Abiding Ink (Inked in the Steel City #4) (15 page)

“You’re right,” Mallory said. “I don’t want to be a robot and I don’t want to date anyone who makes it easy not to get invested in the relationship.” More silence. “I guess when I first saw you pushing around that cart at the hospital, I just wasn’t prepared for what a charmer you turned out to be.”

He cringed internally as he remembered slamming the stupid cart right into the doorway, then almost running her over. “No one could blame you for that. In the event that we do end up dating for a million years, how about we make up a different story about how we met?”

“No way. I like that story. It’s cute and it makes you look like a sweetie instead of the bad boy most people assume you are just because of the way you look.”

A sweetie. Great. That would do plenty to endear him to women like Ms. Sherwin, the old lady hospital patient who spent all her free time reading about pillaging men in kilts. “For the record, I’d prefer for people to assume that I’m a badass.”

Mallory laughed.

“So I have one more trick up my sleeve,” Tyler said, taking the cue.

“What’s that?”

“I’m going to impress you with my artistic talent – it’s my secret weapon. No woman can resist a sensitive artist.” He reached into his jacket until paper crackled beneath his fingertips. “My sister gave me some new pencils for Christmas and I decided to hide out in the laundry room and break them in while my family went batshit crazy over my little brother’s big news.”

“Let’s see what you drew.” She reached for the folded sheet of paper, and when her fingers brushed his, the simple touch inspired a fresh wave of mingled lust and longing.

She held the paper up to the light, snow flurries swirling around it as she studied what he’d sketched. “Wow. Is this me?”

“You can’t tell? Maybe I’m not as talented as I thought.”

“No, it’s really good. It’s just that you made me look better than I picture myself.” She laughed softly. “Thanks.”

It was no laughing matter. “You look way better than I can draw you. Looks like yours don’t translate fully to pencil and paper.”

Her lips quirked in a smile, and for a few seconds, she didn’t say anything. “I’m surprised you were able to draw something so lifelike from memory.”

“It was easy.” As soon as he’d picked up one of his new pencils, his hand had ached to put his memories on paper, to make a record of their time together. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget what you looked like then.” Gently, he pulled the drawing from her hands, letting his gaze pour over the portrait that showed her lying asleep, her eyes closed and her curls sprawled loose and wild across the pillow.
His
pillow.

She nodded slowly. “I see what you mean – that was a pretty good secret weapon. What’s next?”

“Do you want to keep the sketch?” He could draw another one. And another. Like he’d said, it wasn’t like he was about to forget what she’d looked like.

“Can I?”

“Yeah.” He handed it back to her. “I plan to draw more.”

“I’d like to see them.”

“I take it that means you’d like to see me again.”

“Yes.”

His heart beat hard against his ribs in victory, and he was happy. “Guess we’re still on for the New Year’s party then.”

“Sure.”

A scuffling sound came from the staircase, and Tyler stared over Mallory’s shoulder as she turned. “Mom?”

“Mallory? I was starting to get worried about you, especially after what happened last night. I was about to send Theo out to look for you.”

“I’ve been right here the whole time. And I’m not alone – I’m with Tyler.”

Tyler raised a hand in greeting, and Mallory’s mother waved back. “Why don’t you invite the poor boy inside? It’s freezing out here. There’s a Christmas movie marathon on TV, by the way. One of your favorites is coming up. I’ll be inside making some hot cocoa.”

“You’re welcome to come in if you’d like,” Mallory said as her mother retreated. “I have to warn you, though – by ‘one of my favorites’, she probably means that old claymation version of
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your family Christmas. I’ll give you some time to convince your mom that I’m a ‘sweetie’ and not the delinquent your co-workers think I am. And I’ll pick you up at seven on New Year’s Eve.”

“That’s almost a week away, you know.” She took a step closer, and he imagined he could feel her body heat radiating from the curves that weren’t quite concealed by her bulky coat.

“I know. I’d be lying if I said I wanted to wait that long to see you again, but I think you’re worth waiting for, Mallory.” On one hand, he wanted to throw her over his shoulder like the Grinch stealing all the gifts in Whoville and make off into the night with her, take her back to his apartment and relive the one night they’d had together there. On the other hand, he still wanted to do this right. “We don’t have to move at the speed of light if that’s not what you want. Let’s just plan on seeing each other again on New Year’s Eve.”

“Okay.” She exhaled and her breath formed a misty vapor that drifted up to kiss his lips.

He couldn’t resist. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers. Despite the heat that throbbed in his groin, he started off chaste – or as chaste as he could be with a woman whose naked body he’d kissed spilled sugar off of, anyway.

She responded with surprising aggressiveness, slipping her tongue past his lips and letting it tangle with his. For several mind-blowing moments, they stayed locked together like that. Then a car pulled into the parking lot, bass booming to the tune of some sort of weird “Jingle Bells” remix. “I’ll see you New Year’s Eve.”

“At seven,” she replied. “I’ll be ready for you then.”

