Inked on Paper (36 page)

One

ONCE UPON A TIME…

Oh, who the fuck was she kidding?

Once upon a time only happened in fairy tales, and Kora Madison’s day-to-day was anything but. Sure, perhaps her life bore an eerie resemblance to Cinderella’s, but not in the sense of Prince Charming coming in to save the day.

If that were the case, Kora would be getting hot and sweaty in her Honda Civic with a sexy guy wearing leather and smelling like sin. Riding him hard and fast, making him gasp and moan, the same way he would be making her gasp and moan. All while they rocked the wheels of her tiny car on their way to oblivion.

That clearly wasn’t happening.

The only part Kora resembled was the hot and sweaty, but it had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with her nerves. Last she’d checked, she was the only one in her car in the middle of a crowded restaurant parking lot. So, it looked as though intensely satisfying public sex was out of the question.

For now, anyway.

Okay, and no, she didn’t have a stepmother, either, wicked or otherwise, but she did have a sister. And well … wicked was
one
way to describe the woman who’d purposely slept with Kora’s longtime boyfriend, the man Kora had mistakenly believed one day she would marry. Granted, Sam Brashwood wasn’t innocent in all of this, either—nor was his dick. In fact, the guy was a prick, a prick who had—behind Kora’s back—been banging Kora’s sister for months.

The mere thought made Kora’s stomach churn, making her feel nauseous. She briefly wondered if that feeling would ever go away. If she would ever be able to look at Trina and Sam and not want to vomit on their shoes.

Ick.

But Kora didn’t have time to dwell on that shit. She had more important things to focus on. Much more important. Like, how she was going to get past all the scathing glares when she walked into the restaurant where her sister’s baby shower was being held.

Had she mentioned that not only was her sister wicked, she was also pregnant?

Yep, she was.

With Sam the Prick’s child.

Kora sighed and reached for the door handle.

One breath at a time, she managed to push open the door, step out into the cool evening breeze, adjust her skirt, then force her legs to carry her away from her car.

You can do this
, the little voice in her head muttered.

God, she hoped that was the case.

Taking another deep breath, she continued to put one foot in front of the other.

It was a little cold for the outfit she’d chosen, with January temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark this week, but Kora had a purpose, and at this point, the outfit offered a much needed confidence boost.

She straightened, tilting her head up, pretending the Nazi butterflies weren’t invading her stomach.

It would be so easy to hop back in her car, pull out of the lot, and never look back, but unfortunately, she had to go in. Everyone would think she was the devil incarnate if she didn’t. Since she was already half an hour late, she was sure they’d come up with a million reasons as to why, none of which would paint her in a flattering light. After all, her family and friends already believed she’d been the one to break up with Sam the Prick, the one who had all but pushed him into her sister’s arms.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

No, she wasn’t at fault, but for some godforsaken reason, Kora had taken the wrath of her family and friends, allowed them to believe the lie because it had been easier than the truth. In their eyes, she was the one who couldn’t be tamed. Wild and uncontrollable was how most people described her. Oh, and unfaithful. That one had been added to the short list, though Kora had never cheated. Not on a test, not on a diet, and certainly not on the only man she’d ever been in a relationship with.

However, the consensus was that Kora couldn’t stay committed to one man.

Truth was, she’d been gutted by their accusations, and during the days when the misery had seemed never ending, Kora had decided that she didn’t give a fuck. Not about Sam, or Trina, or even what the people who supposedly loved her thought.

No matter what she did, Kora couldn’t outrun her past, couldn’t get away from the reputation she’d been given, and now, it seemed she was being punished all the more.

What she wouldn’t give to have a handsome prince and a fairy godmother, someone to swoop in and offer a distraction because this … walking into the baby shower and facing the disappointment of her past … this was going to be a fucking nightmare.

DONOVAN BRASHWOOD NEVER THOUGHT he’d see the day he was attending a baby shower. Willingly, at that. But it appeared that day had come.

Weren’t these things supposed to be for women? Since when had it become appropriate to wrangle the men into it as well? If that wasn’t protocol, it should be. Guys didn’t belong. At least in his opinion.

And based on what he was looking at now, he’d already made a mental note to come up with an excuse if he were ever invited to another. At thirty-two, Donovan had been lucky thus far, somehow managing to avoid events like this.

Maybe he should be thankful that he didn’t have friends who were pregnant. But he did have a brother, and this was Sam’s baby shower. Well, technically Trina’s, but since Sam had done the dirty deed and sent the little swimmers home, he was included.

Which meant Donovan hadn’t had the choice to come up with an excuse. But he had to admit, so far it wasn’t bad. There was an open bar, which he’d already taken advantage of, as well as free food. And from what he could tell, there was only one game. Everyone had to take one of those teeny tiny one-piece outfits—someone had called it a onesie—sitting on a table and decorate it using the fabric paint provided.

Not that Donovan would let any of his friends know he’d willingly spent a Saturday night at a baby shower, decorating onesies, but still. He was committed, so he figured what the hell.

Definitely not the most exciting thing he’d done as of late, but the alcohol was helping.

Then
she
walked in—Kora Madison—and he saw his night taking an immediate turn.

