Ivy (Castle Ink Book 3) Read online

  “Just wondering if you’ve finished the design for Taylor. He’s coming in tomorrow for a final look over.” I breathe out and grip the pencil tightly in my hand. He knows I’ve finished it. I lift my gaze to his.

  Big. Freaking. Mistake.

  Holy shit, Luke looks good enough to eat. He’s wearing his usual white t-shirt that I swear he wakes up extra early to paint on. Yes, it is that tight. His hands are resting on top of the reception desk, making his biceps bulge. Arm porn anyone? Damn him! He knows I have a huge weakness for big arms. Fucking Cassie Dawson; she had to open her mouth one night when we went to a pub. It was the first night I had left Carter with a sitter and it was nerve-wracking, but he totally enjoyed himself over at Liam and Penny’s.

  My eyes travel his body and I can’t stop from licking my lips. My gaze lands on his sexy mouth that’s surrounded by his designer stubble. Surely he pays someone to make it look that good. The smirk that is in place just proves he knows the effect he has on me, and God knows, many other women. That thought is like a bucket of cold water on my overactive but deprived libido. I roll my eyes at his smug face.

  “You know it's done, Beast.” I started using the nickname ‘Beast’ for Luke after a few days of meeting him. He is freaking huge, and the name suits him. “Now, what can I really do for you?” I regret the question as soon as it leaves my mouth. I go to rephrase, but he beats me to it.

  “You know what you can really do for me, Peaches.” He winks at me. I take a deep breath and go to reply, but the door opens, and a woman walks in. Bloody hell, can her clothes be any tighter on her body? I’m pretty sure she has the same clothing-painter as Luke.

  Her face lights up when she sees Luke standing there. I shake my head and force the little green demon inside my mind to stay quiet. My head is mixed up when it comes to this man. I know he wants me, but he sleeps with other girls. Why do that if he desires me? That alone is not going to make me fancy him more. I do want him, but I have to think of Carter. I know he thinks the world of Luke, but what if he walks away in a few months? From what I’ve gathered about Luke, he’s a ‘hit it and quit it’ type of bloke.

  A high-pitched laugh breaks through my thoughts.

  “Oh, Luke, you are too funny.” I chuckle to myself. Funny isn’t a word I would use to describe Luke Baker. They both turn to look at me. The woman has a confused look on her face, but Luke… well, I can’t read his expression. I wave my hand at them.

  “Ignore me,” I say, and turn my back to them.

  “Excuse me, but are you going to book me in?” the annoying voice asks. Shit, I knew I had forgotten to do something. I bend forward and collect the forms she needs to fill out before getting her piercing. I can feel his eyes on my arse, burning into my skin. I stand up, form in hand, and turn to them. Beast’s mouth is lifted up at one corner, showing me he appreciated the view I just gave him.

  “Here, I’m sure Beast—um, I mean Luke, can handle you from here,” I say, and hand the forms over to her.

  She takes them from me and offers a smug smile. “Oh, I think Beast can handle me just fine.” I clench my fists at my sides at her using my name for him.

  “Only her,” he growls out. His tone shocks me.

  “Pardon?” she asks him, looking a little bewildered.

  He points to me and answers her. “Only Peaches gets to call me Beast.” I stand stock still and take in the scene in front of me. Even though I know what he’s saying is true—I am the only one he allows to call him ‘Beast’—his words still shock me. The woman looks between us, like a bobblehead.

  “Oh, okay. I didn’t realise you were a couple.”

  “NO!” I all but scream the word, making her jump. “Oh, no, we aren’t a couple. We’re just friends. Yep, just friends. No coupling going on here. Nope, not us.” I shake my head.

  “We get it, Ivy.” Ooooh, he said my proper name. He is pissed. Oh no. My heart sinks, because I know what comes next. He’s now going to hit me where it hurts the most: my heart.

  Our gazes are locked. It’s like he’s drilling his thoughts into my head, and my breathing becomes erratic, my cheeks flush. He breaks the connection and turns to the woman.

