Contents

  Breaking the Rules with the Mountain Man

  Copyright

  Breaking the Rules with the Mountain Man

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Epilogue

  Author’s note and free book

  Breaking the Rules with the Mountain Man

  Bearclaw Ink #2

  By Hazel J. North

  Copyright

  © Breaking the Rules with the Mountain Man by Hazel J. North

  2024

  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.

  Breaking the Rules with the Mountain Man

  I want to give my V-card to my dad’s best friend—a tattooed mountain man twice my age…

  Hawk

  When my best friend asks me to get his daughter an internship at the tattoo parlor I own, I agree without thinking about it.

  But when Delilah walks in, the air gets knocked out of me. The last time I saw her, she was still a girl. Now, she’s all woman and curves—all grown up. How am I supposed to do the right thing and resist her?

  Delilah

  Working for my dad’s best friend seems like a sweet deal, but as soon as I lay eyes on him, I realize I’ve made a mistake. Hawk’s a rugged, strong guy with piercing green eyes and skin full of ink. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.

  I know it’s wrong to lust after my dad’s best friend. But… how can something so wrong feel so right?

  Breaking the Rules with the Mountain Man 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 Bearclaw Ink, a steamy instalove romance series set in a small mountain town where every protective mountain man finds a woman to love.

  Chapter One

  Delilah

  A smile plays on my lips as the familiar sights of Bearclaw Ridge come into view. It’s been years since I’ve been back here. Well, maybe not years. I visit the town every year to spend Christmas with Dad, but that was only temporary. This time, I’m here to stay.

  The sun causes the lakes to sparkle, and impressive mountain peaks are sprawled majestically around the valley as far as the eye can see. Even though it’s sweltering hot, the stretch of road in front of me is bathed in shade thanks to the pine trees lining the concrete.

  When I pass the sign for Bearclaw Ridge, my heart skips a beat, and I grin. It’s amazing to be back after spending years in the city where there are always too many people and not enough room to breathe.

  After my parents’ divorce, I traveled between Mom’s place and Dad’s, but I always preferred Dad’s. I love my mother a lot, but the concrete jungle she chose to live in never appealed to me. Now I have my degree—something my mother insisted on, even though all I wanted was to draw and paint for a living—I’m finally free to live how and where I want, which is in the mountains of Bearclaw Ridge.

  My smile grows bigger when I pass the town center with all its familiar places: Mountain Morning Brew, Blooming Petals, Ridgewood Hardware and Tools, and… Bearclaw Ink, the tattoo parlor my dad’s best friend owns. I don’t know much about the man since I spent most of my teenage years in the city, but I do recall the last time I saw him—five years ago. It was Christmas Eve, and Hawk dropped by to borrow some tools from Dad. I only caught a glimpse of him through the half-opened hallway door, but it was enough to make my insides tingle. He’s a giant of a man with a thick beard and gorgeous eyes.

  Oh my God, his eyes.

  They’re the same dark green shade as the trees growing on the mountains of Bearclaw Ridge. I snort as I remember how immature I was back then, wishing furiously for those dark green eyes to land on me. But Hawk didn’t seem to realize I was there. I’d forgotten about that night until I passed his tattoo shop.

  A mile further, I take a right turn and guide my rental car up the mountain, expertly avoiding the familiar holes in the road.

  When I arrive at my dad’s cabin and slam the car door shut, I’m greeted by the fresh scent of pine trees and the chirping of birds. I take a deep breath and smile.

  I’m home. Finally.

  The front door swings open, and Dad comes rushing down the stairs with a huge smile. “Princess! You’re here!” He pulls me in for a bear hug.

  I grin. “Yup, made it here safe and sound.”

  “What do you say we eat right away? I can grill some burgers. Or do you want to rest first? You’re probably tired from traveling all that distance.”

  “Dinner sounds great. I’m starving,” I tell Dad.

  “Great. Burgers it is.”

  My father starts working on getting the barbecue fired up while I head inside to drop off my bags in my old room. Nothing has changed in here, not even the Foo Fighters bedspread I begged Dad to buy me seven years ago. He thought it was weird that, as a sixteen-year-old girl, I wanted a bedspread with a bunch of forty-year-old rockers on it. He finally caved when he realized how much I loved their music. I blasted two of their albums on repeat that summer until it drove Dad crazy. He not only bought me the bedspread but also a set of headphones.

  Did I secretly have a crush on Dave Grohl? Maybe, yeah. All my friends were huge fans of Harry Styles back then, but I thought he was too baby-faced.

  Leaving my bedroom, I close the door behind me and head to the kitchen. I grab plates, cutlery, and two beers from the fridge and head outside.

  “Here you go,” I say, handing Dad one of the bottles.

  “Thanks, Princess.” He closes the lid of the barbecue and turns to me. “I’m happy you’re finally back.”