For the better, he hoped.

As the lithe blonde moved across the room, graceful and sexy as hell, in that short black skirt, the sheer black top that gave a delicious glimpse of her bra-covered breasts, and those fucking awesome lace-up bootie heels, Donovan noticed how heads turned and whispers started.

Hot fucking damn.

He had to give her credit, she was brave. Especially considering this was her sister’s baby shower and the proud father was none other than her lying, cheating ex, a.k.a. Donovan’s younger brother.

Yeah, it appeared no one else knew the circumstances behind Sam and Kora’s breakup, but Donovan did. After all, Sam was his pain-in-the-ass kid brother. There was a five-year gap in their ages, but growing up, they’d been relatively close. Right up until Donovan had moved out of their small town and ventured to the big city.

Although Donovan hadn’t lived close to his family in years, their mother still kept him in the loop on all that was going on. And Sam, much like Donovan, had always been noteworthy, never doing anything half-assed.

Looked as though Sam had outdone himself this time.

Donovan had never understood why Sam hadn’t introduced him to Kora during the two years the pair had dated, until right at that moment. If Kora had been his girl, Donovan would’ve wanted to keep her locked away all to himself—preferably tied to his bed, naked, spending every waking moment ravaging her. She was…

Fuck.

She was a fucking wet dream come true. And looking at her, watching the way she strutted across the floor, the sexy sway of her hips drawing his eye… She made him want things. Stupid things. And he wasn’t simply talking about endless nights of orgasms, either.

Although that would be high on his priority list.

There was something about the way she moved. She’d waltzed right into that room full of assholes who looked down their narrow noses at her, yet her chin was up, her back ramrod straight. The skirt she wore was probably shorter than necessary, the heels a little taller, but fuck if the combination didn’t do some amazing things to her body.

“You see her?” the man sitting at the table in front of Donovan said to the woman beside him. “She walks in here like that. It’s no wonder Sam had to seek solace in Trina’s arms. He needed a good woman, and it’s obvious
she’s
a whore.”

Donovan reached for the man’s chair, yanking it backward, leaving the man flailing to keep from falling back. The balding bastard squeaked louder than the chair legs on the tiled floor.

Leaning down, Donovan kept his tone low and lethal as he said, “Don’t let me hear that come out of your mouth ever again. Understand?”

The man’s eyes widened as he nodded his head.

Donovan released him, shoving him forward a little harder than he probably should have, then took his place against the wall once more.

Now that he had something to keep him occupied, he wasn’t dreading the next couple of hours.

In fact, now he was looking forward to them.

Two

FROM THE MOMENT SHE’D stepped through the doors of the banquet room that had been reserved for the shower, Kora had wondered how she hadn’t gone up in flames. She could feel the stares as they practically scraped against her skin, hear the whispers echoing loudly in her head, as everyone watched her as though she were a dangerous animal that needed to be caged.

Little did they know, but she wasn’t a danger to anyone tonight. Except maybe herself. So far, anyway. If they kept looking at her like that and mumbling under their breath, she wasn’t making any promises.

Taking a deep breath, Kora made sure her shoulders were squared and her chin was up. She would not let these assholes get to her.

The first thing she did was order a drink. Then, when the waitress delivered, she ordered another so she would have a backup. Which turned out to be a good thing because she’d drained the first one in three gulps.

Now, half an hour in, she was on her third with a fourth on the way. Probably wouldn’t have been a major issue, except she was drinking vodka and 7Up—doubles, light on the 7Up—and she hadn’t eaten anything all day. The numbness was beginning to set in and it felt nice.

Really nice.

“You’re hittin’ it hard tonight.”

The deep baritone came from over her left shoulder, and Kora turned her head to see a tall, handsome stranger leaning against the wall, a tumbler tilted to his lips. It was possible she recognized him, but most of the people at the shower were friends and family of the parents-to-be, so that wasn’t surprising. She just couldn’t place him.

Was the alcohol obscuring her thoughts?

He looked oddly familiar, and the way he was staring at her made her think he was all too familiar with her, too. Did she know him? He certainly wasn’t a relative of hers, which meant he was probably a friend of Sam’s.

Because of that, she decided to brush him off.

“That was always the plan,” she told him honestly.

“You know the expectant couple?” he questioned, though it sounded as though he already knew the answer to that.

Apparently brushing him off wasn’t going to work. And she didn’t have the mental fortitude to deal with him at the moment, so she nodded her head. When she said, “My sister and my ex,” the guy chuckled, causing Kora to turn. “You find that amusing, do you?”

Emerald eyes leveled on her, pinning her in place.

Her head spun and the room suddenly grew warmer.

Unfortunately, she didn’t think it was the booze this time.

For a moment, the heat she felt racing through her veins had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with that seductive smirk that tilted his perfect lips.

“I’m thinkin’ you’re the lucky sister,” he finally drawled.

“Why’s that?”

“Sam and I go way back.”

Kora tried to place this guy, searching the dark recesses of her memory to see if she’d ever met him. Surely, if he was a friend of Sam’s, she would’ve at least heard of him. She and Sam had been together for almost two years before she’d found out he’d been screwing her sister. “And you are…?”

