Abiding Ink (Inked in the Steel City #4) (10 page)

His fingertips tingled like he was touching something electrically charged, and he stroked her skin slowly, reveling in the silky feel of it. Beneath the downy layers of her jacket and sweater, her body was hot, not in the least bit chilled. The lower curve of one breast brushed his knuckles, and she exhaled softly, her breath rushing against his chest, his jacket, in a cloud of vapor.

He traced the curve with his thumb and fresh lust rushed over him like a bucket of scalding water dumped over his head. The material of her bra was satiny and thin, allowing him to feel her heat radiating through it. When he slid his hand over her breast, cupping the full weight of it, he could feel her nipple pressing hard against his palm.

It was more temptation than he could bear, and there was no outlet for it. Not on the roof. Not that night. With his cock throbbing with a need that beat in all his major pulse points, too, he withdrew his hand slowly, taking her mouth in another kiss.

She leaned into him, making the space between their bodies disappear again.

He was careful not to touch her fresh tattoo as he teased her tongue and she teased him too, eventually rocking back on her heels. When he opened his eyes, snow swirled between her swollen lips and his, falling heavier than before.

“If we stay up here any longer, I think we’re going to end up snowbound on the roof,” she said.

He brushed the snowflakes from her hair, feeling them melt into her curls. “We’d better get out of here, then. I don’t think I’d survive it.”

“Are you that cold?” Concern flashed in her eyes, and her half-smile faltered.

“Not at all. I meant that I think it’d kill me to be stuck up here with you any longer. Too much temptation and no way to give in without getting frostbite on some important body part.” He teased, but he meant it, too.

Luckily, she laughed. “I don’t want you to lose any body parts.” Her gaze flickered south for half a second, and his dick gave an answering throb. “Come on.”

He gathered up the remains of their dinner and climbed down the ladder first, giving her a hand when she reached the bottom after him. They descended the fire escape stairs together, and when they reached the bottom, they were back in Hot Ink’s neon glow – back in the real world, with a few other people passing here and there and snow falling thicker than ever.

“I’ll walk you to your car.” He rested a hand against the small of her back but resisted the urge to wrap his arm around her, not wanting to irritate her freshly-inked skin. “Be careful,” he said when they reached her vehicle. “The streets will be getting slick.”

“I will. Thanks.” Her gaze lingered on his, and he was impervious to the cold. “I know you have family visiting and people get busy this time of year. So just in case I don’t see you before then…” She took a step forward, breath swirling with pelting snowflakes. “Merry Christmas.” She pressed a kiss against his jaw and he let that be that, because anything more would’ve strained the limits of his self-control.

“Merry Christmas.” The holiday seemed far away as she climbed into her car, leaving him to withstand the silent night alone, aching as he made his way back to his own car, snowflakes evaporating the instant they hit his overheated skin.

* * * * *

The decorations were still up when Mallory got home, but the distinct aura of Christmas cheer generated by all the tinsel and hot chocolate seemed to have faded during her absence… Or maybe she was just imagining things because no amount of glitz or glitter could compare to the rooftop encounter she’d just shared with Tyler.

Her heart picked up pace as she let the memories slip over her for one hot moment, dispelling the chill she’d brought inside.

“Mallory.” Her mother waved from where she sat on the couch, facing the TV.

“Hey mom.” Reluctantly, she stopped reliving his kiss, his touch.

As she entered the living room, shedding her jacket, it was obvious she wasn’t just imagining things – there was a definite difference between the woman she’d left smiling and chatting with Theo and the woman perched alone on the couch, pretending to pay attention to a commercial. “How’s it going – anything good on?”

“Not really.”

“Why watch TV, then? I’m sure I have a book you could borrow if you’d rather read.”

“Actually, I was waiting for you to get home.”

A hint of dread tainted Mallory’s consciousness. What had happened – had her father called again, stirred up more hurt feelings?

Her mother looked away from the TV, meeting Mallory’s gaze directly. “You left me alone with Theo.”

“Is that a problem? I mean, I had an appointment to keep. Did something happen?” It was hard to imagine Theo offending anyone, let alone her mother.

Her mother arched a brow, looking uncharacteristically shrewd. “Just me, him and Swiss Miss … I bet you thought it’d be real cozy.”

A hint of heat crept into Mallory’s cheeks. “I take it he stayed to finish his hot chocolate?”

“He stayed. And he asked me… He asked me if I was seeing anyone.”

A spark of satisfaction flared to life inside Mallory despite her mother’s frown. “Why are you so upset? You’re
not
seeing anyone.”