  Here it comes…

  “Come on, doll. I can handle you just fine. Why don’t we go back to my room and have some privacy. I don’t think my friend would like to see the things I’m going to do to you.” He winks at her and she giggles, and all the while my heart sinks into my stomach. I know I have no right feel like this, but I do. I can't stop the thoughts that run through my head, or the feelings that are in my heart.

  Only three months of knowing this man and it seems that he has taken a hold of my heart almost completely.

  I shake my head and turn my gaze back to them. Seeing him with all these women is only hurting me, but it’s only me who can stop it. I need to think about everything, take everything into account, and go from there.

  Bollocks. The woman’s giggles fill the room and my stomach revolts. I take a few deep breaths and turn to go back to my waiting design.

  I jump when I turn around to see my brother Jay standing in front of the reception desk.

  “Holy shit, Jay, you scared the fudge out of me.” His face crinkles in disgust at my words.

  “Fudge? Really, sis?” I shrug and pick up my pencil. It’s a pencil Carter got for me when he went out on a day trip with Dex and Addy one day in the summer. “You do know that when you say that it sounds like I literally just made you shit yourself, right?”

  “No, it doesn’t,” I retort.

  “Ummm, yeah it does, but anyway…” He looks towards Luke’s room, and then back to me. “Do I need to go all big brother on his arse? And I don't mean that shit show where the stupid people lock themselves in a house full of strangers and then bitch because they don’t like them or the tasks they’re asked to do. For fucks sake, they knew what they were signing up for.” He takes a deep breath. God, I love my big brother. I love them both. They have been there for me and Carter since we showed up on their doorstep.

  “I think they know and are told to play on their issues.” I drop my gaze to his ‘Captain Awesome’ mug that he drinks out of, and chuckle. Dex has a ‘Captain Twat’ mug. That was a fun conversation to have with Carter one morning. Beast needs a mug. I need to get Addy on that. I look back up at my brother and give him a big smile. A fake smile.

  “No need to go all big brother on him. He’s an arsehole, Jay, and we all know it. My head is battling over what to do. It’s clear that he wants me, but at the same time he’s still sleeping with anything that will open their legs for him—or drop to their knees. I can’t afford to get hurt again. I deserve a man who will worship me and Carter both.” Jay’s eyes search mine, looking to see if I mean what I’m telling him.

  He nods his head, comes around the counter, and wraps me up in his arms. I love being held by Jay because I feel loved and wanted. One day, Dex will hug me like this too. I know my mother loved me, but this is a different kind of love. I never got to have a father’s love because he died before I met him. After a minute or two, Jay steps back but keeps his hand on my shoulder. We smile at each other before he speaks.

  “Just be careful with him, okay.” I nod my head. “He’s a great guy—when he wants to be. Loyal as fuck. Sometimes, though, things are not what they seem, honey.” He kisses my forehead and walks away. Sometimes though, things are not what they seem… What does that mean?

  “Jay, what does that mean?” I shout after him. He winks at me but carries on walking to his room. “JAY!”

  “Love you, baby girl,” Jay replies.

  “Bastard,” I mutter to myself. I shake out my hands and pick the pencil back up, before once again losing myself in the design. I want this to look epic on the guy’s arm. The studio is quiet today, so I use the extra time to work on the designs that need finishing up before I need to go and get Carter from school.

  A paper aeroplane lands on the design I’m working on, making me jump.
My head snaps up and I see Beast leaning against one of the back walls looking like a fucking model. His legs are crossed at the ankles, and his arms are crossed over his very big and hard-looking chest. God, I want to run my hands all over that man. He smiles and dips his head down, indicating for me to look at the aeroplane.

  I slowly pick it up and carefully open it. My eyes widen at the words.

  Your arse is as perfect as a peach.

  My eyes snap to his and he smirks at me. This is the first aeroplane note he’s sent, but it isn't the first time he’s mentioned peaches around me. He calls me ‘Peaches’ all the time. I didn’t know why, until now. He thinks my arse looks like a peach. I am not one to toot my own horn, but I know I have a great arse—it’s my best asset apparently. No pun intended.

  I chuckle to myself and shake my head. His laughter catches my attention and I lift my head. Our eyes lock and I watch as he bites his bottom lip. He looks like… sex. Oh, hell no, he cannot be doing stuff like that. He winks at me and turns to go back into his room where the giggler is waiting for him. I slump down in my seat and bang my head a few times on the desktop. I am in trouble.

