Inked Beauty: Wicked Inked duet: Book 2

Inked Beauty © April 2023 by Candace Blevins All rights reserved under United States of America copyright law, and the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. The author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text, including without limitation technologies capable of generating works in the same style or genre as this publication. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older. This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors. Cover design © 2023 Candace Blevins First Edition April 2023 Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Thank you for supporting authors and creating an environment where they can continue writing by purchasing this and other books in compliance with copyright laws. Candace loves hearing from readers! You can find her online at: Website – candaceblevins.com Facebook Facebook group – Candace’s Kinksters TikTok Instagram Twitter Goodreads Bookbub Stay up to date on Candace’s newest releases and get exclusive excerpts by joining her mailing list! Table of Contents Blurb Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Epilogue Bibliography Cat out of Hell Excerpt Chapter Three ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Blurb Lauren wants to put down roots of her own. Homewood will always be home, but it’s time she found her own place in this world. She thought Branson was the perfect opportunity, with a fantastic job, a bedroom just down the hall from Nick, and a quick drive to see Gavin, but everything’s falling apart, and there’s more trouble on the horizon. Nick’s a cat, and they never react well when their feelings are hurt. Gavin’s a new Master Vampire, and no one’s challenged his status yet, but that’s bound to change soon. And just how much fire is Lauren playing with, trying to have a relationship with two alpha males at the same time? Inked Beauty is book two of the Wicked Inked duet, and should be read after Wicked Beauty. Chapter 1 Lauren resisted the urge to move her shirt and cover the part of the tattoo Ambrose had bared. “What do you mean?” He tilted his head. “Can it be that you don’t know?” “If you have something to say, please say it.” “I can’t do that around others, dear Lauren. Not without your permission, and I don’t believe you have enough information to give it.” He turned to Dusty and Link. “I apologize, but I need to walk Lauren outside. I don’t know how long it will take.” “Lauren’s bedroom here is soundproof,” Link said. Ambrose gave a curt nod. “Of course it is. I would expect nothing less of your Master.” He turned to Lauren. “Will you invite me into your soundproof room, dear girl?” “Why do you keep calling me a girl?” “Because he’s fucking ancient,” Link said. “Most everyone’s a child to him. He doesn’t know any better.” Lauren turned and walked down the steps, assuming Ambrose would follow. He did, but she had to actually invite him into her room before he would come. She had a feeling it was one of Gavin’s rules, but she didn’t ask. He closed the door behind him, met her gaze, and told her, “In Japan, you would be part of a little known branch of the ancestral kunoichi, in China, the short form is xiānyì, which is something close to fairy art. The long form, rarely used, is xiān yì chéngzài zhě, or fairy art bearer. The name most often used, though, is huàshēng, which originally meant something close to draw life, or paint life. Those who know of the family, and there aren’t many who do, generally refer to them as the Huàshēng Dynasty. Most who use the general terms assume they are speaking of mythological beings, rather than real ones.” He paused, and when Lauren didn’t respond, he continued. “Tattoos have been around for thousands of years. Back when people still used and made use of magic, a family line figured out a way to bring their tattoos to life, and how to keep the magic going through their descendants. It seems implausible that a child of this line would end up in an orphanage, but here you are, with a tattoo bearing its own soul.” Lauren’s heart skipped a beat and her stomach somersaulted and sank into her feet. “A soul?” “Has your eyesight improved? Do you notice things you didn’t see before?” Lauren stared at him without answering and