Gordon prepared his machine and ink for his day. It was Monday, and he had an appointment with Mackenzie to work on her tattoo, but after the way he snapped at her the night before, he doubted very much that she was going to show up. He had stayed up all night getting drunk alone in the dark. The date had started off so well and ended so badly. He would not blame Mackenzie one bit if she never wanted to see him again.

The chime from the door drew Gordon out of his thoughts. Placing the ink in his hands down on the tray, he walked to the front of the store and was surprised by Mackenzie. She was not dressed the way she usually did. She had dressed down in a pair of white denim shorts and a light blue t-shirt. It was strange how she could go from sexy entrepreneur to homespun girl next door, right down to the pigtails and the blush pink lipstick.

“I didn’t think you would come,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure if you would want me to,” she replied. “But I want my tattoo done, and I don’t want anyone but you touching it.”

“Hop up onto the chair. Top off,” he said, walking over to lock the door so no one would walk in on Mackenzie in her bra. He turned on the closed sign and pulled down the shades. He joined her in the back, where Mackenzie had already removed her shirt and unzipped her shorts so they could sit low on her hips and out of his way. She had laid out on her side the way he had made her lay the first time. The black and white striped bra and panties set she was wearing was going to make it damn hard to remain professional.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Gordon pulled his stool up, and he set to work. They sat in silence for some time before Mackenzie said something. “How did you sleep last night?”

“I didn’t,” he confessed. “I stayed up getting drunk. In all truth, I think I may still be a little buzzed.”

She gave him a concerned look. “Should you be tattooing if you are drunk?”

Gordon snickered. “Baby, I could tattoo blind and still be better than the next hundred guys. Trust me. It will look great.”

Mackenzie chuckled. “It is nice to see you in better spirits.”

He frowned. “Yeah, about last night. I want to apologize for the way it ended.”

“It’s ok. You weren’t expecting a party crasher. I blame the night on her.”

He wished that was all that was bothering him. What was upsetting Gordon most was Mackenzie had seen Melissa strike him. He had taken Melissa’s abuse for so long, but it had always been in privacy. Somehow Mackenzie, bearing witness to an assault, shamed him. He was embarrassed and fears she saw him as less of a man now because of it. “I hope you don’t think I’m weak, letting her hit me like that and doing nothing about it.”

Mackenzie turned, and Gordon stopped what he was doing as she sat up properly and looked at him. “Why would I think you were weak for not hitting her back. It takes a strong man not to hit a woman in anger. This just proves you were raised right… she, on the other hand, was not,” he looked down, unable to look her in the eye. Would she still feel that way if she knew how long it had been going on? “I sense there is more to the story that you are not ready to discuss,” she was a very intuitive woman. “When you are ready, I’d be happy to listen.”

“Lay down. I need to get back to work,” he said softly. She was right that he was not ready to discuss the complications of his life with anyone, let alone a woman he had just met.

Mackenzie smiled and resumed the position she had been in moments ago. “So when are you going to give me a makeup date?”

“Makeup date?”

“Sure, the last one got bungled, and I’m still horny.”

Gordon laughed so hard he had to stop what he was doing for a moment. “You are frank, aren’t you?”

appreciate a woman who got right to

fun, but Gordon was not sure he was ready to deal with any relationship, even one as simple

about tomorrow?” He just looked at

just don’t give up, do

I want something, no.

tonight at

“Six?”

boys, Darrell, was getting married, and he was standing up with the boy at his wedding next week. This afternoon they were all going tux shopping. He was not sure how long it would take, but he still wanted to go home after and

***

looked down at it.

the pack to be with her. However, when the shit hit the fan, Katelyn went above and beyond to protect the pack and prove her loyalty to Darrell. After that, denying their union seemed petty, so Gordon had made Katelyn the first human

finally got sick of all the bullshit,” he did not elaborate. He did not know how much the others knew about what went on behind closed doors, and he was too embarrassed to admit it to anyone. A few people knew. His daughter Aster knew. She had witnessed the abuse growing up. Then, of course, there was Aurora, she had accidentally come across them

who stood a few feet away, trying on the tux jacket which had torn right down the middle from the shoulders down. Stanton was a monstrous man. He was huge. He stood almost seven-foot and was probably in the three-hundred-pound range, but it was all muscle. He was a menacing-looking man with no physical appeal to most people. He was the thing of children’s nightmares, yet he had managed to with

pack took them both in and gave them a home. While neither

owner stared at

he promised. “Maybe something bigger. Much bigger,” he returned his attention to Darrell. “If you are worried about Melissa and me making a scene at the

just strange. I mean, we mate

have chosen not to, so it looks like we are both setting new president,” Gordon

to talk about

boy,” Gordon grinned, and the sound of tearing drew their attention again. Stanton had gotten the jacket on, but that torn the sleeves when his arms flexed. Stanton grinned and looked back at Gordon. The owner turned to

don’t think there is enough fabric in Aspen to make

“I’ll have you know my Hummingbird loves

there is no accounting for taste,”

all over town. People loved him, and it was hard for Gordon to see him as anything but the playboy he was. However, since Katelyn came into his life, Darrell had changed. He had become a one-woman man, and he seemed happy about it. In the

***

coming along nicely. He really did beautiful work. Mackenzie had decided tonight she was going to get what she wanted and then feed him. She had put on a ruby red lace bra with matching string bikini bottoms and not a thing else. She had left her golden locks loose and fixed her makeup when she heard

the door, she pressed the intercom button.

voice came back.

pressed the button to buzz him in. Moments later,

invited Gordon in. She closed the door behind him and locked it. Gordon looked Mackenzie over in her robe. “Am I early?” He asked, watching her untie the sash and let her robe

off and let it fall to the floor. “Any later,

her waist, pulling her against him. “And

paper bag

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