Tattoos and Transformations
Read Tattoos and Transformations Online
Authors: Melody Snow Monroe
The Callens 8
Tattoos and Transformations
Dakota Smith has lusted after her best friend’s two brothers, hunky landscaper Clint Callen and sexy rancher Morgan Callen, for twenty years. Too bad they’ve always treated her like a pest. To protect her heart, she adopts the philosophy that the best defense is a good offense and dons combat boots, face piercings, and colors her hair blue, pink, and green. But when her best friend moves out of her warehouse and leases the space to Dakota for an art gallery, she realizes it’s time to act her age.
After a complete transformation, Clint takes notice of the totally hot woman and pursues her, realizing that the sensitive and artistic Dakota is the one for him. Morgan, however, believes leopards never change their spots and keeps his distance. What will Dakota and Clint have to do to change Morgan’s mind about joining them in a ménage relationship?
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation
between or among siblings.
Genre:
Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length:
51,633 words
TATTOOS AND TRANSFORMATIONS
The Callens 8
Melody Snow Monroe
MENAGE EVERLASTING
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www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
Copyright © 2012 by
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-965-1
First E-book Publication: September 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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DEDICATION
To all the brave souls who wear their artwork with pride.
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Dakota Smith watched as the last of Jade Callen’s blacksmith equipment exited the back of the old factory. The last six months had been exciting helping to sell Jade’s fabulous pieces of art, but now Dakota was out of a job and pretty much out of options.
Thrilled for the change in her best friend’s life, she grabbed Jade’s hand. “Are you beyond excited?” Jade now had the perfect life—two men who adored her and a space to create her outdoor sculptures.
She blew out a breath. “I can’t believe I’m getting three times the space.”
Dakota rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about the space.” Jade smiled. “Yes. Logan and Parker are wonderful. I have more than I ever could have dreamed of.” She held out her new engagement ring. “To think I’ll be marrying my dream men in a few months.” She squeezed Dakota’s hands. “You’ll be my maid of honor, right?”
“You know I will. Besides, it’ll give me another chance to charm your brothers.” She winked.
Since the first day her father stepped onto the Spencer Callen ranch to shoe the family’s horses and brought her with him, she’d had a crush on the two Callen brothers.
9
Jade laughed. “Let’s go to the front. I want to discuss a proposition with you.”
“What is it?”
All that was left of the storefront was the sales counter and a bench along one of the walls. Jade had transferred her beautiful iron sculptures to the new living space. She motioned they sit on the bench.
“Have you noticed that I haven’t removed any of my upstairs furniture?”
She had wondered why only the bottom floor of the three-story factory had been vacated. “Kind of.”
“I want to rent out my furnished apartment, along with the downstairs studio space.”
The idea that someone else would be here didn’t sit well with her, but she was glad Jade would get some return for all her hard work after renovating the factory from a broken-down shell to a fabulous space. She’d spent a year bringing this old factory to life. “Someone will be happy.”
Jade leaned back. “I want to rent the whole place to
you
.” The words didn’t register at first. When they did, all Dakota saw were obstacles. For starters, she could never afford a three-thousand-square-foot home. That was why she’d always lived with her dad.
They didn’t really get along, but then again, they didn’t
not
get along.
“Did you forget I don’t have a job?” Jade didn’t need help selling her artwork anymore, so her job as salesperson no longer existed.
Everything Jade created was going to be by commission only.
Her friend twisted on the bench to face her. “I know, but you are an amazing artist. Everyone who has seen your work says so. Here’s my plan.” She clasped Dakota’s hands in hers. “You could convert this bottom floor into an art gallery where you could display not only your work but other artists’ work as well. You’d live upstairs.” Her pulse spiked. The opportunity was too good to be true. “I don’t know what to say, but as I said, I can’t afford it.” What if no one bought her work and she failed to make a go of it? She couldn’t
10
chance not succeeding.
