Inked Ever After by Elle Aycart Read Free Book Online

came in
early and tried new recipes while they waited for the suppliers.
    “Hey, gorgeous,” he said as he approached Tate, greeting
Nils with a nod.
    “Hey yourself,” she answered with a smile, throwing her arms
around his shoulders and bringing him down for a kiss. “What are you doing
here? A slow day in the world of security alarms?”
    No, it wasn’t. The company he’d founded had more business
than he and his two partners, Zack and Sean, could keep up with, and now that
he’d adapted to Tate’s late working hours so they could ride back to Alden
together most days, he was spread a bit too thin. Thank God Elle was back in
Boston helping out so his woman didn’t have to be at Rosita’s all the time.
    He shook his head. “You’re taking the day off.”
    “I am?”
    “Yep. As a matter of fact, you are taking two days off.
We’re getting out of Boston.”
    “But I can’t,” she floundered. “We’re trying a new recipe, and
we start prep at five. Tonight Elle has a shift at the airport and—”
    “Not anymore. Elle will be here in time for prep and dinner.
I’ve already arranged it with her. And Nils will take care of the suppliers and
try the recipe by himself.” Besides, Tate was a cooking disaster—a hazard to
herself and everyone else—and trying this recipe mainly consisted of her
sitting at the counter, chatting with Nils, and eating whatever he came up
with. Which was good, because last time she’d helped out in the kitchen, she’d
all but chopped a finger off.
    She looked at Nils. “But—”
    Her chef shushed her away with a smile and a wave of his
hand. “Go.”
    “James, you’re very busy at work. And we have an appointment
tomorrow to sample wedding cakes.”
    “I’ll get you there. Don’t worry.” James lifted her, and
holding her by her ass, he began walking out of the kitchen. “Now, grab your
purse and say bye to Nils, princess. We are out of here.”
    “Bye, Nils,” she finally complied.
    “Good girl,” James mumbled against her hair.
    It had taken almost half a year, but by now Tate knew him
well enough not to fight him, so she just wrapped her legs around his hips and
gave up. “Okay. Oh, James, my barbarian. Where are we going?”
    He kissed her hard but short on the mouth, and put her down
as they reached his truck. “Cape John.”
    Her eyes opened wide. “Cape John? Are you kidding me? I love
that place.”
    “Yeah, I know,” he said as he settled her in the passenger
seat and then went around to the driver’s side.
    She’d told him many times about the wonderful vacations her
family had spent there when she, Jonah, and Elle were small. She’d had a great
childhood, but those summers seemed to be on her top-five list of happiest
memories.
    Visiting her parents’ place in Boston was still hard on her.
The memories the house held were still too raw—too fresh. Their summers in Cape
John, on the other hand, were a thing of the distant past, and she remembered
them with fondness. There wasn’t pain in her words when she spoke about them,
most probably because they’d stopped going there almost ten years ago. Whatever
it was, James liked it. He hated seeing her hurting.
    “James, I’m not dressed for strolling around a small seaside
town.”
    No, she wasn’t. She had on her Rosita’s “uniform”: black
pumps, a black pencil skirt, and a white blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a
loose knot. It was fucking sexy in a prim, buttoned-up sort of way. All she
needed was black, thick-rimmed glasses, a tighter chignon, and voilà, the
perfect secretary fantasy.
    “We’ll make do.”
    “By the way, why are we going there?” she asked as the truck
roared to life.
    “I have a surprise.” A surprise he’d been plotting for a
while already, almost since he’d proposed and she’d accepted. He’d planned to
give it to her after their wedding, but in light of recent events, there was no
fucking way he was waiting that long.
    “A good one?”
    “A