Taught by the Tattoo Artist
Taught by the Tattoo Artist
First Times in Trout Creek #8
By Hazel J. North
Copyright
© Taught by the Tattoo Artist by Hazel J. North
2023
All Rights Reserved
* * *
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Taught by the Tattoo Artist (First Times in Trout Creek, #8)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Epilogue
Author’s note and free book
Taught by the Tattoo Artist
Nate
I’m quickly becoming the most sought-after tattoo artist in the area, and I’m determined to make it big. Nothing can distract me from reaching my goal—until Roxy walks into my tattoo shop. She’s all curves, smiles, and innocence.
There’s only one problem. The age gap between us is too big. I’m twelve years her senior, so we shouldn’t get involved. Right? But then she asks me to be her fake date for a reunion, and I can’t possibly resist.
Roxy
Attending my high school reunion isn’t something I look forward to. I’m single and broke, and the girl who ruined my high school years will be there, so I’d better skip the whole event.
I wasn’t counting on Trout Creek’s gorgeous tattoo artist agreeing to be my fake date, though. Everything works out perfectly except for one thing. My feelings for him are anything but fake.
Taught by the Tattoo Artist is a short and steamy age gap instalove romance full of heat and heart with NO cliffhanger, NO cheating, and a Guaranteed HEA. This book is part of First Times in Trout Creek, a steamy instalove romance series set in a small mountain town where every insanely hot guy finds a sweet & inexperienced curvy woman to love.
Chapter One
Roxy
I take a deep breath as I check my sports watch for the numbers after my daily three-mile run. Thirty-two minutes. That’s not bad at all. If I keep this up, I might finally hit that thirty-minute mark by the end of this week. This post-run rush is enough to have me smiling for the rest of the day, even though things are a bit rough for me at the moment. But I strongly believe that you’ve got to make it through the rain if you’re ever going to see a rainbow. That rainbow is waiting for me. I feel it in my toes. First, I have a job interview lined up this afternoon. If they hire me, I won’t have to worry about my financial situation anymore. And who knows? Maybe I’ll meet a cute male colleague and finally find my happily ever after.
Still on a runner’s high, I stop at the local bakery and marvel at the cakes Harper from Sweet as Cake whipped up today. She’s extremely talented, and her creations are as sweet as she is. Every now and then, I treat myself to one of her cupcakes, like today.
I have my hand on the door handle, ready to go inside and order a cup of coffee with a slice of carrot cake, when the door hits me in the face.
I cry out in pain. My hand flies up to my nose, but there doesn’t seem to be any blood.
“Oops, sorry. I didn’t see you there. I was looking at my phone. Important work stuff, you know.”
The high-pitched voice of the girl who let the door hit me in the face sends a shiver down my spine.
I look up to see my suspicions about the owner of the voice confirmed. It’s her. In the flesh. Macie Macintosh, Trout Creek’s prom queen and the nail in my coffin back in high school. What is she doing here? I thought she’d moved to the city years ago.
“Hello, Macie,” I say.
She finally drags her eyes from her phone and gives me a proper look. Or, I should say, a once-over that brings all my insecurities to the front of my mind.
“Boxy Roxy? Is that really you?” she asks, her voice tinged with disbelief.
I ball my hands into fists after hearing that horrible nickname and swallow. “It’s Roxy.”
She laughs as she flicks her long hair over her shoulder. “Of course, sorry. Old habits and all that. I would ask you what brings you here, but I guess that’s obvious.”
“Obvious?”
“Yeah, because of the cupcakes. You used to indulge in sweet treats all day every day when we were younger. By the look of it, you still do,” she says, her gaze lingering on my curvy thighs.
I decide to take the high road and ignore her comments about my weight. “What brings you back to Trout Creek, Macie?”
Her face lights up. She splays her hand and shows me what is unmistakably an engagement ring. The diamond is so big that it could blind a person.
“I’m getting married,” she squeals. “Can you believe it?”
Honestly, I can’t believe any guy would want to marry a self-centered, arrogant person like Macie, but the ring on her finger tells me I’m wrong.
“And who is the lucky guy?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes as if I’m the dumbest person on the planet. “Bruce, of course.”
“Really?”
“Well, duh. We’ve been together forever. Getting married was always part of our ten-year plan. We graduated from the same college, moved in together the next year, and now we’re getting married. We’ll probably have a baby in about two years.” She smiles dreamily. “We’re right on track.”
Wowza. It must be weird to have your whole life planned out like that. It surprises me that a guy like Bruce goes along with it. Back in high school, he was a jock and a big partier. I never considered him the kind of guy who would settle down and start a family by his mid-twenties.
“Anyway, I’ve just ordered our wedding cake. We’re having the ceremony by the lake, and every guest gets a box full of cupcakes with their names on them. Isn’t that the best?”
