Singe (Men of Inked: Heatwave Book 8) by Chelle Bliss

Author:Chelle Bliss [Bliss, Chelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bliss Ink LLC
Published: 2021-08-02T18:30:00+00:00

14

The next morning, Arlo’s body is plastered against mine with her arm slung over my chest, and I’m surprisingly okay with it.

“Morning,” I whisper, sliding my hand down the soft skin of her arm, seeing her eyes open too.

“Hey,” she says, tipping her head back. “You’re still here.”

“I am.” I smile.

“We slept so late. I don’t remember the last time I slept this long.”

“What time is it?”

“Ten.”

“Ten?” I ask, shocked.

“Yeah.”

“Fuck,” I groan, wishing I could stay like this all day. But it’s Sunday, and that means family.

If I didn’t show up at my grandparents’ house, I’d be in trouble with my grandmother first and be barraged with questions from everyone else.

Sundays are sacred, and unless you have a good excuse, your ass always shows, and you are on time too. Nonna doesn’t play around with tardiness, and neither do my parents.

“I can’t stay long. I have family shit today.”

She lifts up on her elbow, stroking my chest with her other hand. “It’s okay. I have work to do.”

“Lily said you’re a writer. What do you write?”

“Articles mostly, but I’m working on a novel.”

“I have a cousin in Chicago who’s a writer. You’re from Chicago, right?”

“Yeah, and I know all about Bianca. I love her work.”

I blink. “You know who she is?”

Arlo slaps my chest playfully. “Carmello, she’s super popular. I don’t know anyone who reads romance and doesn’t know who Bianca is. She’s that big, and Lily told me about her too.”

“Well, damn. I didn’t know. To me, she’s just another cousin.”

Arlo snuggles back into my side. “I’ve spoken with Bianca, actually. She’s the one who gave me the courage to chase my dream of publishing a novel.”

I move my hand to her lower back, tracing her spine with my fingertips. “Always chase your dreams, babe. Always.”

“Is Inked your dream?” she asks from my chest.

“It always was. I could’ve gone to work with my dad, but my idea of a good time doesn’t involve sitting for twelve hours on a stakeout or getting my ass shot at by a cheating husband.”

Her hand stops moving on my chest. “What?”

“My dad and uncle own a security slash private investigation company. They’ve had a wild ride at times, but it’s more boring than exciting most days. I had two paths to choose from…Inked or ALFA. I chose Inked and haven’t regretted that decision a single day.”

“I can see that. Everyone seems to love one another there.”

“We do. My family is insane and all up in one another’s business, but I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. You know?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “It must be nice to be surrounded by people who want to be around you.”

“And your people?” I ask her.

She tenses in my arms. “I don’t want to bring this conversation down, Mello.” She sighs. “What time do you have to leave?”

I shift my body, moving myself upward until my back is flush against the pillows, and I bring her with me. “I know we barely know each other, and you can totally tell me to fuck off, but don’t worry about bringing me down.

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