Ocean (Damage Control Book 5) (2 page)

***

Evangeline, Ev, meets me at a café near campus for lunch. I haven’t seen her in almost a week, which feels like a year, and I’m excited about Damage Control gossip. That tattoo shop is like a hub of cosmic energy, the epicenter of karmic rays.

Okay, actually it’s a heart-throb hotspot. Even if most guys working there are taken, and Ocean’s not interested, there is Ev’s hot brother, and Dakota’s millions of cousins, and Jesse’s sexy roommates and God knows who else, all of them passing through the shop from time to time and leaving the female population drooling in the aftermath.

Plus, I get to hear stories about the boys of the shop, first-hand, and I really want to know the details about Shane and Cassie. After all, I feel a bit responsible. At Zane’s wedding, I did tell them things that may have forced things a little.

What was I to do? Their feelings for each other were clear to see. I didn’t think it might hurt to tell them about it. Knowing they ended up together is not a big surprise, but I want to know Shane is okay. He went through a lot, and his story tugs on my heartstrings.

Even if Ocean is hotter.

Okay, seriously?
I shake my head at myself as I enter the coffee shop, scanning the tables for Ev and pulling out my phone to call her. Dark spot or not, muscular chest or not, I should forget about Ocean. Stop obsessing. It’s not healthy. So those boys are hot. So what?

You didn’t obsess like this about Jesse
, a traitorous little voice in the back of my mind quips as I spot Ev and shove my phone back into my purse.
Or Shane. Or anyone else but Ocean.

It’s the name, I tell myself firmly. And the blue hair. The colors. So many colors, from the blue of his hair and eyes to the caramel freckles on his nose to the red coloring his cheekbones when he gets excited about something.

I don’t think there was enough color in my life growing up. Not enough craziness. It’s what I missed back at home. Maybe that’s why I feel so drawn to Ocean, with his crazy hair and easy laughter. Another rebel, like me. Another person trying to break loose of conventions and be his own self.

A very handsome self, too. Yeah, that doesn’t hurt at all.

“Hey, Kay!” Ev gets up from her seat to hug me, and I inhale the familiar sweet scent of her shampoo and the floral softener of her sweater. “I got you the burger you like.”

“Chipotle barbecue sauce? You didn’t.”

She pulls back and waggles her brows. “Sure did! I know you like it hot.”

“You little minx, you.” I laugh as I settle in my chair and hang my purse on the backrest. “You like it hot, too, admit it.”

“Maybe.” She bats her lashes at me. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

A brief flash of her with Micah hits me, kissing against a wall like I have seen them do many times, and another flash follows on its heels, of Ocean pressing his tall, muscular body against me, brushing his mouth over mine—

“I’m famished.” I duck my head to hide the color rising to my face and grab a fry from my plate. “Mm, these are good.”

“You’re blushing.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You absolutely are. What’s going on here? Who’s the lucky guy?”

“No fucking clue what you’re talking about.”

“The guy you had hot sex with.”

“You mean the hero in the latest novel I read? He’s tall, dark, sexy—and very imaginary.”

She lifts a brow as she gathers up her burger and eyes it, as if trying to decide the best angle from which to dive in. “Is that so? Then why are you uncomfortable?”

“I’m not uncomfortable.”

“Yes, you are. You were never uncomfortable when talking about sex before.”

“We aren’t talking about sex. We’re talking about food.”

“Yeah, whatevs.” She makes a face at me with her mouth full. “Wawawa fla—”

“English, please.” I stuff a fry into my mouth and chew thoughtfully, trying to suppress a laugh.

She swallows, crosses her eyes and sticks her tongue out. “Whatever floats your boat, baby girl.”

“So what’s up?”

“I thought you didn’t want any details about my sex life.”

“Very funny.” Sighing dramatically, I take a bite from my burger.
Mmm.
“I regret to inform you that your sex life isn’t among my top interests right now. I do get a live show every night with Amber and Jesse, after all. Too much of the same can get boring.”

She shakes her head. “Gotcha. Too much virtual sex.”

Right.
‘Virtual’ being the operative word here. “How’s your brother?”

Her brows shoot up to her hairline. “You have the hots for my brother?”

“You make it sound like a disease. Let’s just say he’s not bad-looking. Hey, don’t look at me like that. It’s not the first time I asked you about him.”