“That’s not the point. It was embarrassing. Mallory, you know I’m not looking for a man. How could you try to set me up with Theo?”

“It never occurred to me to invite him to stay until I saw what a good time you were having talking to him. I thought it’d be nice to have some company for once, and he’s such a nice guy. I didn’t want to rush him out just because I had to leave. I thought you were enjoying yourself.”

Her mother’s frown flickered, betraying conflicting emotions. “I’m not looking for anyone. I—”

“I know you’re not
looking
mom. But that doesn’t mean you won’t cross paths with anyone who’s interested. For the record, I think Theo is great. What did you tell him?”

“What do you think? I told him I wasn’t interested in seeing anyone.”

“So you’re not even going to consider giving him a chance?” Mallory was already imagining her mother getting out of the house more, maybe going on a date, having some fun with a nice guy like Theo. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to forget about the past and live a little … and instead of seeing it that way, all her mother was doing was glaring across the living room like Mallory had betrayed her.

“I’m done taking chances. Besides, he’s
divorced
.” She said it like it was a crime.

“So are you, mom.”

Her mother’s frown deepened. “I never wanted to be. Not really.”

Mallory’s heart softened as she eyed the lines around her mother’s mouth, and so did her voice. “I know. Maybe he didn’t want to be, either. People get divorced for all sorts of different reasons. Just because he’s been married before doesn’t mean he did something terrible to end the relationship.” She knew her mother was thinking of her father, but she wouldn’t let her project those doubts onto Theo. Not if she could help it.

Her mother sighed. “Maybe not. But does it matter? I was looking for a sale on toaster ovens when I went out today, not a date. I was wearing this ratty old Christmas sweater and God knows I’m twenty pounds heavier than I was before.”

She didn’t need to define “before”. Mallory knew better than anyone that her mother bisected her life into two distinct time periods: before the divorce and after. Even now, eight years after the fact. She divvied up her existence into then and now, black and white – happy and unhappy. And she just wouldn’t stop.

Mallory narrowly repressed a sigh. Her mother had always been a family woman – her three kids and her marriage had been her life. When she’d discovered her husband’s affair, she’d been devastated. And Mallory didn’t – couldn’t – blame her. Not at all. But God, she couldn’t stand to see her mother stagnate, refusing to let herself enjoy life, even now.

“Theo obviously likes you the way you are, mom. You never know – you might like him too if you gave him a chance.”

Her mother brushed off the comment, and Mallory hugged her anyway. “I have work in the morning. Goodnight.”

In the privacy of her bedroom, she finally breathed a sigh. She knew her mother better than anyone, but even so, she got a sick feeling that she was only beginning to realize how damaged she’d been by the betrayal and divorce. It seemed like the effects of love gone wrong really could last a lifetime.

It was a scary thought, especially since Mallory could remember a time when her mother had been happy – when her parents had seemed happy
together
. Surely there’d been a time when they’d felt the rush of irresistible attraction, when they hadn’t wanted anybody but each other.

Just like she couldn’t imagine herself wanting anybody but Tyler even though she knew she was being pulled in way too fast. Less than two weeks ago, all she’d wanted was a date to a party. He’d been sexy, tempting and available… And now he was all those things and more. There was no denying it: she
craved
him. She looked forward to seeing him again in ways she hadn’t even imagined a couple weeks ago.

Did relationships always start out like this, even if they were doomed? And if so … how was anyone supposed to tell the difference between future happiness and heartbreak?

“C’mon. Just say we’re going out together – you know, brotherly bonding and all that.” Dustin implored Tyler with round, blue eyes.

“No way.” Tyler pulled on his jacket, already glancing toward the door. Even Dustin’s whining couldn’t put a damper on his mood. In a few minutes, he’d be on his way to see Mallory – it was the day before Christmas Eve, and they both were free.

Dustin breathed a long sigh, mumbling something under his breath. “You know, you really suck at upholding the code. It’s like you don’t even care.”

“I
don’t
care. Listen, you’ve spent less than two hours with mom and dad since you got to Pittsburgh. Don’t be an ungrateful shit. They’re paying for half your tuition and you know they’re working their asses off to make it happen. The least you can do is hang out with them when you’re in town.” Tyler shot Dustin a stabbing glare, vaguely surprised by how pissed off he was.

Yeah, Tyler’s education was a bit of a sore spot for him. It wasn’t that he begrudged his little brother the opportunity to go to college; it was just that he hated to see him so ungrateful for it.

Tyler hadn’t gone to college at all. Instead he’d apprenticed to his uncle, learning to tattoo. And Kassie had chosen to start out at a community college, which cost pennies compared to Dustin’s out-of-state tuition. For their parents – a warehouse foreman and a receptionist – the cost of Dustin’s education was a big deal.

