Love will always leave a mark, no matter how fleeting.

Tattoo artist, Seth Baxter, has had enough loss to last him a lifetime. Focused and driven, he channels his energy into making his store is the best in the business. The one thing he can certainly do without is the return of his ex-girlfriend.

Bexley Way is lost. She runs back to the only person who can help her. She’s willing to take Seth’s hurt as long as he’ll offer her the solace she craves. He needs her help in the store and she’s desperate for his forgiveness, as well as his personal brand of security.

Secrets are kept by both of them, even when their old, unresolved, feelings resurface. Each day spent in her presence is a step forward for Seth. Their relationship was never truly over to him. Yet Bexley keeps so much to herself. Protecting her heart. Protecting Seth.

But when Bexley is faced with the true horror of her situation, she has no choice but to reveal it all to Seth. However, the words barely leave her lips before it all takes a deadly turn, leaving behind more anguish than ever before.

Are Seth and Bexley strong enough to right a past wrong and give themselves a permanent future?

“Hey.”

“Hello there, Bexley Way.”

“So formal, Seth Baxter. What can I do for you?”

He chuckled, the sound causing her nipples to tighten. “I have so many ideas for what you could do for me. However, I doubt you’d want to be on your knees for that long.”

She inhaled sharply, the guttural tone of his words stoking the embers of her lust. “Um, anyway…what did you want?”

“Noncommittal there, Bex.”

She wasn’t giving in to him. “Did you need me?”

“Again, yes, on your knees.”

She snorted when he groaned, and, thankfully, told her what he’d called for. “Got a cover-up tattoo for you. The girl had some scratcher ink vines down her right side. Mess. Total mess. She doesn’t like the idea of me or Skirt.”

“Don’t blame her.”

“Hilarious. Anyway, I showed her some of your work and she wants you. I know exactly how she feels.”

Warmth filled her chest. Would she ever get over this man? “Did she tell you what she wants over the scratcher’s work?”

“Told her you’d call to arrange an appointment. I’ve got her number here, if you want it.”

“I’ll be at the store in a couple of hours. I’ll get it then. Leave it on the desk.”

He chuckled again. “Is that your way of finding out if I’ll be here when you come in for your shift?”

“Maybe,” she said, not bothering to stop her smile from blooming across her face.

“I’ll be here, babe. You come and find me in my office, and we’ll chat about that scenario that has you on your knees.”

Bexley laughed, catching her reflection in the mirror. She looked happy. Carefree. And very much in love.

Shit.

“You’re like a teenage boy,” she scoffed. “Always thinking with your dick.”

“It’s where all the blood flows, baby. Can’t help it.”

Bexley rolled her eyes, her smile still firmly in place. “Don’t you have work to do instead of bothering me?”

“You fucking love it when I bother you.” She heard Skirt’s muffled catcall. “Skirt agrees, though he said I do have a client to ink. I’m sorry to cut this scintillating conversation short.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, too.”

He ended the call after whispering her name. Her insides fluttered. She lowered her palm to her stomach. They could have been the perfect parents. Their teasing and affection had always been so natural, and they were slipping into that relationship now. She could feel it, and even though she should stop it from going any further until Seth understood, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not for the first time, she wished everything would have worked out differently.

Her phone chirped, vibrating in her hand to announce another call. Seth’s face flashed onto the screen.

“Don’t you have skin to tattoo?”

“You could at least say hello,” Seth said with a chuckle.

“I said that before—the first time you called me. What do you want this time?” She feigned impatience, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. She enjoyed talking to him.

M. A. Stacie is never without a book or her eReader. A voracious reader, with a love of sexy, yet angst ridden novels, she loves getting lost in new worlds. Her need to write did not grip her until after her second son was born, when her previous rambles became fully fledged stories.

She describes herself as one huge contradiction, and though not the most conventional of hobbies, she counts getting new tattoos as one of hers. Along with running, knitting, and listening to loud music. However, she is yet to work out how to do them all at the same time.

M. A. Stacie lives in the UK with her husband and three sons.

Totally Bound