Cupcakes and Ink

By Helena Hunting

The prequel to Clipped Wings—“twisted, dark, incredibly erotic…a love story like no other” (USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton)—this emotional tale follows Hayden and Tenley as they struggle to let go of their pasts and maintain an emotionally safe distance from each other.

Tenley Page is looking for a new start: a new city, a new apartment, a new life. Her plan is to keep to herself and stay focused. But leaving her past behind and starting over isn’t as easy as she thought. And neither is maintaining her solitude. As Tenley settles into her new surroundings, she finds herself drawn to Inked Armor, the tattoo studio across the street. But it’s the gorgeous, dark-haired tattoo artist who captures her interest. There’s something about his severe beauty that captivates her—and not just in her waking hours.

Covered in the ink he inscribes on other people’s skin, Hayden Stryker has made a career out of being a tattooist. He’s got his own business and a tight circle of friends. As far as he’s concerned, that’s all he needs. At least until his aunt, who owns the antiques and used book store across from his tattoo studio, hires a new employee. At first his intrigue is based on physical appeal; hot chick equals something nice to look at. But as he begins to catch glimpses of the fiery personality under the fragile, feminine exterior, his fascination with Tenley grows. Annoyed by his inability to control his fixation, Hayden decides the best way to cure him of the new obsession is to get to know the girl under her skittish façade.

But like the ink he wears as armor, Tenley has the ability to get under his skin and stay there.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pocket Star
• Release date: Feb 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781476764337

Helena Hunting

Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s putting her degree in English Lit to good use by writing contemporary erotic romance. She is the author of Clipped Wings, her debut novel, Inked Armor, the sequel, and Cupcakes and Ink, an e-original short story.

Book preview

Title Page

Contents

Tenley

Hayden

Teaser of Clipped Wings

For my sister. Your courage astounds me. I love you.

Acknowledgments

Brooks, Micki, and my S&S team: thank you for making every step in this process an adventure.

Alex and Kris: you really are fabulous. Thank you for always being there to clean up my semicolons. Alex, your sage advice and your friendship have been a blessing.

To my Filets, I love you ladies. You keep me sane(ish).

WC crew: your support, excitement, and general awesomeness have been so incredibly helpful through this whole endeavor. I’m so glad I have all of you.

Husband, you are the best.

Fandom, without you, this wouldn’t have been possible.

Tenley

I parked in the lot behind my apartment and cut the engine, taking a last moment to appreciate my air-conditioned car. When I opened the door, the heat slapped me in the face like a wet blanket. It was disgustingly hot and humid, standard for late August in Chicago. It was almost nine at night, which should have meant relief from the oppressive heat, but the forecast predicted more of the same over the coming days. I popped the trunk and grabbed as many bags as I could.

I had to make several trips, and by the time I got everything upstairs, sweat dripped down my temples and my T-shirt was sticking to my skin. The industrial box fan—the most important purchase—made a thud when I dropped it on the hallway floor outside my apartment.

I wasn’t concerned about the noise. Since my neighbor’s ancient Toyota Tercel wasn’t parked in the lot, I assumed she wasn’t home. I hadn’t met her yet, having moved in only a week ago, but my landlady, Cassie, said she went to Northwestern. Like me, she was pursuing her master’s.

I shouldered the door open and shoved the bags inside with my foot. One of them ripped, scattering boxes of microwave popcorn across the hardwood. With a sigh, I went back into the hall, then slid the fan across the floor. It was so brutally heavy that I’d almost dropped it coming up the stairs. My sole source of air-conditioning was the window unit in my bedroom; the rest of the place was like a sauna. I’d left my bedroom door open once, hoping to cool the whole apartment, but when I returned the main living area was still grossly hot, and the bedroom was barely cool.

I made quick work of the groceries, tossing the perishables into the fridge. Then I gathered the boxes of popcorn and dumped them on the counter along with the rest of the easy-fix meals like Kraft Dinner and ramen noodles, as well as baking supplies. I needed an entire cupboard dedicated to my baking paraphernalia.

The next order of business was to make myself a drink. My twenty-first birthday was a few weeks away so I couldn’t buy liquor legally yet, but I’d been smart enough to pack a few bottles of booze before my exodus from Arden Hills.

A bottle of vodka awaited me in the freezer. It was thick but not slushy as I poured a hefty shot and dropped in a handful of ice cubes. I topped it with pink grapefruit juice, swirled it around, and took a sip. Glancing at the microwave clock, I saw that it was just after nine-thirty—perfect. I nabbed a throw pillow from the couch and went to the window, drew back the curtains, and unlocked the latch.

I sat on the wide ledge, propping the pillow behind my back. Taillights glowed on the street below, the occasional honk punctuating the thrum of engines running. I’d never lived on such a busy street and the constant activity was a welcome diversion.

The first few nights after I moved in, I sat at the window and listened to the chatter of the people passing by on the sidewalk below. Opposite my apartment, at street level, the Inked Armor sign glowed against the backdrop of shadows and streetlights. I was fascinated by the goings-on inside the tattoo shop. It was a distraction from the emptiness of my apartment, which was an echo of the feeling in my chest. I’d come to Chicago to escape the memories in Arden Hills; to leave behind the reminders of the things I’d lost and could never get back.

Here, nothing was familiar.

Reviews for Cupcakes and Ink

[marshel1969 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sweet little novella before Hayden and Tenley start in Clipped Wings.

[Farah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I

[HushPuppy8 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

...I think this book could be a good read however, there wasn't much to this prequel.

[CaseyDunbar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not that it wasn't good, but there was no resolution or real point to this prequel.

[schatzi_5 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Nothing says romance by looking in your crush's windows and wishing you had a pair of binoculars so you could watch her better! ;) (This actually happens, by the way.)

You aren't missing anything by skipping it. Tenley gets a new fan. Hayden goes creepy. Yep, that's about it. It does show their first few meetings, but considering that those were summed up in Clipped Wings, this doesn't add really anything to the story line.