I try to muster up a smile, but all I want to do is to run away from Macie. She’s even more of a cliché than I thought.
“And you should see the flower arrangements for the reception. Wait, I’ll show you.”
She scrolls through her phone and forces me to swipe through thirty pictures of flower arrangements.
“Dad got me a great deal on the flowers. The lady who owns the flower shop got an amazing divorce settlement thanks to my father, so she owed him big time. I work there now, by the way.”
I frown. “At the flower shop?”
“No, silly, at Dad’s law firm. I’m the Front Desk Manager.”
“So you’re the receptionist?”
She shakes her head. “There’s more to it than you think. It’s not only connecting calls and asking people to wait before their meetings. I also do other stuff.”
I’m afraid to ask about the other stuff because I don’t want to scroll through another photo dump. Better safe than sorry.
She purses her lips. “What about you? Still single?”
“I, um—”
“There’s no shame in never having been kissed, Roxy,” she interrupts me. “I’m sure it’s probably not your fault.”
Probably? Jesus Christ, this girl is unbelievable. I can’t tell her I’m single. I won’t give her that satisfaction.
I square my shoulders. “Actually, I’m not single.”
“Really? You’re seeing someone?”
I nod. “Yup. That’s right. I’m in a steady relationship.”
“Are you bringing him to the high school reunion?”
I swear I notice the corner of her mouth turn up as if she doesn’t believe me and wants to see me scramble for words.
“I don’t think I’m going to that.”
“Why not? Come on. It’ll be fun. You must come. And bring your boyfriend.”
“He’s not into that kind of thing.”
“You know what’s weird? That I haven’t heard a thing about you and your boyfriend. My mother knows all the latest Trout Creek gossip. And now you won’t take him to the reunion. Hmm.”
Shit. I’ve cornered myself. What do I do? My eyes flit left and right. I act on the spur-of-the-moment, regretting the words as I utter them. “That’s weird because I do have a boyfriend. We’re nuts about each other. In fact, he works over there.”
I point at Creek Ink, the tattoo shop across the street.
She frowns. “You’re dating a tattoo artist?”
“Yup,” I lie. “I was just about to go over there. He’s inking me today as a sign of his love for me.”
She whistles between her teeth. “Wow. You? A permanent tattoo? You surprise me, Roxy.”
I look at my watch. “Is that the time? I’ve got to go. Great running into you, Macie, and good luck with the wedding.”
“I’ll see you at the reunion,” she says.
“Yeah, see you then.”
I hastily cross the street and almost get run over by a car. The driver honks his horn and angrily waves his fist at me.
I look over my shou
lder, hoping the coast is clear, but Macie is still standing there, waving at me. For fuck’s sake, why won’t she let this go? I was about to pretend to step inside, but I guess I have no choice but to go in now that she’s still watching me.
I take a deep breath and swing the door open, nerves racing through me. This is the first time I’ve set foot in a tattoo shop.
I close the door behind me and turn around. My breath catches in my throat. I didn’t know what or whom I expected to see in here, but it certainly wasn’t a muscled tattooed hottie wearing nothing but a pair of jeans.
Chapter Two
Nate
“We’re closed,” I call without looking to see who entered my shop. “Read the sign on the door next time.”
Seriously, I’m working on some new designs here. I’m not even wearing a shirt because the air conditioning blew out last week, and now it’s way too hot in here.
“I’m sorry,” I hear a woman say. “I’ll be out of your hair in a minute.”
I look up, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think the AC started working again because I get goosebumps all over my body. Leaning against the door like a scared cat is a curvy goddess. She keeps looking over her shoulder as if there’s a threat in the street.
I put my sketching pad and pencil down and get up. After pulling a shirt over my head, I walk over to her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yup.”
I peer out the window. “Do you have a stalker or something?”
“No, why?”
I rake a hand through my hair. “Because you keep looking over your shoulder.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s um... It’s okay. I’m doing great.”
Man, she’s confused and nervous. I don’t know what to make of her, but the least I can do is offer her a seat. Maybe she’ll open up about why she dashed into my shop like this.
I pull a chair out from under my desk. “You can sit down if you want.”
“Thanks. I’m Roxy, by the way.”
“I’m Nate.”
She slides into the chair and offers me a sheepish smile. “You probably think I’m nuts, but I promise you I’m not.”
I laugh. “Good to know. I like my women sane.”
“Phew.”
“Are you looking to get inked?” I ask.
I let my eyes trail over her skin, but I don’t see any tattoos. She doesn’t have any yet, or they’re hidden under her clothes.
“Not really.” She sighs. “I should explain. Also, is it me, or is it hot in here?”
“The air conditioning. Stopped working about a week ago.”
“Oh, I see. Anyway, I hid in here from a horrible girl I used to know back in high school.”
