House of Ink, 1
Laine has everything he’s ever wanted: a thriving tattoo business, a close-knit group of friends, and a family that’s always had his back. He’s content with his life, until one day, the woman of his fantasies enters his shop.
Hailey is a tattoo model with a story as complicated as the designs on her skin. She left her past behind, escaping a cheating ex and hitting the road to find herself. When she stumbles upon Laine's tattoo parlor in the small town of Franklinton, Louisiana, she’s captivated not only by his artwork but by the undeniable connection between them.
But when her ex shows up, determined to win her back, Hailey has no choice but to enlist Laine into being her fake boyfriend. But what starts as a charade quickly becomes something far more complicated—and way more real—than either of them anticipated.
Excerpt:
“You said noon,” I remind her once the door is closed.
“Actually,” she takes a sip of her coffee before continuing, “I said noonish. And if it weren’t for Damien, I wouldn’t even be here.”
“What does my baby brother have to do with any of this?”
I’m confused as fuck as I stare at her, but I have the feeling that happens to people around here more often than you would think. Hailey is a being unto her own and it didn’t take me long to realize that.
“The little shit almost gave me a heart attack,” she says and laughs. “It was all just a misunderstanding, though.”
“Do I even want to know?” The curiosity is killing me, but I already fucked up once, so I won’t push her if she doesn’t want to tell me.
“Don’t you have something to show me?” Hailey effectively changes the subject.
I gather the sheets of paper from my desk and hand them to her. “Actually, I think I have five or six things to show you. You can pick the one you prefer, or I can do something different.”
I watch her closely as she looks at each sketch, turning them from side to side before placing them on the leather surface of my tattoo chair. The silence is deafening as I wait for her opinion.
This is another old feeling creeping back in. I haven’t been nervous showing a client a design since the first year I opened House of Ink. I know I’m talented and usually that is enough, but I really want her to like at least one of my designs.
“Can we do something that has all of these together?” she murmurs, staring at the sheets.
“What?”
The question catches me off guard. I wasn’t sure there was a single design she would like and now she wants them all. I follow her gaze. It takes me a moment before I finally see that she has been arranging and rearranging the sketches to fit together. There are two butterflies I have done with torn wings, three roses in different phases of decay, and a single skull with a queen’s crown. Now that she has them all together, I can see her vision.
“I won’t be able to pick one,” she says with a smile. “They’re all so beautiful.”
“I should be able to incorporate them into a complete piece. But it will take more than one session and all the available space you have inside your thigh. And I won’t be able to start on Friday.”
“That’s fine with me.” She glances at her watch before facing me again. “I have some stuff I need to do. My rent is paid up for two weeks but if we aren’t done, I can always stay longer. Just let me know when you want to start.”
The thought of her simply disappearing from my life as quickly as she appeared actually causes my chest to hurt. I wonder how long I will be able to drag her sessions out without making it too obvious.
Hailey is clearly unaware of the inner turmoil her words have caused as she slings her handbag over her shoulder, presses a quick kiss to my cheek with the scar, and heads to exit my station. Most women avoid the scar, some can’t even look at it, but she went right for it and it has a strange sensation bubbling underneath my skin. Maybe she doesn’t care about it. That would be something new, I’m so used to people staring.
Opening the inner door to the rest of the shop, she stops with a thoughtful look on her face.
“Do you think seeing me naked is enough to make up for giving Damien a black eye, or should I actually apologize?”
“He saw you naked?” I ask a little too loudly.
“Never mind.” She waves me off not answering my question. “I’ll apologize.”
This is the first book in a new series and Jade doesn't disappoint. This is very entertaining story with great characters. Hailey is spunky , cool and fun. Laine is talented and a bit brooding. When they meet, Laine knows who she is but more importantly, what she is. She's his future. Their chemistry is intense. I can't wait for more stories because his family is awesome. Definitely a Must Read!
I do enjoyed this book from start to finish. The dynamics between Hailey and Laine were so much to read. Hailey is out there with a real spunky personality and Laine is a little more laid back but he is all Alpha when these two come together it is sparks everywhere. Throw in a stalking ex and its a story to keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved every moment and cannot wait to see if Jade has anymore of the characters story in mind. Definitely a must read.
A New Beginning She was his every fantasy come to life and when she needed his help, he was more than willing to be her hero! A fast paced steamy love story with a twist based on a tattoo artist and the woman he fell in love with!
This is book one of the series and I am here for it! Laine and Hailey are TNT on paper. He believes in taking care of family and those in need. He proves every word of that when Hailey is faced with trouble she didn't see coming. I absolutely loved their story, but am beyond curious about Laine's business partner. Maybe we'll get answers in book two...
This is a quick, hot, sexy, and action-packed story that kept me engaged from the first page. The language is a little rough (which I expected) but in this case it did not take away from the story. I love the backdrop of the tattoo parlor and the ink. Hailey and Laine's relationship started a bit unconventional, but it ended oh so good!
Laine recognizes Hailey as soon as she walks through the door of his tattoo shop—he’s a goner. He wants her to be his. Correction, he is going to make her his—just one problem, her last relationship was B A D-bad and she didn’t know if she could trust men again. Laine is persistent, hot, great at ‘sexy times’, and he’s a great guy. Hmmm … Recommended Basics: Length: * Novella HEA/Cliffhanger: * HEA Series: * Book 1 House of Ink Epilogue: * Yes Nitty-Gritty… MMC: * Laine FMC: * Hailey Tropes: * Small Town Romance * Tattooed MCs * Scary Exboyfriend - FMC Triggers: * 18+ * On Page Sex * Language * Stalking * Violence Burn Speed: * Medium Spice Level: * ?️?️?️ 1/2
