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Zeke
Zeke appreciated the heavy, rumbling purr of the eight cylinders as Sean drove over the river from Pine Ridge to Birch Falls. The bridge was old, made of steel and cast iron during a different time.
Aggie was spending the afternoon with Nix, and he, apparently, was spending the afternoon with Sean. Zeke wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He liked Sean, but it wasn’t like they were buds or anything.
Sean shifted, the ink on his arm flexing with the movement. It was quality work, a Celtic symbol with a Da Vinci-like mechanical device done in incredible detail.
“Did you get that done around here?”
“Yeah, Tiny’s over in Birch Falls. He does all the family ink.”
“Does he take walk-ins?”
Sean glanced his way. “Why? You want to get something?”
Zeke nodded. He already had the design sketched out.
Sean grinned knowingly. “Robin, right? You’re going to get her name tattooed over your heart or some shit like that.”
“Maybe my ass.”
Sean laughed. “You’re all right, Zeke. We’ve got time. We can swing by and see if he can fit you in.”
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”
“All in good time.”
Zeke snorted and looked out the window. He wasn’t going to ask again. Since this trip didn’t include a hypo to the neck, zip ties, and having his ass loaded and unloaded like a sack of potatoes, it was already a thousand times better than the last time he and Sean shared space.
“At least I’m conscious this time,” Zeke mumbled, making Sean laugh.
They pulled up to the curb in front of a tattoo shop. It was small and didn’t look like much from the outside.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” Sean said as if reading his mind.
Zeke didn’t. Some of the best ink he’d ever gotten had been in places just like it.
“Hey, Sean,” greeted a solid-looking woman with short black hair and an assortment of facial piercings. Every visible bit of skin below the neck was covered in intricate lacework ink.
“Hey, Kim,” Sean replied.
“Are you finally going to let me give you that magic cross? I bet Nicki would love it.”
Both men winced at the mention of the four-pronged penis piercing. “Not today, Kim. Not ever.”
She laughed. “What can I do for you?”
“Zeke wants to get his woman’s name tattooed on his ass.”
Zeke sighed but didn’t bother correcting him.
Kim looked Zeke up and down. “I think we can manage that. Tiny’s just finishing up a client and doesn’t have another one for a while. Go on and have a seat.”
They did. Zeke picked up a design book and skimmed the pages. The guy’s artwork was incredible. He should have no trouble doing what Zeke had in mind.
Before long, Tiny emerged from the back. Zeke’s first thought: Tiny was anything but tiny. The guy was six and a half feet tall and had the build of a pro wrestler. Kim said a few words to him and pointed to where they sat.
Tiny greeted Sean and turned to Zeke. “Kim says you want your girl’s name on your ass?”
Sean snickered.
“My chest, actually.”
“Come on back, let’s see what we’ve got.”
* * *
Zeke and Sean left Tiny’s less than an hour later. Tiny had done a phenomenal job of taking Zeke’s ideas and working them seamlessly into the ink he already had.
“Where to now?” Zeke asked.
“Mo’s.”
“Who’s Mo?”
“He runs a custom cycle shop. Robin said you like bikes.”
He did, and looking at motorcycles was a nice way to kill time while Aggie was busy elsewhere.
Mo’s cycle shop did not disappoint, especially when Sean led him around to the back and introduced him to Kyle McCullough. Kyle created legendary customs and specialized in old Harleys.
They talked about bikes and Kyle showed him some of the stuff he was working on. One bike in particular got his attention. It looked like the one he’d shown Aggie, only better.
“I just finished her,” Kyle said. “Want to take her out for a ride?”
Zeke looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I don’t kid about bikes. Here.” Kyle tossed him the keys. “Wheel her on out. Sean, you can use one of my spares. I’ll get mine and we’ll give her a road test.”
Zeke looked at Sean in disbelief. Sean nodded. “I’d just go with it if I were you.”
Zeke did. He pushed the bike out of the garage and climbed on. He gave it a powerful kick and the machine rumbled to life beneath him.
Kyle pulled up beside him and grinned. “Ready?”
Before Zeke could answer, Kyle took off like a bat out of hell.
Zeke was right behind him. For the next hour, Kyle led him them along winding mountain roads. The machine handled like a dream. When they returned to Birch Falls, Zeke was sorry the ride was over.