* * * * *

Jed had been right – Karen
had
devised a whole new decorating scheme for New Year’s. Her and Jed’s house still shone silver and bright everywhere Tyler looked, but the tinsel and fake presents were gone. So far as Tyler could tell, the theme was glitter. It was everywhere – dusted across tables and other surfaces, even strewn across the staircase. The paper gingerbread men had been replaced by strings of silver stars that also looked as if Karen had recruited help from Abby’s niece again. Overall, it was as if the universe had imploded inside the historic house, producing lots of messy glitz and a buffet of snacks with one big bang.

“This bruschetta is so good,” said Mallory, who was scooping some onto a cracker as Tyler put together a plate of his own. “You should try some.”

“Karen made it,” said Jed, appearing by the table and reaching for a tray of brownies. “I’m sure she’d give you the recipe, if you wanted.”

Tyler suppressed a smirk as Jed took a bite of his brownie, his expression sober as he chewed. There was glitter on his lip, bright as day against the dark scruff that shadowed his jaw.

“That’d be great,” Mallory said.

Jed motioned to the left. “Here she comes.”

In a sweater spangled with sparkly silver thread, Karen matched the party theme. “You mentioned me?” she said, shooting Jed a grin as she bounced on her toes, hands behind her back.

“I was telling Mallory that you’d share your bruschetta recipe,” Jed said, still oblivious to the glitter lining his lips.

“Oh, sure.” Karen’s grin widened. “Remind me to write it down for you before you leave. I was actually just coming to find you, Mallory… Well, you and Tyler.” She whipped her hands out from behind her back, revealing – big surprise – more silver sparkliness. “
Ahem
.”

A few heads turned in Karen’s direction, and she cleared her throat again. Soon everyone was staring – all the Hot Ink artists and both the receptionists, plus the others they’d brought – Sam, Abby’s husband, and Jess, Mina’s little sister.

“It’s almost midnight,” Karen announced, now the center of attention. “And that means it’s time for a tradition.”

Still chewing his brownie, Jed was silent, his gaze trained on Karen, expression unreadable.

Tradition? Tyler had attended Jed’s New Year’s party annually for several years and the closest thing to a tradition that he could come up with was the fact that someone usually made sure the TV was on so they could watch the ball drop when the clock struck midnight.

“I’m talking about crowning a King and Queen of the New Year, of course,” Karen continued, raising the items she’d whipped out from behind her back.

They were crowns, or tiaras, or whatever those things prom queens wore were called.

“Are you
sure
that’s a tradition?” Tyler asked as the gems glued all over the gaudy things winked at Karen’s audience.

Karen had been present at last year’s party and there hadn’t been any sort of crowning.

“It’s a tradition starting this year,” she said. “Which makes you the
first
annual King of the New Year.”

Next thing he knew, she was cramming one of the beauty-queen headdresses onto his skull. He tried to step away, but she was tall – especially in the heeled boots she wore – and cornered him against the buffet table, her eyes shining with feral glee. “Congratulations!”

“What the hell?” He reached up, rubbed the side of his head and began to pull the crown away.

Karen slapped his hand lightly. “Leave it on, at least until after midnight. I’ve got to take photos.”

Tyler glanced around desperately, not daring to meet Mallory’s eyes and settling for Jed’s instead.

Jed looked away rapidly, taking another big bite of his brownie.

The bastard was probably just glad Karen hadn’t decided to crown
him
the King of the New Year. Or the king of dumbasses, which was what he felt like as he stood there glittering in front of a shrimp platter.

A bright light flashed from the little crowd gathered by the couch, and Tyler almost told whoever had just snapped a picture to put their phone away, only he realized first that it had been Jess. Biting his tongue, he settled for glaring at no one in particular.

“And Mallory,” Karen said, “you’ve been elected Queen of the New Year.” Karen lowered the smaller tiara onto Mallory’s head, carefully setting it on top of her curls instead of jamming it down onto her skull like she had to Tyler. “Congratulations.”

She never said who exactly had been in charge of “electing” the King and Queen.

Mallory played along, flashing Karen a bright smile. “Wow, thanks.”

“Now…” Karen glanced down at the watch she wore on one wrist. “If I’m not mistaken, we’re only a couple minutes away from midnight. And it’s tradition for the King and Queen of the New Year to kiss when the clock strikes twelve.”

Tyler rolled his eyes. It might as well have been February – Karen was obviously playing Cupid, and with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. Tyler might have refused to play along, except…

No way in hell was he going to miss out on a chance to feel Mallory’s sweet lips against his. As soon as the midnight hour arrived, he grabbed her by the waist and crushed his lips to hers, wrapping his arms around her. The ball dropped as their tongues entwined – he heard the cheer coming from the TV in the background. By the time he and Mallory pulled apart, the room’s other occupants had broken into a smattering of applause, led by Karen.

Jed stood at her side, his hair mussed, a slightly dazed look in his eyes. The glitter was gone from his lip and sparkled on Karen’s instead.

“Not so fast,” Karen said when Tyler lifted a hand to his head. “I need to take photos of the King and Queen together. It’s not a tradition if there are no photos.”