Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
SUTTON
W hat a workday that was.
I had sex with my boss and left with pierced nipples.
I won’t deny that ever since I’ve seen Ink topless that I didn’t picture what he would look like naked.
Because I did.
A lot.
And never in a million years did I expect him to be pierced.
I honestly thought that was something guys did in books, not real life.
I’ve only been with one man before Ink, so I guess I can’t say I would know that for sure.
I don’t know how I pictured my first time with Ink.
I’m not sure if I ever really did. My fantasies of what he would look like naked always seemed to stop there.
Maybe part of me assumed it would never really get this far.
All that ink on display, just begging for me to trace it, made my brain short circuit and before I knew what I was doing, he was already naked. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined us lying in bed late at night with me lazily tracing every tattoo outline with my finger.
But that’s all it ever was.
A fantasy.
“Uh oh. I know that fucking look when I see it,” Evan greets me as I walk in the back door.
Shutting the door, I lean back against it with a sigh, giving Evan a wide-eyed look that says, you don’t even know the half of it.
Hades runs up to greet me, nudges my hand with his head, and demands the scratches he thinks he’s owed, which I happily provide.
“I’m making drinks. Go change and then you’re spilling everything.”
I nod my head as I push off the door and head upstairs to do just that.
After we were done, I was scared to leave his room for fear of running into Tommy or Gage.
There’s no way they wouldn’t have heard anything, and I wasn’t prepared to face them immediately after, but they were nowhere in sight.
Ink dropped me off back at Evan’s, claiming he had shit to do and would catch up with me later.
I imagine most girls would be upset, but I wasn’t. I had just had the best sex of my life with my boss at work, nonetheless. I needed a dang minute to process all of this.
Throwing Ink’s shirt back on and a pair of sweats, I head back downstairs, not missing that there’s still a faint scent of him left on the tee. It’s not as strong as it was when I first took it. I bet I can swipe another one without him noticing. Well, maybe for a night at this rate.
Evan doesn’t miss what I have on based on the “Mhm” she let out with a grin on her face as I join her on the couch.
“What?” I ask, taking the drink she has outstretched and sitting down next to her, tucking my feet under my butt as I settle in.
“Don’t ‘what’ me. You know damn well what.”
“Where do you want me to start?” Because I honestly don’t know if I fully know how I got here .
“How about start with where your ‘I just got well and truly fucked’ look came from.”
My face feels like it’s on fire as I avert my gaze, unable to look her in the eye as I tell her what happened. “Ink and I had sex.”
“Oh, my god!” Evan exclaims, shooting up until she’s on the edge of her seat facing me.
“Where? At the clubhouse? Cain said he hadn’t seen you when I asked earlier if you and Ink had any plans tonight.
Ooh, did he pull over somewhere on the way home?
Cain and I have done that. A quickie on the side of the road.
It doesn’t sound hot, but it totally is. ”
I shake my head.
“Where else would you have… no! At work?!” She waits for the small nod of my head for confirmation.
“God, this keeps getting hotter and hotter. I needed some new juice in my life. It’s the limbo period where one of my reality shows ended and I have an off week before the next one starts.
I don’t know what to do with myself with some tea in my life. How did this happen?”
“I don’t really know, if I’m being honest. One second, I was talking about the raven barbells I liked that I saw in the showcase with Tommy, and the next, I was riding him in his room and walked out with my nipples pierced when we were done.”
Evan doesn’t say anything for a few moments, giving me no choice but to finally look at her again. She’s staring at me, wide-eyed and mouth open, looking truly at a loss for words.
After what must have been at least five minutes, Evan slams the rest of her drink that was basically still full, minus the first sip in three big gulps.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more jealous of someone in my life.
It almost makes me want to take mine out and let them close up so I can make Cain pierce me. ”
I don’t know what to say as an awkward laugh bubbles out of me. I take a long sip of my drink to stop it. I’m not used to talking about things so personal, let alone about the intimate details.
“So I’m assuming you guys are together now?”
“Uh… I don’t think so. I don’t want to assume, and it hasn’t been ou tright talked about. I think we’re just keeping it casual? I mean, he is my boss. This isn’t professional in any manner.”
