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?”

way she thought. He was too damn old for stupid high school games. He could appreciate a woman who got right to the

he was ready to

tomorrow?” He just looked at her with uncertainty.

just don’t give up, do

when I want something, no. I’m stubborn.

“Ok, tonight

“Six?”

at his wedding next week. This afternoon they were

***

as Gordon put on his vest and looked down at it. He had never been one for these monkey suits. Gordon had never been the classy

sure Darrell’s infatuation with his bride Katelyn would fizzle out, but it did not. He had imprinted with the human and shocked everyone. He was willing to leave the pack to be with her. However, when the shit hit the fan, Katelyn went above and beyond

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.

fabric tearing drew their attention to Stanton, 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 the heart of an attractive young woman who looked at him as if

to the pack as juveniles, orphaned in their teens. The pack took them both in and gave them a home. While neither physically lived in his home, Gordon had still been like a second father to them.

looked at them with an embarrassed smile as the shop owner stared at him in horror, having damaged

for that,” 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 wedding, I promise you

I mean, we mate

supposed to marry others like us, but you have chosen not to,

I get it. You don’t want to talk about it,” Darrell snickered.

when his arms flexed. Stanton grinned and looked back at Gordon. The owner turned to Gordon with rage in his eyes. Gordon grinned apologetically. “Start a tab,” he then

to make him

that,” Stanton snickered. “I’ll have you know my

there is no accounting

beast with poor social skills, Darrell was a looker who broke hearts all over town. People loved him, and it was hard for Gordon to see him as anything but the playboy he was. However, since

***

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 buzzer for her loft. Grabbing her short white silk robe, she slipped it on and tied the sash

pressed the intercom button. “Hello?”

his voice

button to buzz him in. Moments later, she heard a knock at

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 fall open.

it fall to the floor. “Any later, and I would have had to start without

around her waist, pulling her against him. “And I would have missed all

bag in

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255