Marks on My Skin (Love & Ink #1)

Love & Ink:

Marks On My Skin

Book One

By

J.A. Howell

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published by

SideStreet Cookie Publishing, LLC

www.sidestreetcookiepublishing.com

Copyright © 2014 J.A. Howell

All rights reserved.

Cover design by J.A. Howell

Edited by Tyffani Clark Kemp

DEDICATION

To anyone who’s ever fallen in love with the right person at the wrong time.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are so many people to thank for helping and inspiring me. I could not have written this book without any of you.

Aunt Amy, I miss you dearly. I still have the voicemail you left me after you read my first book and I still listen to it sometimes. You were always a source of encouragement and inspiration. You were also bold and fiery. When I told you I was thinking about an erotic romance, you told me to go for it (though in much more colorful words). So I did.

Robert and Madi, you guys are an amazing support system and an amazing source of inspiration.

Tyffani, Thank you for not letting me quit when I got frustrated or doubted what I was doing. Also, thank you for “The Motorboat” and all your other humorous contributions to Kieran and Shayne’s story. I love you lady. In the most heterosexual way ;)

Tara, thanks for always making me laugh, and letting me brainstorm with you when I was stuck You’re an amazing writer and an equally amazing friend.

Hannah, Stephanie, and Michele, thank you so much for beta-reading and believing in this story even before it was completely ready. (I finally wrote that missing scene haha).

To those that were kind enough to open up to me and share their experiences and expertize with me, thank you for your advice and help on of the aspects of Marks On My Skin that I wanted to ensure stayed true to the the BDSM and D/s lifestyle. I’ve learned a lot writing this story and you all were a big part of that.

To Brenda, thanks so much for helping me get my social media in order. Already you have been a great help and I’m excited to continue working with you!

Ange & Brittani, and so many others that are a part of mine and Tyffani’s street team, thanks for keeping me on my toes, making me laugh, and completely embracing my characters. You all have gotten me so excited to share this new series.

.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER ONE

Love

If you’ve never had your heart ripped out, it’s a very painful process that can happen when you least expect it. I had no idea when I came up the front steps of my house that mine would be ripped out in just a few short minutes.

The unlocked front door should have been my first clue. Or maybe even the unfamiliar cars parked across the street of our quiet cul-de-sac. When I’d left Kendall alone that morning I was sure I had locked the door. A soft cry came from upstairs and panic settled in my gut.

“Kendall?” I called out, but a pain-filled moan came in reply. Horrified, I ran up the stairs two at a time. Adrenaline and fear pumped through my veins with the need to protect my wife. The bedroom door was cracked open and my stomach turned when I saw Kendall laid out on the bed—stripped naked with four men holding her down. My fists clenched. Outrage and disbelief shook through me at the sight of them raping my wife. I snatched a lamp off the side table and launched myself into the room. I didn’t care that I was outnumbered. They were hurting her.

“Get off my feckin’ wife!” I growled, smashing the lamp over the head of the man on top of her. He let out a yelp and crumpled to the floor unconscious with pieces of the ceramic lamp around him. I looked back up to the others, prepared to fight, but they stared back at me wide-eyed, as did Kendall. Suddenly I felt sick for an entirely different reason.

“Kendall…What’s going on?”

“Dude…what the hell just happened?” Someone else asked behind me and I spun around. Another man stood in the doorway—completely naked and eating a sandwich.
From my kitchen
. My stomach did a horrible somersault.
Nope. They hadn’t been attacking her at all.

I looked back to Kendall. The other men shied away from her. “These men weren’t rapin’ ya…were they?”

Her brow knit together in concern, but I had a feeling it wasn’t for me. “Kier, we should talk.”

You never realize your heart is about to be ripped out until the moment right before. Of course, hindsight is twenty/twenty, isn’t it? The last month of her refusing to let me come near her, my numerous faults that seemed to pile up that made me—in her opinion—a lousy husband. All these things should have warned me long ago. But it only just hit me then. Like a feckin’ battering ram.

The men, now slightly embarrassed by the situation, grabbed their clothes off the floor, as well as their unconscious friend, and filed out of the room. I stared at her, unflinching. My heart thumped erratically, a dull, aching pain slowly snaking up into my chest. I knew what was coming.

“What’s goin’ on, Kendall?”

She blinked at me, her blue eyes cold and unyielding, and pushed long blonde strands of hair behind her ears. She’d covered herself up, not that it mattered. Apparently, everyone had seen my wife naked recently—except me.

“I’m moving out, Kier. This isn’t working anymore. I just don’t feel satisfied.”

I stared at her, mouth agape in disbelief. How could she say that when I tried to do everything to please her? Hell, how could she say that when she’d shrugged off every single attempt of affection from me lately? Anger rose up, replacing the initial shock, and I clenched my jaw tight. Furious, I glanced toward the bedroom door then back at her.

“Ya don’t feel satisfied? Why? Because I’ve only got one feckin’ cock and not five?! Jayhsus, Kendall, is this because I don’t have more money comin’ in yet? I’ve been bustin’ my arse tryin’ ta finish my feckin’ book. Meanwhile, yer feckin’ a bunch of arseholes in our bed while I’m gone?”

“I just can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry.” She shrugged. A soft gasp left my lips and I stood there motionless. She slid out of bed and went for her closet, ignoring me. “I’ll grab a bag and come back for the rest later. I was planning to wait a couple weeks, but I think it’s best we do this now.”

“Do what? No!” I came up behind her and grabbed the bag out of her hand. “No, ya can’t just feckin’ leave! Whatever I did, I’m sorry, but yer not even givin’me a chance ta fix it.”

“Because there is no fixing this.” She sighed and snatched the bag back, paying me no mind as she pulled clothing off the hangers and shoved them inside. A tight pain spread through my chest. I reached for her in one last ditch effort to keep her from leaving.

“Please don’t go, Kendall. I love ya.” I begged and pressed my lips against hers.

She didn’t kiss me back.

Her lips tightened into a frown and she slid out of my grip, turning away from me once more.

“I’m sorry, Kieran, but I just don’t love you anymore.”

Two Months Later

“Kieran, open the feckin’ door, arsehole. I know yer in there.” Niall, my younger brother, startled me as I sat in my study. I looked at the time on my laptop. It was three in the afternoon and the document I’d been working on was still a blank screen staring back at me.

“Kier…yer car’s in the drive. I know yer home even if ya won’t answer a feckin’ phone call. Open the door or I’ll break it down. I swear ta God, I will.”

I stood and looked out the window. Niall was downstairs on the front step, a fist raised to knock again. His gaze darted in my direction and narrowed before I snatched the blinds shut.

“Really, arsehole? I feckin’ saw that.”

I sighed and sank into my chair, but the loud thump jolted me back out of it. Another thump came as I went to the staircase, followed by a jarring crack.

“Hold on, Niall, don’t break the feckin’—”

Splinters of wood flew across the foyer floor and the door swung open. I let out another sigh. Niall grinned at me but it quickly faded as he took in my haggard appearance.

“Jayhsus Kier, ya look like shite.”

I grumbled and made my way down the stairs, ignoring his assessment. “What are ya doin’ here?”