  I nod. “Me too. You know I love Mom as much as I love you, but I've had enough of crowds, concrete, and car exhausts. It’s almost unbelievable how fresh the air is here compared to the city.”

  Dad takes a swig of his beer and frowns. “I still don’t get why your mother insisted on you getting a degree when all you want is to be an artist.”

  “I know, but it’s not worth it getting angry about it. She did it out of love for me.”

  It’s true, no matter how much I hated studying for a career I didn’t want. Mom was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make money from my art, so she forced me to get a degree as a backup plan.

  “Do you have any plans or prospects already?” Dad asks.

  “What do you mean? Are you that eager for me to start making money and get my own place?”

  “Of course not. You can stay as long as you want, Princess. I was just wondering if you had any job opportunities, that’s all.”

  I shake my head. “Not really.”

  A twinkle appears in Dad’s eyes.

  I knit my eyebrows, bracing myself for what’s about to come. “What did you do, Dad?”

  “I figured you would want to start your art career as soon as possible, so I called in a favor.”

  Uh-oh.

  He laughs as he catches my worried expression. “Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”

  “I will?”

  He nods. “I asked Hawk if he could give you an internship at the tattoo parlor, and he said yes.”

  That weird tingling rushes through my body again at the mention of Hawk. “Tattoo parlor? With needles?” is all I manage to say.

  “You’d mostly be drawing designs, but I bet he’ll also teach you how to do a tattoo.” My dad’s face flushes with concern. “Designing exclusive tattoos is still one of your dreams, right? I’d hate for you to go there against your will.”

  If Hawk is there, it definitely won’t be against my will.

  I give him a reassuring smile. “It all sounds great. Thank you for arranging the internship for me, Dad.”

  “Good. For a second, I thought I’d made a mistake asking Hawk to take you on as his apprentice. Anyway, you start tomorrow morning,” he casually adds while opening the barbecue lid to check on the charcoal.

  “Tomorrow? I just got here.”

  “Sorry, Princess. If you want, I can call him and ask him to—”

  “That’s okay,” I cut him off. “Tomorrow works for me. It’s not like I have anything else planned.”

  I truly don’t mind. In fact, I’m curious to find out if Hawk is the hot, muscled man I remember him to be or if it was wishful thinking on behalf of my eighteen-year-old imagination.

  Chapter Two

  Hawk

  I’m getting new ink bottles out when the door to my tattoo station creaks open.

  “What is it, Maverick? I’m busy,” I say with a grunt. “Are you so concerned about having to ink a lotus tattoo on that woman that you feel the need to interrupt me?”

  “Um, I’m sorry. I don’t know who Maverick is,” says an angelic voice that makes my mouth go dry. “I’m here for t
he internship? I’m Delilah.”

  I swivel on my stool, and it’s a fucking miracle I don’t fall off. This is Delilah? I expected to be met with a girl, not a… woman.

  “You’re Keith’s daughter?” I ask.

  She nods. “The one and only.”

  How is this possible? The last time I saw her was, hell, I don’t even remember. To be honest, I never gave her any attention at all. Never looked at her. Never cared. Why would I?

  But now… Goddamn, you better believe I’m letting my eyes roam over her colorful dress that does nothing to hide her juicy curves. A pink blush spreads over her cheeks, accentuating the blue of her eyes. Long, thick curls with lilac highlights fall over her shoulders, and I realize I’m blatantly staring at her.

  “Is something wrong?” she asks, patting her hair.

  I purse my lips. There sure is. She’s sending blood straight to my cock, but I can’t tell her that. Won’t ever admit that to my best friend’s daughter.

  I clear my throat and extend my hand. “I’m Hawk.”

  Delilah places her hand in mine, and I swear I hear the air crackle with electricity.

  “Nice to meet you, Hawk.”

  She looks around the room and nervously clasps her hands together. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to work here? I don’t want to be any trouble. Like that Maverick guy you thought I was.”

  I let out a deep laugh. “Maverick’s not trouble. He works here. The guy’s an extraordinary tattoo artist, but he isn’t exactly organized. You’ll meet everyone soon enough.”

  She smiles at me. “That’s great to hear. To be honest, Dad arranged this whole thing for me. I didn’t even know about the internship until yesterday. He gave me the news right after I arrived. He was grilling burgers on the barbecue, and then he…”

  I grin as she babbles like a madwoman. It’s cute, but I should probably stop her before she talks the day away. I do still intend to teach her. I promised, after all.

  “So, about the internship. Shall we go over some basics first?” I ask.

  She nods excitedly. “Sounds great. Where do you want me?”

  On your back with your legs spread wide so I can taste your pussy.

  Jesus fucking Christ. Where did that thought come from?

  I swallow the hot need building inside me and motion to the corner of the room. “Grab that extra chair.”

  Delilah drags the piece of furniture toward my desk and gives me an expectant look.

  Right, I’m supposed to teach her.

  “Keith said you love drawing designs, is that right?”

