Page 2 of Inked Soul

Chapter One

I Don’t Know What To Do

Abigail

I wish I could say I was the perfect mother, but we all know that isn’t true of any woman. Each of us has our own way of doing things. Parenting isn’t some laid-out plan you follow to raise the perfect child. You don’t get a guide when you give birth. All of this is just doing your best and hoping it is enough.

I want more than anything else to help my child. I want to be able to soothe my son, to stop the crying that has been going on for hours. His wails ring out around the small apartment, tearing at my heart. But nothing I do seems to have any effect. I changed his diaper, fed him, swaddled him, sang to him ... hell, I have tried everything and nothing works.

Someone bangs on my front door and my heart falls to the ground. I honestly don’t want to deal with Darren, my ex-husband, right now. Holding tightly to my son, Tyler, I make my way down the hall when I hear the second loud knock. He came over a few days ago to check that we were moved in and hasn’t been back since. Not that I care. I told him to leave, now I just wish he would stay away.

Opening the door, I am ready to lay into my ex-husband but instead I find a muscle-bound man glaring at me. I stare at the giant on the other side. This man is exactly the opposite of who I was expecting to find standing in front of me tonight. I am more grateful than words can express not to find Darren on the other side of my door, even though I shouldn’t be. I don’t know this man and he is clearly not happy.

He towers over me with his bulky frame. Dark hair and green eyes, with colorful tattoos covering his arms. He is dressed in heather gray sweatpants and nothing else. His ridiculously tan and ripped chest is bare of any artwork, but his muscles are impressive. Pecs, six pack, and that stupid V that draws every woman’s eye right down to said man’s junk. I do my best not to stare but it’s a losing battle. My sleep-deprived brain isn’t doing what I want.

“Look, lady,” he says in a voice that is low and gravelly, finally shaking me out of my stupor. “I know your kid is just a baby, but it has been a damn week of constant crying. I’m not getting an hour of sleep every night and it’s making me cranky. Can you just do something about it already?”

I don’t know what it is that pushes me over the line, his frown or the fact that I am just so fucking tired, but the dam breaks and I can’t hold back the tears any longer. A sob breaks free as I clutch my crying child to my chest.

“Shit.” The giant man curses, pushing the door open wider.

He gently takes Tyler from me, cradling him to his naked chest as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. He gives me a side hug like we are old friends.

I should be freaked out. I should be fighting to get my son back from this stranger who is now inside my home, but all I want to do is lean into him and take some of the strength he carries around.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he says softly, rubbing my shoulder.

“It’s not your fault,” I sob. “I’m just tired.”

“I’m sure you are.” He chuckles, leading me deeper into the apartment. “Just like me, you’re not getting any sleep.”

Taking a seat on the dark brown couch, I stare up at this strange, half-naked man who is holding my son to his chest when it hits me. The silence.

“He stopped.”

“What?” The man frowns at me like I’m speaking gibberish.

“Tyler isn’t crying anymore,” I say in shock.

Green eyes slide to my son’s sleeping face, a small smile tugging at the side of his lips. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“What the hell?” I whisper, staring at them, my tears forgotten. “Are you like ... a baby whisperer or something?”

He full-on smiles and if I was standing my knees would have given out from how handsome he is. “Kids don’t usually like me. I can’t even remember ever holding a baby before.”

“You’ll have to live here now,” I joke—mostly. “If you can get him to sleep that fast, I am never letting you out of here again.”

The words are out of my mouth before I have a chance to think about it.

He chuckles while shaking his head. “How about I lay him down and we can both grab a couple hours of sleep before he wakes up?”

Nodding, I lead him toward the nursery. It’s like watching Mom porn. He is gorgeous. Tall, muscular, and tattooed. And a man that looks like him, holding a baby? It’s obscene.

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