“Look, I know you don’t have much money. Instead of paying for rent, I’ll take a twenty-five percent cut of the profit. If you don’t make any money for a while, then I don’t get paid.” She was marrying one of the richest men in town, so it wouldn’t hurt Jade if the business wasn’t in the black right away. Her stomach twisted as excitement spiked up her body. “You’re sure?” This was a dream come true, along with marrying Jade’s two brothers, which would never happen, but a girl could always have hope.
“Yes. As soon as everyone sees your talent, you’ll be the talk of the town. I want this for you.”
She’d always been second fiddle to Jade. Being on her own needed careful thought. “Can I think about it?” Jade drew her brows together. “No. I know you. You’ll start doubting yourself. You’ll convince yourself you aren’t good enough, when I know your work is fantastic.” She shook her head. “It’s your time to shine, and what better opportunity is there than this?” Part of her wanted to believe everything Jade was saying. She loved to paint more than life itself, but she feared she couldn’t make a living doing it. However, being able to provide a place for other artists to showcase their work would be pretty cool. Maybe the best reason to move forward would be she’d get to move out of the house and banish those demons once and for all.
Dakota inhaled and shut her eyes. “Okay.” Jade leaned over and gave her a hug. “Yes!”
* * * *
Dakota lay in her new bed staring at the ceiling, surprisingly missing her old bedroom. Even though she’d sat on this bed hundreds of times talking with Jade, she felt a bit funny actually being
in
the bed. After Jade dropped the bombshell about opening her own studio, Dakota’s mind hadn’t stopped working. She’d gone home, packed a
11
few bags, and waited for her father to come home from work before moving out.
When she told him about this great opportunity, he’d shrugged and told her he was happy that she’d found something she wanted to do. She thought he’d complain that he’d be losing his cleaning lady and cook, or at least make some comment about his having to live alone after twenty-eight years of watching over her, but he didn’t.
Oh,
well
. It was his loss.
The problem was that despite his inability to express his feelings, she missed the curmudgeon even after one night. She refused to let that stop her from changing her life, though. Being in total control of her future overwhelmed her, but she was determined to give the gallery a try.
Most of the patrons who’d visited Jade’s store treated her like a conduit to buy Jade’s iron pieces and not someone almost as knowledgeable as the artist herself. What many didn’t realize was that it was her father who’d trained Jade. Dakota had been alongside her best friend during the training, but petite women often didn’t do well wielding heavy anvils.
Besides the fact that Dakota sucked at the actual creation process was that she had three visible face piercings, a tongue stud, and blonde hair tinted with purple, blue, and magenta streaks. She believed in expressing herself, but now she wondered if people might not take her seriously as a business owner. Jade always said she was hiding from the
real Dakota
by looking like a freak, but what Jade didn’t seem to get was that this was who she was.
Hell, maybe it was time for a change. As the old saying went, no time like the present.
Unable to sleep, she crawled out of bed and stepped into the bathroom. She might have been way past her teen years, but because she was only five foot two and had multicolored hair for as long as she could remember, she looked closer to sixteen.
One by one, she removed her eyebrow ring, nose ring, lip ring,
12
and tongue stud. Jade always said that Morgan and Clint might not be interested in her because she didn’t conform to the norm. After all, Spencer Callen had very peculiar ideas about women, and his sons might have inherited those beliefs.
When she recalled who’d they’d dated over the years, the Callen brothers liked their women a bit more cleaned up. She’d always believed that the men she married would love her for who she was, but she no longer wanted to be the freaky girl who Morgan and Clint avoided at parties.
As she reached up to feel her naked eyebrow, the scars on her wrists glistened in the light. She quickly dropped her arm. “No more.” She’d gone through her cutting phase around the age of fourteen when she really hated herself.
Stupid
.
From now on, she was going to be a responsible art gallery owner.
Her blonde hair mocked her. A brunette by birth, she’d always wanted to be someone other than the girl whose mom didn’t want her.
Tomorrow, she’d transform herself from punk Dakota into sophisticated Dakota Smith, entrepreneur extraordinaire.