Tattered Love (Needle's Kiss) Read online

  Not twenty minutes later, Teeny came wandering out to the front desk blushing, closely followed by Trip wearing a smirk, mumbling about aftercare instruction sheets.

  “You need me to explain how to take care of it, Teen?” I questioned as I handed her the detailed instructions on cleaning and caring for a piercing.

  “No, I...I think I got it... I mean Trip covered it, ah I mean explained it... I'm good, fine, perfect. I'll catch you for coffee tomorrow morning. Bye, see ya, later,” she babbled with her head down, trying to hide bright, pink flushed cheeks. She slid some cash into my hand for her piercing and dashed out the door so fast, you would have thought the building was on fire. Strange, it was hard to embarrass Teen.

  I spun around and nailed Trip with a glare, asking “What the fuck did you do?”

  He smirked and sauntered away, totally ignoring me. I jumped up to follow him, intending to give him an earful, and get some answers, then making a mental note to call Teeny later and kick a round of twenty questions off. Just then the front doorbell sounded, letting us know a customer had arrived, halting my progress. I knew we didn't have any appointments for a while, so it'd have to be a walk-in, no doubt someone coming to get some unimaginative flash piece from the wall charts.

  I’d spun around. As I did, my mouth dropped open, closely followed by what I'm sure was drool and possibly my tongue hanging out. My heart rate kicked up a notch and my skin flushed.

  Holy hot damn!

  Standing in front of me was an older playgirl worthy, hotness-personified version of Trip. He was just slightly taller at what a guess would be around six foot three, meaning even on my four-inch heels, I was craning my neck to look up at him. His broad, muscular frame, that looked as solid and toned as a brick wall, filled the room. Beautiful aqua-blue eyes, in stark contrast to his slightly olive skin, gave a hint at what had to be a Hispanic background. My hands twitched at the thought of rubbing my hands over his jet-black hair that was neatly buzzed close to his head. Dear Lord and the angels above, he looked around about two-hundred-and-twenty pounds of panty wetting, drool-worthy, drop-to-your-knees and thank all that is holy muscled man. I blinked and gave my head a quick shake to pick my thoughts up out of the gutter, cleared my throat, and watched as he dropped a tan-colored duffle bag to the floor by his feet.

  I took a calming breath before I spoke. “Hi, welcome to Needle’s Kiss. Can I help you with anything?”

  A deep rumbling voice that shot straight to my nipples and spread goose bumps along my entire body answered “Lookin’ for Trip.”

  With hottie’s eyes glued to me, I quickly told him to take a seat while I went and got Trip. He ignored my invitation and continued studiously eyeing me in a way that made me want to jump on him and lick him head to toe.

  “Trip!” I called as I walked into the break room on wobbly legs. Wow, I really needed to get laid if I was this affected by one guy, strike that one sexy as fuck guy. “There is one hell of a hot dude that looks kinda like you in the front waiting room.”

  Trip's eyebrows shot up, and he threw the titty magazine he had been reading onto the folding card table that sat in the middle of the room. He moved swiftly to the front of the shop, his boots thumping on the linoleum with each step.

  “WHAT THE FUCK!” I heard Trip yell excitedly, before I caught sight of the two god-like guys moving in for a manly handshake and shoulder-slap type hug. A smile with both dimples played out on Trip's face.

  “Just got in, first stop, little brother, and ink.” Sex God greeted him.

  “It's damn good to see you back.” Trip’s head came up, and he pointed to me. “Scar here is the best artist in the state, for the last three years. She'll do a fuck-of-a-job, what ya want?”

  “Back of the shoulder,” Sex God all but grunted, producing a piece of sketch paper that Trip studied for a moment. He then looked back to his older brother with a pained expression on his face, to which he received a slight head nod and another grunt. Trip walked over to where I was leaning on the front counter, made from a cool piece of black granite and stainless steel edging, handed me the paper and introduced us. “Scarlett, this is my big brother, Mace. My appointment just walked in. You think you can fit him in?”

  That’s why he looked familiar; I’d seen photos of him, but they didn’t do him not one bit of damn justice.

