Wilde Ink (Wilde Brothers Book 3) (3 page)

“I’m here to check up on my future sister-in-law. My shop is just across the parking lot. The better question is, what are you doing here?”

“Miss Archer’s car is in for repairs. I was just telling her that unfortunately, the part I need is going to take two or three days to get here.”

Lia groaned. “Another one? God, everywhere I go, I seem to be running into members of your family, Nick.”

Jo laughed. “I’m not part of the family yet. Soon though.”

Nick tried to ignore the spike of jealousy that slammed through him when Lia mentioned meeting other members of his family. Who was she talking about, and when the fuck had she met them? “What other members of my family have you been seeing, Cinderella?”

“Stop calling me that,” Lia said, glowering at him.

“Why? If the glass slipper fits…” He knew he was deliberately baiting her, but he didn’t care. She’d stood him up that night, and for some damned reason he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind every since. His sketch pad held dozens of images of her face and form, and every time he closed his eyes he could still see her, laughing in the night as they danced. It had gotten to the point that he’d finally swallowed his pride and checked with Ben and Tag to see if they knew who she was or where he could find her again. Neither of them had recognized her from his description. Ben had eyes only for Kelly that day, though he’d been quick enough to laugh when he heard Nick’s tale. Always the supportive older brother, Ben had cracked up at the idea that Nick had been left in the lurch by a woman. Neither he nor Tag had been any damned help at all.

“I’m sorry I took off on you, okay? I usually have better manners than that, but you might have mentioned your last name before you kissed—danced with me.”

Nick moved another step closer. “I don’t remember the dance, or the kiss, being one-sided. And you still haven’t answered my question. What other members of my family have you been seeing?” Fuck, if she was dating Jared or Dave, he’d lose it. Was that why she’d run out on him that night, because she was already dating one of his brothers?

Those sweet lips of hers pursed together for a second, and then she blew out a soft sigh. “I work with your brother, David. Actually, I don’t work with him, I work
for
him. He’s my boss. So now you understand why I took off, and why there can’t be anything between us.”

Well fuck. She was a cop. Like he didn’t have enough of those in his life already. He still didn’t understand why she’d taken off on him, though. There was some funky female logic at work here. “No, I don’t see why you took off, so how about you explain it to me.”

Jo glanced between the two of them and took a discreet step backward. “Why don’t I make some more phone calls and see if I can’t track down that part. I’ll call in a few favors.” She was gone before Lia could ask her to stay, and Nick breathed a silent prayer of thanks. He needed a few minutes alone with his runaway date. There were a few things he needed to say, and she was damned well going to listen.

“I’m still waiting to hear your explanation for what happened that night,” he said.

“I told you. Your brother is my boss.”

“So what? I’m not a cop. I’m the farthest thing from it, in fact. Is that what’s going on? Tattooed bad boys are okay to flirt with, but not to date?” It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. Usually he was fine with being fling material, but not this time.

“No! But I just got promoted, and if anyone found out I was dating David’s brother then they’d think I’m getting special treatment.”

“Not on your life. For starters, my brother doesn’t give
anyone
special treatment. Ever. He’s a grumpy son of a bitch, but he’s honest to a fucking fault. Everyone knows this. Would he have a problem with you seeing me? I doubt it. He’d probably tell you that you could do better, but that’s because I’m the black sheep of our family.”

“It wouldn’t work. I…I shouldn’t have agreed to go with you that night. I really am sorry about that.”

“You can make it up to me by letting me drive you home. It’s snowing hard out there, and I happen to know you don’t have a car.”

“I’ll get a taxi.”

“You’ll be waiting for hours.”

“Why are you so damned pushy?”

“Family trait. When we find something we want, we’re very determined.”

Her green eyes glittered with annoyance as she stood up straighter and then pointed to him, then back at herself. “This…is not going to happen.”

Nick had never backed down from a challenge in his life, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. “As I recall, we already happened. You might be ignoring what went on between us that night, but I haven’t. I’ll remember those kisses for the rest of my life.”

“It was just a few kisses. Honestly, I’ve had better.”

“Liar.” He walked right up to her, his cock turning to stone as she tipped her chin up and met his gaze. Fuck she was sexy when she was riled up and determined. He dipped his head so that their mouths were only a few inches apart.

“Back the hell off, Nick,” she warned, placing a hand against his chest as if to push him away. Only she didn’t.

“Not until you admit we’ve got chemistry.”

She huffed in frustration. “Of course we have chemistry. That’s not the point.”

Nick reached up to cup her cheek and was rewarded with a tiny shiver. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. This thing between us is all that matters. The rest is just you, making excuses.”

