Marks on My Skin (Love & Ink #1) (6 page)

I laughed, nearly dribbling beer down my chin. “Oh he’s done that before. I’ve never seen him run so fast.”

“Idiot.” Darren laughed, then turned his gaze to Kieran once more. “Is he just going to sit there all night and pout at his phone?”

“Most likely. His wife’s been messaging him.”

“Wife? You dirty girl. Lusting over a married man.” A sly grin crossed Darren’s lips.

“They’re separated. He walked in on her banging five other guys and then she took off.”

“Damn. Five men? I kind of want to meet her now.”

Without thinking, I elbowed Darren in the ribs. He grunted then narrowed his eyes at me.

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“Sorry. She sounds like a complete bitch. She hasn’t said shit to him for two months and just started messaging him today.”

“So make him shut his phone off.”

“No.” I scowled at him and that eyebrow went up once more.

“Go on.” He nudged me and I grudgingly walked over to Kieran. He was staring down at his phone, his jaw set tight with frustration. I reached out and took it from him.

“Hey! Oh…I was um.”

“You were looking like someone pissed in your Cheerios.”

He frowned. “Something like that anyway. Can I have my phone back?”

I pulled myself onto the stool next to him and tucked the phone into my bra.

“Shayne…”

“I’m doing it for your own good. You had the same look on your face earlier when I saw you in the…um, office.” My cheeks flushed at the thought of us in the office earlier. Darren grabbed up his pool stick and studied the pool table, but I knew he was keeping an eye on us.

“So, who’s he?” Kieran watched Darren line up his shot, sizing him up. Darren was a few inches taller and a bit more muscular than Kieran. Something Kieran appeared to notice.

“He’s a friend.”

“A friend?” His gaze darted in my direction.

“Yeah. I’ve known Darren a long time.”

Kieran made a grunt at that and I pulled my mouth straight, fighting off the grin that threatened.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I bit my lip and he glanced down at it, biting his own. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my other bra cup.

“Jahysus, how many phones ya got in there?”

“Just yours and mine.” I laughed and opened the text message. It was from Darren.

:Yeah, he wants to fuck you.:

I frowned at him and he tipped his head at me, still typing furiously on his phone.

:And he’s totally staring at your tits. :P :

I jerked my head up and Kieran made a vain attempt to refocus his attention on the game of pool.

“I think you’re up.” He cleared his throat.

I took my shot, sinking another ball, then turned back to Kieran. “I’m going to get another drink, want one?”

Kieran nodded and followed me to the bar with both Liam and Darren watching.

“So when do I get my phone back?” He gave me a teasing narrow blue gaze as he grabbed his pint off the bar.

“Hmm…tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What if I get an important call?”

“You have voicemail don’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

“But what? What are you going to do with your phone if I give it back to you now?”

He frowned into his pint. “It’s not like I want ta talk ta her. It’s just, I feel like an arsehole if I ignore her.”

“She ignored you for two months. Probably longer when she was still around.”

“Yeah…” Kieran lowered his eyes, embarrassment coloring his cheeks. My heart lurched for the poor guy. This woman really had done a number on him. I may not be girlfriend material for anyone, but at least I was up front about it.

“Look, you seem like a nice guy. Maybe a little too nice. If you told her you need some space but you’re messaging her back, she knows she has you by the balls. Let her have a dose of her own medicine tonight… then if you want to message her back, you can tomorrow.”

His eyes darkened and he gritted his teeth. “I don’t want ta talk to her. At all.”

“Then disconnect your phone altogether. Problem solved.”

“That easy, huh?” Kieran laughed. He was much more handsome when he did that, I noticed.

“It can be.” I smiled. We headed back toward the pool tables and Darren took the final shot, sinking the eight ball. Liam clapped him on the back, then glanced back toward us with a suspicious look.

Before he could say anything Darren came up and put an arm around my shoulders. “Ready to go?”

I nodded and said goodbye to the others.

“Tomorrow.” I told Kieran and he offered me a faint smile—the first that evening.

“So you going to see what she said?” Darren asked me as we walked out of the pub. I shook my head and he nodded. “Probably best. I kinda feel bad for him.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Crotch Cheese

Shayne was perched on the edge of the desk when I walked in with Liam the next day and I gave her crossed legs a compulsory once over. She really had that sexy boots, tiny skirt thing down to a science.

With a playful smirk she pulled my cellphone out of her bra and held it out to me. “Going to turn it on?”

At that moment, with her sitting in front of me like that, the only thing I wanted to turn on was her. I took the phone from her and dropped it in my pocket without another thought.

“Well, look at you, putting your foot down. Nicely done.” Shayne grinned very cat-like, and slinked off the desk. “Don’t let me catch you messing with it when I come back here.” She teased.

I stood there smiling after she’d already disappeared around the corner, but wiped the look off my face as Liam came in.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing. She just gave me my phone back.”

Liam grunted, stared at me for a moment, then left me alone as well. I opened my laptop and started to pull up my email but thought better of it. If she hadn’t heard from me via text all night, Kendall might have sent me a long email. At first I’d been annoyed that Shayne took my phone, but as the night wore on I’d felt a sense of relief. I couldn’t talk to Kendall even if I wanted to. I supposed I still could have emailed her or messaged her over the computer, but I didn’t. For that, I felt rather pleased with myself. Shayne was right, let her have a taste of her own medicine.

I opened up a previous project and started to read through it, but quickly got bored with it and wandered out into the hall. Buzzing came from both Shayne and Liam’s rooms.

“Gave up on writing already?” Shayne looked up from the ankle tattoo she was working on.

“Yeah…you knew I write?”

“You look like the type.”

“What does that even mean?” I frowned at her. She laughed, still concentrating on her tattoo.

