughing, I say, “Hardly. When we first met, I couldn’t look directly at you because I found you so handsome and devastating. I was so affected by you, no man has ever affected me the way you did, and I was a total mess. I was trying so hard to be indifferent to you, but you made it so god damn hard.”

  He raises his eyebrow and grins. “As soon as I saw you, I was instantly smitten.” He puffs out his cheeks at the memory. “You were so feisty and fiercely independent. You weren’t afraid to say no to me, and I loved that. When Ruby took you to lunch that day, I felt like a caged animal waiting for my next encounter with you. Last night when she called and told me that Harley had been bragging and saying shit about you, the thought of his hands all over you made me feel physically violent. I know we weren’t together then, but I can’t stand it. The only guy I trust around you is Seb. We had a long chat after you fell asleep, he made his feelings clear, and I apologised for being such a dick.”

  If only you knew. I quickly push that thought to the back of my mind and smile. I am glad that the two men in my life are at least on friendly terms. I finish getting ready and jab my finger in Sam’s chest.

  “You need to stop being so handsome and distracting. You need to get dressed, Sam.”

  I kiss him on the lips, and he pulls me down on the bed. I don’t know how he does it, but he has me pinned beneath him, and before I know it, he is straddling me with his muscular thighs on either side of my waist.

  “What if I don’t want to get dressed?” he asks huskily, and I instantly feel liquid heat between my legs.

  “We’re going to be late, babe.”

  He chuckles softly and nuzzles his face in my hair.

  “I like your hair. You look spectacular,” he whispers huskily in my ear as he cups my breast in his large hand. “Is this distracting enough for you, angel?”

 
I bite my lip, and he rolls my nipple between his fingers causing me to moan softly.

  “Mmm, Sam.”

  He moves his hand under my dress and between my legs, and he strokes my bare sex.

  “Mmm, no underwear. Are you deliberately trying to tease me, angel?”

  The sound of his voice twinned with the feel of his fingers stroking me is making me desperate to feel his cock inside me.

  “I can feel how turned on you are, baby, and it’s all for me. No other man can make you come like I can.”