Temporary (Indelibly Marked #2), page 14
“Hey.” Emily rooted around in her purse.
He leaned over and tried to get a peek inside. Something about the contents in there fascinated him.
She pulled out a little pouch, selected a lip gloss and managed to apply the makeup to her mouth without the use of a mirror.
“Don’t do that.” He elbowed her.
“What?” She returned the little bag to the bigger bag.
“We’re just at Shane’s. You don’t have to look hot or anything.”
“I hardly look hot, unless you mean a hot mess.” With a shake of her head, she smoothed her hair down.
“You look like you just got out of bed and are ready to get back in it.” Well, he was ready to get back in it. Actually, he never wanted to leave it. “I should have never tattooed you this morning.” In his post coital haze he ended up with her in one of the private rooms at Permanent, adding more to her side piece.
“You can’t let me have a half finished tattoo.” She patted her freshly dressed side, lifted her finger to ring the bell and stopped. “I asked you if you wanted to stop before we came here.”
“I didn’t want to hurt your side.” He tapped his foot.
“So why are you staring at me like that now? Wouldn’t it still hurt my side?”
“But then you put on that lip gloss. The flavored one.” Fine, he was whining and he knew it. Emily plus cherry lip gloss was his favorite taste combination.
“Well, maybe if you stop moping, you’ll find the lip gloss somewhere besides your lips.” She lifted her finger to ring the bell. “I have the kind that tingles too.”
His hunger dissipated for a much more welcome sensation. If they ran fast they could still ditch their visit for a few hours. “Let’s make this visit fast.” He wouldn’t be kept from tingling lip gloss and caught her wrist.
“You’ll have to set your tingle to simmer. I’ll be gone most of the night.” She freed her arm and rang the bell.
“I thought you weren’t going to dinner with anyone else.” He crossed his arms.
“No, we discussed that. I figured you could feed me before I left.”
“Where are you going again?” Though he asked the question maybe one hundred times, he never received an answer, only got reminded he had a tattoo tonight.
“You have to do that tattoo tonight.”
Before he had the chance to continue whining, Carson thrust the door open. “Come in, come in, close the door behind you.” He dashed away.
“Ivan?”
“Come on.” Thoughts of tingling gloss vanished and he took her hand, yanking her in the direction of living room. The baby. Maybe he or she was on the way. But no, it was too soon.
By the time they traveled the few yards, his heart pounded as if he raced a flipping mile. “What’s happening?” He flung Emily into the room and braced his hands on his knees, his throat burning with every breath.
“Quiet!” Shane yelled.
Ivan lifted his head toward Shane and Lindsay in their bed with Carson in a chair next to them. All three sat wide-eyed and tense as if they were about ready to hear the verdict to a murder trial.
He turned to what held their focus. The television?
With her mouth half open Emily shook her head, but they both remained silent until the show broke for commercial.
Shane, Lindsay, and Carson groaned.
“They always do that, right before something good.” Carson hit the arm of his chair. “We’ve been waiting for a week!”
“This is bull, we’re never going to find out who was in the cabin with Teresa the night she got amnesia and Baily was at the lighthouse.” Shane fell back on the pillows.
“It’s okay.” Lindsay ran her hand across the top of Shane’s Mohawk. “You’ll live.”
“Soap operas?” Emily jumped in front of the set and hit the off button. “You nearly gave us a heart attack and you’re watching a soap opera?”
“Hey don’t you diss on our program,” Shane shot back.
Emily leaned forward, putting her hand on her forehead.
Damn, Ivan wondered. What should he do now? His arms ached to hold her. Anything to do with the baby or the lawsuit flung her right off the cliff. The edge was too shallow.
“Em?” Carson stood.
“What’s going on? We’re just having a meeting.” Shane sat up.
Ivan balled his hand in a fist. He should be able to comfort her. What the hell was he doing? If he touched her, after Shane knocked him out, he would be forced to explain, and that would leave him exposed to losing everything. Not able to help himself, he stepped over and placed his hand on her back. “You okay?” She was either crying or seething.
