Inked Armour

“That’s what you get for being late, bro,” Chris said, ru

Nate’s was a tuxedo print, Jamie’s a cowboy. Hayden wasn’t so lucky; his had pink and white flowers with ruffles around the edges. I giggled as he fumbled with the strings. He was too broad to be able to tie a bow.

He grabbed a whisk and pointed it at me. “What are you laughing at? I can totally pull off this look.”

I raised my hands. “I’m not arguing with you. I think you look pretty.”

He smacked his palm with the whisk. “Don’t think for a second I’ll forget you said that.”

I played with the chain around my neck and gri

Holiday di

Here, the men took over the kitchen. Well, most of them. According to Sarah, Chris couldn’t even manage a Kraft di

I was fascinated by how natural the domestic routine seemed to be for Hayden. He’d been on his own for the past seven years and wasn’t a huge fan of takeout, so he’d learned to cook. Aside from his fixation with cupcakes and his love of beer and scotch, he had healthy eating habits. Sometimes it made him a buzz kill when we went grocery shopping.

Sarah let out a low whistle, bringing my attention back to the conversation. She motioned to my chest. “Is that new?”

I looked down at the charm I was playing with. “It’s an early present from Hayden.”

Ever since I’d put it on, I couldn’t stop touching it. It was like a talisman, the only thing beside Hayden that kept me grounded enough to get through the day.

“Wow! Nice job, Hayden,” Sarah said.

Chris punched Hayden in the shoulder. “I guess we know why you two were late. Someone was looking to get laid.”

“Ow!” Hayden punched him back. “That wasn’t my motive at all.”

“You two, hands to yourself. We’re not having an MMA match in the kitchen this year.” Nate pointed the handle of his bread knife at Hayden and Chris.

“MMA match?” I asked.

“Last year Chris and Hayden got into the sauce a little too early. There was an issue with the potatoes. The cleanup was a bitch,” Jamie supplied.

“Particularly since those two were so messed up, they had their heads in the toilet before di

“That was the worst hangover I ever had.” Chris went back to pulverizing potatoes.

“You let them get away with that?” I asked Cassie.

“I wasn’t involved. Lisa and I were on an emergency run to get fresh cranberries. Chris brought ca

“Who the hell eats ca

I raised my hand. “I like ca

“You would, Miss Let’s Eat Popcorn and Reese’s Pieces for Di

“Don’t knock it. The Reese’s Pieces are awesome when they’re all melty.”

“It’s true,” Sarah said. “It really is good.”

Hayden rolled his eyes and went back to stirring the cranberry sauce. Which he’d made from scratch.

“So what happened when you got back?” Sarah asked.

“Hayden and Chris were engaged in a wrestling match on the floor,” Cassie replied.

“And Nate and Jamie were busy placing bets on who was going to win,” Lisa said with a laugh.

“I stood to make good money if Hayden won, considering he was the underdog,” Jamie said.

“Hardly,” Hayden scoffed. “Chris was way more hammered than I was.”

“Yeah, but you’re all lanky and shit, you Gumby-looking mother-fucker. I’m the one with the brawn,” Chris goaded, flexing his thick biceps.

“Should I be worried?” I asked Cassie, who was watching them with an amused smile.

“No. This is pretty normal,” she said.

“Fuck that Gumby shit.” Hayden tossed his wooden spoon on the counter and went chest to chest with Chris. “You’re a freak of nature. You were probably the size of a fucking toddler when you were born.”

They looked frighteningly dangerous as they glared at each other, chins raised in defiance. Jamie gave a bark of laughter.

Chris fought back a grin and Hayden poked him in the chest. “I am not lanky. Right, kitten?”

“Of course not.” All those hard-cut muscles? “I think you have the perfect body.” It came out almost breathless.

Hayden smirked and leaned across the counter to plant a kiss on my lips. “It goes both ways, beautiful.” Even in the ridiculous apron, he swaggered back to his post at the stove.

Everyone stared at Hayden with expressions that verged on disbelief; I got the distinct impression none of them had ever seen him like this before.

Cassie put an arm around my shoulder. “We’re all very glad you’re here, Tenley.”

“So am I.” I leaned into her embrace. “I’m very fortunate to have found him.”

“As is he,” she said.

While the men prepared di

When di

After the main course, the plates were cleared. New dishes were brought out in preparation for dessert. Since no one was ready for it yet, we relaxed in our chairs, blissed out in a turkey coma. Everyone was sipping drinks except for Hayden, who had switched to soda water. Conversation was easy, and while I was quiet, it wasn’t because I was stuck in the past. I loved listening to this new family I’d become part of.

After a while Hayden and Jamie started asking about dessert, so I brought it out while Cassie poured coffees.

“What’s going on? I thought you brought cupcakes,” Hayden said as I set the dessert platter on the table.

“They are cupcakes.”

“Really? All incognito, huh?” He inspected the wreath. White-chocolate leaves covered the layer of fluffy buttercream icing, and fresh-cut strawberries adorned the top for a splash of color.

“It’s almost too pretty to eat,” Cassie said.

“Almost,” Hayden agreed, and took the first one. “But not quite.”

He didn’t bother to wait for everyone else before he peeled away the wrapper and shoved half of it in his mouth. Only when he was eating cupcakes did his table ma

“I thought it would be lighter. Did they turn out okay?”

He groaned an affirmative and helped himself to seconds. I peeled the wrapper from my own and began slowly disassembling the cake: eating the berries first, followed by the white-chocolate leaves, then finally the icing-covered cake. Hayden pulled me closer, until I was almost in his lap. He reached over and helped himself to a third.

“You don’t have to make yourself sick. There are extras at my apartment.”

“Good to know.” He tucked my hair behind my ear and leaned in to whisper, “Watching you eat cupcakes is better than porn.”

“You think so?” I batted my eyelashes at him, then sucked icing off my finger.

His hand disappeared below the tablecloth and he shifted in his chair. His nose brushed my cheek. “Much better. Infinitely better.”