Ink (The Skulls Book 17) Read online

  “Besides, enough about me. Tell me what is going on with you.”

  “Not a whole lot. We haven’t been called upon by Michael Granito or the Billionaire Bikers, so it has been a quiet couple of weeks. I’ve been helping out at the gym. I tend to move equipment around, and wherever they need muscle, that’s pretty much where I am.”

  “I do love that you finally took your leather cut back,” she said, touching his arm. “It suits you.”

  Ink didn’t like how nice it was to have her hands on him. He’d noticed over the past year each time they hung out, it was getting harder and harder to deny his attraction to her, which made this all incredibly dangerous.

  Darcy removed her hand, and he watched her as she began to eat her warm, gooey marshmallow.

  “This is really good.” Her tongue played across the sticky mess, and it got on her fingers.

  His dick hardened, and he sat up, blowing out the fire on his own and removing the scorched skin.

  Get your fucking head in the game, Ink.

  This wasn’t supposed to be some kind of romantic getaway or even anything that reminded him she was a woman. A woman that in the last year had filled out as well. She’d been able to put on some of the weight she’d lost, and she looked incredible. Her body had filled out, and he even recalled when she realized she had breasts.

  She’d showed him. Not her naked tits, but the fact the dress she wore only served to enhance her cleavage. She had also done a little jump up and down dance that made them wiggle.

  That’s the kind of friend he’d become to her, the one she could talk about anything and show her body off to.

  All the time, he was having a hard time dealing with these new feelings. Darcy wasn’t a child anymore, and it was growing abundantly clear that she was in fact a woman, and soon that woman would have wants. His only problem was she didn’t show any signs as seeing him as the kind of person to give her those wants. The crush she once had on him was long gone, and in its place, he’d been sidelined to friend.

  “I can’t believe how messy I still get eating these.”

  He handed her some sanitary wipes, which Angel had remembered to purchase. He wouldn’t have even thought of it.

  “You want another marshmallow?” he asked.

  “Nah, I’m full. What I’d like to try though, is that sip.”

  “You want a sip?”

  “Hell, yeah, I’m camping. I’m going to make the memory of it worthwhile.”

  He finished his marshmallow and poured them both a large drink.

  Handing a cup to Darcy, he watched as she sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose.

  “Just give it a try. One tiny sip, remember that.”

  “One little sip.” She pressed the cup to her mouth and took one.

  He expected the coughing, but what he didn’t was her to keep on taking another sip.

  Chapter Eleven

  Darcy finished off her first cup of scotch, and she felt fine. Her arms and body felt a little weird, but it was a good kind of weird. Like she was floating a little, or swimming without any water.

  She watched as Ink drank a whole glass and poured himself another.

  “I’ll take another.”

  “I don’t think you should.”

  “Come on. I’m camping. I’m out in the great outdoors, and may I add, I never for a second thought I’d ever come here.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Nope. Please, let me have another.”

  “Fine. Fine.” He poured her another cup full, and she sipped it down. The buzz was only getting better and she quickly gulped it down, but Ink refused to fill her another cup. She rested her head on his shoulder.

  “You know, Ink, I had the biggest crush on you growing up.”

  “I know.”

  She giggled. “I think everyone knew, and I was under this big whole illusion that I could keep it a secret.” She snorted as she giggled. “Everyone knew, and they all knew that you’d ran away from me because I couldn’t keep my big old mouth shut.” She slapped a hand across her face. “Sorry, I shouldn’t say anything, should I?”

  He laughed. “Someone is a little drunk.”

  “Is this what drunk feels like? No wonder my dad used to drink so much.” She got to her feet, and Ink took hold of her hand. “I feel incredible, and I feel like dancing. Doing a whole lot of dancing.” She swayed her body with Ink still holding her. She felt completely fluid, like nothing and no one could ever harm her. “I don’t want this to stop.”

  “Oh, believe me, not only will it stop, but you’re going to crash big time.”

  “I don’t care. I love this. Oh wow, I totally love this. Whoop-whoop.” Her voice echoed into the night, and Ink finally stood with her and they danced to some imaginary music, and it all was amazing.

  When he sat down, Darcy knew she wouldn’t be able to do this again. This had to be something she did right now, without any witnesses, with no way of him ever escaping.

  She straddled his lap, and she felt something hard digging against her, but didn’t think much of it.

  “Darcy?” His hands were on her back, and even through the jacket she wore, she knew he was holding it and to her, it was the best feeling in the world.

  “I’m going to tell you something, and I don’t want you to freak out or run away.” She kissed his cheek, and he tensed beneath her. “My crush on you never disappeared. It never went away. You think I deleted Ward’s number because I wanted to live my life, but you’re wrong. I deleted his number because I got tired of pretending there was someone else I wanted when in fact, all I wanted was you.” She cupped his face. “Please don’t run away. I’m not underage. I’m not trying to trap you. I get it if you stop being my friend. I love you, Ink. I’ve loved you for a really long time, and I’m going to keep on loving you until the day I die.”

  “Darcy.”