Carson approached and leaned over his sister. “Are you going to yack? Shane blows chunks every time Lindsay does.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Ivan peeked at Shane, making sure to store that tidbit into the something to hold over Shane later file.
“I thought you were taking care of my sister.” Shane narrowed his eyes at Ivan. “She’s the baby and we have to protect her.”
Emily groaned.
If his life was normal, Ivan would have leaned back on his heels, crossed his arms and after a good round of ribbing about Shane’s sympathy vomit, would have explained that he took care of Emily to the tune of three orgasms last night. However, nothing was normal anymore.
He longed for normal, but since that wasn’t happening any time soon, he defended himself and Emily in his own way. “Maybe, just maybe, since things are a bit dramatic with the baby and running businesses and everything else, could we ask that you turn the amplifier down on your own issues, and only turn up the volume when Lindsay is shooting out a kid?”
“I’m sorry.” Shane shook his head. “I’m trying here. The other day I stopped by to give her a picture of the baby and caused her to practically melt down.”
Ivan faced him and crossed his arms. “Do you think that could be a sign that we’re a little stressed out?”
“I’m the one waiting for a baby with a wife in bed.” Shane lifted his chin.
“You’re watching soap operas while your sister and I hold down your fort.” It took every bit of strength to keep quiet about the lawsuit.
“Stop it!” Emily shot up. “Shut up! Fighting is no good for any of us!”
He and Shane glared at each other. Fights between them were rare but they happened. Through the years they argued about everything from a broken CD, to girls, to relationships. However, now he needed to defend not only himself but Emily. If he and Shane went at it, Emily would suffer. What would her position be? Would he have her on his side? How did everything end up in such a colossal mess?
He broke the stare and turned to Emily still hunched over holding her stomach. One more stressful issue would do her in. He held up his hand and slipped into his role of peacemaker. “I think we are all fighting for the same team. Team baby. We’re just worried about all our players.” At the moment he was more worried about Emily than Lindsay.
“Sorry, man. I know you only want the best for us. You’re my family.” Shane reclined.
His lungs filled with air. Family.
“See, it’s cool.” Carson put his arm around Emily.
She sucked in her breath the moment his hand grazed her side.
Once more Ivan willed himself to stay put, but no doubt Carson hit the freshly inked tattoo.
“What?” Carson jumped away. “What’s wrong?”
Emily shoved her brother out of the way. “Some apprenticeship, make sure you don’t miss your program.” She dropped her bag on the carpet, kicked off her pumps and stomped over to Shane. “Get-out-of-my-spot…now.” Her tone was as serious as if she found her black eyeliner on sale and needed a ride to the store.
Without another word Shane saluted her and slid out of the bed.
Emily took her position, kissed her hand and put it on Lindsay’s stomach. “Please be a girl.” She kissed Lindsay’s stomach and lay down. “Or a boy, I’m good with either one of those.”
Lindsay combed her fingers through Emily’s hair. “Are you okay?” She looked right at Ivan and widened her eyes.
Ivan wanted to ask the same question, or preferably join Emily in bed. Except for the time he spent on her tattoo and their date, he hadn’t really seen her stop. Every waking moment of every day she literally ran between her tasks. Even later when they should be together, she was on some mystery errand. He gave Lindsay a slight shrug willing her to do something to help.
“Hey. Look what I got.” Lindsay took a catalog off the side table. “I didn’t want to make any decisions without you.”
Shane motioned for him come to the couch and they sat and watched the women.
Emily lifted her head, cuddling up to Lindsay as she opened the book. “Aren’t we supposed to have a meeting?”
“First things first.” Lindsay turned the pages.
“She’s going to be an awesome mom,” Shane said with a grin and crossed his legs.
