She waved a hand at me over her shoulder and disappeared inside her own place.

I went back to picking up, and by the time I was done decided it was my turn for a shower. Nash was still out when I snuck in the room to snag one of his shirts to change into and it took every ounce of restraint I had not to kiss every line, every curve, of his face until he woke up.

I was rubbing a towel over my hair and walking back into the living room to watch TV until he woke up when I drew up short. He was most definitely awake, leaning against the back of the couch and watching me with heavy-lidded, purple eyes. The boxers were navy blue this time and his arms bulged enticingly where they were crossed across his delectable chest. As always, my gaze followed those wings that disappeared into the waistband of his underwear.

"Hey." I couldn't help the husky drop in my voice.

He lifted a black eyebrow at me and the corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Saint."

I took a few more steps into the living room and he caught the end of the towel that was now hanging limply in my hand and used it to tow me in until we were mere inches away from each other.

"Anytime, Nash."

He reached out and coiled a hand under the wet fall of my hair around my neck. He removed the s.p.a.ce remaining between us and I was plastered against his bare chest. It was the best place in the world to be.

"How about you let me take care of you for a while?"

Well, what kind of fool would I be to pa.s.s up an offer like that? Only the last time we had been on this couch in any kind of s.e.xy way together I had left him in a pretty unfair state and I wanted to make it up to him. I wanted to take care of him in all ways there were from this point on out.

"How about we just take care of each other?"

Both of his eyebrows shot up and finally, after way too long, a full-fledged smile crossed his handsome face.

"Sounds like a good deal." Then he bent his head and kissed me like it was the first and last thing he wanted to do every single day from here on out.

Our tongues tangled together, hands slid eagerly across bare skin, and all the best parts of us lined up perfectly. I gasped into his mouth a little when his hands crawled up under the hem of my borrowed T-shirt and cupped the curves of my bottom. He hefted me a little closer so that our pelvises were pressed tightly against one another and I felt his erection throb insistently where it was resting in the cradle of my legs. He made short work of the T-shirt and guided a wide palm from the base of my neck all the way to where my spine dipped in right above my a.s.s. He blew out an appreciative breath that I caught because our mouths were still sealed together.

I pulled back and kissed him on the throat, shivered when he moved a hand across my ribs and up to cup a breast. It seemed unfathomable that I hadn't enjoyed being touched like this. I guess I just needed the hands, the skilled touch, to belong to him. He rotated the pad of his thumb across one of my nipples and it made my entire body clench in response. If he kept that up there would be recompense for the last scene of romance in this living room. I pulled back a little and kissed him in the center of his chest. I loved how resilient, how taut and hard his body always felt under my mouth. I put a kiss that left a mark right over where his heart was beating steady and strong and let my tongue twist and turn around the flat disk of his nipple. It made me giggle a little when it beaded up in response.

I tickled his abs with my fingertips and rubbed my palms over the wings that covered his sides. I thought the white boxers were my favorite against his swarthy and darker-toned skin, but I decided on the spot as I pulled him free that my favorite from here on out was going to be none at all. His erection was pulsing, practically vibrating in my hand. It was still topped with the metal ring and the barbell and it quivered eagerly in my hand when I gave it a little squeeze at the base.

Nash made a low noise in the back of his throat when I sank down in front of where he was still leaning against the couch. His eyes were midnight dark and there was a high flush on his cheeks. The power, the pride I felt that I could make this man react like that made me really feel like the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

My teeth clicked on the metal ring, which made me want to laugh but had him groaning. He collected my hair up in both his hands as I started rolling, sucking, licking the thing in a way that had his abs contracting and his thighs quivering. I had to keep my hands involved, all of him was never going to fit in my mouth at one time, and I had to admit it was way more fun to do this when there were things my tongue could play with. I heard him growl my name, which was super hot, felt him tug at my hair, which meant he was close. I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, I was too busy thinking about how heady the sensation was, how delicious making him react felt ... sure, this was more about his pleasure than my own, but his taste, his feel, it was enough to light me up just fine.

I had my hands around the base of his c.o.c.k, was using them in time with the sucking, swirling motion of my mouth, so I was surprised when he literally yanked me off of him, which resulted in a drag of teeth and a squeeze that was probably rougher than felt good. He yelped out a swearword and I was going to demand to know what he thought he was doing, but my panties were unceremoniously stripped off my legs, leaving me bare and open. He wrenched us around while breathing hard and put my hands on the back of the couch. With a palm in the center of my back between my shoulder blades, he bent me over just a little and used his knee to nudge my legs open enough so that he could fit where he needed to be.