  “Sure, come on back to my station. I'll get this one drawn up and be right with you.” I led him back to my room, turning to my workstation as he took a seat on the bright-red padded state-of-the-art electric tattoo chair in the middle of the room. Pinned to two of the surrounding walls were sketches and ideas, all looking for the right canvas.

  As I was redrawing the image onto special transfer paper, I noted it was a pretty self-explanatory piece. A rifle standing vertically, an army helmet hanging on the top of a pair of boots in front at the base, with the script below reading—'All gave some, some gave all'. I cleared the somber thoughts of what his new ink represented, turned and walked back to my station to get started, conscious all the while of his large body taking up every inch of space in the chair, seeming to suck all the air from the room.

  “Right or left shoulder?”

  “Left, right’s taken,” he advised.

  “Okay, shirt off. I'll get this stencil on, and you can have a look, yeah?”

  Mace lifted one arm up and pulled his grey cotton shirt over his head, exposing strong, thick arms, and a ripped-to-hell chest. My eyes scanned down, damn! He didn’t just have a six pack, he had an eight pack, and those delicious V muscles that you just wanted to lick. I briefly noticed, before he’d turned his large, solid and nicely muscled back to me facing the large mirror on the only wall without sketches in front of him, that he had more tattoos scattered all over his upper body, along with a nipple ring Thoughts of running my tongue along the outlines of those tattoos invaded my head, making the temperature in the little room jump a few notches and my breathing pick up.

  Come on, Scarlett, get a grip and stop drooling; he's just a man for crying out loud. A hot man admittedly, but just a man, my brain whisper hissed at me.

  I plonked myself down onto my rolling stool, pulled on a pair of black latex gloves, and wiped Mace's left shoulder with alcohol to clean it. Placing the stencil right where I wanted it, I tried not to let my hand linger longer than was professional. I held up the hand mirror slightly to the side, so he could see in the larger one and asked, “That where you want it?”

  Mace’s breath caught as I spoke near his ear. He nodded his head and grunted, giving me the go ahead. I briefly noted his eyes trained on my cleavage in the mirror.

  Wait, was he checking me out? Only one way to find out.

  I leaned forward a little letting the girls pop out a bit, his eyes instantly honed in confirming my suspicions.

  I can work with that.

  Clicking on the gun and taking the needle to the ink pot, and then to the sinewy muscle of his skin, I took a deep, calming breath, concentrated and put myself in the zone.

  My God, Mace was all man, the kind of man every warm-blooded woman would love to take home for the night, tie to her bed and let loose on. Sitting this close to him, my mind conjured up a long list of things I could do, just with my mouth. I was single and had been for a fair while. If the mere presence of him could have me this turned on, I would praise the Lord above for a ticket to that ride.

  “You're in the Army then?” I’d asked quietly. If I was to say I was trying to make conversation for any other reason than to hear his voice, I’d be full of shit.

  “Just got out.” I was rewarded with his deep rumbling voice that had my panties instantly damp.

  “Are you planning on hanging around town for a while now?”

  “Mmm,” he grunted out.

  Hmm, not really a definitive answer there. Clearly, Mace wasn’t a big talker.

  I knew Mace had two younger sisters, Milla who was twenty-four and Haven, the baby of the family, was twenty-two, both beautiful gir
ls—good genes ran in the family obviously. Although currently both were a handful, definitely living life to the fullest.

  Their dad had died about ten years earlier from cancer leaving their mother, Marcy, working two jobs to take care of four kids. Hector was the definition of her other half, her soul mate. They had what most people spent a lifetime trying to find. She'd never remarried, hadn't even gone on so much as one date, was happy to just raise her kids the best she could, but there was an air of sadness at times; you would see her eyes go vacant, and a soft look would fall upon her face. She missed him often.

  She'd be pleased Mace was home, no matter the length of time.