  Chapter 3

  Luke

  I turn and walk back into my room after sending a paper aeroplane over to my peaches. God, the woman has me in fucking knots. Her perfect curves, her tits, and that arse… Holy fuck that arse. The things I want to do to it: Lick it. Taste it. Bite it.

  Perfect as a fucking juicy peach.

  Fuck, my cock is getting hard just thinking about what I want to do to her. The images alone send my blood racing to my dick. She bends over all the fucking time, but she does it in an innocent way. Whether it’s getting forms from the cupboard or re-stocking for us, the arse is every-fucking-where. Even in my dreams. I know she’s had a shitty past few years, but I don’t want to go slow with her. I’ve flirted with her, but she holds me at a distance. She’s worried about getting into something new. I get that, but surely, she has to know I won’t hurt her.

  The way she reacts to me, the way her breathing changes and her cheeks flush red, my chest puffs out with pride that I can make a woman wet but just looking at her. That is every man’s fucking ego boost—to see how a woman is so fucking affected by their actions. But the way she jumped at the client's assumption that we were a couple didn’t sit right with me at all. That fucked me right the hell off. So I did the typical man thing when his ego is bruised a little: I reacted very fucking badly, and I hurt her. I hated the way I’d reacted, but I couldn’t stop myself.

  I shake my head at the way I acted this morning with that giggly woman. Thank fuck she’s gone. Now, I’m waiting for my next client. I was so fucking glad to see the touchy-feely lady leave. Thank fuck for small tattoos.

  I sit at my table and pick up the design for the older lady I’m going to tattoo in the next half hour. She’s pretty bad arse.

  A knock on my door as it opens has me turning in my seat, and I smile at who greets me.

  “Hey, babe,” I say to Ivy when she pushes the door open more.

  “Mrs. Doyle is here for her tattoo.” Peaches moves out of the way, so Mrs. Doyle can enter the room. “Do either of you need anything?” her sweet voice asks.

  “No, thank you, dear.” Ivy nods her head at the lady and turns her gaze to me, waiting for my answer. I smile at her and shake my head.

  “No, baby, I’m good.” Peaches blushes and turns to leave the room. “Are you going to pick up Carter soon?” I ask her before she can close the door.

  “Yeah. I’m leaving in about an hour. Why?”

  “I was going to see if you guys wanted to go out for dinner after school. Mrs. Doyle is my last client for the day.” I can see the battle raging in her pretty little head, so I shrug my shoulders and smile at her. “Come on, what's the worst that can happen?” She narrows her eyes at me and goes to answer, but Mrs. Doyle beats her to it.

  “Oh, go on, honey. No woman can turn down an offer like that from a man like Luke.” She winks at Ivy, who chuckles, but I see the defiance lurking in her eyes and know it may not end well for me.

  “That, Mrs. Doyle, is very true. But unfortunately, I am not the only woman to get an offer from Luke. You see, Luke has plenty to offer… to plenty of other women.” The air in the room shifts and my back tenses. I can’t fucking believe she is saying this shit. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish work before I go and pick up my son from school. And as for your answer, Luke: no, thank you.” With that, she walks out of the room, leaving radio silence in her wake. I keep my eyes on the door, hoping it will open and Ivy will come back in and tell me she changed her mind about dinner. But it never does. Mrs. Doyle clears her throat, breaking my trance-like state.

  “Sorry, Mrs. Doyle. Let’s get this tattoo done, shall we.” I busy myself getting all the inks set up and the gun machine ready with the correct needles.

  “I can only assume that you’re a ‘player’, as my granddaughter would call it.” Fuck. I nod my head and keep my gaze firmly locked on the design in my hand.

  “I want her, though. She’s all I think about, but…”

  “Talk to me, Luke. I have had three sons and two daughters, and I have lost count of my grandchildren, so I think I know a few things about love.” She chuckles, but her words are like barbs sticking into my skin. I don’t love Ivy.