“Donovan,” he said, tossing back what was left of his drink.

“Sam’s brother?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief from her tone.

“The one and only,” he announced.

Well, that explained why he looked familiar. Now that she knew who he was, she noticed the family resemblance. Sam and Donovan had the same black hair, the same olive skin and green eyes. Donovan was a few inches taller than Sam, definitely broader, his body more muscular. And that stare… There was something banked in those intriguing eyes that called to her.

No, Kora hadn’t met him, but she’d definitely heard of Donovan. Oddly enough, though he was Sam’s only sibling, they’d never been introduced. From the stories she’d heard, Donovan was the brains and brawn behind Brashwood Enterprises LLC, a multibillion-dollar company with interests in real estate development and property management, among other things, which kept him busy and away from his hometown. Sam had talked about Donovan as though he were some sort of god who’d earned his rightful place on the pedestal that Sam had placed him on.

“The infamous real estate mogul?” Kora questioned, trying not to appear impressed.

But the truth was, she was impressed. Not only because of the stories she’d heard from Sam, but also because of what stood before her. The man was something else. Tall, dark, devastatingly handsome. Short black hair, sparkling green eyes, a chiseled jaw so sharp it could possibly cut glass. And that air of reckless abandon clad in an expensive suit… Yeah, it called to her inner hussy, all right.

Perhaps it was the alcohol making her knees go weak. Yeah. She should definitely blame it on the alcohol. Much safer that way.

Donovan didn’t answer, but the smirk told her everything she needed to know.

When a waitress passed by, her eyes slowly regarding Donovan, Kora was tempted to snort. Instead, she smiled to herself when Donovan ordered himself another drink, and then one for her, his gaze never straying from Kora’s face.

“Figured since the happy couple was footing the bill…” Donovan grinned, a full-fledged smile that set her body on fire.

And for the first time since she’d received the invitation to the baby shower, Kora was no longer worried that she wouldn’t survive tonight. What better way to pass the time than to chat it up with a man Sam idolized, a man who was drawing attention simply by standing there.

A man who had suddenly added an ironic twist to this entire fucked up ordeal.

If she could find a way to sneak this guy off into the nearest storage closet, it would possibly get even better.

WHILE HE WAITED FOR his drink, Donovan watched Kora. Although he only knew about her from Sam’s stories, as well as what their mother had shared, he could definitely tell that Sam hadn’t been thinking clearly when he’d done the deed with Kora’s sister. Not that Trina wasn’t a nice girl. Donovan was sure she had some upstanding qualities, but stealing your sister’s boyfriend...? That was petty and childish bullshit right there. And when Sam had informed him of the abrupt change in his life, Donovan hadn’t felt the least bit sorry for the guy.

For the past hour, Donovan had listened to the hushed whispers, most of them talking about how Kora had been the one to cheat on Sam, pushing him into Trina’s arms with her wandering ways. Part of him had wondered why the hell she didn’t step up and tell the truth. Still, somehow he’d managed to keep his mouth shut and not interfere.

It really wasn’t his business, and he got the impression Kora had experience dealing with this shit. Didn’t mean he liked it, but Donovan knew when to step back and watch. As long as they weren’t spouting derogatory remarks, he felt it unnecessary to intervene. And since he’d put the old guy in his place already, Donovan figured word was out about him.

In fact, he was surprised his brother hadn’t confronted him yet. But the night was still young. Although, the last thing Donovan was worried about was his brother. He was too busy being captivated by the woman standing only a few feet away from him.

But he was still trying to figure Kora out.

Now that he’d looked into those intriguing gray eyes for himself, he understood why she was handling this the way that she was. She’d been labeled already, and if he had to guess, Kora was rebelling in her own way.

No lie, that was a fucking sexy trait right there. The bad girl rebel.

Without remorse, Donovan allowed his gaze to slide over her, slowly. When she caught him staring, he offered her a smile. And when she didn’t move away, he decided to move closer. A lot closer. So close he could smell the sweet scent of her hair and feel the warmth of her arm against his.

Before he could speak, Kora turned to face him, her face lit up, her eyes glassy. She was intoxicated—or well on her way, anyway—he knew that already. But she was looking at him as though she wanted to devour him, and he couldn’t bring himself to care. If she was game, so was he.

Her voice was a soft murmur when she said, “If you’re gonna ask me to meet you in the bathroom in three minutes so you can blow my mind with what you’re packing”—her eyes dropped down to his fly, then back up—“then ask already.”

Holy fucking hell. That hadn’t been what he’d expected her to say, but Donovan would have to admit he was tempted. So fucking tempted.

Keeping his eyes locked with hers, Donovan smiled. “You think you can handle me?” Leaning in so that his mouth brushed her ear, he added, “Because what you’re asking for, Legs, will likely take awhile. Once my cock is buried inside you, I get the feeling I won’t be able to stop.”

Her sharp inhale made his cock thicken, his body hardening as he waited for her to answer him.

“I think I can handle it,” she whispered, sounding more self-assured than he’d expected. “The question is … can you handle me?”

Donovan didn’t know the answer to that question, but in three minutes, he was damn sure going to find out.