  He made a sound in the back of his throat that put my body on instant alert, and my mind dropped straight back to the gutter. I wanted—no, needed a night of unadulterated fun, and who better to have fun with than a sexy beast like Mace? It'd been far too long since anybody had affected me the way he did. Besides, who in their right mind wouldn’t make a play for a guy like that? The room basically crackled with the power in his body and the sexual tension in the room. I really didn't care if I got to keep him for a night, a week or a month; the wetness in my panties attested to the fact. I was down for any kind of fun he wanted to have.

  Finishing off his ink, I put my tattoo gun down on the small metal table and wiped the excess ink away with paper towel. I held the mirror in place and softly spoke by his ear. “All done, how's that look?”

  Mace's head snapped up. His eyes, hooded and slightly darker, met mine in the black iron-gilded mirror, making my insides heat as my breathing picked up to match his. Nothing was said for a few beats before his eyes lowered to take in the new artwork that had looked slightly red around the edges, fresh, angry and downright beautiful.

  He’d nodded once with a grunt, and moved to stand as I rolled backward on my chair. I stood, trying to ignore the tingling feeling running over my body and the butterflies going crazy in my belly. While he grabbed his shirt, standing only in a pair of perfectly fitting faded jeans, heavy army boots, and a thick black belt with chunky silver buckle, I found it impossible to pull my gaze away.

  I reached up to smear on some tattoo cream and put a clean dressing over the newly marked skin of his broad back, with slightly shaking fingers. As I did, he sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Sorry, did I hurt you?” I all but whispered.

  A slight shake of his head in the negative was the only reaction I received as he pulled his shirt back on. Which in my opinion was a shame, even though his well-worn grey shirt accentuated his large chest and made for a spectacular view.

  “You done?” Trip asked from someplace behind my station, scaring the shit out of me.

  “Mmm-hmm, yeah. You okay to do aftercare?” I asked looking to Trip. I needed some space before I embarrassed myself by doing something as stupid as reaching up and biting the tribal scorpion on his neck.

  “Sure, I'm gonna grab a bite with Mace, you want anything?”

  Shaking myself out of a lust induced stupor, I answered, “Yeah, whatever you grab me will be fine, thanks. Take your time. Remy'll be in soon; I can handle anything that comes in before then.” I started cleaning my station down, studiously ignoring the two buff men staring down at my no doubt very flushed face.

  “Later, babe.” I could hear the amusement in Trip’s voice.

  “Later,” I murmured

  “Thanks, Scarlett,” Mace said, his voice making my nipples peak and my body give a slight shiver. My mind instantly wondered what he'd sound like that just before he came.

  “Sure,” I almost whimpered, before clearing my throat to continue, “Erm, no worries. Make sure Trip grabs you some cream on your way out. Was nice to meet you, Mace.”

  I finished wiping down my table, re-wrapping everything with plastic and went into the kitchenette at the far back of the shop, grabbing a bottle of water. I threw myself on the black leather sofa against the far wall, trying to shake off the effect from my first encounter with Mace Torres, and hoping—against my better judgment—that it wouldn't be the last.

  I made it across the road and inside the coffee shop before Trip started with the questions. He might have been the fun joker of the family, but he had the uncanny ability to read between the lines, and pay far too much attention to what was going on around him.

  “So how long you back for? What’s the plan?”

  “For good now. I got out. Gonna find a place round here, settle it down.”

  “You’re out? Like done? Finished? Does Ma know?” Trip rambled.

  “Nah, haven't spoken to her yet. First stop, little brother, told you this,” I laughed, his excited ramblings were something I always gave him shit about.

  “Right, well, I’ve got an extra room you want it? It’s all set up. I just gotta make up the bed and shit.”

  I figured this would be a good solution. I really didn’t want to be staying at Ma’s while I was searching for a place, and I wasn’t used to living in the quiet seeing as I’d just spent a good chunk of time with a bunch of rowdy men, so having my baby brother as a house mate would be damn near perfect. “That’d be good. I gotta go buy a new truck and sort a few things out first.”

  “Take my bike, the car dealerships just down the road. Leave it there and I’ll pick it up when I’m done with work.”

  I nodded my head in thanks and asked, “You still ridin’ that hunk of metal?