“Totally.” Even though they were only looking through a catalog, Lindsay might as well have been reading a bedtime story. He kept his focus on Emily. One second she was ready to beat someone, the next, crumbling.
Lindsay pointed to the page. “What do you think about this for the baby’s room?”
Emily put her hand to her chest and the color left her face.
Ivan knew what that meant. She had it the day Carson’s hamster had babies, she had it every time they watched some chick flick and the hero and heroine ended up together, and she had it before they left when he said she looked pretty.
“Giraffes?” Emily’s voice came out more as a squeak.
No. Not giraffes, not Emily’s favorite animal. The last time they went to the zoo they got stuck at the giraffe pit for thirty minutes while Emily took pictures of giraffes, spoke to the giraffes and then insisted they find zoo personnel to make sure the giraffes ate a proper diet.
On the bright side, rather than the mysterious event she was attending that he wasn’t invited to, maybe he could talk her into a ride past the zoo. They could absorb the good vibes from the giraffes inside.
“Baby giraffes.” Lindsay put her arm around Emily. “What do you think?”
Ivan almost raised his hand to answer for her, but she gave her verdict by bursting into tears.
Responding to an ancient male instinct, he, Carson, and Shane all bolted up from their seats and then stood frozen. None of them truly knew what to do when a woman cried, except stand as if that would help.
“Emily.” Lindsay put the catalog aside and gathered Emily up in her arms. “What’s going on? This isn’t like you.”
If they were alone, he wouldn’t doubt what action to take. He would have held her close, wiped her tears away and waited for her to tell him. Instead he remained like the rest of the men, still as stone and useless to the person who needed him most.
Emily hid her face in her sister-in-law’s shoulder and shook her head.
“Whatever it is we will deal with it.” Lindsay patted her. “You can tell me.”
“Times like this call for a big brother.” Shane joined Emily and Lindsay. “Is it a guy?”
“I’m a big brother, too.” Carson went to the foot of the bed and hit her foot. “Shut up brat.”
Ivan inched closer to them.
Emily shrugged and shook her head again.
Of course it was a guy, and Ivan knew he was the guy.
“Is it that James ass I inked? Tell me and one of us will kill him for you.” Shane poked her arm.
Lindsay glanced at him.
Ivan ground his teeth together, he better be the guy and not James.
“No.” At last, Emily spoke.
He almost relaxed, almost, then realized all she answered was James wasn’t being a jerk to her. Obviously she was upset about a guy, and she had plans that did not include him. He’d told her no dinner with anyone else, using it as a metaphor for no anything with anyone else, but maybe she took the word dinner literally. His muscles snapped back to their tightened state.
“Maybe it’s like Ivan said, all the stress.” Lindsay held her tight. “I think we have to remember that this situation isn’t easy on anyone.”
“Hey.” Shane pried Emily away from Lindsay. “I promise I will keep it calm until the baby. No more worrying, I’ll tell you if there’s something to worry about okay?” He wiped her tears away. He gave her a hug and kissed her forehead.
In essence, Shane did everything he should do, but didn’t.
He made his one and only move toward Emily by dragging her out of her date. A date with someone most women would consider an incredible catch. His selfish goal was to get Emily to understand that nothing had to change. That things between them could always be the same.
Standing on the periphery, he realized his error.
They called him family, but if he was family, he could join them.
He figured he was with Emily, but if he was truly with her, he could comfort her.
Everything stopped, like the moment in an elevator before someone pushed a button that led them to their destination. For the first time he admitted to himself that they couldn’t go back. The problem was, he didn’t know if he could go forward, didn’t know which button to press.
“Better?” Shane gave his sister one more inspection and pulled her in for a hug, his arm hitting her side and her fresh tattoo.
“I hope so.” She winced as she pushed Shane away from her and peeked over at Ivan.
Without a word she told him he should be the one soothing her, not her brother. Damn everything, she was right.
“Let’s do this meeting, I have to leave soon.” Emily leaned back.