“Joel is… sort of taken.”

“Is that the same as sort of pregnant?”

Ev giggles. “No, but he’s been in love with this girl for ages, and she just never seems to notice. Poor guy.”

“Hm. So I’ll strike Joel off my list, then.”

“What list is that?”

“The list of guys whose fortune I want to read.”

“Is that a code word for sex?”

“No.” I poke at a fry.
Yes? Maybe?
“What about Ocean’s brother?”

“What about him?”

“Has he ever been around? I bet he’s hot, too.”

“I don’t think he’s been around, no—and a good thing, too, because the few times Ocean mentioned his name, he sounded upset with him.”

“He did?”
Huh.
I’ve never seen Ocean upset. Like, ever. He’s always smiling and laughing and cracking jokes. Filing that information to poke at later, I push my plate away. “What about Jesse’s roommates? They’re just so—”

“Kay.” Ev puts down her half-eaten burger and nails me with her gaze. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Only I can lie to Ev even worse than I can lie to myself. “I’m just in a strange funk. Maybe I need to get out, hit the bars tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah.” I make puppy eyes at her. “Will you come? Pretty please with sugar on top and ice cream in the middle?”

She laughs. “God, let me check with Micah, okay? One sec.”

She pulls out her cell to text Micah, and I chew absently on another fry. Man, she and Micah are practically married, if she needs to check with him about going out on a Friday night. It makes me a bit uneasy, and I think of my sister and the douchebag she calls her fiancé.

But Ev is happy. Maybe being married is not so bad after all? Is it possible? After leaving home, I swore to never ever consider marriage, and I’m not. Like, ever. Or love. I never even knew there were happily married couples out there in the world.

Not that there’s any reason to worry about
that
. I’ve been living in Madison for two years, and I haven’t even had a steady boyfriend. And by that I mean that despite my awesome sass, I haven’t even—

“All set.” Ev waves her phone in my face, so close all I see is blurry lines. “It’s a go.”

“Girls’ night out! Woohoo!” A grin splits my face. “I might even convince Amber to unglue herself from Jesse’s hot body for a few hours and join us.”

“You mean Micah can’t come?” Ev’s face falls a little.

Aw hell.
“Sure he can. And his friends.” Wait a minute, this is an amazing idea. “Ask the Damage Boyz if they want to join us.”

“I’ll ask.”

I rub my hands together and cackle like a demented old woman, my family and the future forgotten. It’s a plan. If Ocean comes, I could rope him into having his palm read at long last.

And other parts of him. I mean, did you know that the snake is the mark of the Damage Boyz. All five of them have it—Micah, Jesse, Seth, Shane and Ocean. I wonder on what part of his body he had it inked…

Damn, I want to see his snake.

“Hey, Kay…”

“Hm?” I blink, refocusing on the present. “What?”

“Can you read the future in my fries? I want to know if Micah is thinking of proposing…”

“Proposing?” I blink again.
What…
oh.
Oh! All right!
“Anything for you, girl. Does that mean maybe that,” I wink, “there’s a bun in the oven? Are you hiding something under that long sweater of yours?”

“Kay!” She snickers. “No. You’d be the first to know. And you’d be making my wedding gown, so you wouldn’t miss it if I was.”

“Okay then. Just FYI, I’m dying to be an auntie. You’d better get hitched soon and make some babies for me to play with.”

Those fries had better give us good news.

***

“How about this?” a disembodied voice asks from behind me, and I jump three feet into the air, scattering my nail polish bottles on the bed. Thank God they’re all still closed.

“Amber, shit. You scared the living crap out of me.”

“Sorry.” She looks like a deer in headlights, blue eyes huge in her pale face. “I just wanted your opinion on my outfit.” She gives her short dress a hard tug.

“Girl, stop that, you’ll destroy your dress. You look amazing.” She does, too. With her dark hair loose and all those luscious curves in all the right places, she’s smoking hot in her short blue dress. “And you know it.”

“I don’t.” She squirms. She’s too much fun to tease. She’s shy and hates going out, hates crowds and noise. I’m touched that she said yes to my invitation tonight without a second thought.

Then again, she has changed quite a bit since she met Jesse. He draws her out of her shell and has made her believe in herself. Made her happy.

“Warning,” I say. “Jesse will be drooling all over you. Just FYI.”