  She smiles. “It is. I’d love to learn how to draw up exclusive tattoo designs based on loose ideas from clients.”

  I explain to her how that process works. She listens intently, firing off questions now and then until I give her an assignment. I’m curious to find out if she’s as talented as my best friend claims.

  While she’s working, I can’t help but steal glances at her. The tip of her tongue sticks out of her mouth while her pencil glides over the paper in front of her. Does her tongue feel as soft and warm as it looks? My gaze travels further down as if my eyes have a mind of their own. Her dress has slid off her right shoulder, offering me a mouthwatering view of her exposed collarbone.

  I dare a glance even lower, and I wish I hadn’t. Her plump breasts are milky white, their curves promising more than a handful of deliciousness. I shift in my seat to conceal my erection.

  “So, Delilah,” I start, attempting to take my mind off how fucking good she looks. “Have you always been this creative?”

  She nods without taking her eyes off the paper. “I can’t explain it, but I love to draw. When you see an image that only exists in your head come to life on paper, it’s—”

  “Like magic,” I finish her sentence.

  She looks up from the desk, surprised. “How did you know?”

  I shrug. “Because that’s what it’s like for me. Drawing is my biggest passion. That, and seeing how stoked clients are after I draw my designs on them in permanent tattoo ink. It’s like a drug. I can’t stop doing it.”

  A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. “I hope I get to experience that too.”

  “You will, but not right away. Not that I don’t trust you, Delilah, but we should take it slow.”

  “Yeah,” she says, her eyes lingering on my face longer than necessary. “Taking it slow would be the smartest thing to do.”

  Is she flirting with me, or am I imagining things? It’s the latter, no doubt about it. No twenty-three-year-old woman would be interested in a man twice her age.

  “Thanks again for wanting to teach me. I think it’s amazing that this whole business is yours,” she says.

  I shrug. “I’m in my forties. It’s not that crazy of an achievement.”

  Her eyebrows knit together. “How old are you?”

  Her question punches me violently in the gut. I know there’s an age difference, but I hoped she saw me as desirable, not some old dude.

  “Forty-six,” I say between gritted teeth. “Old, I know.”

  Delilah tips her head back and laughs. “That’s not old at all. It’s not like you’re one birthday away from moving into a retirement home.”

  “You think so?” I press, wanting her reassurance for some inexplicable reason.

  “I do. Seriously, Hawk, you shouldn’t worry. You’re a sexy fox.”

  As soon as the words leave her mouth, her eyes widen. She quickly returns her attention to the piece of paper in front of her and resumes drawing.

  I can’t stop grinning. She thinks I’m a sexy fox, huh? But my enjoyment clouds over as soon as I realize she’s not some random girl. She’s my best friend’s daughter, which means I can’t fall for her. If I did, he’d kill me with his bare hands before I ever got a chance to explain.

  Delilah finishes her drawing and shows it to me. I study her design. The lines are clean, the shading precise, and the overall composition solid. She has real talent and skill. This woman is going places with her art, I can tell.

  “This is good. You’ve got a natural talent.”

  Her face lights up. “You think so?”

  “I do, but remember that drawing on paper and tattooing on skin are two different things. For starters, there’s no erase button,” I joke.

  “Doesn’t that make you nervous?”

  I shrug. “Not anymore. When I first started, sure, but I’ve been doing this for two decades. Do you want to try?”

  Her eyes grow wide at my suggestion. “Tattooing?”

  “Why not? I’ve got synthetic skin you can practice on.”

  I hand her a piece of synthetic skin and a tattoo gun, showing her how to angle it correctly.

  “Like this?” she asks, her hands trembling.

  I put my hand over her fingers. “Yes, but there’s no need to be this nervous.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I get it. The day before I had to do my first real tattoo, I was so afraid I’d mess up that I threw up several times.”

  She chuckles. “Oh, wow, that’s bad.”

  “I know, but I faced the fear and did it anyway. And if I can do it, so can you.”

  Delilah squares her shoulders. “Okay. Where do I start?”

  “With some basic lines and shapes. It’s all about getting a feel for the machine and the amount of pressure you need to apply.”

  As she starts practicing, I stand close to guide her hand when necessary and to selfishly inhale the scent of vanilla and mango emanating from her skin. What kind of soap does she use? The thought has me picturing her naked, running a bar of soap over her bare thighs and breasts.

  “What do you think?” she asks, looking up at me.

  She’s so close. I’d only have to lean in a few inches to kiss her.

  Get it together, man.

  “It looks promising,” I tell her. “All you need is more practice.”

  “And you’ll keep teaching me?”

  I should tell her no. Make it clear that I don’t want to cross any boundaries. A smart man would ask one of his employees to teach her instead. Luna could do it, or Maverick or Theo.

  It’s the right call. It’s what I should do.

  But I don’t because I can’t fucking help myself around this woman.