And while Dustin’s grades were okay, they weren’t amazing – no surprise there, considering the amount of time he spent partying.

“More like a third of my tuition,” Dustin grumbled. “I’m up to my neck in student loans, for the record.”

“Guess you should’ve gone somewhere in-state, then.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “You sound just like dad. Fine, I’ll go over to their place. Might as well if you’re going to act just like them.”

“See ya,” Tyler said as Dustin grabbed a coat and trudged toward the door.

Tyler followed, taking the stairs quickly and climbing into his car, settling his hands on the wheel, not caring that it was freezing. Memories of last time he’d seen Mallory, just a couple days ago, heated him from the inside out, warding off the chill. He could still see the glow of neon against her cheek, the whiteness of snowflakes against her dark hair and – most of all – the soft double-swells of her lips, swollen from contact with his.

The images played on a loop inside his mind, a sweet sort of torment as he drove for her apartment. When she met him at her apartment door, the memories paled in comparison to the sight of her – the real thing. She greeted him with a smile and a “hey”.

Taking her hand as they walked to his car made it feel like Christmas had come two days early.

* * * * *

Stepping out of the theater was like stepping out of the shelter of a temporary summer and back into winter. In the warmth and darkness of the theater, Mallory had all but forgotten that Christmas was just two days away. And yeah, Tyler had been a distraction too. All of the holidays’ sparkle and appeal paled in comparison to the hard lines of his body, easily felt as he’d sat with his arm around her, and the tantalizing flashes of his tattoos peeking from beneath the edges of his sleeves.

“So tell me the truth,” he said as they stepped out of the lobby’s bright lights and onto the sidewalk outside the theater. “This date wasn’t too boring, was it? I mean, I didn’t almost run you over with anything, piss off your boss or make you climb onto any rooftops…”

She laughed. “No, it wasn’t boring. Actually, it was kind of nice to have a normal date.” Although, truth be told, she kept thinking back to their dinner date on the rooftop of the Hot Ink building. She’d liked that … a lot. “You can’t go wrong with dinner and a movie. I’m pretty sure anyone would agree.”

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks,” he said, catching up one of her hands in his like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I care what you think. I know we got off to kind of a rough start—”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, wincing inwardly as a familiar pang of guilt sailed through her. She still felt bad over how Tyler had been treated by Dr. Anthony. “Even if things at the party were a little rocky, they’re fine now. Besides, every woman secretly fantasizes about having a badass boyfriend who sticks up for her and strikes fear into the heart of her jerk boss.”

“Badass?” In the pale illumination cast by the parking lot lights, she could see him raise a brow.

A little heat crept into her cheeks. “Please, you met Wanda. Everyone at my work thinks I’m dating a bad boy. You have lots of tattoos and wear jeans to work. Oh, and your teeth don’t glow in the dark. I’d say that makes you a badass compared to Dr. Anthony.”

“A Care Bear would be badass compared to Dr. Anthony.”

“True.”

She drew up short when they reached his car, casting a glance over her shoulder at the theater. How had the walk gone by so quickly? Yes, the distance had been short, but time seemed to fly when he touched her. Despite the cold, she wished they had to walk farther, maybe even climb onto a roof… Anything to avoid putting an end to their date. It had been perfectly normal, and yet, she felt excited – exhilarated, even.

The dashboard clock told her that it was a quarter ‘till eleven – later than she’d realized. Not that she had to get up early or anything. Glancing across the console at Tyler, she felt her heart beat faster, marking each precious second.

“Are you ready to go home?” he asked, locking her in eye contact before she could look away.

A part of her didn’t mind that she’d been caught staring. “What if I’m not?” She felt brazen, but she didn’t look away.

He held her gaze for several heart-stopping moments, blue eyes intense, before putting the car in reverse. “Let’s see. I could take you climbing up another icy fire escape so we could freeze together on top of another roof, if you’re into that. Or if you’d rather not get frostbite, we could get some coffee instead. There’s a café just down the street from here. Or we could go to my place.”

His place
. Her heart skipped a beat, and she settled deeper into her seat, trying to think of something smooth to say, like she wasn’t on the verge of blushing like a teenaged girl. “Okay,” was all that came out.

“Okay to which part?” He looked away from the road to search her face, and the look in his eyes seared something inside her.

“Okay to the last part – your place.” Her voice came out steady – smooth, even – despite the fact that she wasn’t prone to casually going home with men after their first dinner-and-movie date. Since she’d graduated from college and begun work as a nurse, her dating life had been sparse, to say the least. But this … it didn’t
feel
casual.

