Abiding Ink (Inked in the Steel City #4) by Ranae Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

tonight, I can guarantee you that.” She took a long sip of her drink and giggled, looking directly at Tyler over the rim of her glass. “What’s your name?”
    “Tyler DeHaven.”
    “Ooh, a man of few words,” she said after a few moments, as if she’d expected him to not just give his name, but launch into an epic retelling of his entire life story.
    “I met Mallory while volunteering at the hospital,” he offered, wary of the look that flashed in Wanda’s eyes as she mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “mystery man” under her breath.
    “I’m sorry,” Mallory intervened, “I should’ve introduced the two of you. Wanda, this is Tyler – we met at the hospital, just like he said. Tyler, this is Wanda. She’s an RN too; we work together. You two may have even glimpsed each other before at the hospital.”
    “Oh, I’d remember if we had.” Wanda beamed. “Anyway, nice to meet you, Tyler.”
    “Likewise.” He followed Wanda’s gaze down to his forearms, which were partially exposed beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his plain black shirt. Was he underdressed?
    Nah, glancing around, it didn’t look like it. Black pants and a shirt that buttoned up – he’d figured the outfit was a safe choice, and most of the other men seemed to be wearing something similar, albeit in brighter colors. A few wore chunky knit Christmas sweaters, but no way was he going there.
    It wasn’t his nondescript clothing that had drawn Wanda’s attention – it was his tattoos.
    There was a reason Tyler wore his sleeves rolled a few inches up his arms – he liked them that way. Having long sleeves buttoned around his wrists made him feel restrained, and besides, he liked the way Mallory’s eyes lit up when her gaze drifted down to his hands.
    “Anyway, they’re making these cute little drinks over at the bar,” Wanda said after a few silent moments. “Red and green, see?” She held up her not-so-little glass, showing off the layered cocktail. “You should both try one! Dr. Anthony said they’re his own special recipe.” She shot Mallory a wink and excused herself. “I’ll stop standing between you two and the buffet – by the way, the cheesecake is to die for.”
    Mallory turned to Tyler. “Okay, so now that you’ve met Wanda, my other co-workers should seem pretty tame. Unless that’s an open bar I see over there.”
    The bar at the end of the buffet line-up appeared to be exactly that, and it was even staffed by someone who looked like a professional bar tender. “Looks like it.”
    “Well, who knows then – people are always joking about how crazy work Christmas parties can get.”
    Tyler chose items from the buffet at random, fighting the ever-present temptation to simply stand and stare at Mallory like a deer caught in headlights. Several more of her co-workers approached and she made introductions. Meanwhile the music pulsed, just loud enough to make itself heard without making conversation difficult.
    It was only a matter of time before Dr. Creepster noticed that Mallory had arrived.
    As he approached, his smile flickered, his gaze drifting toward Tyler and then snapping back to Mallory, giving her one of those up-and-downs that made a vein in the side of Tyler’s neck twitch. Was the doctor disappointed that she’d brought a date?
    Looked like it.
    “Mallory,” Dr. Creepster said, extending a hand to brush her shoulder as he approached, clutching a drink in the other. A martini, unsurprisingly. He probably stuck to clear liquors in order to avoid staining his teeth. An enormous olive skewered by a little plastic stick lay at the bottom of the glass, the only hint of red and green.
    “Hi, Dr. Anthony.” Mallory smiled politely. “Your home is beautiful, and so are the decorations.”
    “Thank you.” He arched a brow. “I see you decided not to come alone, after all.”
    Mallory introduced Tyler to the doctor, and vice-versa, mentioning that Tyler volunteered at the