“Do you ever wear beanies and sit at coffee shops with your laptop?”

“I…maybe.”

“That and Niall told me.” She flashed me a mischievous grin. I let out a grunt and crossed my arms over my chest. It only amused her further. “I should be done with Adrienne here shortly. Did you want to go grab something to eat?”

The girl laying on her chair turned her head and gave me a blatant once over before looking back to Shayne with a smirk across her lips. A similar smirk twitched at the corner of Shayne’s mouth as well but she didn’t look up.

“Well?” She asked.

“Sure. I’ll leave ya ta finish yer work.”

“I love it!” Adrienne squealed as she looked down at the angel I’d tattooed on her ankle. She’d gotten it in memory of her mother. Tattoos like that I always tried to make extra special. She threw her arms around me, embracing me in a tight hug. “My mother would have loved it.” She sniffed. I hugged her back, a small lump forming in my throat. Even though she’d lost her mother, I envied Adrienne. I’d never had a good relationship with my own mother. Still, I was happy I could give her something nice to remember hers by.

I walked her to the door and she paid me, giving me a generous tip and one more hug. When I turned around Kieran was lounged on one of the couches in the front, watching me with an appreciative look.

“That was a nice thing ya did fer her.”

I shrugged, my cheeks flushing a little. “I like doing tattoos like that the most. You ready to go eat?”

It was already after noon and my stomach was gnawing at itself.

“Sure, where we headed?”

“I was thinking pizza. Gino’s makes the only decent pizza around here. That good for you?”

“I’m fine with that.” He licked his lips, probably hungry as well. Though judging from his smile, I wasn’t sure it was entirely for food.

My stomach quivered, though I also wasn’t sure if it was from hunger alone, and I spun around, heading for the hall. “I’m going to see if Liam wants anything. He’s got a long session.”

“A slice of cheese and a coke.” Liam said before I could even ask. He looked from me to Kieran standing behind me, but his expression was unreadable. “Kier goin’ with ya?”

“Yeah, I figured he needed the full Gino’s experience.”

Liam’s face relaxed and he nodded before returning his attention to his tattoo. “Don’t forget my pizza.”

“I won’t. Extra cheese, I know.” I waved him off, grabbed my purse from the office, and led Kieran out to my T-Bird.

“Nice wheels.” Kieran commented and got in the passenger side. I grinned and slid on a pair of sunglasses, patting the steering wheel.

“Betty here’s the only long-term relationship I’ve had.”

Kieran tilted his head, watching me as I backed out of the alley. “Why is that?”

“Why do I love my car?” I asked.

“No, why no relationships?”

I chewed my lip, staring at the road. “I just don’t see a point to them.”

“So ya’ve no desire to share yer life with anyone, settle down, have two point five kids and a house?”

I cringed at his words. “Definitely no on the kids. That’s impossible for me and I don’t know that I wouldn’t want any even if I could have them. Maybe a house, but I’d be fine living there on my own.”

“Really?” Kieran tilted his head with interest and shifted so he was facing me from his side of the car.

“Yeah. I’ve been on my own for most of my life anyway. What about you?”

“Well, the wife part didn’t really go well and I sorta need that for the kid part.” He let out a dry laugh.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine…so no American dream fer either of us I suppose.”

“Nope.”

I could tell he wanted to ask me more, but knew he was treading on dangerous territory. I surprised even myself bringing up the fact that I couldn’t have kids. The fact that I couldn’t didn’t bother me, but the incident that had caused it did. Very few truly knew about my family life growing up— or lack thereof. But Kieran didn’t probe any further on that.

“So tell me about Darren.”

I frowned at him as we pulled up in front of Gino’s.

“I told you, Darren’s my friend.”

Kieran let out a thoughtful grunt as he got out on his side and trailed behind me to the front.

“Well, ya tell me that, but ya two seem a bit cozier than friends, if ya catch my meaning.”

I slid into a booth toward the back, giving him a pointed look as I pulled out one of the laminated menus. “What kind of pizza do you want?” I asked, completely sidestepping his not so subtle line of questioning.

“Extra cheese works for me…now back to Darren.”

“Oh my God, why are you so interested in Darren?”

“Come on. I saw the way ya two were playin’ with each other. I mean, ya say ya don’t do relationships, but I highly doubt yer celibate.”

I slapped the menu down. “Excuse me?”

“Feck! I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…that ya well…we almost did…so.” His voice trailed off as the waitress came over to get our drinks and I ordered us a large extra cheese pizza, ignoring the awkward, flushed Irishman sitting across from me.

“I’ll just have a coke.” Kieran kept his blue gaze on me as the waitress walked off. “I just meant—”

“It’s fine, I was just fucking with you.” I flashed him a grin and took a sip of my drink after the waitress placed them in front of us. He chewed his bottom lip, looked me over with narrowed eyes, and took a sip of his drink.

“That’s not very nice, ya know.”

My grin widened. “I figured you could take it. So, tell me about your books.”

He glowered at that, then shrugged. “I’ve only got a few out right now. They’re doing alright, I guess.”

“What are they about?”

“I like writing darker stuff. Thrillers, gothic romance.”

“Well, you do have that brooding writer thing going on, so I suppose it’s good you aren’t trying to write fluffy little romances.”

His lips quirked at the corner, showing a small dimple. “No, no fluffy romances. Especially not now.”

Sadness flickered through his gaze and his fingers fidgeted with the peeling edge of his menu. I had the urge to touch his hand, but slid mine under my thighs.
What’s wrong with me? No, I was just being empathetic.
The poor guy is dealing with a lot.

“So what else is there to do around her besides drink, play pool, and eat pizza at Gino’s?”

“There’s usually good concerts. One big festival that happens every fall. Darren and I always go to that.”