I frown. “Was she threatening you? If you need to call the cops, please do so. My brother Derek is the town sheriff, so you’re in good hands.”
It’s true. Although I wish she were in my hands.
“It’s nothing like that. She made my life miserable in high school, and I bumped into her today. Turns out, she’s still as horrible. Some people never change.” She flinches. “Macie even called me by that awful nickname she came up with years ago.”
“Nickname?”
She bites her lip and searches my face as if afraid of confiding in me. “She always teased me because I was a bit on the heavy side. She and her friends started calling me Boxy Roxy. One time, they lured me to the local burger place with a fake text from the guy I had a crush on. I thought he wanted to date me, but he wasn’t there when I arrived. I figured he was running late. Macie and her friends were there, though. They were seated at the booth behind me and couldn’t stop laughing while I kept checking the time. After thirty minutes, I realized it was a silly prank, and my crush wouldn’t show up.”
My blood scorches my veins. That’s how angry I get thinking about how this kind girl got treated by her peers. I’ll never understand the need to put someone down like that, but I get why some do it. Hurt people hurt people. This Macie girl undoubtedly has it rougher than she lets on. Still, that’s no excuse to treat people like crap.
“What did she do to you today that made you run in here?”
“She kept nagging me about being single, so I told her a little lie. I owe you an apology, by the way.”
“Me? What for? We’ve never even met. How could you owe me an apology? Unless it was you who broke the AC,” I say with a grin.
She laughs. “No, I didn’t. But I did tell her you and I are a couple. I’m truly sorry. I wanted her to back off, and I panicked. Then she asked me if I was going to our high school reunion with you. Not that I’m planning on going. I graduated five years ago and vowed never to set foot in that school again.”
“Five years ago?”
“That’s right.”
Wow. If she graduated five years ago, I’m twelve years her senior. We’re worlds apart. She’s in her twenties. I’m in my thirties. What an age gap.
Not that it matters. She’s only here to hide from her high school nemesis. After today, I’ll probably never see her again.
“At least you got rid of her by coming in here,” I say.
She nods. “I know, but I feel like I didn’t stand up to her. All I did was run. And what if she finds out it was all a lie? If she wasn’t laughing at me before, she sure will when she discovers the truth. I should never have told her you and I were going to the reunion together.”
“When is this reunion?”
She knits her eyebrows together. “This weekend. Why?”
“It’s settled then. We’ll go.”
“We will?”
“That’s right. I’ll be your fake boyfriend, and you’ll be able to stand up to Macie. When she sees how happy you are, she’ll back off. Living well is the best revenge, after all.”
She blushes. “You would do that for me? We’ve only known each other for like twenty minutes.”
Deep down, I know she’s right. This is fucking insane. But... if that’s true, why am I so attracted to her? Why do I feel the need to get to know this girl better and to help her?
“I’ll go to the reunion with you if you tell me what you think of these new designs,” I say.
“Okay. I can do that.”
I grab my sketching pad and show her three designs I drew. “These are all tattoos that will go in the exclusives book. I only ink every design once.”
She takes the pad from me and studies my drawings. Her finger traces one of the lines. What would it be like if she were tracing my skin like that?
“I love this one,” she says, tapping the page. “The others are great too, but this is by far my favorite. It speaks to me for some reason I can’t explain.”
It’s a drawing of a vibrantly colored hummingbird extracting nectar from a flower. Its delicate, slender beak and the bright hues of its tail make it a mesmerizing picture.
“I can ink this on your skin if you want,” I offer.
Her eyes grow wide. “You don’t have to do that. Besides, I don’t know if I’m the kind of girl who gets tattoos.”
“Enlighten me. What kind of girl gets tattoos?”
She shrugs, a dreamy smile playing on her lips as she tells me. “A girl who knows what she wants and goes for it. Who doesn’t back down or let anyone stop her from chasing her dreams. Someone... bold and feisty and good-looking.”
“You are good-looking, so I don’t see a problem there.”
Her cheeks color red again. “Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Say these things to make me feel better. I know why Macie and her friends used to call me Boxy Roxy. You don’t need to lie for my sake.”
I pin her down with a look. “I only ever tell the truth, Roxy. If I’d been in your class back in high school, I would’ve called you Ravishing Roxy. Now that’s a nickname that suits you.”
She averts her eyes, and I’m afraid I’ve crossed a line with her, but then she looks back at me with a twinkle in her eye. “Ravishing Roxy, huh? That does sound great.”
“I know. I should’ve been a poet, right?”
She tilts her head back and laughs, and the entire tattoo shop lights up because of her.
“So, it’s settled then. I’m going to the reunion with you, and I’ll be the best fake date you’ve ever had. I’ll pretend to be madly in love with you.”