  She slammed her lips down on his, holding his face as she kissed him. His lips were firm and unyielding. When she was about to pull away, Ink stopped her. One of his hands moved up from her back to sink his fingers into her hair, holding her firmly against him. She slid her tongue across his lips, and when he opened his mouth, she plunged inside, tasting him. She released a little moan and wanted nothing more than to be completely owned by him.

  “Darcy?” he said, breaking from the kiss as she moved to his neck.

  “Please don’t push me away.”

  “I won’t. But this is not the time.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, you’re drunk. When we do this, I want you to remember everything.”

  “I will remember this.”

  “This is the first time you’ve drunk a whole lot of scotch.”

  She rubbed herself against him, feeling how wet she was. Her clit pulsed as she pressed it against the denim of her jeans.

  They both groaned, and the other hand at her back moved down to squeeze her ass. She whimpered his name, but he didn’t stop there. He tugged on her hair, drawing her head back so that he could kiss and lick across her heated flesh. Her neck had never felt so good, and with his mouth on her, she didn’t want him to stop.

  With her eyes closed, she ground down on his dick, and she suddenly realized he was hard. Ink was hard for her. He wanted her, and she couldn’t see a problem for them to be together.

  Not anymore.

  “Please,” she said.

  He growled. “Not now.” He pulled away. “What the fuck do you do to me, Darcy?”

  “I make you want me.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t bring you here to have sex.”

  “I don’t mind. You’ll be my first, Ink. Please, I never stopped wanting you. I’ve never been able to stop wanting you. My crush never disappeared.” She smiled. “I still have a crush on you, Ink, and I want you to be my first.”

  “The first time we’re together, it’s going to be with you remembering all of it,” he said.

  She pouted.

  “Don’t give me that face. I kn
ow what I’m talking about.” He kissed her again. “Come on, the sun is down.”

  She glanced around the campfire, and sure enough, the sun was down, and it had gotten dark during her drinking and making out.

  “Do you want to go and get me naked?” she asked.

  “Darcy, I packed a pair of pajamas for you. They’re in the tent. Go and put them on.”

  “Don’t you want to see me naked?”

  He cupped her face. “More than anything, and I shouldn’t. This wasn’t supposed to be about that.”

  “Plans change. We all change.” She wasn’t going to let Ink know how she felt, and yet, look at how that had turned out. At the first opportunity, she had told him that not only did she still have a crush but she wanted him.

  Her body was on fire with need for him, and it wasn’t going to go away, not easily. Ink helped her off his lap and walked her toward the tent. “You don’t want to watch me?”

  “I’m being a gentleman here, Darcy.”

  “I didn’t think bikers had it in them to be a gentleman.”

  “You bring it out in me.”

  “Then I command you to put that gentleman away, and focus on me.” She stepped toward him, but he caught her hands. “You’re being a spoilsport.”

  “In the morning, if you remember this and feel the same way, we’ll talk. Until then, get changed.”

  “I thought camping was supposed to be fun.”

  “It is, and it will be. Next time I won’t bring the scotch.”

  “At least you know there is totally going to be a next time.” She entered the tent, and sure enough, some of her pajamas were resting on the end of the sleeping bags. It took her several attempts to get out of her clothes, and all too soon, her body started to feel sleepy.

  Opening the tent, she showed him she was indeed dressed and yawned.

  “I think it’s time for someone to go to bed,” he said.

  “Join me, Ink.”

  He helped her down into the covers and stroked her hair. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  She didn’t remember him getting into bed as she passed out within a couple of minutes of her head hitting the pillow.

  ****

  The following morning, Ink held back Darcy’s hair as she vomited near one of the fallen trees. He had an arm banded around her waist, keeping her upright. He pulled her hair off her face as she kept on throwing up.

  “I’m never drinking again.”

  “It’s why a lot of people vow not to do it.”

  “But it felt so good, and now it’s just so awful.”

  Ink didn’t want to get his hopes up that even for a second that she remembered last night. With Darcy, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t be selfish with her, even though every single part of him wanted to. He wanted her to fall in love with him. She had admitted to a crush, but he wanted so much more from her.

  “Please make it stop.”

  “It will.”

  She finally stopped, and he handed her some water for her to gargle with, and then some mouthwash.

  Once she was done, he picked her up and carried her back to their tent, easing her back into the sleeping bag.

  “Don’t go,” she said, when he made to step out.

  “I’m going to make us both some coffee.”

  “Okay, but don’t go.”

  He leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “I won’t leave you.”

  He left the tent and got to work boiling some water with a pot over the fire he built. He hoped Darcy would sleep a little before the coffee was ready and help ease any headache she might have.

  Humming to himself, he tried to keep his mind on the coffee and not on how good it felt to have Darcy on his lap, grinding against his dick like she had last night. He’d not brought her here to fuck; he meant that. They were together because they both wanted to be.

  She wasn’t dating anyone, and neither was he.

  The only person he truly wanted—and the person he’d denied himself—was Darcy.

  “Get your fucking head in the game, Ink.”

  The water boiled, after what seemed like a lifetime. He made them both black coffees, carrying the mugs back into the tent. Darcy was lying there, eyes open, and she smiled at him.

