Marked by the Mountain Man (Honey Valley #7)

1. Addie

Chapter 1

Addie

“ T his looks fucking fantastic,” the college student I’ve just pierced says. She’s got a cute little stud in her nose now, and I can already tell she’ll be back for other piercings in no time. Great news for me as it’s been a little bit of a struggle building my clientele since starting out as a body piercer a little over a year ago.

“Awesome,” I reply. “I’m so glad you like it.” I hand her a card with aftercare instructions and remind her to keep up on it so that her piercing will heal quickly.

She thanks me again and hands me a $20 tip along with the piercing fee before heading out. I go to work tidying up my space and as soon as I’m finished, my stomach lets out a growl that sounds like an angry Chewbacca screaming at a gaggle of stormtroopers.

Definitely time for lunch.

I glance over at my work bestie Noah “Thrash” Thrasher, who’s hunched over his workstation, focused on inking a design on his buddy Dean, who is a rather large muscular man. Seriously, I don’t know what’s in the water in this area, but damn does it produce some fine men. Noah’s broad shoulders and biceps flex under his black tee, temporarily mesmerizing me. When he looks up, those piercing green eyes catch mine for just a heartbeat before he dives back into his work.

“Hey,” I call out, trying to shake off the flutter in my stomach. “Want me to grab you some grub from The Canteen?”

He shakes his head without looking up. “Nah, I’m good.”

“You? Not hungry?”

He gives me a little smirk but continues working. I just shake my head. Thrash is a very big man, and I’ve never seen him turn down a meal.

“Shocking, I know,” he says.

“Text me if you change your mind and want something,” I say and grab my bag. I’m headed out to see my two best friends, Mari and Janie, for a quick lunch. It’s so hard meeting up with them anymore. They’ve both found love, with twin brothers no less. I’ve found myself feeling more and more like the third wheel.

They’re still my girls, I love them, and I don’t begrudge them their happiness. Lord knows they both deserve it after the losers they were both with before this. It’s just... Well, sometimes I don’t feel like I belong anywhere anymore. Maybe I never really have. You’d think being bounced around from foster home to foster home throughout my entire childhood would have me used to the feeling by now.

I’ve mostly learned how to be comfortable on my own, so I know I’ll be okay. It’s just felt a little extra lonely lately.

“Be back in an hour,” I call out, waving over my shoulder. He gives me a salute, still focused on his work. Thrash is so damn talented... And fucking hot, if I’m being honest. Covered in tattoos, built like a lumberjack, dark hair that nearly falls to his shoulders and a sexy beard... Yum is all I can say.

We hit it off almost immediately when we both started working here at Inked Redemption. He’s someone I can really talk to about anything, and he’s the only person I know who loves all the nerdy things that make my heart happy.

Sometimes I wish we could be more than friends, but I just don’t see it happening. I don’t think he sees me as anything more than a friend, and even if he did, after the shit-show of a childhood I had, I don’t fully trust anyone. Well, with the exception of Janie and Mari.

It doesn’t take me long to get to The Canteen. When I step inside, Janie spots me and waves me over to the booth that she and Mari have already gotten settled into.

“Hey girls,” I say, sliding in next to Mari. “Have you been here long?”

“Nope... I already ordered you a sweet tea though,” Janie says.

“Thanks... Sorry I’m a little late,” I reply. “I had a walk-in.”

“And what body part did you get to poke this time?” Janie asks.

“A nostril.”

“Damn, I was hoping you were going to say a dick or something,” Janie says with a laugh.

“Not recently.”

“I wonder,” Mari says and presses her lips together like she’s stifling her smile.

“What?” I ask.

“I was just wondering if maybe I should talk Silas into a dick piercing. I’ve heard they can make sex amazing, though we are certainly not lacking in that area,” she says, now unable to hold back the smile.

“Oh lord... Please take him to someone else. I don’t want to look at your man’s dick, let alone handle it and shove a needle through it.

“Maybe Sean, too,” Janie teases. “They are twins, ya know.”

“Gotta stay identical,” Mari says.

“Oh my god,” I say.

The two of them continue talking about their men as I sit in silence listening, wishing I had someone to talk about, too. I am so happy for the two of them, but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel a bit of jealousy from time to time. I am human, after all.