He dropped a heavy kiss on the back of my neck, reached around the front, and covered each of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s with his wide hands. He didn't say anything, just slid inside me, and I thought I was going to die. In this position he went deeper, I felt him more intensely, and the drag and pull of that little extra he was working with made stars dance in front of my eyes. I had to clutch the couch cushions, had to bite my lip-hard-to keep from screaming out each time he pulled out and pushed back in. We had had a lot of s.e.x over the last few months but nothing that felt this raw, this unhinged, and potent.

I felt like this was him leaving his undeniable mark, and as the pleasure grew, as his rhythm and tempo increased, as one of his hands started to slide across my stomach headed for the spot that would push me over at the barest touch, I was ready for it all, I was practically ready to shatter. Nash's breathing shifted, his driving hips stilled for a fraction, and his hand stalled on my stomach.

"Holy f.u.c.k." We were both so close, it was hovering so right there, and I had no idea what he was doing but I was going to strangle him if he didn't start moving again. He was panting like a marathon runner, and when I looked at him over my shoulder, in question, he grimaced and kissed me hard on the mouth all while pulling out of my body as slowly as was humanly possible. It made both of us groan and swear at the same time.

"Do you want to talk about the seriously unprotected s.e.x we were just having or do you want to just go in my room and finish?"

I squealed and buried my face in his chest. "Jeez, no wonder it felt so good."

He snorted a laugh and I yelped when he swung me up in his arms and headed to the bedroom.

"Maybe you wanna add birth control to your to-do list sometime soon?"

I ran my tongue along the sh.e.l.l of his ear and rubbed my fingers over the flames inked on his shoulders and grinned up at him. If he hadn't attached his mouth to the side of my neck, started sucking and swirling his tongue along the sensitive cords there, I would've told him that I had taken care of that little detail shortly after our rendezvous in the Charger just to be safe. If I had known it would bring on a hasty end to all the delicious things he was doing to my body in the living room, I would've sent him a memo about it.

I hit the center of the bed with a little "ouf" when he gracelessly tossed me, and I leaned back to watch him while he got himself all situated. I blinked up at him with wide eyes as he crawled up over me and settled himself back between my legs.

"You are so beautiful." He really was from the inside out.

He lifted an eyebrow and placed a sweet little kiss on the end of my nose.

"So are you." I used to just ignore him, to think they were just words he was saying because he thought they needed to be said. Now I understood he meant it and it didn't matter if I looked the way I did now or if I looked the way I did then, it was the person I was he found beautiful.

"Thank you."

He slid back inside of me, and since my body was already primed, already on the the brink of going over, it didn't take much to have me hollering his name into the ceiling and digging my heels into his back. He curled my legs up high on his sides, rose up a little on one knee, and powered into my compliant body until he found his own release and collapsed on top of me in a heavy heap.

The ring in the center of his nose was a tactical thrill against my shoulder as he kissed my collarbone and muttered drily, "I'm done trying to have s.e.x on that couch. It never ends well for me."

I had to laugh as I wrapped my arms across his wide shoulders. "I think it ended just fine."

"I love you, Saint."

"I love you, too, Nash."

Nash wanted to live a life with no regrets, I wanted to live a life that was fulfilled. We needed each other to accomplish that, and now that we had each other there was no then versus now, there was just this life we had together.

I got the promotion. It was awesome and I was really proud of myself, but what made it even better was how proud Nash was of me. My job didn't have to be important to him, but because it was so much of who I was, the fact that he inherently knew what a big deal it was made me love him even more.

Our schedules were still crazy and all over the place, even more so now that I was trying to learn the different parts of my new job. It didn't matter, though, we never spent a night apart. My place, his place, one of us was always in the other's bed, and as long as I woke up next to him in the morning, I didn't care where I put my head at night.

I was also branching out my social skills. I went out with Sunny, tried to join Nash's friends on their Thursday girls' night out if it didn't conflict with work, and had taken to having coffee with Royal every morning I stayed at Nash's place. I enjoyed the time spent with all of them, but there was something about Royal, something about watching another young woman struggle with a selfless, emotionally taxing job, that drew me to her. I didn't have to try and be her friend anymore, I was just her friend ... period.

I was running late. Nash had called on my lunch break and asked me to meet him at the new tattoo shop when I got off of work. I had a late admission and ended up having to stay an extra half hour until the doctor could get to them. I knew the contractor had just finished with everything in the new s.p.a.ce and all they had left to do was get the final members of the staff in place so they could open up for business in a few weeks. It had been a labor of love, cost a pretty penny, but all of the Marked family was super excited for the new adventure to begin. I figured he just wanted to show his baby off, and I felt bad I was holding him up, so I reminded myself to oooh and awww with appropriate vigor. I was really proud of him.