He wrapped his free arm around her waist and tugged her in close, dropping his mouth to hers for a kiss that might get him slapped. The second his lips touched hers, he knew it was worth the risk. Fire streaked through him at that first taste, and when she fisted a handful of his shirt and tugged him in closer, he had to bite back a victory shout. She was going to stop fighting this, whatever the fuck this was. Right now he was too turned on to think straight. All he knew was that he wanted more.

“Nick, stop,” Lia’s whispered words barely penetrated his overheated brain.

“I don’t want to,” he growled, but she was already pulling away from him. When he hauled her back into his arms she resisted, shoving against his chest so hard she staggered backward.

“We have to stop this,” she declared, but there was no missing the way her hands trembled or the breathless quality in her voice. She was hanging onto her self-control by a tattered thread, and Nick couldn’t understand why she was still fighting him.

“Explain to me again why we have to stop, because I haven’t heard a good reason yet.”

Lia lifted a hand and started ticking off reasons on her fingers. “One, because your brother is my boss. Two, because I am not looking for any kind of relationship right now. And three, even if I were looking, you are not the kind of man I’m attracted too.”

“I’m calling bullshit on that last one, but I’m going to let it go, for now.” Nick ran his hand through his hair and tried to focus on anything other than the powerful urge to take her back into his arms and kiss her senseless. Tempted as he was, he knew that wasn’t a good idea. Pushing her now would only mean he’d have more ground to make up later.

His dick was straining at the zipper of his jeans so hard he was worried there’d be permanent damage. It didn’t help that he hadn’t been with anyone since the night she’d vanished on him. None of his usual companions appealed to him, and now he was paying the price.

“Do you ever take no for an answer?” she demanded.

“Nope. I learned you don’t get very far if you just accept it when other tell people try and tell you what you should, or shouldn’t, be doing.”

She narrowed her eyes and took a single step back. “Don’t even try it.”

“Don’t worry, Cin. I’ve already made up my mind. The next time I kiss you, it will be because
you
asked me to.”

“Never. Going to. Happen.”

“Yeah, it will, but not tonight. Since you declined my offer to drive you home, you should probably call a cab before it gets any worse outside. If you get tired of waiting, I’ll be over at my shop. Happy Valentine’s Day, Lia.”

He winked at her and then turned and headed for the door, ignoring the string of curses flowing from her lovely mouth. This was going to be fun…if she didn’t kill him first.

Chapter Three

“Of all the arrogant, idiotic, conceited bastards! Who the hell does he think he is?” Lia growled and threw up her hands as Nick walked out the door.

“He thinks he’s a Wilde,” Jo said from behind her, amusement laced through every word.

“Are they all like that?”

“Pretty much. The only time they really behave is when their mother’s around, and even then it rarely lasts long. He didn’t do anything really stupid, did he? I wouldn’t have left you alone if I’d thought he would.”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Lia asked as she turned to face Jo, who blushed until her freckled face was as red as her hair.

“When Danny called to arrange for your car to get towed here, he filled me in on a few things. I thought maybe if you two had a chance to talk for a bit...”

“Danny did? I’ll kill him! I swear to god he was a woman in his last life, and a gossiping busybody of one at that.” Lia felt like everyone was conspiring against her. All she wanted to was to be left alone. Why didn’t anyone see that was the way things had to be?

“I’m sorry. I overstepped. I just hoped…” Jo’s voice trailed off and she waved her hands in a helpless gesture. “I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”

Lia took a slow breath and then let it out before she spoke again. “What did Danny tell you?”

“Just that he had a friend who really needed her car fixed…and uh…that you were the one Nick had met at the wedding reception. The mystery woman who disappeared on him. Nick actually told Tag and Ben about that, you know. Kelly too. She was the bride, by the way. He was hoping one of them knew who you were. Considering Nick rarely asks his brothers for anything, it must have been important to him to try find you again.”

“Why would it matter to him so much? We danced and then he kissed me,” she said, more than a little confused by everything that had just happened. No one acted this way unless they were a stalker or the lead in a romantic movie. Nick didn’t seem like the stalker type, but her life was far from being a fairytale.

Jo shrugged and gave her a shy smile. “You’d have to ask him that. I just know that I’ve known Nick for years, and I’ve never seen him act like this before. When Tag first showed up in my life, he didn’t take no for an answer, either. I had my doubts, but Nick told me Tag was a good guy, and encouraged me to give him a chance. Now I’m going to return the favor. Nick’s one of the best men I know.”

“He’s arrogant, and scruffy, and looks like someone I should be arresting, not dating.”

Jo laughed at that. “Well, yeah. But how many clients would get a tattoo from someone who didn’t have any ink themselves? That would be like getting your pork chops from a vegan butcher.”