  “I like it when you hum,” she said. “You’ve got a nice voice.”

  “You’re the first person to tell me that, and I know you’re lying.”

  “I don’t mind hearing it. You sounded happy.”

  “That’s because I am happy.”

  “You are?” she asked.

  “I am.”

  He sat down on the sleeping bag and handed her a cup. She sat up, leaning her back against the tent a little as she took it.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “My insides feel like they’ve been burned, my head is exploding, and I also remember everything about last night.”

  He sipped at his coffee, waiting for her to explain more.

  “I hope I didn’t embarrass you last night.”

  “You could never embarrass me. It’s not possible.”

  She frowned. “I remember a lot about last night. About how I told you the truth of my feelings. I told you I loved you, but I also recall you didn’t rebuff me. You didn’t tell me no or ask me to leave.”

  “I know.”

  “Why? That’s what I don’t get. You ran while we were in the hospital, and now you’re not running.”

  He stared down into his cup, knowing deep in his heart this moment would come. “Because I’m not afraid.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No. You were young, Darcy, but it wasn’t just your question or behavior that made me run.” So he told her exactly why he ran. He talked about his sister and what he’d lost, and how she’d wanted him to be a knight in shining armor but he couldn’t save her. The guilt and the overwhelming loss. Then he told her his fears of rejecting her and what it would mean for her. “I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t help, no matter how much I wanted to. Believe me, I did. I want to help you all the time, but I can’t do it. I’m not a hero. You were way too young. I could have gone to prison. You will always be beautiful, but you were fifteen, going through something that no person should ever have to go through.”

  Darcy grabbed his hand and cupped his face. “I wish I could take back what I did. What I said. I remember that day so clearly. I was so … afraid. My feelings for you had only gotten stronger, and there I was, with cancer, hearing all the crazy statistics of what could happen. I didn’t want to die, and I didn’t want to not ever get the chance to kiss you. I was completely wrong in putting you in that position, and I am so sorry for what I did. You are a hero, Ink. You’re not a doctor. You can only do so much, but look at what you’ve done with The Skulls. You’re a hero.”

  “I’m not. I’m a guy that does the right thing.”

  She sighed. “But not every guy would do it. Some would look the other way. I’ve seen the damage that some men do to women. They … abuse them. They steal their trust and shatter it. I see that in them, and I know for a fact you would never, ever do something like that. You’re a hero, but like most heroes, you refuse to see it.” She took his hand. “I hope one day you’ll be able to see yourself the way I do.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I won’t push you away.”

  “You didn’t want things to go further.”

  “In drink, we do crazy things.”

  “You weren’t drunk, and you kissed me back.”

  “Because I wanted to, Darcy. Drink didn’t make me do anything last night. That was all me.”

  “So you’re saying…”

  “I’m saying that I wanted to kiss you last night. I wanted your lips on mine. I wanted it all, but I’m not going to take something that you’re not going to freely give me.” He glanced around their tent. “I’m also not going to do it while we’re on a camping trip.” He saw her cheeks redden. “What are you thinking?”

  “We could head home. I’m not b
ig on the whole camping thing. This has been my favorite time, but we could go back to my place or your place and pick up this conversation.”

  “If I get you to a room, Darcy, you won’t remain a virgin for long.”

  He saw her smile. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

  “Do you want me to take your virginity?”

  “Ink, I’ve been wanting you to take my virginity for a hell of a lot longer than sipping at a bottle of scotch.”

  ****

  “You are aware that the more times you throw Ink and Darcy together, the bigger the chance is they’re going to end up together,” Angel said.

  Blaine and Emily shared a look, and Angel looked toward Lash.

  “You want them to end up together?” Lash asked.

  Instead of going camping, Lash had insisted they invite Emily and Blaine over for dinner. She knew when her husband made suggestions like that, it was because he wanted some information and was using her parties to get what he wanted.

  “Darcy has always had a crush on Ink,” Emily said.

  “She’s not a little girl anymore,” Angel said. “Those crushes can explode and mean a lot more.”

  “We know, and we also know that Ink in his way cares for her. After everything that has happened with Darcy, nearly losing her, we don’t want her to go through life never knowing that love and happiness is out there,” Emily said.

  “I agreed to not give Ink shit if my girl ends up with him. There’s an age gap there, and yes, I don’t exactly like it, but I’ve got no choice, do I? I’ve got to see this through. She’s my little girl. She will always be my little girl, but I don’t want her to have a half-life. If all she needs to be happy is that six foot fucking tattooed asshole, it’s what she’ll get. I’ll be happy for her.”

  “And that’s why you encouraged Ink to take her camping,” Lash said.

  “Oh, no. I’m not going to make it entirely easy for him. Darcy hates fucking camping even more than I do. He’s going to have to work at getting my daughter’s heart,” Blaine said.

  Angel smiled. She’d been the one to pack their lunch, and she knew Darcy. She had seen the way Darcy had looked at Ink, and knew this wasn’t going to be a battle of wills. Darcy loved Ink, and if she wasn’t mistaken, Ink loved Darcy. The two just didn’t realize it yet, but she hoped after their trip, they would.