House of Ink, 4
I buried my past the day Maverick Hall walked out of my life. Six years later, he walks back into it, a different man than the one who left, standing in the one place I thought was safe.
Maverick was never the man who stayed. He was fire and chaos and heartbreak wrapped in ink. But the man who’s returned is different, steady hands, guarded eyes, and a fierce determination to claim what’s his.
When secrets unravel and fear takes control, love demands more than forgiveness, it demands courage.
Sometimes, the deepest scars don’t fade. They heal. And sometimes, the family you were afraid to build becomes the one that saves you.
Excerpt:
“You shouldn’t let him talk to you like that,” I say, my voice rough.
Her head snaps up. “I handled it.”
“Barely.”
Her eyes flash, that old fire I remember sparking. “You think you can just swoop in and…”
I move before I can stop myself, crowding her back against the pantry door. My hands are braced on either side of her, my breath ragged.
“I tried to stay out of it,” I grind out. “I tried to let you fight your own battles. But Zora, seeing him near you…” My voice breaks as I try to remain in control. “It will make me lose my fucking mind.”
Her chest rises, fast and shallow. “Maverick…”
The sound of my name on her lips undoes me and I kissed her. Hard. Her gasp turns into a moan against my mouth, her hands fisting in my shirt. I slide one hand to her waist, the other cupping the back of her neck, dragging her closer until there is no space left between us.
Years of tension, years of anger and longing, crash together in that kiss. She tastes like memory and fire, like everything I’ve been starving for. Her fingers dig into my shoulders, pulling me closer, until the world narrows to just her, her lips, her breath, her body pressed against mine.
My cock is a lead pipe against her stomach and all I want to do is strip her bare and remind her of how good it can be between us. But I can’t. I don’t know if she is ready for that yet.
“Damn it, Zora,” I rasp against her mouth, my hand skimming her hip, gripping tight. “I can’t stay away from you.”
She shudders, her forehead dropping to my chest. “This isn’t what we’re supposed to be doing.”
“Then tell me to stop.” My voice is hoarse, desperate.
But her silence is answer enough. So, I kiss her again, slower this time, deeper, my hands roaming, remembering, memorizing her anew. Heavy touches, hungry and aching, until she trembles beneath me.
We break apart only when breathing becomes impossible, both of us gasping, foreheads pressed together, hearts hammering in sync.
The pantry door is cool against her back while my body is fire against her front. And I know this isn’t just lust. It never was between us. It’s every word we haven’t said. Every promise that has been broken. Every piece of us that still belongs to each other, no matter how much we tried to deny it.
Her voice is barely a whisper when she finally speaks. “What do we do now?”
I swallow hard, my thumb brushing her cheek. “We stop pretending there’s nothing left between us.”
Her eyes search mine, wide and unsure, and I know it isn’t just my battle anymore. It’s hers too.
- Series:
- /series-house-of-ink/