“Where are you going?” Lindsay asked as she shifted on the pillows.
Ivan held his breath waiting for the answer. Maybe Lindsay could wrestle it out of her.
“We have a meeting and Ivan has a tattoo later.” She smiled turning to both Shane and Lindsay as if to demonstrate her happiness.
Secrets. Somehow their close-knit group had too many secrets. Errands, tattoos, lawsuits, relationships. Relationships?
“I remember when she was a baby.” Shane reached forward and pinched his sister’s cheek.
Emily shook her head.
“We all need to be calm. We’re going to have another baby soon and we can’t be obnoxious.” Shane laughed. “Well, I can’t be obnoxious.”
Shane may need to curb his obnoxious factor, but Ivan needed to figure out which button to push. Emily couldn’t handle any more drama and he needed to get serious, no matter what floor he decided to get off on.
~~*~~
“Wow.” Emily stopped and took in the California Market Center, the Mecca for all things fashion in Los Angeles. The raised runway spanned the length of the huge white exhibition hall with rows of chair set up on either side while a multitude of people scurried around with last minute adjustments before the audience arrived.
“I always wonder how the models walk this without tripping.” She pointed at the runway.
“They’re not real.” With her makeup case in tow, Dillon bumped into her. “They are more like robots and that’s why they don’t fall flat on their faces. I’m glad you’re not like that. Thank heavens for small favors.”
She glanced back at her oldest brother, deciding not to tell him his ex reminded her of one of the models. Out of nowhere, she had her Dillon back. Maybe if he would tell her what happened to the money, or more importantly why, she would cut the wood to mend some fences.
“What?” He wrinkled his nose.
“You came with me.” Nerves got the best of her after her whole emotional scene at Shane’s. With no one else informed of her whereabouts, she’d called Dillon. He never hesitated, only asked what time to pick her up.
“Consider it double points for getting back into your good graces.” He shook his head. “What do we have to do now?”
“I have to start the makeup in the back, but will you do me a favor?” She took out her phone.
He looked around. “Coming to a fashion show and watching you do makeup isn’t favor enough?” For the first time in a long time, he graced her with one of his smiles. Where Shane was fun loving and charming, and Carson a quiet dreamer, Dillon was always a bit sad, left of center and out of place but he never compromised.
“Will you take pictures of me doing the makeup?” She handed him her phone.
He shrugged and motioned for them to get moving. “At least I’ll have a purpose.”
“Will you also check in case James, Ivan, or Shane calls?” She walked alongside him.
“Okay, fine, you’re pushing the brother penance. What do I do if one of them calls?” He slid her phone into his suit breast pocket.
They neared the preparation area. Mark walked by the entrance and waved to her.
A tremble vibrated her entire body and the floor seemed to ripple beneath her feet. She stepped back and grabbed Dillon’s arm.
“Emily, are you okay?”
She closed her eyes and inhaled. Her own dream laid ahead, just a few steps away. No matter what, she needed to get in there and do her job. “If Shane calls, get me no matter what. If James calls answer, we’re waiting for a date on the mediation. If Ivan calls…”
“Which one are you dating?”
“Come on my pink princess,” Mark called from the entryway. “I have models in need of faces.”
“We need to go.” She tugged her big brother.
“Tell me first.”
“You tell me why you took off with the money, and I’ll tell you who I’m dating.” She let go of him and walked toward the light. Maybe death felt like walking into the unknown.
“You were so young, does it really matter? I will spend my life paying it back if I have to.”
She stopped and spun to face him. “Well now I’m old enough to run a business and be an artist, and do a lot of things all on my own. That makes me old enough to know what you did with my money, and old enough to demand an answer from the one person I looked up to my whole life.”
Unwilling to get into it with him, she stomped into the preparation room where a blast of chaos hit her. Models scurried around in various states of undress, clothes, hairdressers, complete disarray, a far cry from makeovers and bridal parties.