I just wish I could find someone I could trust enough to complete me the way Silas and Sean complete Mari and Janie. As cheesy as that sounds, it’s true.

Lunch goes by quickly as I mostly listen to my two friends, only peppering comments in here and there. We agree to get together again soon, and I head back to the shop.

When I get back, the door is locked. Thankfully, I have keys, so I let myself in. The shop is eerily quiet. I’m surprised Thrash is done with Dean already, but if he was close to finishing, that would explain why he wasn’t interested in eating. He probably finished up and headed out for his own lunch.

Maybe I should duck out early. It isn’t like me to bounce on a shift, but I’m just not feeling it today. I don’t have any appointments, and I rarely get walk-ins on weekday afternoons. The college student earlier was a fluke for this time of day, really.

A crash from behind the wall just about startles me out of my skin. I cautiously approach the work area and find Thrash standing in front of a shelf that used to be on the wall.

“Goddamn it,” he says, frustration seething from him.

“You scared the shit out of me,” I say. “I thought you left.”

“No... I was trying to fix this fucking shelf,” he says, nudging a piece of it out of the way with his foot. “And the goddamn thing fell. Bout damn near knocked me out.”

“Let me help you clean up,” I offer, but he waves me away.

“It’s fine, I got it,” he growls.

“Thrash,” I say. “It’s not the end of the world. What’s going on with you?”

He lets out a long sigh and runs a hand over his face before scratching at his beard for a second. I know he’s big mad when he does that.

“I’m just having one of those days,” he admits. “I don’t fucking want to be here.”

“Ha, you and me both. The thought had crossed my mind to say fuck it and leave.”

His eyes meet mine and I can’t help but smile. His eyes soften as the corner of his mouth quirks up into a sly grin. “Let’s go get a drink,” he says.

I think on that for a minute. It’s barely after noon. I’m not normally a big drinker, but any chance I can get to hang out with him, I’ll take.

“Sure,” I say.

“Lumberjax?” he asks.

“Ugh, no.”

“Why?”

“Because Janie and Mari will probably be there with Sean and Silas. Well, I don’t know... Maybe Sean and Janie will be up at the Center by now.”

“Again I ask, why? They’re your best friends. I’m lost.”

“It’s probably stupid,” I say and then pause. I really don’t want him to think I’m pathetic, but this is Thrash. He’s my friend and he’s never judged me. “It’s just... It feels like I’m the third wheel. You know, when you hang out with a couple, and they only have eyes for each other. Multiply that by two...”

“Wouldn’t that make you the fifth wheel,” he adds, laughing.

“You ass,” I say and playfully punch his bicep. Damn, is it hard. Like rock hard. I suddenly feel flushed, and I take a step back to try to clear my head.

“Okay, where should we go?” he says, still laughing, thankfully not noticing the way he’s got me feeling.

His phone rings and he quickly answers it, putting up a finger to let me know he’ll only be a minute.

I listen to the one-sided conversation. He’s so fucking hot. Sometimes I wish we could just hook up and keep things the same between us. He’s an awesome co-worker and as far as friends go, he’s definitely earning a spot amongst my best ones.

“What’s up? No, I was just about to leave.” He rolls his eyes, and I watch him take a deep breath in like he wants to let out a sigh but stops himself. “Okay... Don’t do anything until I get there. Yeah... Love you,” he says and ends the call. “Raincheck?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” I say, wondering who he was talking to and who he loves... Ugh, it’s not my business. “I think I’ll just go home and be a hermit for the night.”

He chuckles, that deep, rumbling sound that always seems to stir something deep inside me. “Sounds like a wild night,” he says, stepping over the remnants of the shelf and grabbing his keys.

“Oh, you know it. Me, a bottle of wine, and a book. The height of excitement.” I grin at him and gather up the pieces of wood, neatly stacking them in a pile.

“Damn, girl. Don’t get too crazy,” he teases.

“I make no promises,” I quip back, heading for the door. “See you tomorrow.”

“Later, hermit,” his tone is playful, but I can tell something is bugging him. Something big enough to have him hustling out of here.

I watch as he walks away, enjoying the view.

As much as I’m looking forward to my evening alone, part of me is bummed I’m not spending it with Noah instead.

But that’s a dangerous line of thought, one I quickly push aside.