I had to park around the corner and make my way through the typical after-work, LoDo crowd to get to the shop. The location was dynamite; he wasn't going to know what to do with himself when it took off like I knew it would. Nash was leaning against the gla.s.s storefront talking on his phone. He caught sight of me and gave me a wink. He couldn't really stand around waiting without finding something to do with his hands. I think that's how he avoided reaching for a cigarette. He was doing a great job quitting and every time he was tempted I reminded him he had made it all the way through the ordeal with Phil without lighting up, so there was no way he needed one now.

When I got to him he scooped me up in a rib-crushing hug and kissed me like we hadn't had wild shower s.e.x just that morning. I would be the luckiest girl in the world if he was always going to be that happy to see me.

"Did you get my text that I was going to be late?"

"Yep. It gave me time to wrap up the surprise."

I gave him a funny look and noticed that the huge pane of gla.s.s that was the front of the store was covered in brown butcher's paper.

"I thought you were just going to show me the new shop."

He laughed and pulled on one of the pigtails I had been rocking at work.

"I am. It's amazing, but I want to show you something first. We went round and round, tossed idea after idea back and forth about what the new shop should be called."

I was starting to get a little anxious. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and looked up at him from under my pale lashes.

"What did you do, Nash?"

"This new shop is the future for the Marked, but you're my future. I figured I might as well tie the two of them together because you are both my life."

He reached behind him and pulled all the brown paper down off the gla.s.s, and I had to cover my mouth with my hands. All I could do was stare at him and back at the painted gla.s.s in stunned disbelief.

In old-fashioned lettering like one would find on an old curio shop or an old apothecary window was the name of the new shop: THE SAINTS OF DENVER TATTOO. It blew my mind and made me want to cry.

"Cora and the guys loved it. It's different and goes with our retro theme we have going on."

"Nash ..." I couldn't even think of what to say to him. It was an honor, but more than that, it was a testament as to how important I was always going to be to him.

"I hope you're all right with it."

He was gloating and I wanted to equal parts kiss him and kick him. I just tilted my head to the side and looked at him like he had lost his mind.

I asked him, "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

He picked me up and swung me around until I was laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face.

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't ever want you to regret giving me another chance, Saint."

"You gave me another chance as well, Nash. I think when you're in love that's what you do, give chances and take chances. Now let's go inside and you can show me your new baby."

He pushed open the door to the shop that he had named after me and I followed him into our future. I didn't need to look back anymore, to hold on to hurtful and damaging memories. I had Nash to always move toward, and more importantly I now had myself and all the things about me that made me who I was to hold on to. I loved a good man, a nice man, but more than that, I loved myself, and that fulfilled me in a way nothing else could because I knew I deserved the best and Nash Donovan was the best thing for me ... ever.

EPILOGUE.

"So what's the verdict?"

Cora sent her gaze dancing between me and Rule like I was an idiot for even asking the question.

"I think that if you two boneheads don't hire her, I might just murder you both."

I snickered and Rule looked up from the little pink bundle he was holding in his tattooed hands with a frown.

"I'm the favorite uncle, you can't murder me." The baby cooed like she was totally in agreement with that statement even if Rule was her only uncle.

I didn't tell either of them that I was going to hire her regardless of her qualifications because Phil had asked me to. He had some kind of plan and he had only been gone a few weeks, so I was still feeling the resonating loss and paying forward his crazy scheme seemed necessary.

The "she" in question had quite frankly knocked all three of us on our collective a.s.ses. I mean, I knew she was probably going to be easy on the eyes being a pinup model and all, but in person she was something else.

Salem Cruz was without a doubt the prettiest rock-and-roll chick I had ever laid eyes on and I could tell Rule agreed. She had a full sleeve tattooed on each arm, one cla.s.sic Catholic images mixed with riotous Day of the Dead artwork and the other all old-school, Sailor Jerryinspired work. She had long, caramel-colored hair that had a bloodred streak in the front of it, complete with swooping curls on top and long waves hanging down the back. Her eyes were as dark as the midnight sky, and I liked the way they twinkled like she knew something the rest of us didn't. She was average height, but there was nothing average about the curves she was rocking, and all her retro glamour was topped off by a face that men in cla.s.sic literature went to war for. She was the perfect blend of fifties pinup, rockabilly cool, and Latina s.e.x G.o.ddess. She was just all-around impressive.