Evan’s laughter fills the room. “Girl, what about these men says professional? If they aren’t living life to the fullest, then they just flat out aren’t living. They’re going to do whatever makes them happy. Fuck all the rules.”
“How long does it last?”
Evan’s laughter dies down as she studies me. “How long does anything last? No one knows. It lasts as long as it’s still a good thing and you’re working at keeping it that way.”
She has a point.
Everything has an end date.
Even my own hell had an end date. At least I’m hoping that was the end of it.
I still need to figure out what I’m going to do with that.
If I was smart, I should pack up and leave to find a new city.
I would be on Zach’s level of being a crappy human being if I got innocent people involved that I’m beginning to consider my actual friends.
“I still have some things to figure out before I would feel comfortable working at something.”
“Your ex?”
Either Evan made these drinks really strong, or alcohol makes me have word vomit of the mouth because any filter I had is gone along with my drink.
Setting my glass down on the coaster that’s resting on the end table next to me, I say, “Yeah. He found out where I’m working and left a note on the desk when I was in the back. ”
“What?” Evan’s tone sends a chill down my spine. “Does Ink know?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I haven’t had a chance to tell him and I’m honestly not sure if I should. He’s already done so much.”
“I get it. I really do. I’ve been there. But I do think Ink is going to lose his shit when he finds out about this. It’s not an if it’s a when.”
I agree, but… “I can’t put this on him too. You know he won’t just listen to me vent. He’ll take this on like it’s his own problem.”
“I hate to break this to you, but it is kind of his problem now. Your ex came to your place of work, yeah, but your place of work also happens to be Ink’s territory, which ultimately ties back to the club. The dude’s got balls, I’ll give him that.”
That’s part of the problem. Zach has always had balls bigger than his brain. He just hasn’t met someone that won’t bow down.
“You need to tell him,” Evan says seriously.
“Ugh, I know.” I throw my head back as I groan.
“Tell me what?” A deep voice that has me closing my eyes and praying he didn’t hear the whole conversation sounds behind us.
“Holy shit! You guys seriously need to knock that off. The fact that every single one of you weighs over 200lbs and can sneak around like you’re a ghost is seriously freaky. I’m going to make you all start wearing a bell to announce yourself anytime you enter a room.”
She’s right.
It is seriously freaky that these large men don’t make a single noise.
Ink rolls his eyes, ignoring Evan. “I’m not wearing a bell like a fuckin’ dog. Tell me what?” he asks again.
“That’s my cue to leave.” Evan grabs her empty glass as she gets up. Once she’s out of Ink’s view, she shoots me a thumbs up while nodding her head aggressively and mouths, “Good luck.”
Traitor.
“Are you sleeping here tonight?” I ask, impressed with how composed I sound because inside I’m nervous as all get out.
Ink says nothing as he studies me from the spot he hasn’t moved from.
“Want to talk about it upstairs?” I try again.
I really don’t want to have this conversation where anyone can walk in or be listening.
Eventually, he nods his head, flicking his wrist out toward the stairs in a gesture that tells me to get up there now.
I see grumpy Ink is back.
“Why do you seem mad at me?” I ask once we’re in my room.
Ink stops his pacing and whips around to face me. “Because I know you’re about to tell me somethin’ that you know you should have told me the second it happened and that, bunny, pisses me the fuck off.”
“How am I supposed to know what will upset you? Everything sets you off!”
“Maybe it’s about time you clued the fuck in.”
My brows raise in shock. “Excuse me?”
Ink pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just spit it out. I’m tryin’ real hard to not lose it with you.”
This is him trying hard? It seems like he’s already well on his way to losing it.
“Maybe you should sit down,” I try, thinking this would calm him down a little.
“Sutton.” Ink bites out, not moving to sit down like I suggested.
Here goes nothing, I guess. “I got a note the other day.”
“What kind of note?”
“The bad kind…?” I trail off, squinting my eyes as I raise a shoulder.
“Do you not know?” I can tell he’s losing what little patience he’s holding on to and quick.
“I haven’t read it,” I admit. It was easier for me to disassociate from the note if I acted like it didn’t exist. Stupid, I know.
