Free Sinful Southern Ink by S.J. Drum Page A

tats tracking down her arms and peeking above the neckline of her shirt. Heat flushed her cheeks. She’d never seen how she made her living as an “alternative lifestyle”. She liked creating permanent art through tattoos and she made a decent living doing it. Really didn’t go any deeper than that. The smarmy little shit staring at her now with judgment in his eyes made her bristle.
    The man made a mistake when he turned that judgmental stare on Jed and the ink on his arms.
    She stepped away from Jed’s embrace and edged in front of him. “My parents had absolutely nothing to do with the way I live my life now. They were users, losers, and abusers. Insignificant, fame-chasing asshats like you are why I’ve never accepted any invitations to do talk shows or interviews or the fucking movie of the week. I have nothing in common with the two degenerates responsible for my birth. If you’re looking to draw similarities between us, don’t bother.”
    The prick’s mouth hung open again and this time she didn’t curb the urge to tap his chin and close it. She reached right out, gave his weak chin a little slap and felt the reverberation of his teeth snapping together. Turning to Jed, she tried a small smile and laced her fingers through the hand not holding on to his shopping bag.
    Jed seemed unable to say anything as he looked at her with what she hoped was admiration and something a bit stronger in his gem-green eyes. Even the gaggle of old, gossiping women was silent as she shouldered past the reporter, pulling Jed behind her.
    Normally after a confrontation Abigail would end up going over the scene again and again, imagining all the things she’d thought but hadn’t said, wishing she would have spoken her mind. Now, after having told the reporter and everyone listening exactly what she thought, she wondered if she might have been better off pleading the Fifth.
    Too bad. What’s done is done, no use regretting it now.
    Lost in thought, she hadn’t realized they’d reached Jed’s truck until she was spun around and pinned against the side by his tall, hard body. He leaned to the side, jerking the passenger door open with the hand also holding his shopping bag, then tossed the bag onto the floor of the cab, taking no notice when the contents spilled out. He placed both hands on either side of her shoulders, caging her in.
    The fierce look he gave her made her heart trip and breath quicken.
    “You, Abigail Hart, are an amazing woman.”
    “I don’t—”
    Her words were silenced when Jed’s lips descended upon hers, forceful, claiming. He nipped her lower lip then thrust his tongue inside her mouth in a searing kiss. A repetitive clicking sound signaled the reporter’s use of that damn camera he’d had slung over his shoulder. Either Jed didn’t notice or didn’t care. He withdrew from the kiss enough to meet her eyes. “I love you.” The words were said in a strong voice, with no regard to being overheard. He shook his head and backed up a step before she could speak. “Don’t say anything. You don’t have to say it back.”
    Don’t say it back? But she wanted to say it. It’d been on the tip of her tongue since the moment he’d slid inside her for the first time, that day in the barn. “But I want—”
    “Later.”
    He all but tossed her into the passenger seat of his truck, ignoring the reporter as he edged closer for a better shot.
    Abigail kicked a plastic jar of peanut butter out of the way and settled her feet on the floorboard amid the spilled groceries. As soon as he slid behind the wheel, fishing for the keys in his pocket, she leaned across the seat, planted a sloppy kiss on his stubbled cheek and said, “I love you too, you big doofus.”
    A grin hitched up the side of his mouth closest to her and the fact she’d been the one to put it there eclipsed the happenings and resulting stress of her encounter with the reporter.
    For the first time in her life, Abigail heard truth in the