If her looks alone hadn't been enough to convince me that she would get people in the door, her credentials were. It was her resume and sa.s.sy, take-no-s.h.i.t demeanor that sold Cora. Salem wasn't just a pretty face, she had been tied to some of the most successful tattoo shops on the West Coast, and the shop she left in Vegas wasn't just some hole in the wall, it was one of those big-deal chain shops that operated in a casino and was helmed by a famous Xtreme sports guy. In all actuality the stuff we were starting in D-town was small and totally new compared to where she came from, and I think Phil knew it. She also had a hand in designing and marketing her own clothing label, so really there was no way we couldn't offer her the job.

The three of us walked out of the office Cora had commandeered and Rule handed baby R.J. back to her mom. The baby looked around the still-work-in-progress retail s.p.a.ce and made a noise. I totally agreed with her. Expanding was a lot harder than I had initially thought and I couldn't wait until it was all said and done.

The brunette was wandering around, taking stock, sizing things up, and I had to wonder why she was willing to come somewhere so different, somewhere that was just starting up, when obviously she could write her own ticket anywhere she wanted in the tattooing world. She turned and watched us approach, her dark eyes dancing.

"How did it go?"

Cora laughed and kissed Remy on the forehead. "At this point I'm ready to hire a stranger off the street. We are too busy, need the help, and the fact you can run circles around anyone else we've seen makes it a no-brainer. Plus this place could use another female in the mix."

Salem's bright red lips quirked up in a smile. She had a ruby-red Monroe piercing that lifted with her full lips. "I think it's going to be a good time. The shop is beautiful. I think with a few little touches you are sitting on a gold mine up here in the clouds. There is a lot of opportunity sitting right at your fingertips."

Cora rolled her eyes and jiggled the baby, who started to holler just a little bit. She was going to give her mom a run for her money in the loud and bossy department down the road.

"Trust me, the old carnival theme totally fits. These guys are all clowns and half the time it really is like being part of a sideshow." I gave Cora a dirty look, but didn't disagree with her statement.

I nodded at Salem and extended the offer. "As long as you're okay with the pay and think you can handle working hand in hand with us, the job is yours. I think we'd be lucky to have you, and Phil thought you would be a perfect fit, so that matters to me. We're a family, though, so be prepared to deal with the nonsense that comes with that."

Rule grunted and reached out to shake her hand. "Welcome aboard. The crazy train is always looking for new pa.s.sengers." He bent and kissed the baby much like Cora had done, and straightened back up. "I gotta head home. Shaw's been under the weather for the last few days. I need to check on her. She was green when I left."

Cora looked up at him and lifted her eyebrow that had the pink crystal piercing in it.

"I don't think there's any stomach things going around. I pay attention now because of the baby."

He lifted his shoulders and shrugged. "I dunno. She's miserable, though."

Cora looked speculative, but we were all interrupted by the thud of heavy boots on the stairs that led up from the shop floor. The only other person that had a key was Rowdy, so I wasn't surprised when his blond pompadour cleared the second floor.

"Hey, Zeb called and had an awesome idea about putting old fun-house mirrors up here when we get around to having the store open. You know to tie everything together ..."

His voice trailed off and his ocean-blue eyes popped open so wide they nearly took up his entire face. His jaw unhinged and all he could do was gape at the Spanish beauty standing with us. I looked back and forth between the two of them. She was smiling like a huge secret had been revealed and he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

Salem's high heels tapped a s.e.xy little beat as she walked toward the stairs. Rowdy was stuck, like he was glued to the spot with industrial adhesive. I saw Cora give Rule a questioning look, and when they both turned to me, all I could do was shrug helplessly. I didn't have a clue what was happening either.

"h.e.l.lo, Rowland. It's been a long time." She trailed her bloodred fingertip across the bridge of his nose. "You sure did grow up nice."

Rowdy gulped so loud that it was actually audible and stayed stuck to the floor.

"Who in the h.e.l.l is Rowland?" It was a valid question but no one seemed in a hurry to answer Rule when he asked it.

Salem stopped in front of Rowdy so they were eye to eye, only because she was clad in some serious heels and he was still down a step. She put a hand on his cheek and gave it a little tap, which had him rearing back and blinking like an owl.

"Salem?" The question sounded strangled and forced out. I had never seen Rowdy so dumbfounded. He was the charmer, the jokester. He always had something to say. What in the h.e.l.l was happening here? And why did I think this was exactly what my dad had been orchestrating all along?