Read Online Permanent (Indelibly Marked) (Volume 1) by Kim Carmichael - Free Book Online
Authors: Kim Carmichael
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no one, you get paralyzed when you have to make a decision as simple as which side of the stove to put the salt and pepper shakers. Everything you own is brand new. You’re hiding something in the one box you wouldn’t let us unpack, and you have a terrible sense of direction.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist and turned her back to him. “Maybe I don’t know you well enough to do this.”
“Oh yeah, you don’t know me, but for someone who plans everything you handed a stranger your car keys, and you jumped into my arms when the arachnid showed its ugly face.”
She craved her pencil, but instead she bit her nail. Something about him made her want to do what he asked, but she was saved when Emily came bounding into the room with Ivan.
“Shane.” She made a beeline toward her brother.
Emily put her hands on her hips and looked him squarely in the face. “I know you’re giving Carson a lesson today, and I want to be the guinea pig.” Emily waved at Lindsay. “Oh, and I brought my stuff to do your makeup.”
She never remembered wanting to have her makeup done, and she couldn’t stay long enough to have it done.
“No.” Shane pushed her away. “No, you are not inking yourself.”
“That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?” Emily narrowed her eyes.
“As long as you’re my sister, you are not getting a tattoo and that is final.” He raised his voice, took her shoulders and spun her around.
“What if I wasn’t your sister?”
“One day when you are someone else’s responsibility, then he can make that decision, but until that day comes, you are under my jurisdiction and there will be no permanent marks made on your body.” He guided her to the back. “Go do Ivan’s makeup while Lindsay and I finish up.”
“No way, last time someone thought I was in the middle of a sex change operation.” Ivan slipped behind Lindsay. “Save me.” He gave her a friendly punch in the arm. “How are the finances going?”
Shane returned. “We’re discussing the details of our arrangement.”
“Sounds important.” Ivan laughed. “I don’t know if we’ve ever been in an official arrangement before.”
“The problem is worse than we thought.” Shane looked into her eyes.
His dark blue eyes grew darker when he was serious. Again she ran her mental ledger but kept forgetting the entries. All she knew was that being in a tattoo shop with these people wasn’t part of her plan. “Pack everything up and I’ll work on it at home.”
Shane shook his head.
She raised her arms. “Do you honestly care where I work as long as it gets done?”
“I want you to do it here.”
“I thought you trusted me.”
“You are the only one I trust.” He set his jaw. “But you need to be here with us and do the work here.”
“Yes, she has to do it here, so we can protect her from you.” Ivan squeezed her shoulders. “She’s one of us.”
“I thought so.” Shane’s gaze consumed her.
She was one of them? These men were experts at handing out the lines like custom drawn artwork.
“She even looks the part.” Ivan adjusted her collar.
“I think she looks perfect.” Shane put her collar back.
The inflection he used told her he wasn’t joking, and a strange heat radiated again, somewhere between getting sick or floating away. Not wanting either of them looking at her, she disengaged herself from Ivan and went over to the cabinet. Where did her backbone go when Shane Elliott was around?
He followed her. “What can I do?”
She took out the box of money. “Answer a question.”
“I already told you I would marry you.” He laughed.
She shut her eyes.
“We should go right away.” He kissed the back of her hand. “We shouldn’t waste any time that we can be together. I don’t think I could ever do any better than you.”
Convinced his words were not a compliment, she extracted her hand and tried to joke as well. “Well, I would never marry anyone who was in this sort of
She wrapped her arms around her waist and turned her back to him. “Maybe I don’t know you well enough to do this.”
“Oh yeah, you don’t know me, but for someone who plans everything you handed a stranger your car keys, and you jumped into my arms when the arachnid showed its ugly face.”
She craved her pencil, but instead she bit her nail. Something about him made her want to do what he asked, but she was saved when Emily came bounding into the room with Ivan.
“Shane.” She made a beeline toward her brother.
Emily put her hands on her hips and looked him squarely in the face. “I know you’re giving Carson a lesson today, and I want to be the guinea pig.” Emily waved at Lindsay. “Oh, and I brought my stuff to do your makeup.”
She never remembered wanting to have her makeup done, and she couldn’t stay long enough to have it done.
“No.” Shane pushed her away. “No, you are not inking yourself.”
“That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?” Emily narrowed her eyes.
“As long as you’re my sister, you are not getting a tattoo and that is final.” He raised his voice, took her shoulders and spun her around.
“What if I wasn’t your sister?”
“One day when you are someone else’s responsibility, then he can make that decision, but until that day comes, you are under my jurisdiction and there will be no permanent marks made on your body.” He guided her to the back. “Go do Ivan’s makeup while Lindsay and I finish up.”
“No way, last time someone thought I was in the middle of a sex change operation.” Ivan slipped behind Lindsay. “Save me.” He gave her a friendly punch in the arm. “How are the finances going?”
Shane returned. “We’re discussing the details of our arrangement.”
“Sounds important.” Ivan laughed. “I don’t know if we’ve ever been in an official arrangement before.”
“The problem is worse than we thought.” Shane looked into her eyes.
His dark blue eyes grew darker when he was serious. Again she ran her mental ledger but kept forgetting the entries. All she knew was that being in a tattoo shop with these people wasn’t part of her plan. “Pack everything up and I’ll work on it at home.”
Shane shook his head.
She raised her arms. “Do you honestly care where I work as long as it gets done?”
“I want you to do it here.”
“I thought you trusted me.”
“You are the only one I trust.” He set his jaw. “But you need to be here with us and do the work here.”
“Yes, she has to do it here, so we can protect her from you.” Ivan squeezed her shoulders. “She’s one of us.”
“I thought so.” Shane’s gaze consumed her.
She was one of them? These men were experts at handing out the lines like custom drawn artwork.
“She even looks the part.” Ivan adjusted her collar.
“I think she looks perfect.” Shane put her collar back.
The inflection he used told her he wasn’t joking, and a strange heat radiated again, somewhere between getting sick or floating away. Not wanting either of them looking at her, she disengaged herself from Ivan and went over to the cabinet. Where did her backbone go when Shane Elliott was around?
He followed her. “What can I do?”
She took out the box of money. “Answer a question.”
“I already told you I would marry you.” He laughed.
She shut her eyes.
“We should go right away.” He kissed the back of her hand. “We shouldn’t waste any time that we can be together. I don’t think I could ever do any better than you.”
Convinced his words were not a compliment, she extracted her hand and tried to joke as well. “Well, I would never marry anyone who was in this sort of
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