  “There isn’t anything to talk about, Mrs. Doyle. I like Ivy, but she doesn’t want anything to do with me. She’s been hurt in the past and is scared to let me get close to her. She has a young son who is important in her life, and he has seen more than any six-year-old child should see.”

  “He should be the center of her world. A mother’s job is to guide and protect her children. Woo her, Luke. Make her see the man you truly are, not the man you let everyone see.” With that, she removes her pale pink blouse and turns her back to me. I’m tattooing her shoulder blade with a design Ivy produced for her. I get to work on the tattoo and let Mrs. Doyle’s words sink in. Can I really woo Peaches? How the fuck do you woo a girl? Damn it, I’m going to have to go home and seek advice from the four most important women in my life: my mum and three sisters.

  *****

  I pull up outside my parents’ house and turn the engine off to my black BMW 4 series. This car a fucking dream to drive. My parents live in a typical semi-detached house in a cul-de-sac, where children, now home from school, are running around, playing sports and wreaking havoc on their bikes and scooters before the weather gets too cold. I don’t spot my sisters outside playing, so they must be in the house. I walk up to the house and open the door, calling out to my family as I do.

  “The L-man is here. Where’s ma posse at?” I yell, like I’m a gangster or some shit. Screams come from everywhere in the house before three crazy kids come running towards me. My six-year-old niece, Polly, and three-year-old niece, Tia, who belong to my sister Ellie and her husband, Rob, come running around the corner first. Right along with them is my six-year-old nephew, Josh, who belongs to my other sister, Michelle and her husband, Jason. Ellie and Michelle are twins, who happened to get pregnant at the same time with their first two babies. They all come crashing into my legs and try to tackle me to the ground, but they don’t succeed. They never do. I pick up little Tia and throw her over my shoulder. Polly and Josh sit on my feet and wrap their arms around my legs. I lift them up and start walking towards the kitchen where I know the rest of my family are waiting. The kids scream and tell me to stop, but I keep going and act like a troll dragging the kids away.

  I enter the kitchen and see my mother and two sisters sitting around the table. A high-pitched screech fills the room, dragging my attention from my sisters. My one-year-old nephew, Rory, screams from his highchair. I smile because that little boy is all me. My mother always comments about how much he looks like me and not his parents.

  “Okay, you bunch of misfits, off you go.” I gently lower Tia to the floor as Polly and Josh climb off my legs and get to their feet.

&nbs
p; “Uncle Luke?”

  “Yeah, Polly Pocket?” I answer.

  “Do you have a girlfriend?” She giggles behind her hand. I laugh and lean against the kitchen counter.

  “I don’t, Pol. But maybe soon.” I wink at her before grabbing a water from the fridge. My sisters and mum are fussing over the party for my nan’s ninetieth birthday. The old girl is still going strong. She is as sharp as a tack, that one. Nothing ever gets past her. She’s the type of lady that will tell you how she feels about something. She never holds back. My nana Lilly was born with no filter.

  “What’s her name? Do we know her? Tell me, tell me. I want the details.” Ellie rapidly fires off questions. Everyone is looking at with me curiosity in their eyes. I chuckle and shake my head at the women in my life, but I answer her questions, knowing they won’t let it go otherwise.

  “Okay, you bunch of nosey parkers. Her name is Ivy, and she’s twenty-eight. You don’t know her; she’s new to the area. She moved here a few months ago with her son.”

  “Her son?” my mum pipes in. She loves kids, hence the number of grandkids she has already. They keep on at me to get started. It was never my thing, until a dark-haired beauty walked into Castle Ink. Ivy has made me change the way I see things. It’s strange how despite only knowing her for a short amount of time, she has had such an effect on me.

  “Yeah, Mum. She has a six-year-old son. His name is Carter and he’s pretty wicked. You guys would like him,” I say, pointing to Polly and Josh. I’ve spent some time with Carter when he’s come to the studio, but I would like to spend more with him. A way to show Ivy that she can trust me one-hundred-percent with her heart.

  “Oh, I think he would get on great with my little munchkins. You will have to bring them round,” Mum says. My stomach knots a little thinking how much work it would take to get Ivy just to sit and talk to me. I shake my head and explain a few things. My family don’t ever hide anything. No secrets are allowed in this house.