Ink Series Book 4
by Jude Ouvrard
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: JC Clarke (The Graphics & Formatting Shed) Editor: RE Hargrave 
Kyle Layne has it all figured out. The perfect life, including a future with his dream woman, is in his grasp. Each day filling with more happiness than the one before, he couldn’t ask for a better existence.
But fate has other plans.
Like lightning from the heavens, Kyle’s dream turns into a nightmare in the blink of an eye. Lost, and filled with pain and anger, his once perfect life now resembles a broken mirror—shattered.
With the help of his best friend Levi, he finds a ray of hope in the depths of darkness. Kyle’s fragile shell is transformed into a work of art, freeing his mind and soul for a chance at a new future while memorializing his sacred past forever in ink. Kyle’s dream has died, but life starts making sense again after his tattooing career takes off and strong friendships help rebuild his sanity… until a one-night stand flips his world upside down, that is.
Can Kyle risk his battered heart in Destiny’s untrustworthy hands? After so much loss, does he dare to dream again?
There was a girl watching me from the other end of the bar. I didn’t know if she was playing games, but her flirting was obvious from miles away. Not that my taste could be trusted, but she was hot. Her dark hair and dark skin had something exotic. Of course, after this much vodka, almost any girl in the place could’ve led me on.
I nodded, hoping she didn’t want to talk—because I wasn’t having any of that—and she smiled. These days it all came down to sex. Why talk when I had no intention of seeing them again? No feelings whatsoever, no strings attached… just raw sex. Plain and simple.
“’Ello,” she said.
“Hey,” I answered before drinking my vodka like water.
“Wanna get out of here?” Her thick accent had me smiling.
“Of course.”
As quick as that we were outside. I followed her to her place, which was a studio of some sort. It was small, very small. She closed and locked the door behind me, and then started throwing her clothes on the floor.
Wow! Hell, she isn’t wasting time.
Her long dark hair hid her breasts as her eyes dared me to come forward. To claim her. There was something about the colors of her eyes which took me by complete surprise, though. One seemed brownish-green, while the other was just green. What the hell?
“Come on, hot stuff. Are we going to get started, or what?”
“Alright, alright.”
Once I’d taken my clothes off, she pushed me down on the mattress. “Look. I had a shite flight, and I’m exhausted. Let’s get rolling.”
This was the first time I’d been with a girl who came off colder than me. It felt different, and somehow made me unsure. She was sure of what she wanted, though.
My back pressed into her cold, black sheets while she crawled on top of me, taking charge as if I were a toy. She was chewing me up, not leaving me time to process anything or enjoy this. Karma, I guess, for all the times I’d played this same old game with women—flirt with them, fuck them, and then leave them without a goodbye. This time, though, the girl had a plan of her own, and not having anything better to do, I gave myself to her.
Several drinks past tipsy and more than turned on, I decided enough, that it was time to take back the power in her bed. After all, I’d had a rough day, too. Hell, I’d had rough days ever since… yeah, ever since I lost my soul.
Fueled by my pain, yet again, I gave her everything in me. All the roughness and lust. Turned out we had some kind of chemistry. Her dark tresses were all over the damn bed. She was a black fucking panther, a wild animal.
Why am I analyzing her so damn much anyway? I never care about who… I promised I would never care again.
Writhing and moving together, the sexual tension between us kept rising. My toes curled while my fingers gripped her hair and I worked to keep this going until I couldn’t anymore. Her once perfect bed had turned into a mess of sweat, tangled sheets, and exhausted bodies.
Who am I kidding?
This woman was something else.
Using my arm and legs, I held her in place against my chest after we’d both climaxed, until she got out of bed without saying anything.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm. The girls I’d met were never so emotionally detached.
“Tiff. You?”
“I’m K.”
“Well, K. I’m going for a shower. It’s been real, thanks.”
Is she really kicking me out?
“Can you lock the door on your way out?”
Shit, she is.
As an editor, sometimes working through a manuscript becomes technical, and you don't necessarily get "sucked in." With Forever in Ink, I found myself having to stop reading to go back and edit. And, yes, I cursed Ms. Ouvrard a couple of times for making my heart race... in both good and bad ways. Kyle's story is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. Everyone deserves a second chance.
#EditorApproved ~ RE Hargrave
Jude Ouvrard is an author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping.
A romance lover, Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.
Jude is a working mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an energetic superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of many years. Her family is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she liked the challenge.
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AS RIGHT AS RAIN by J.M. Maurer Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
After finally landing her first job at a television station, meteorologist Makayla Reading is determined to make her mark on the world. With an ex she’d rather forget and no time for a new man in her life, what she needs is a true friend to help her deal with jittery nerves and her crabby boss who makes her life miserable. Though a don’t-fall-for-the-cameraman rule should be easy to follow, sparks fly when she meets the handsome and charming Eli Barringer. As their relationship moves beyond friendship, Makayla realizes she must not only give in to her heart but also let Eli in on a secret she’s been keeping, a decision she knows is…as right as rain.  
“Hey.” Eli ruffles the hat on my head like one would do to a child, and then lifts my chin with his gentle fingers, leveling my gaze with his. “You all right?” I blink him into focus, seeing the crease of concern deepen between his eyes. Although I’m grateful for his question, he doesn’t need to know what’s on my mind. My emotions are all over the place, scattered like debris after a storm. Plus, I’m having a difficult time pulling my sight from his eyes and keeping my thoughts on my job. What are you doing, Makayla? Yes, he’s gorgeous. And off limits. He’s sexy. And still forbidden. I’m confident there has to be some sort of don’t-fall-for-the-coworker rule I should be following. But no such rule seems to be preventing me from reacting to him the way I am. Not wanting to alert him to what’s making me so frazzled, I respond to his question with the first thing that pops into my head. “I’m just new. And nervous.” It sounds plausible coming out, and it’s partially the truth, a fact I’m comfortable with, given I’ve just met Mr. Beautiful. He moves his hand to my shoulder and squeezes just enough to hold me in place, which also keeps me from sliding in my seat as Sam steers us out of the garage and onto the street. “Okay, if that’s what you’re going with, I’ll buy it. For now.”
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