“Then how do you know it’s bad?”
“I took a wild guess because I saw the letterhead and it’s Zach’s firm.” No one else would send me a note. I didn’t exactly make any friends while working there.
“Where’s it at?”
I tilt my head as I think about where I last put it. “In the pocket of my pants that I wore the other day. I haven’t done laundry yet.”
Which reminds me, I need to ask Evan if it would be okay if I used her washer and dryer .
Ink moves toward the small pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room.
“I’ll find it,” I say as I rush over there, beating him to it. The last thing I want is for him going through my dirty clothes. It gives me the ick.
I can feel the tension radiating off of Ink and clouding the room, making it hard to breathe as I look through pockets until I find the folded-up piece of paper.
A tattooed covered hand reaches over my shoulder and snatches the note out of my hands before I have the chance to open and read it.
“Hey! It wouldn’t kill you to wait a second and let me read it first.”
Ink ignores me as he unfolds it.
I’m frozen in place as he reads it, watching his body grow more and more tense with each word he reads. Pulling my bottom lip into my mouth so I have something to bite to release some pent-up tension, I wait for him to finish.
“This motherfucker!” Ink roars as he crumples up the note, making me jerk back from his outburst.
Maybe it’s worse than I thought it was going to be.
“What does it say?” I finally work up the nerve to ask.
“Where did you find this?” Ink asks, sounding no less enraged as he ignores me.
“On the front desk,” I answer slowly, not sure why that part matters. I’m more concerned about if I’m going to see him again.
“At the shop?” The vein in his neck is bulging out more and more with each question he asks.
“Yes…”
“Your ex has a fuckin’ death wish. This shit ends now,” Ink growls as he points a finger at me.
I should be mad that he’s making this about him right now and not about me.
We should have read it together, but instead, he took over the situation and led the way he felt necessary.
There’s two ways I can handle this: one being losing it on him which would probably result in the end of whatever this is, or two, being the only reasonable one and trying to get him to calm down before he’s serving life in prison.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, trying to center myself the best I can and shove all the emotions I’m feeling aside.
As much as he deserves to be chewed out for not listening to a word I asked, I’m not cut out for love in lock up.
That’s actual bad girl status and I’m just a bad girl for this man.
With a newfound confidence coming over me, I slowly approach the caged beast who’s begging to be freed. He eyes me as his chest rapidly rises and falls.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, gently placing my hands on either side of his neck. The feeling of his pulse throbbing rapidly against my palm sends a chill down my spine, but I’m not scared. This beast would never harm a hair on my head.
“It’s not okay,” he growls. “None of this is fuckin’ okay.
He had the balls to waltz into my territory and leave a note for my woman threatenin’ if she isn’t back in his house by tomorrow you’re goin’ to wish you never left?
I know you’re not from my world, but that shit does not fuckin’ fly here, Sutton. It’s a death wish.”
“I don’t think he’s actually going to do anything. He isn’t that stupid.”
Although, now I’m beginning to think he is that stupid. Or his ego is too big. I have a feeling he thinks his law firm will sweep whatever he’s up to under the rug if it comes to light.
“Yeah? Those scars on your back nothin’?
” Ink asks. My head rears back as I flinch from the impact of his words.
Dropping my hands from his neck, I move to step away from him.
“No.” He breathes, but his tone is no less menacing as he grabs my wrists and brings that back up to where they just were on his neck, not letting me move away.
“You’re being mean,” I tell him in a broken whisper. My nose is itching as I feel my eyes fill with tears .
He knows my scars are off limits.
Never in my life did I expect him to throw it back in my face.
“I’m not bein’ mean, bunny. I’m bein’ real. I told you nothin’ would ever touch you again. My word is everythin’. I need you to trust me to deal with this how I see fit.” Ink’s hands move to my waist, pulling me flush against him.
“How are you going to deal with it?”
“I’ll tell you anythin’ you want to know unless I think it puts you or the club at risk. And right now, I don’t want this shit in your head. Okay?”
“Okay,” I agree after a long moment.
I think I just made a deal with the beast, but it isn’t my nightmare he’s about to enter.