“Back up, he’s a tattoo artist?”

“You two really didn’t talk much, did you?” Jo asked, laughing again. “He’s got his own shop, and I happen to think he’s one of the best artists in the city. Don’t let the bad boy looks fool you. He’s worked hard to get to where he is.”

“So the bad boy thing is just for show?”

“Oh no, that’s real. I guess he’s a bit of both, good man and bad ass. Tag’s the same way. Speaking of which, if you see a big, long-haired, criminal type come barging through the door, don’t worry, that’ll be my fiancé. He runs a security business out of the same complex as Nick’s shop. I swear one or the other of them is over here a dozen times a day just to check up on me.”

Lia frowned at that. “They’re that controlling? I mean, this is your garage, right? Do they think you can’t manage this place without a guy’s help?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that.” Jo blushed again and her hand drifted over to cover her stomach. “I’m pregnant. Tag thinks that means I should be cocooned in bubble wrap for the next six months or so. He made Nick promise to keep an eye out too. I love that he’s so protective of me, I just wish he’d do it from a little further away, you know?”

“Congratulations,” Lia said, ignoring pang of envy that struck her heart. She didn’t like to admit it, but one day she wanted what Jo had, a man who loved her and a family on the way. Lia just didn’t have any idea how the hell to make that happen while working and watching over her parents. Her mother didn’t understand why she was still single, and Lia couldn’t find a way to explain. She liked men with a rougher edge, and there wasn’t any room for a man like that in her life. Tempting as Nick was, seeing him again was a bad idea. He was a distraction, and the last time she’d let herself get distracted, someone she loved had died.

“Thanks. We’re going out for our first Valentine’s Day. He won’t tell me where. Shit, he’ll be here soon and I need to change.”

“You go get ready. I’m just going to call a taxi and organize up a ride for tomorrow morning.”

Jo grinned and waved. “I’ll call you the moment we have your car ready.”

Alone again, Lia took a seat near the window and pulled out her phone. Step one, call a cab. Step two, call Danny for a ride tomorrow. After the stunt he pulled today, he owed her that much at the very least. Step three was going to be the tough one. She needed to make Nick understand that whatever chemistry they had, it wasn’t going to change her mind. Step four was going to be even harder. She had to find a way to stop herself from thinking about Nick.

Lia had no idea how she was going to manage that last one. Walking away from him once had been hard enough. Memories of their brief encounter had stuck with her, and he’d starred in every late night fantasy she’d had in the weeks since that first kiss. Now he knew who she was, and where to find her, Lia wasn’t certain she had the strength to turn away from temptation again.

Even though she knew that was exactly what she had to do.

****

Walking through the falling snow did nothing to cool Nick down. He was hot enough that he could probably strip down and do a dozen laps of the lot without feeling the fucking cold right now. The woman who’d been haunting his dreams was back, and seeing her again hadn’t resolved a goddamned thing. At least now he knew her last name, and the reason she bailed on him that night. Not that it was much of a reason. His older brother was a by-the-book pain in the ass, sure, but he wasn’t going to interfere in someone else’s social life.

Nick unlocked the front door and stepped inside, pausing just long enough to knock most of the snow from his shoes. He belatedly realized he hadn’t done up his coat before leaving the garage, which meant his sweater was now wet and half frozen.

Fucking perfect.

He hung up his coat and stripped off his sodden sweater, hanging it beside his coat in hopes that it dried before he had to go home. He headed for his workspace, turning on the shop’s sound system as he went by. A throbbing, bass-heavy wail rose from the speakers, making him pause and go back to find something that suited his mood a little better. He flipped through the CD’s until he found what he wanted, and a moment later the opening notes of
Danse Macabre
filled the shop.

Turning on the lamp at his desk, Nick sat down on a stool and flipped open his sketchbook, looking at page after page of images of Lia. He’d managed to capture her face quite well in most of them, but now that he’d seen her again, he knew he could do better. First though, he had a phone call to make.

Nick called Dave’s cell, wondering if his oldest brother would actually pick up. He was surprised when Dave answered on the second ring, a note of real concern in his voice. “Nicky? What’s up? You never call me unless it’s urgent.”

It was nice to know he cared. “Hey. Sorry to bug you, but I’ve got a sort of a work related question for you.”

“What the hell did you do this time?”