“That was fucking amazing,” Zeke told him, clasping hands with Kyle. “Thanks, man.”
“Glad you enjoyed it.”
Zeke went to hand him back the keys, but Kyle just smiled. “Keep them. It’s yours.”
Zeke gaped at him. “Now I know you’re fucking with me.”
Sean appeared beside him. “No, he’s not.”
“How?” Zeke asked, but he knew. Aggie.
Sean smirked. “Feeling better about getting her name on your ass now, aren’t you? The only question now is, can it make it back to the garage before my GTO?”
* * *
“You’re fucking incredible, you know that?” Zeke said, pressing his lips to Aggie’s neck as he slid into her again. Her skin was even more butter-soft than usual, smooth and radiant.
She tangled her hands in his hair and arched into him. “You like the bike.”
“I love the bike. I can’t believe you did that.” No one had ever done anything like that for him. Ever.
“It wasn’t completely selfless,” she said huskily. “I never told you, but I’ve always had this secret biker fantasy, and you’re exceeding my expectations again.”
He raised and lowered his hips, setting a lazy rhythm. He could afford to take his time. He’d practically attacked her the moment she’d entered the hotel room and had spent the next several hours showing his appreciation.
This woman was everything. Everything he’d ever wanted. Everything he thought he could never have.
After he brought them both to their peaks, he rolled onto his back and pulled her close.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh-oh,” he said softly.
“You were right.”
“I usually am,” he said without opening his eyes. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
“If we’re going to be together, then you should know what you’re signing up for.”
“If? Sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You might not feel that way once you hear what I have to say.”
“Aggie, look at me.”
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. He waited until he had her full attention, then said, “Trust works both ways, and I trust that you’ll tell me what I need to know when I need to know it.”
“But what about—”
He stopped her words with a kiss. “This is all I need to know. Someday, if you’re ready, you can tell me more.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“In that case,” she said working her way down his body, pausing to run her fingers lightly over his new ink, “I think it’s about time I showed you my private island. And who knows? Maybe I’ll even tell you my real name...”
♥ * ♥ * ♥
Want to know more about the people who helped Zeke and Aggie on their way to an HEA?
Learn more about the Chameleons in Seeking Vengeance, book four in the Callaghan Brothers series.
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She’s a badass in skin-tight leather and six-inch heels—and his heart is going down.
..
Nicki Milligan is Sean Callaghan's perfect woman. Tough as nails, she's his every naughty fantasy rolled up into one sexy package. But Nicki's on a mission, and Sean Callaghan is one distraction she can't afford.
► Get your copy of Seeking Vengeance HERE.
♥ * ♥ * ♥
New to Sumneyville? Start the Sanctuary series with Smoke and Sam’s story, Protecting Sam:
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He wasn't trying to be a hero. He just had a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
When aspiring bakery owner Sam becomes the target of a stalker, she finds unexpected help in her sexy new neighbor Steve, a Navy SEAL veteran. He’s always there when she needs him most, which makes it harder for her to deny their growing bond...
► Get your copy of Protecting Sam HERE.
♥ * ♥ * ♥
Want to know more about the Callaghans, the seven hot former SEAL Irish brothers who are a lot more than they seem? Start with Dangerous Secrets:
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She's broke & stranded with a deadly secret. He's a former SEAL who's not as inactive as he appears.
Jake Callaghan trusts his instincts. That’s why only family works in his pub, and why he’s survived—so far—the covert ops missions the government wants kept off the books. Right now, they’re telling him the honey-blonde woman with haunted eyes needs help... whether she wants it or not.
► Begin your visit to Pine Ridge HERE.
♥ * ♥ * ♥
Got a thing for bikers with bad attitudes? Check out Kyle McCullough’s story, Celina, the first book in my Connelly Cousins series:
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Finding the right one changes everything.
Celina Connelly has been saving herself for the right one. When she meets bad boy biker Kyle McCullough, she's sure she's found him. Unfortunately, Kyle believes she's more suited to his All-American brother than him. Besides, he doesn't do good girls.
► Read Kyle’s story HERE.
♥ * ♥ * ♥
Craving more Shadow SEALs?
► Check out the complete multi-author series HERE.