It felt serious. Which probably should have scared her. Instead, it excited her, made her want it even more. Yes, she wanted to spend more time with Tyler, wanted to feel his hard body and soft lips against hers again. Despite the bad boy reputation he’d garnered among her co-workers, he’d been too much of a gentleman to kiss her at the restaurant or movie theater. Instead, he’d restrained himself to light touches at the small of her back, handholding…

After a couple hours of those seemingly innocent things, she was burning for more.

“My apartment’s only about 10 minutes from here,” he said, and she thought his voice sounded a little deeper than before – a little rougher.

Maybe she was only imagining it, but it was still sexy as hell to think that her acceptance of his invitation had brought on a change in him that she could hear. For several moments, she reveled in mingled satisfaction and excitement, until realization stopped her cold. “Wait a minute… You said you have a family member staying with you for the holidays, right? I won’t be intruding, will I?”

The thought dealt a blow to her excitement. The look he’d given her a minute ago hadn’t been the sort of look you gave someone you planned to actually have coffee – and just coffee – with, all while in the presence of a third party. At least, she hadn’t thought so. Beneath her jeans, sweater and coat, she was already tingling in places that ached at the thought of her having misinterpreted his invitation.

“My brother,” Tyler said. “He’s not at my place tonight – he went to visit my parents a couple hours ago and I got a text from him during the movie. Apparently he got into the eggnog and won’t be driving anywhere, so he’s out of my hair until tomorrow.”

Her heart went right back to speeding. “Oh, okay.”

The drive went by quickly, and when they arrived at his apartment, he actually did start a pot of coffee. As he shoveled grounds into the coffee maker, she cast her gaze around the kitchen and living room, feeling unnaturally interested in every little detail.

The dark brown microfiber couch, a tall, square dining table that could seat four if it had to and the big TV… Ordinary as it all was, she found herself staring at the things just because they were Tyler’s. Every few seconds, she glanced back at him, unable to resist.

He’d shed his jacket and pushed his sleeves up, as if he was planning on getting his hands dirty. The thought sent a thrill, half serious and half bemused, through Mallory. “Nice magnet,” she said, afraid that if the silence went on any longer, he’d hear her steadily increasing heartbeat.

He looked up and at the fridge. There were several magnets, but his gaze immediately settled on the only one that glittered – a cartoon Hershey’s Kiss with a big grin and the name Tyler spelled out beneath its dancing feet. “Yeah. That. My sister Kassie bought it for me as a joke years ago, in a gift shop at Hershey Park.”

“It suits you,” she teased, not even trying to fight a smile.

“I know. That’s why I had it tattooed. I figured the magnet might crap out or get lost at some point, but ink is forever.” He turned, his full lips resting in a straight, sober line as the coffee maker began to gurgle behind him. There was no teasing light in his blue eyes, no spark of amusement.

“You have a dancing Hershey’s Kiss tattooed on your chest?” Surely not… Or did he? She tried to picture the cartoonish chocolate emblazoned on one of his pecs and couldn’t decide if the idea was cute, bizarre or both.

“Yeah. I didn’t think to mention it before. I have a lot of tattoos, you know, and they all have meaning… Still, the chocolate is the one that means the most to me.” He tapped himself lightly on the chest, just over his heart.

Mallory’s own heart flip-flopped, doing a little dance beneath her ribs, and in that moment, she knew: she had it bad. She had to, if the idea of a dancing chocolate tattoo was giving her heart palpitations. And as goofy as the image was, her mouth watered a little at the thought of Tyler’s chest and whatever ink decorated it. “Why would that—” she tipped her head toward the magnet clinging to the fridge “—mean so much to you?”

“When I was a kid, we used to go to Hershey as a family every summer. It was our tradition, and the park was where I first fell in love.” Still no change in his facial expression. He looked sober as a judge, and – God help her – sexy as hell.

“In love with…?” Her mind filled with visions of a cherubic little boy and girl riding side by side on a roller coaster. A day-long puppy love romance, maybe?

“Chocolate.” He stood against the counter, hands gripping its edge, at ease as she eyed his tattooed forearms. “I love chocolate. Maybe I should’ve mentioned it before… It’s a pretty big part of my life, actually.”

“Okay.” She laughed, unable to resist any longer. “Ha ha. What’s
really
tattooed on your chest?” No way was she going to let the opportunity to find out slip away.

“You don’t believe me?” He arched a brow and turned slowly. “I guess I’d better show you, then.”

Despite her certainty that she was being teased, she held her breath as he opened a cabinet door above the stove.