Amber laughs breathlessly. “Shut up.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you! You’d better pack some tissues to wipe his chin just in case.”

She sits beside me on the bed and starts gathering the nail polish bottles. “You’re a crazy woman.”

“But you love me, right? As much as you love Jesse?”

She pats my arm. “I do.”

Yeah right.
Grinning, I pick up a metallic fuchsia polish.

I like Jesse. Aside from how handsome he is, he is sweet, and he’s my hero for putting that smile on Amber’s face and that confidence in her eyes. Every girl should date a man who’d put her above all others, cherish every second with her and tell her she’s the only woman in the world for him.

Why am I sighing again? It’s like a disease. Did I catch it from Ev?

I’m not pining for any man, or for love. I’m perfectly fine, trying to figure out what I want. Working toward becoming an independent artist with a circle of really cool friends. Forming a new family, one that understands me.

So why do I have this feeling something big is missing from the picture? I think of Ev and her talk of marriage and children, and my chest constricts.

And then Ocean’s face flashes through my mind, which is really random. He’s handsome, sure, we’ve covered that topic. But being pretty isn’t a factor in the equation.

In fact, there is no such equation at all. I’ve seen how much my parents’ marriage sucks. Two people stuck together day after day, tolerating each other for society’s sake, pretending to be happy.

And deep inside… Deep inside, I realize, I expect every relationship to fail. I watch breathlessly as my friends around me fall in love and move in together and make plans, and I brace myself.

For the moment when it all comes crashing down.

Ocean

“Come on, cuz,” Seth’s voice is booming from the cubicle next to mine, mingling with the noise of tattoo guns and the background music of the shop. “We haven’t gone out together in ages. It’ll be fun.”

A grunt, then Shane asks, “At what time?”

“What’s the matter, stayed up all night? Girlfriend wore you out?” Seth makes kissy noises. “Oh, yeah, babe, harder. Oh, Shane—”

“Shut up, Seffers.”

But Seth is snickering like a jackass.

I shake my head as I snap on my rubber gloves and get ready for my next customer.

“Ocean had better come,” I hear Micah call from his cubicle. “We are all going. No excuses. Ocean, hear that?”

“Hear what?” I check my tattoo gun, pick a new 0.30-mm needle and install it, then use the nipple to secure it.

I love that name for the little grommet, and no, I didn’t make it up, but I always grin when I think about it.

“You’re coming tonight. Nine o’clock.”

“Yeah? Where to?”

“Halo, of course. To start with.”

“How fucking original.”

Micah sticks his ugly mug inside my cubicle and waggles his brows. “Guess who’s the mastermind behind tonight’s outing?”

“Oh gee, lemme guess.” I pretend to think as I check my inks. “You?”

“Try again.” Micah scrubs a hand through his blond hair, leaving it standing up in spikes. “It’s someone pretty. Someone you like.”

“Shit. If
I
organized this myself, then why can’t I remember?”

“Moron.” Micah gives me the finger and steps away. “It was Kayla, Amber’s roommate. You know, the cute one who always wants to read people’s horoscopes and stuff?”

As if I don’t know who she is.

I know perfectly well.

She hangs out with us sometimes, and I really dig the way she laughs, and the crazy colors she sports, from her hair to her clothes to her nail polish. She’s like a rainbow, and the thought of being near her is both exciting and nerve-wracking.

Which is weird. I don’t get all twisted up over chicks. I’m not shy, and the only reason my dick hasn’t seen any real action lately is work and family stress.

There’s something about Kayla, though, and I can’t decide if it’s her weird hobby of telling people’s fortunes or the fact she is kinda cute. Kinda hot, in fact. Long legs, a great rack and a pretty face. Her mouth is like candy. I wanna lick it and taste it.

And dammit, now I’m hard. So not good with a customer about to walk in. So not good when it’s about Kayla, a sweet girl and good friend of my friends.

Shit.

She’d never want me, riffraff from a family wreckage washed up on the shore of Madison, a ghost with a hidden past who’s about to pull a fucking disappearing act. I shouldn’t be thinking about her. She deserves better.

I mean, that’s easy. Anyone’s a better catch than me.

***

It’s late by the time I finish with my last customer. I tidy up my station, check that nobody is around to see me and then sit on my stool for a damn long moment, rubbing my hands over my face.