Nick gritted his teeth and refused to rise to the bait. Dave still thought of him as the smart-mouthed punk he’d been in high school. Back then, he’d been an angry, frustrated trouble maker and Dave was already a cop. Nick had gotten busted for underage drinking, fighting and a few other stupid stunts, pissing off his father and the two older brothers already on the force. Things got rocky for a while, and when he announced he was going to apply to art school out of state, the shit really hit the fan. Everyone knew he’d never be a cop, but they’d expected him to go to work for the family’s bar instead. Nick had no intention of slinging beers and burgers for the rest of his life. He wanted something else for himself, but his dad and brothers didn’t see it that way. They saw it as an act of disloyalty.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, bro. It’s not about me, it’s about you. Well, your rules. Fuck, this is harder than I thought.”

“What in the hell are you babbling about?”

“Is there a rule about dating brothers of cops? Like, if I wanted to date a detective who reported to you, would that be a problem?”

Dave was quiet so long Nick wondered if they’d been disconnected. “Dave? Hello?”

“Is this your back assward way of telling me you’re gay?”

“Fuck no!” Nick yelled into the phone. “Jesus, bro. I’m not gay.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with it if you are…”

“Don’t. Just don’t. You’ll give dad a fucking heart attack saying shit like that. I’m asking because of Lia Archer. She says she that you’re her boss, which means we couldn’t date.”

“Lia Archer? Archer…shit. Tell me you’re joking.”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life, and you still haven’t answered my damned question.” Nick was rapidly running out of patience.

“Officially no, there’s no rule that would stop you from seeing her, or anyone else in the department. Unofficially, Detective Archer is a very smart, capable, professional, officer and if you fuck up her career or her personal life in any way just so you can get laid, I will kick your ass.”

David’s protective speech had Nick snarling into the phone, his hand gripping the receiver tight. “You’re not considering her for yourself, are you? If you have any romantic inclinations about her, forget it, she’s mine.”

What the fuck is wrong with me?

She wasn’t his yet. Not even close. And he was not the growling, possessive type. That had never been his thing. There were too many fish in the sea to bother getting fixated on just one.

“Romantic inclin—seriously? Are you hearing yourself, Nick? Even if I did, which I don’t, there are most definitely rules about me dating people under my supervision. And besides, I don’t date. You know that. Been there, tried that. Never again. Since when did you start going caveman over women? First Ben, then Tag, now you. You’re all losing your damned minds.”

“I’m starting to consider that possibility myself,” Nick confessed as he forced himself to calm down.

“Where the hell did you meet Lia, anyway?”

“Ben’s wedding.”

“Wait. Is she the one who vanished on you that night?”

Goddamn it. Did everyone know about that? He was going to kill his blabbermouth brothers. “Who told you about that?” Nick demanded.

“Mom.”

Fan-fucking-tastic.
If Mom knew, then everyone knew by now. “Yeah, that was her. I just ran into her at Jo’s place, which is why I’m calling you. I wanted to be sure this wasn’t going to be a problem for you, or her.”

“This is important to you, huh?”

“It would appear so.”

“Then try not to fuck it up, little brother. I’ve seen her marksmanship scores. If you piss her off, she isn’t likely to miss.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“You’re a pain in the butt, but you’re still my brother. I don’t need you getting your ass shot up too. Good night….and good luck.”

“Night.”

Nick hung up the phone and sighed in frustration. What the hell was he doing? Better question, why was he doing it? The answer to the last one was easy. All he had to do was look down at his sketchbook. There was something about Lia Archer that had gotten under his skin. Since forgetting about her didn’t seem to be an option, he was just going to have to convince her to take a chance with him. For that to happen, he was going to need a plan. If he could put together a business plan, he could do this.

He grabbed a scrap piece of paper and a pen and started writing.

****

Lia was out of time, and out of options. The cab she’d called for hadn’t arrived by the time the garage closed for the night, and there wasn’t much chance of one arriving any time soon. When she called again, they told her the streets were a mess and it could be hours. Jo and her fiancé had offered to give her a ride, but she didn’t want to impose on their date. Her parents were taking a much needed night off, so there was only one other option, and he was currently sitting in his shop on the far side of the parking lot.

Shit.

She called the cab company and let them know she wouldn’t be needing them. The way it was snowing now, she could probably walk home faster anyway. Not that she was going to try. No, she was going to have to brave the smug lion in his den and ask Nick if he would still be willing to drive her home. Danny had already agreed to drive her in to work tomorrow morning. He’d grumbled at first, but changed his tune the second she informed him she knew all about his part in today’s arranged meeting. After that, he was too busy apologizing to complain.

Gloved hands jammed into her pockets, hood up, and head down, she made the short trek from the garage to Nick’s shop. The place was called “Wilde Ink.” Well, didn’t that sum up the man and his business nicely. When she got close enough to see inside, her feet stopped moving and she just stared. Nick was bent over a desk, his bare back to her as he worked intently on something in front of him.