  “Watch it! That hunk of metal’s my girl. Only chick I’ll ride twice, so be nice to her.” He gave me a cocky smile. Clearly, he still hadn’t settled down any. Trip never was a commitment kind of guy. He was looking for conquests not contentment.

  Halfway through lunch, Trip asked quietly, “What's that shit with Scar just now? Saw the way you were looking at her, man, and I gotta tell you, she's not the one-night-stand kinda girl.”

  My eyes snapped up to meet Trip’s. I cleared my throat wishing he wasn’t so damn clever. “Nothin’, she's hot. Haven't laid eyes on a woman lookin’ like that in over two very long years, brother.” I attempted to keep my face neutral, and ignored my increased heartbeat at the thought of a night with Scar.

  “Just keep what I said in mind. Unless you’re ready to move on and make something of it, stay outta her pretty little panties, yeah?” Trip warned. I felt my eyebrows come down into a furrow. How the fuck did he know her panties were pretty? Either my face gave me away or he read my mind. “Settle down. I’ve never been there; she’s just a good friend.” I relaxed knowing that he’d stayed clear.

  “Might just be ready to do that, Trip. It’s been near on three years. I gotta sort my shit sooner or later, and she might be a girl worth sorting shit out for.”

  “She is,” Trip mumbled, nodding his head in thought. “Well, I gotta get back.”

  My hand came up instantly, and caught the keys Trip threw my way. “Later,” Trip threw over his shoulder as he made his way out the cafe door with a nod.

  “Later,” I mumbled, already thinking back to the moment I stepped in Needle’s Kiss's front doors. I knew my little brother worked for a woman; we’d kept in contact through regular letters over the last two years, but I had no idea the woman in question would be such a knock out.

  I had taken a quick glance around my surroundings as I entered the shop, my gaze halting right on the stunning, hotter-than-Hades vixen standing by the counter. I did a good sweep of her top to gorgeous toe; all thought had left my head, along with half the blood, and travelled directly south. I noticed first the bright-red “fuck me” heels that encased her tiny feet. My gaze travelled up the purposely torn and well-worn jeans. All I could imagine were those glorious legs wrapped around my waist, and the spikes on those heels digging into my ass, making my comfortable jeans become slightly less comfortable. I dragged my eyes up and was met with the image of her well-endowed chest, pressed tight and slightly pushed up and out in the blood-red corset, with black glittered skulls, setting off her clear green eyes and black hair with red streaks through it.
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  When she’d spoken in what could only be described as a husky-bedroom voice, all I could think to do was grunt a few words about my shit of a little brother. I’d gotten myself together, only to have had to endure watching her bent over at the workstation drawing up my ink, treating me to a view of her perfectly rounded ass that was guaranteed to bring even the strongest of men to their knees. That, followed by about an hour of her delicate hands on my body, caused lust-fuelled thoughts that had strung me so tight, I had been sure I'd stepped back to being a hormonal sixteen-year-old boy again, rather than the twenty-eight-year-old man I was. Damn, I wanted a piece of that.

  I knew the moment her eyes met mine in the mirror, I wasn’t alone in my dirty thoughts when her voice had turned breathless. I couldn't help but think if this was how she would sound when she was about to come.

  When her bare fingers ran softly across my taut shoulder, I would have liked nothing more than to have her pinned beneath me, her nails scrapping down my back. The last few years had been a series of hard lessons learned; I was nearing thirty years old. Just three years earlier, I’d had darn near everything a man could have wanted. Unfortunately, I had soon realized, good and well, that nothing was ever guaranteed, everything you held close could be taken in one soul-crushing swoop, leaving you destroyed and feeling hopeless.

  I had never thought I would run smack dab into exactly the thing that had the potential to sooth my sorrow-filled heart, all wrapped up in a sexy, tattooed killer body.

  After leaving Trip, I made a few stops to let friends and Ma know I was home before heading over and picking out a new truck.

  Ma made a few calls to my sisters, and organized a family welcome-home dinner at Trip’s place that night. Even with all that was going on, there was one thing at the forefront of my mind. I needed to figure out exactly how to get one fine-ass woman, named Scarlett, into my bed, pronto. It shouldn’t be too hard right?